Arizona
What to watch for when Arizona men’s basketball opens Big 12 play vs. TCU
And so it begins.
More than nine months after ending its wildly successful run in the Pac-12 Conference with another title, Arizona is on the cusp of officially beginning its journey through the Big 12. The anticipation around Wildcat Nation rivals that of another recent date on the calendar.
“It’s a little bit like Christmas Eve when you’re a little kid growing up,” coach Tommy Lloyd said Sunday, the day before the UA hosts TCU. “We’ve been talking about this for a long time, and it’s here. It’s Big 12 Eve for us, and we’re fired up.”
Added junior guard Jaden Bradley: “We’re excited. Going into probably one of the best conferences known for basketball, so we’re excited going into this. As a basketball player, that’s one of the things that you want to play best of the best, and going into the Big 12 we’re definitely getting that for 20-plus games.”
Arizona (6-5) was picked to finish 5th in the league back in October but struggled going through its nonconference slate. The five losses are its most before Jan. 1 since the 2010-11 season, and as it stands right now the Wildcats probably wouldn’t make the NCAA Tournament after being a No. 1 or No. 2 seed the previous three years under Lloyd.
But Lloyd doesn’t see any difference in his team’s “vibe” since returning from a short holiday break, one that allowed he, his staff and the players to all reset.
“I think you always look at it as like, hey, it’s a fresh start,” Lloyd said. “You break your season up into little segments, and the Christmas break is a natural pause. So now let’s get back to it. I think the team has a good vibe around it right now, but now you got to go out on game day. You got to build some game confidence. And that’s what I’m hoping our next step is.”
Here’s what to look for when the Wildcats host the Horned Frogs (7-4) at McKale Center:
A stern defensive test right out the gate
TCU ranks 17th in the country in adjust defensive efficiency, a few spots ahead of Arizona (20th). The Horned Frogs allow 63.8 points per game on 40.3 percent shooting, with opponents making only 28 percent of their 3-point attempts.
“They’re a great defensive team,” Lloyd said. “They got this big guy, (Ernest Udeh), and his ball screen defense is about as good as you’re going to see. His ability to get his hands on balls from the way he guards ball screens and the deflections he gets from the 5 position, it’s really impressive, and it really caught my attention. They do a great job protecting the paint. You beat somebody, there’s another defender waiting for you.”
Arizona has faced five top-100 defenses this season and lost each of those games, and against teams ranked higher than TCU the Wildcats have scored 55 (Duke) and 54 (UCLA) points, respectively.
“It’s not going to be easy for us,” Bradley said. “We gotta adjust and find ways to win games. We’re going to have to work for a full 40 minutes to get wins.”
The Frogs have had to lean on defense because their offense has struggled for the most part. They’re shooting 43.3 percent, worst in the Big 12, are second-to-last from 3 (32.9) and rank 343rd out of 363 Division I schools in free throw shooting (64.0).
They also are missing one of their leaders, senior Frankie Collins, who broke his foot three games ago and is out for the season. The former Michigan and ASU guard leads TCU in scoring (11.2 points per game), assists (4.4) and steals (1.9).
“TCU and Jamie Dixon is a program, it’s not about a player,” Lloyd said. “He’s had so much success over a long career, and Jamie’s one of the class acts in our business. Missing one player, I’m sure it sets it back. And obviously we know Frankie Collins is a good player. We played against him every year I’ve been here.”
Leaders wanted
A year ago Arizona had several players that you could consider the team’s leader, two of which are in the NBA and the other is at Indiana. This season? Not so much, despite having the reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year in Caleb Love and a pair of returning guards in Bradley and KJ Lewis. None of them have stepped up to be the guy in that respect, but there’s still time.
“We’re still working on that,” Lloyd said. “I think we have guys stepping up in that position. I think Caleb’s certainly trying to grow. I think JB, in his own way, he’s a little bit more quiet, but I think he definitely has a voice with the guys. And then now I’m hopeful, as we get into conference play, some of our veteran transfers can kind of step up in that role. Saying we have a definitive leader, we’re probably not there yet. Last year we had some guys that at this time, or on day one, I can say, yeah. Pelle (Larsson), Keshad (Johnson), Oumar (Ballo) in his own way.
“Leadership’s huge, but leadership can come in a variety of ways. What leaders do is they can pull people together in tough times. They can help hold people accountable to a standard. Whether that’s effort or execution, and it’s great when it can come from a voice within the team, as opposed to just coming from the coaches. When you can have your coaching and your coaching staff aligned with the leadership of your team, I think you’re gonna find a group that’s really in sync. We’re fighting for that. I don’t think there’s any anybody on either side working against each other.”
A very different matchup from the previous meeting
Arizona and TCU last faced off in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, a second-round 1/8 game in San Diego that saw the Wildcats escape with an 85-80 victory in overtime. The Wildcats had three future NBA draft picks on the court, with Bennedict Mathurin going for 30 and Christian Koloko 28 while Dalen Terry nearly won it in regulation after getting a steal at halfcourt but his layup was just after the buzzer.
“I remember that the game came down to a few offensive rebounds, I think kind of on free throws,” Lloyd said. “I remember Ben Mathurin was awesome. I remember Dalen Terry hit a huge three in the corner. I remember Kerr (Kriisa) gave a great effort trying to come back and play when I don’t think people realize he probably had no business trying to play with that sprained ankle that he sprained in the Pac-12 Tournament. It was an awesome game.”
That TCU team was just as good defensively but far more methodical on offense, ranking 246th in adjusted tempo. The 2024-25 Frogs are averaging nearly three more possessions per game and take more than 35 percent of their shots in transition, compared to 25.1 percent in 2022.
TCU still makes teams work on defense, the average length of possession (18.5 seconds) one of the longest in the country. Arizona has the 20th-shortest average possession length (15.4).
Arizona
2026 MLB Draft: Arizona likely to be minimally impacted after down season
Unlike other major pro sports in the United States, Major League Baseball’s annual draft is hardly must-see television. With 20 rounds of picks—it used to be 50—and very few of them household names, only true baseball diehards closely pay attention beyond the first handful of selections.
For college baseball fans, though, the MLB Draft can bring about some stress and uncertainty since both incoming freshmen and existing veterans are eligible to be selected. The best college juniors and seniors are sure to get drafted and sign, while top recruits may be lured into starting their pro careers early via a hefty signing bonus.
Last year the UA saw nine members of the 2025 squad, which reached the College World Series, get drafted and sign. One of its prep signees also took the money rather than come to Tucson.
The 2026 draft, which begins Saturday and finishes Sunday, won’t be nearly as impactful to Arizona’s roster. Only one current Wildcat with eligibility remaining is assured of being drafted: junior right-handed pitcher Owen Kramkowski.
Kramkowski, who struggled in the spring after a breakout 2025 season, is ranked as the 205th-best draft prospect by Baseball America and No. 245 by MLB.com. That would put him in the range of the 6th or 7th round to get selected, though he could go earlier. All indications are Kramkowski will sign.
Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess. No other current or future Wildcats are among BA’s Top 500.
Among Arizona’s outgoing seniors, the top candidate to get drafted is left-handed pitcher Patrick Morris, who is currently playing the MLB Draft League. Infielders Tyler Bickers and Maddox Mihalakis could also get picked late or sign as an undrafted free agent.
Draft-eligible juniors other than Kramkowski include lefty Maclain Roberts, catcher Beau Sylvester and outfielders Andrew Cain and Easton Breyfogle. A couple of Arizona’s 2027 newcomers, such as junior college righty Collin Cobb, prep infielder Ayden Deome and catcher Francisco Rivero, are also at risk of getting picked.
Arizona has had 293 players drafted in its history and has had at least two taken every year since 2011.
The first four rounds of the 2026 MLB Draft are Saturday, with NBC airing the first 10 picks starting at 10 a.m. PT before the broadcast switches to MLB Network and later MLB.com. Rounds 5-20 are Sunday on MLB.com starting at 8:30 a.m. PT.
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