Arizona
No. 8 Arizona MBB secures fifth straight win with triple-overtime thriller against Utah and a blowout win over Colorado
The No. 8 Arizona men’s basketball team went on the road this week for its two games, first meeting the University of Utah on Thursday, Feb. 8, at 6 p.m. in Salt Lake City, Utah, where the Wildcats secured a 105-99 victory over the Utes in triple overtime at Jon M. Huntsman Center. The Wildcats then traveled to Boulder, Colorado, to take on the University of Colorado, Boulder on Saturday, Feb. 10, at 8 p.m. in CU Events Center, dominating the Buffaloes with a secure 99-79 win, pushing Arizona to its fifth straight win.
Game 1: Arizona vs. Utah – Thursday, Feb. 8
Arizona managed to gain a 5-0 lead in the beginning minutes as Kylan Boswell sank a 3-pointer. It wasn’t long until Utah was able to find an answer, going on a 7-0 run to catch up to the score, quickly turning it around to 11-10. Out of the first timeout, Arizona regained the lead as shots stopped falling for the Utes, allowing Caleb Love to shoot a 3-pointer and push the lead to 22-15. Utah ended its scoring drought as a jumper by Deivon Smith helped get within six points of the score.
Under five minutes to go in the first half, a jumper by Jaden Bradley helped the Wildcats obtain a 10-point lead to gain a 31-21 advantage. Arizona went into halftime leading 41-25 as Keshad Johnson led the first quarter with nine points and four rebounds as Arizona also collected five steals, forcing eight Utah turnovers. Utah shot only 32.4% from the field and was 2 for 10 from the 3-point line in the first quarter as Smith led the Utes in the first half with six points, four rebounds and three assists.
Arizona kept its 16-point lead a few minutes into the second quarter until it was chipped away as Gabe Madsen made a shot from beyond the arc, lowering the deficit to 10. Branden Carlson made his own 3-pointer and proceeded to score on a dunk shortly after to bring the score to 56-48 and the lead down to single digits. Utah improved on defense throughout the second quarter, forcing Arizona to go 36.7% on field goal attempts. Carlson made another 3-pointer to get Utah within one-point of the score as the Utes improved to 8-11 on shots from beyond the arc in the second half. Arizona was unable to reclaim control of the score in the final minutes of the second quarter as Johnson made two free-throws to push the lead to five with one minute remaining. Madsen made a 3-pointer that tied the score at 76 and propelled the game into overtime.
Pelle Larsson gave Arizona its lead on one of the six made collective shots from both teams in the first overtime. Carlson then gave Utah the lead off a layup with under two minutes to go in the added regulation when Love tied the game at 82 on a layup, forcing a double overtime. The Wildcats had a four-point lead gained from Love making all three free throws he was called for. Utah center Keba Keita made two of his free throws with a minute remaining, forcing the third and final overtime with the score sitting at 91.
Shots started to fall for the Wildcats in the third overtime as Love sank a 3-pointer to reclaim control of the 99-93 score. Bradley secured a nine-point lead on a made free throw, giving no room for the Utes to make a comeback. Arizona won 105-99 in triple overtime with all starters for the Wildcats scoring in double digits. Larsson achieved a career-high 27 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Love provided 19 points and 10 rebounds while acquiring two blocks as Oumar Ballo made an impact with 16 rebounds and three blocks. Carlson led Utah with 27 points and 15 rebounds and Smith finished with a triple-double putting up 14 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds.
Head coach Tommy Lloyd was asked about how crucial it is to win on the road during this time in the season:
“If you want to compete for a conference Championship, you have to be able to compete and win some games on the road […]. I think we’re playing better basketball now, I think we’re building, and I think all these experiences are accumulating, and listen, we’re going into another place on Saturday, that they haven’t lost at home, they have really good players and a good coach it’s going to be tough. You know, we just need to dig down and see if we can find a way.”
Game 2: Arizona vs. Colorado – Saturday, Feb. 10
Arizona went into this game looking for its fifth win in a row as they succeeded with a blowout 99-79 victory over Colorado. The Buffaloes had a six-point lead at the start of the game but quickly lost consistency in scoring. Larsson made a layup to tie the game at eight when shortly after, Boswell made a 3-pointer to give Arizona the lead that it maintained for the rest of the game. Colorado guard KJ Simpson got within one-point of tying the game off a jumper halfway through the first quarter as the lead fluctuated when both teams traded turnovers back and forth.
The Wildcats continued to be a few points ahead as Love extended the lead to 28-21 with a 3-pointer, not allowing Colorado to take over. Bradley made a layup off a turnover, pushing the lead to 10 with five minutes left in the quarter. A 3-pointer made by Julian Hammond Ⅲ got the Buffaloes within seven points which was as close as they got to the 47-40 score at halftime. Larsson and Love both collected 11 points leading the Wildcats in the first half, as Tristan da Silva had 11 points for Colorado.
Arizona never led under double-digits in the second quarter as the offense came out strong collectively shooting 54.1% from the field. The Wildcats dominated the second half, quickly building a 20-point lead caused by Love off a 3-pointer. With Colorado trailing the rest of the way, the deficit only shrunk to 14 points with needed free throws taken by J’Vonne Hadley with under eight minutes to go in regulation. Ultimately, Colorado was never able to chip away the score to regain control of the game, giving Arizona its first win in Boulder, Colorado, since 2015. Love led the Wildcats with 19 points going 4-6 from the 3-point line while Larsson followed with 18 points and 3 steals. Ballo had 16 points and 13 rebounds, collecting his fourth straight double-double in the past four games. Simpson and Da Silva each scored 20 points to lead Colorado as Simpson also managed to gain nine assists. Three technicals were assigned during the game with one on Johnson and two assigned to Colorado guards Hadley and Simpson.
“Nothing different, it was just like hey, we know what we’re playing for […]. Competing for the league championships is important to us and we knew playing well at Colorado, you know, it’s not make or break but it goes a long way to helping you so, we knew we had to play good, and our guys respect Colorado. We knew that they’re a dangerous team especially at home so they came out and responded.” said coach Lloyd when asked about the key to figuring out ways to stay consistent in the second half.
Looking ahead:
Arizona will return home to get ready for a rivalry matchup against ASU on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 7:30 p.m. in McKale Center.
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Arizona State has added Michael White to its coaching staff for the upcoming 2026-2027 season. White will join the program as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.
“I am incredibly honored to return to my home state and join this elite program,” White said. “I’m proud to say that I am coming home. I can’t thank Coach Herbie enough for the opportunity to join his incredible staff and help these young athletes grow and develop into the best individuals they can be. There are so many friends and mentors who have left their mark on this program, and I’m excited for the opportunity to leave mine and help take this program to new heights. Go Devils!”
White arrives with the Sun Devils after most recently spending the last three seasons with Alabama as an assistant. The Alabama women finished 11th at the 2026 NCAA Championships while the men were 24th.
Prior to arriving at Alabama, White spent the 2022-2023 season as a volunteer assistant at Wisconsin. He primarily coached the freestyle, breaststroke and distance groups for the Badgers. In addition to coaching the Badgers, he also was an assistant senior coach with the Madison Aquatics Club for the year. He began his coaching career at Juniata College in Pennsylvania as a volunteer assistant from 2019-2021.
White spent his collegiate career at St. Bonaventure in New York. There he was a 7x individual Atlantic-10 champion and swam to three school records as a senior with a 1:47.30 200 IM, 3:52.18 400 IM, and a 1:47.70 200 fly. He also was team captain for two season and helped the team capture the 2014 A-10 team title.
The Scottsdale, Arizona native will return to his home state. He was a 2012 AIA Division I state champion in the 100 breast and 200 IM as a senior for Dobson High School.
White joins the coaching staff led by head coach Herbie Behm, who is already known to be an innovative coach. Behm spoke of White’s innovation as well saying, “Mike is one of the best young coaches in the NCAA. His interview blew me away with the innovative ideas he presented. I can’t wait to start implementing those ideas and continue our growth at ASU.”
Arizona State swept the 2026 Big 12 team titles, and the men went on to finish 4th at 2026 NCAAs while the women were 37th. Rising senior Ilya Kharun captured the NCAA title in the 200 fly with a 1:37.66.
Arizona is ranked 18th in the nation when it comes to racial equality in the classroom, according to WalletHub.
The personal finance website compiled its 2026 list of Best States for Racial Equality in Education by looking at differences between Black and white students when it comes to test scores, college attainment and high school graduation rates.
The rankings are based on a weighted average of six metrics, but did WalletHub not provide a breakdown of each category.
However, statistics from the Center for the Future of Arizona support the idea that Arizona has work to do when it comes to racial equality. African American students in Arizona have an average college attainment rate of 38%, while white students have an average rate of 54%.
That difference is also evident in other education areas, with a gap of 11 percentage points between Black and white high schoolers in graduation rate.
WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo called the high school graduation rate the most “alarming” data set for the Arizona. He said if the study included the state’s large Hispanic population, the results might have been different.
“It would be interesting, if those numbers were included, where the gaps would be. Again, Arizona has a high Hispanic population, as [does] New Mexico, and New Mexico was at number three. So maybe Arizona could take a look at what their neighbors are doing there to kind of bridge those gaps,” he said.
How can Arizona increase racial equality in the classroom?
Lupo said Arizona can boost its ranking and improve racial equality in schools by increasing the representation and funding for public education.
“One thing [to] do is to build more diversity within the school system. More Black administrators and more Black teachers kind of create more of a familiarity for Black students and more mentors. … Increased funding and a more concerted effort to increase diversity among the school systems, I think, would go a long way in bridging that gap,” he said.
WalletHub ranked Wyoming, West Virginia and New Mexico as the best states for racial equality in the classroom, with New Jersey, Connecticut and Wisconsin at the bottom of the list.
Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.
Hundreds of providers suspected to have defrauded Arizona Medicaid program
On May 16, 2023, AHCCCS suspended payment to more than 100 providers who are alleged to have defrauded Arizona’s Medicaid program millions of dollars.
Mark Henle, The Republic
A Phoenix federal judge on June 1 gave a New River couple multi-year prison sentences for deliberately defrauding Arizona’s Medicaid program of $12 million.
Thvoughn Lynden Curry and his wife, A’lexis Daneen Curry, who were both 34 as of Feb. 1, according to the federal government, were first arrested in 2023 in connection with massive fraud that bilked Arizona’s Medicaid program out of an estimated $2.5 billion. The schemes disproportionately targeted vulnerable Native Americans trying to get sober from alcohol and drug dependence.
In some cases, patients were plied with drugs and alcohol while they stayed at so-called sober living homes to keep the scheme going. A class action lawsuit filed in 2024 alleges extreme harm and wrongful deaths from the schemes.
The couple received slightly different sentences connected with the same fraud scheme that involved their Mesa-based “1 Family Clinic, LLC” billing Medicaid for services they never provided.
During the June 1 sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge G. Murray Snow told Thvoughn that because of a prior criminal history, he will be going to prison for 7.3 years, while his wife will be imprisoned for a shorter time of 5.8 years. The couple has six children, including four that they had together, and three of the children are under age five, according to court records and testimony during the sentencing.
Snow told A’lexis Curry that he wished he could do something for her children, “but I don’t know how.” The crime she committed is just “too serious” and deserves a significant sentence of incarceration, he said.
Snow sentenced the Currys individually. He asked each if they had anything they wanted to say to the court, and both said no. Neither showed any emotion when they were sentenced.
The couple was out of custody and in street clothes during the sentencing, and Snow is allowing them to be at home with their family for 21 days before they must self-surrender and start serving their sentences.
The couple asked that they be incarcerated at a facility near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which is in the vicinity of where A’lexis Curry’s mother lives and where their children will be staying.
Prosecutors say that when A’lexis applied to enroll as an Arizona Medicaid provider, there was a warrant out for Thvoughn’s arrest on felony fraud charges. A’lexis told Medicaid that she would be the sole owner of 1 Family Clinic, but investigators say Thvoughn was an owner, too.
Prosecutors said that between approximately Feb. 1, 2021, and March 31, 2023, the Currys routinely billed Arizona’s Medicaid program for services that were not actually provided. Throughout the course of the scheme, the Currys billed an average of more than 12 hours of service per member per day despite being open just eight hours per day on weekdays, five hours on Saturdays, and closed on Sundays, the government said.
Both were convicted Feb. 20 after a four-day bench trial of one count of conspiracy to commit health-care fraud, three counts of health-care fraud, and eight counts of transactional money laundering.
Snow ordered the duo to pay restitution of $12 million to the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, known as AHCCCS, which is the state’s Medicaid program. Medicaid is a government health insurance program primarily for low-income people or those who have disabilities.
The husband and wife must also forfeit several properties to the U.S. government, including the nearly 4,000 square-foot six-bedroom, four-bathroom house where they have been living with their family. The home is valued at nearly $900,000.
Other items that the couple purchased with AHCCCS money included vacations, a 2021 Range Rover, a 2022 Mercedes LT GLE 43 C4 and a 2019 Lamborghini Urus for more than $300,000, prosecutors said. Federal court records indicate the couple filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in 2024.
Both the state of Arizona and the federal government have filed charges against multiple defendants in connection with the AHCCCS fraud, which was first disclosed to the public at a multi-agency press conference in 2023.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona has charged 12 defendants in cases related to the fraud, and at least seven, including the Curry couple, have already been sentenced. Thvoughn Curry received the longest sentence of any federal defendant to date, court records show.
Snow told Thvoughn that what he’d done was “quite dishonest and quite devastating.” It was also deliberate and went on for a long time, he said.
Among the federal defendants whose cases are still pending is Farrukh Jarar Ali, a 41-year-old citizen of Pakistan who was indicted in 2025 for wire fraud and money laundering in connection with an alleged $650 million scheme involving at least 41 substance abuse treatment clinics in Arizona, prosecutors say.
Another federal defendant connected with the Arizona Medicaid schemes is Rita Anagho, a former nurse practitioner who, on May 29, 2025, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health-care fraud and wire fraud. Anagho also faced state charges and, on May 6 in Maricopa County Superior Court, was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison. Anagho’s nursing license was revoked last year.
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office has indicted 140 individuals and entities connected to the widespread fraud and 41 individuals and entities have been convicted, the office reported in May.
Reach health-care reporter Stephanie Innes at stephanie.innes@usatodayco.com or follow her on X: @stephanieinnes or on Bluesky: @stephanieinnes.bsky.social.
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