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Arizona Stuns UConn 71–67 Behind Bradley's Late Heroics
Arizona pulled off a gutsy road win in Storrs, edging No. 3 UConn 71–67 in a high-stakes battle. The Wildcats powered the game on the glass, outrebounding the Huskies a lofty 43–23, which translated into 16 second-chance points. Koa Peat spearheaded that effort with a double-double — 16 points and 12 boards — while Motiejus Krivas added 9 points and 14 rebounds, showing tremendous toughness inside. UConn, playing without injured forward Tarris Reed Jr., struggled from the perimeter (just 8-of-25 on threes) and at the free-throw line (making only 9 of 18), allowing Arizona to control the rhythm.
When the game tightened in the final moments, Jaden Bradley stepped up in a big way. He scored 21 points, and with the game hanging in the balance, he drove for a clutch layup with 16.3 seconds left, capping off a decisive 7-0 Arizona run. Head coach Tommy Lloyd has repeatedly said Bradley doesn't need the limelight — "he'll let his play speak for itself" — and tonight, that approach paid off. Tobe Awaka also came through in the closing seconds, sinking four critical free throws to seal the victory. Bradley's poise under pressure, combined with Arizona's dominant rebounding and disciplined execution, proved to be the difference.
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UConn's defense was NASTY. Arizona found alternative ways to score when the perimeter shots weren't available.
Tough road win.
Quote from: KansasCityCats on November 19, 2025, 09:30:47 PMUConn's defense was NASTY. Arizona found alternative ways to score when the perimeter shots weren't available.
Tough road win.
I agree, this team has enough scoring threats to find a way against any defense. Gotta give a big shout out to Awaka for those CLUTH free throws and Krivas for really becoming a force on both ends and doing it in a big game.
Quote from: KansasCityCats on November 19, 2025, 09:30:47 PMUConn's defense was NASTY. Arizona found alternative ways to score when the perimeter shots weren't available.
Tough road win.
While UConn was tenacious, it was a rough game and they didn't have their best player for the matchup available. I think Tommy blew what could have been a 20pt win going away down the stretch when he refused to call a timeout when UConn made a slight 7-0 type push when we were up 13 or so. He kept 3 Timeouts and didn't use one at the end to get Awaka out of the game. Luckily TOBIAS manned TF up and knocked down the most clutch FTs of his life which I am sure pissed off Hurley to no end.
I just finished watching the game on my DVR.
Let me see how compact I can make these notes this time.
(+) Thank you Lloyd for putting Burries/Peat in actions off of made basket to slow the game down for them. (Psst! I think you should use that Burries/Peat on-ball screen a lot more)
(+) Thank you again Lloyd for involving Krivas in the half-court. You could clearly see he gave you more on the defensive end because of the offensive touches. Do not only feature him because of the height advantage coach. He is 7'1 and is tough to stop with that baby hook!
(-) Krivas, I need you to start punching that ****! You are 7'1. You are going to MISS a lot of easy shots because you are not willing to throw it down. I don't know what your stat line was, but you left about 6-8pts on the floor because you didn't punch it in.
(+) Thank you for drawing up NEW plays to get the ball in the hands of your star(s). That play where you ran essentially a high/low to get it to Peat on the right block? Nice! Also, that was the quietest double-double I have ever seen. Peat walked off that floor with 16/12/3/2. Good job kid!
(+) The 1v1 on-ball defense seemed to look a lot better. I am also saying this while ignoring the fact you planted Krivas in the paint. I remember when Miller used to do that. I hate the notion of doing it, but Hurley did not adjust to it, so let it ride.
(+) Good job on forcing Hurley/Reibe to make a decision. I did not like the move at first, but the longer the game went, you could see Reibe did not want to shoot that ball. Even when he started to knock them down, I would have been fine with losing that game because Reibe went 5-9 from deep.
(-) Putting Krivas in that drop coverage left the midrange wide open coach. You got lucky that you built a big enough lead to point for point, but those UConn guards hit that FT line extended range and got busy! Ball/Demary continued to knock down shots from that area.
All in all, I can see you are not as stuck in your ways as you seemed to be when you first got here coach.
You won two games (Florida/UConn) that I did not think you would be able to win coming into this season.
5-0 with three top 25 wins is a feat that you deserve to be patted on the back.
I expect this program to be #1 in the nation come Monday.
#BearDown
Quote from: mvpreed2 on November 20, 2025, 03:10:06 AMI just finished watching the game on my DVR.
Let me see how compact I can make these notes this time.
(+) Thank you Lloyd for putting Burries/Peat in actions off of made basket to slow the game down for them. (Psst! I think you should use that Burries/Peat on-ball screen a lot more)
(+) Thank you again Lloyd for involving Krivas in the half-court. You could clearly see he gave you more on the defensive end because of the offensive touches. Do not only feature him because of the height advantage coach. He is 7'1 and is tough to stop with that baby hook!
(-) Krivas, I need you to start punching that ****! You are 7'1. You are going to MISS a lot of easy shots because you are not willing to throw it down. I don't know what your stat line was, but you left about 6-8pts on the floor because you didn't punch it in.
(+) Thank you for drawing up NEW plays to get the ball in the hands of your star(s). That play where you ran essentially a high/low to get it to Peat on the right block? Nice! Also, that was the quietest double-double I have ever seen. Peat walked off that floor with 16/12/3/2. Good job kid!
(+) The 1v1 on-ball defense seemed to look a lot better. I am also saying this while ignoring the fact you planted Krivas in the paint. I remember when Miller used to do that. I hate the notion of doing it, but Hurley did not adjust to it, so let it ride.
(+) Good job on forcing Hurley/Reibe to make a decision. I did not like the move at first, but the longer the game went, you could see Reibe did not want to shoot that ball. Even when he started to knock them down, I would have been fine with losing that game because Reibe went 5-9 from deep.
(-) Putting Krivas in that drop coverage left the midrange wide open coach. You got lucky that you built a big enough lead to point for point, but those UConn guards hit that FT line extended range and got busy! Ball/Demary continued to knock down shots from that area.
All in all, I can see you are not as stuck in your ways as you seemed to be when you first got here coach.
You won two games (Florida/UConn) that I did not think you would be able to win coming into this season.
5-0 with three top 25 wins is a feat that you deserve to be patted on the back.
I expect this program to be #1 in the nation come Monday.
#BearDown
Great write up ! I think Purdue and Houston would have to lose for us to be #1. We will definitely get the votes. I would guess we will be #3. BEAR DOWN !
Arizona's best players, post UConn update according to Evan Miya: 1. JB, 2. Awaka, 3. Peat, 4. D3lly, 5. Krivas, 6. Burries, 7. Ivan, 8. Aristode
Quote from: CactusCat on November 20, 2025, 07:38:07 AMArizona's best players, post UConn update according to Evan Miya: 1. JB, 2. Awaka, 3. Peat, 4. D3lly, 5. Krivas, 6. Burries, 7. Ivan, 8. Aristode
Strictly based on yesterday's performance, I would have ranked them differently:
1. JB
2. Krivas
3. Peat
4. Awaka
5. Delly
6. Ivan (strictly because of his D)
7. Burries
8. Aristode
9. Solo Ball
Sorry, thought Ball was on our team because he wasn't helping Uconn in any way. Oops.
Quote from: KansasCityCats on November 20, 2025, 11:21:03 AMQuote from: CactusCat on November 20, 2025, 07:38:07 AMArizona's best players, post UConn update according to Evan Miya: 1. JB, 2. Awaka, 3. Peat, 4. D3lly, 5. Krivas, 6. Burries, 7. Ivan, 8. Aristode
Strictly based on yesterday's performance, I would have ranked them differently:
1. JB
2. Krivas
3. Peat
4. Awaka
5. Delly
6. Ivan (strictly because of his D)
7. Burries
8. Aristode
9. Solo Ball
Sorry, thought Ball was on our team because he wasn't helping Uconn in any way. Oops.
His ranking is based upon the 4 games this season not only the UConn game, sorry if I wasn't clear about that.
Ooh, gotcha. I may throw Delly and Peat above Awaka but they're all top-4 contributors IMO.
I'm intrigued to see what our frontcourt will look like when Awaka or Krivas get into foul trouble. We have big bodies and I'm hoping the freshmen are gradually getting better as they practice against our starters.
https://x.com/CBBonFOX/status/1991358816949285281?t=CCDFzpHa_wjF4r2Te8brXA&s=19
Postgame Hurley talked about all the NBA caliber players Arizona has. He said he thinks Delly will make an NBA roster and said he's the best guy coming off the bench in the country. That's quite the compliment and a testament to Dellys off season transformation.
Quote from: Naterade on November 20, 2025, 02:56:03 PMPostgame Hurley talked about all the NBA caliber players Arizona has. He said he thinks Delly will make an NBA roster and said he's the best guy coming off the bench in the country. That's quite the compliment and a testament to Dellys off season transformation.
You do understand all coaches say the other teams players are all NBA caliber players right? Especially after they lose.
Quote from: KansasCityCats on November 19, 2025, 09:30:47 PMUConn's defense was NASTY. Arizona found alternative ways to score when the perimeter shots weren't available.
Tough road win.
They literally did not guard us at the 3, except for ADO.
They were on our wings like glue. We couldn't free up off screens or in the corners.
How does somebody "literally" not guard an opponent? That doesn't make grammatical sense because "guarding" doesn't have an alternative definition.
Truly what a great win this was, arizona was the more physical team, jaden has been amazing this year, mr cluch, koa, Tobe,mo, we're great on the glass, i understand there starting center reed was out, who is scoring 20 a game, there backup center had 15 points, so that was not really much of a drop-off, maybe rebounding it hurt them more. I did not see arizona going in there an beating uconn, hope arizona, can keep this going, the only i will say is we need to get burries, aristode going on offense, especially burries.
Quote from: Jdmarti on November 20, 2025, 11:18:42 PMTruly what a great win this was, arizona was the more physical team, jaden has been amazing this year, mr cluch, koa, Tobe,mo, we're great on the glass, i understand there starting center reed was out, who is scoring 20 a game, there backup center had 15 points, so that was not really much of a drop-off, maybe rebounding it hurt them more. I did not see arizona going in there an beating uconn, hope arizona, can keep this going, the only i will say is we need to get burries, aristode going on offense, especially burries.
Yeah man. If Tommy can get Burries up to his potential we will be even more lethal
Quote from: TucsonTruckStop on November 20, 2025, 07:28:28 PMQuote from: Naterade on November 20, 2025, 02:56:03 PMPostgame Hurley talked about all the NBA caliber players Arizona has. He said he thinks Delly will make an NBA roster and said he's the best guy coming off the bench in the country. That's quite the compliment and a testament to Dellys off season transformation.
You do understand all coaches say the other teams players are all NBA caliber players right? Especially after they lose.
Do you ever have anything good to say ?
Quote from: KansasCityCats on November 20, 2025, 10:22:18 PMHow does somebody "literally" not guard an opponent? That doesn't make grammatical sense because "guarding" doesn't have an alternative definition.
The word literally is not used literally these days. But it is true. No one guards our 3's and Tommy has yet to teach the artform of the Inside-Out Pass.
Tommy is FOREVER scared to let a big man rip a 3 so no one is going to worry about us since they know that it is simple to "pack a line" or Collapse on us, then at worst try to close out once in a while.
Now, in this case I will admit and concede he really doesn't have a choice since Henri was pilfered by a turncoat named Love and we have no other Big that he is willing to play ----
But the premise stands and I can imagine that if Henri was on this roster right now, he wouldn't be stepping out getting 4 or 5 3pt shots per game with inside-out play calls.
Quote from: FOOS on November 21, 2025, 07:07:55 AMQuote from: TucsonTruckStop on November 20, 2025, 07:28:28 PMQuote from: Naterade on November 20, 2025, 02:56:03 PMPostgame Hurley talked about all the NBA caliber players Arizona has. He said he thinks Delly will make an NBA roster and said he's the best guy coming off the bench in the country. That's quite the compliment and a testament to Dellys off season transformation.
You do understand all coaches say the other teams players are all NBA caliber players right? Especially after they lose.
Do you ever have anything good to say ?
Quote from: Naterade on November 21, 2025, 02:11:08 PMQuote from: FOOS on November 21, 2025, 07:07:55 AMQuote from: TucsonTruckStop on November 20, 2025, 07:28:28 PMQuote from: Naterade on November 20, 2025, 02:56:03 PMPostgame Hurley talked about all the NBA caliber players Arizona has. He said he thinks Delly will make an NBA roster and said he's the best guy coming off the bench in the country. That's quite the compliment and a testament to Dellys off season transformation.
You do understand all coaches say the other teams players are all NBA caliber players right? Especially after they lose.
Do you ever have anything good to say ?
No he does not. But that's ok. He can't take away from Del Orsos improvement try as he might. But back to Hurley comments, it almost feels like he is setting up an opportunity to pay Delly to transfer to UConn next year. Miller did the same thing with McConnell.
I actually agree that Delly is an NBA caliber player. His outside shot is stellar and he handles the ball extremely well for 6'5". He can make a living at SG.
Quote from: KansasCityCats on November 21, 2025, 02:41:17 PMI actually agree that Delly is an NBA caliber player. His outside shot is stellar and he handles the ball extremely well for 6'5". He can make a living at SG.
Aren't there a million of those guys though?
Quote from: KansasCityCats on November 21, 2025, 02:41:17 PMI actually agree that Delly is an NBA caliber player. His outside shot is stellar and he handles the ball extremely well for 6'5". He can make a living at SG.
Are you insane now? He has no chance vs the "Maxey's" of the world let alone the Jaylen Browns that switch to SGs for free lunch.
CMON NOW.
He can run on Summer League maybe, but he will fall into the Adelaide 36ers or whatever eventually.
OR
He can assimilate and be on Team Zona Zoo for the $1,000,000 TBT Prize and run it with Oumar Ballo and others that have ties like Gabe York who is becoming the 2nd Zona Legend of TBT.
Quote from: AztecWildcat on November 21, 2025, 05:04:59 PMQuote from: KansasCityCats on November 21, 2025, 02:41:17 PMI actually agree that Delly is an NBA caliber player. His outside shot is stellar and he handles the ball extremely well for 6'5". He can make a living at SG.
Aren't there a million of those guys though?
No but there's 100 of them. His consistency from deep and footwork on both ends of the floor give him an advantage over the average NBA volume shooter.
Delay isn't an all-star but I won't be surprised when he is on a roster at some point during the 2026-27 season.
Let's all just be content and happy that he has been an effective player off the bench SO FAR this season.
The Bearded Delly is perhaps the best 6th Man in College so far through 5 games and hopefully it stays that way.
I think Ivan and/or Brayden would be better off the bench.
Burries needs something to light a fire under his offensive game.
Regardless, Delly is a different player. Impressed with his improvement from last season.
Quote from: KansasCityCats on November 22, 2025, 05:06:18 PMI think Ivan and/or Brayden would be better off the bench.
Burries needs something to light a fire under his offensive game.
Regardless, Delly is a different player. Impressed with his improvement from last season.
The pace of the college game is a bit too fast for Burries.
I would like Lloyd to allow Burries to run PG after some makes to allow him to work through a slower pace to get his pts/asts up.
Unless Lloyd is able to figure out the key to unlock Burries?
I hope Burries come back next season and runs the PG spot to replace Bradley.
#BearDown
I don't think Burries is intimidated by the pace. He just can't get into a groove on offense. Once he starts hitting his threes, he'll be deadly.
Ideally, he'll return next year and become a lottery pick.
Quote from: KansasCityCats on November 23, 2025, 12:34:26 PMI don't think Burries is intimidated by the pace. He just can't get into a groove on offense. Once he starts hitting his threes, he'll be deadly.
Ideally, he'll return next year and become a lottery pick.
Intimidated is not the word I was trying to use.
Let's say that Lloyd allows the offense to run about 90mph.
I would say that Burries would be most-efficient around 70-75mph when he has the ball in his hands.
I agree with you that once Burries starts to hit those spot-up 3s, it would open up the rest of his game.
I do not believe he is going to be an on-ball lead guard in the NBA anyway.
His ability to knock down shots is going to be the biggest key in his success at Arizona and raising his draft stock.
#BearDown
Quote from: KansasCityCats on November 22, 2025, 05:06:18 PMI think Ivan and/or Brayden would be better off the bench.
Burries needs something to light a fire under his offensive game.
Regardless, Delly is a different player. Impressed with his improvement from last season.
It would be foolhardy at best to change any rotations.
Quote from: mvpreed2 on November 23, 2025, 12:42:57 PMI would say that Burries would be most-efficient around 70-75mph when he has the ball in his hands.
I agree with you that once Burries starts to hit those spot-up 3s, it would open up the rest of his game.
This is the way people coped with Boswell until it just had to become a severance.
Quote from: arxpert on November 24, 2025, 01:00:29 PMThis is the way people coped with Boswell until it just had to become a severance.
I agree with your point, but I believe the situations were not the same.
Boswell came in 2022, and was immediately the better PG over Kriisa, but Lloyd elected to go with the veteran.
Lloyd would not start Boswell, but would opt to play both in the lineup.
He made the same mistake with Lewis over Bryant, but that is not the topic we are on right now, so let me focus.
Kriisa leaves in 2023, Boswell is PG1, but the better prospect is Bradley who is coming off the bench, and Lloyd did the same thing and went with the veteran.
I believe this differs because Burries has a clear pathway to start at PG next season with Bradley gone.
There is no one else on the roster that can play PG next season.
Bradley/Dell'Orso/Nelson are out of eligibility.
It can be Burries if he returns, and Lloyd can write that in pen and build/recruit around it, if that is something that he wants to do.
I watched some HS clips of Burries and he has never played at a pace this fast and been as efficient.
This is his first time not be the focal point, and being forced to figure it out on the fly.
I commend Lloyd for using these lay-up games as glorified scrimmages to tinker with roles/lineups and put something new on film for the opposition.
Also, my irritation with Boswell was him always taking those pull-up 3PT in transition when Arizona had numbers and Lloyd just clapping his hands after a bad miss to encourage that behavior.
Then you would put in Bradley who would do exactly what you wanted Boswell to do in push the pace, attack the paint, and kick out to your stable of playmakers led by Ballo/Johnson/Larsson/Love.
You could put Burries at PG, tweak the strategy a bit to feature him as the go-to as you surround him with playmakers in Aristode/Holmes/James/Kharchenkov and possibly Branch.
#BearDown
Quote from: mvpreed2 on November 27, 2025, 10:07:20 AMYou could put Burries at PG, tweak the strategy a bit to feature him as the go-to as you surround him with playmakers in Aristode/Holmes/James/Kharchenkov and possibly Branch.
Boswell/Kerr is kind of like Burries/Bradley now. Burries seems stuck being the guy having to chuck from 3, not fight to the rim and get to the line.
If Tommy could figure out how to get both playing "Bradley Style" and get inside to the rim we will be difficult to stop. Shot selection matters. I would like to see more Krivas around the Elbow for High Pick/Roll and even Pick/Pop threat. That would open up so many opportunities.
A lot hinges on the recruitment of guys like Branch/Holt.
I hear you and see your insights. I appreciate them.