Arizona made quick work of in-state opponent Embry-Riddle in the Wildcats’ second and final exhibition game of the season, defeating the Eagles 113-42 on Monday. Embry-Riddle came out blazing, but Arizona’s size and physicality quickly overpowered the NAIA program located in Prescott, Arizona.
Cats claw the Eagles
Tommy Lloyd opted for a different starting lineup than he used against Saint Mary’s, with Brayden Burries getting the nod at point guard and Tobe Awaka returning to action after missing the exhibition against the Gaels. Embry-Riddle took an early 9-to-8 lead over Arizona at the 17:33 mark of the first half and opened the game shooting 4-of-6 from three-point range. From there, it was all Arizona. The Wildcats ended the first half on a 17-3 over the final 4:14 to take a commanding 58-26 lead into the locker room.
“They made four threes basically before the first media timeout, ended up with six. But I think that’s a great lesson for our guys, two ways,” said Lloyd after Embry-Riddle’s hot start from beyond the arc. “One, you got to come out from the tip ready to execute your plan. And you don’t ease into a game. Okay, so we got to do that. Two teams sometimes make early threes, don’t panic, adjust. And I think they made two the rest of the game. And I didn’t feel like they had a lot of great looks after those first couple and so, we’ll look at it from that lens.”
The strong performance continued in the second half on both ends for the Wildcats, particularly for senior Tobe Awaka, who finished with an 18-point, 14-rebound double-double, along with three assists, two blocks, and a steal in his unofficial season debut. Arizona handily won the rebounding battle, 58-15, while shooting 43-of-67 (64.2%) from field and defensively holding Embry-Riddle to 16-56 (28.6%) shooting. The Wildcats leveraged their size, strength, and speed to overwhelm the Eagles, winning the battle for points in the paint, 68-20, and the fast break battle, 33-2, while also getting to the free throw line 33 times.
“I feel like shooting, we’re going to be fine,” said Lloyd after Arizona shot 4-13 from the perimeter. “But again, I’ve always told you guys, we’re not trying to build a team here that shoots 30 or 40 threes a game. But, I would like to shoot 33 free throws every game. To me, there’s a trade off in this stuff. It all comes down to your values and what you value. I like threes. I have no problem with them, but I love free throws, I love layups.”
Freshman Ivan Kharchenkov shined in his second game as a Wildcat, scoring 17 points on 6-of-7 from the field, including one from deep, as well as four rebounds and two steals. Walk-on Sven Djopmo also impressed in the waning minutes of the game, recording two steals and connecting on all four of his field goals and lone free throw opportunity for nine points in just seven minutes.
Lineup lookahead
As Arizona shifts its focus to the start of the regular season, the question remains, what will Arizona’s starting lineup look like? It seems clear that Jaden Bradley, Brayden Burries, and Anthony Dell’Orso will comprise the Wildcats’ backcourt, but the front court could go a few different ways. Tobe Awaka and Motiejus Krivas have each had dominant exhibition performances and showed flashes of their potential in high-low scenarios against Embry-Riddle. But Koa Peat is young, dynamic, and frankly, just too talented and physically gifted to not also earn starting minutes.
Look for Tommy Lloyd to roll with Koa Peat and Mo Krivas in his starting lineup to begin the season, with Tobe Awaka getting starter minutes off the bench as the Wildcats’ first substitution, similar to the KJ Lewis and Anthony Dell’Orso dynamic from a season ago.
Up Next
Arizona heads to Las Vegas where it will face the defending national champion and No. 3-ranked Florida Gators on Monday, November 3, at 5:00 PM MST at T-Mobile Arena, better know as McKale North. The game is available on TNT Sports.
Rounding out the week, Arizona returns to Tucson for its season home-opener against Utah Tech on Friday, November 7, at 7:00 PM MST on TNT Sports.
[…] While Arizona likely won’t have a 71-point win when it takes on the defending national champion Florida Gators next week, the Wildcats took full advantage of the opportunity against Embry-Riddle on Monday. Tobe Awaka finished with an 18-point, 14-rebound double-double in his unofficial season debut, while freshman Ivan Kharchenkov dazzled with 17 points shooting 6-of-7 from the field. Here’s everything Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd, Awaka, and Kharchenkov said postgame following the Wildcats’ 113-42 exhibition win over Embry-Riddle. […]