Burries Powers Arizona to 84-61 Blowout Over Kansas, Secures Big12 Share

[WILD]

Burries' Double-Double Powers Arizona to 84-61 Blowout Over Kansas, Secures Big 12 Share

In a dominant display at McKale Center in Tucson, the No. 2 Arizona Wildcats avenged their earlier loss to Kansas by cruising to an 84-61 victory over the No. 14 Jayhawks on Saturday afternoon, clinching a share of the Big 12 regular-season title. Arizona started strong with a 19-0 run in the first half to build an early lead, going up 37-19 before Kansas mounted a comeback, cutting the deficit to just two points at 49-47 early in the second half. But the Wildcats responded emphatically with a 16-0 surge of their own, pulling away for good and never looking back in what turned into a blowout.

Standout performances fueled Arizona's win, with freshman guard Brayden Burries leading the charge by scoring 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds for a double-double, while center Motiejus Krivas added 13 points and 10 rebounds. All five Arizona starters reached double figures, showcasing the team's balanced attack. On the other side, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson poured in 24 points, but the Jayhawks struggled on the boards, getting outrebounded 48-26 overall, which led to Arizona's 16-8 edge in second-chance points and a commanding 44-26 advantage in points in the paint.

Looking ahead, Arizona will aim to keep their momentum rolling when they host the Iowa State Cyclones on Monday, March 2, at 7:00 PM MST in Tucson. The Cyclones, who sit at 20-9 and 10-6 in the Big 12, have been inconsistent lately but boast a strong defense that could challenge Arizona's high-powered offense. A win here would help the Wildcats solidify their top seeding heading into the conference tournament, especially with tough road games looming later in the week.

[KansasCityCats]

Arizona isn't sharing the title. Houston loses the tiebreaker and regardless of the last two matchups, the Cats earned another piece of hardware under Lloyd.

Great defensive effort by the entire team. Can't wait to see the team when Aristide finally returns, bringing more depth to the bench.

[mvpreed2]

Another game in the books!
In this edition of "What Reed Sees: Kansas Edition"

Pros
It is good to see Peat back on the floor. I hope he is 100% (++)
Update: Yes, he is 100%!

6mins into the game and Burries has 7pts/6rebs? My God! He is the best prospect on this team and has been so for about two months now! (++)

Is there a world where Lloyd was able to unlock a new level to Dell'Orso with Peat/Aristode being out, and Burries being under the weather? You can SEE the confidence he is playing with now (++)

Tiller with 3PFs is a tough blow for Kansas. Without who I deem to be their second-best offensive prospect and down 15pts? This one can get ugly quick! (++)

Arizona responds with a 16-0 run of their own to get the lead back to 18pts. Good job boys. Way to fight through the adversity at home! (++)

Could it be possible that Burries has played his way into Big POY conversations, or am I reaching? His play over the last month or so has been amazing! (++)

Cons
Bradley to the bench with 2PFs. Is it bad that I do not worry as much anymore when Bradley has to sit with Burries at PG nowadays? (-)

I do not believe we are going to see Kharchenkov back at Arizona next season. A 6'8 wing that is a POA defender? NBA teams are looking for prospects like him! (-)

Arizona has come out cold, and Peterson is getting hot. This is what I worry about with these flame-throwers that Lloyd wants to allow to go 1v5. (-)

I am eager to see if I can spot what adjustments Lloyd made after allowing Kansas to erase that double-digit you had to start the 2nd half. (-)

It is good to see Aristode back on the floor as well. (++)

Comments
I am invested in seeing how well Peterson is able to score against Arizona. He is one of the ones that I worry about getting hot in a 1v5 setting.

Council is the type of PG that I would like Lloyd to bring to Arizona. I LOVE his game!

For as talented as I deem this Kansas program to be? I cannot understand how they are able to get blown out as bad as they do.

I am going to nitpick here, but I do wish Lloyd would be willing to extend the rotation out to nine to be able to sneak Gueye in there to get some quality reps. He has shown he could play in limited minutes. Get him 2-3min spurts and let his develop for the Big 12 + NCAA tournaments.

Conclusion
This team got up early, let off the gas, lost their lead, regained their lead and rode off to victory. This team is one win away for Lloyd's 1st Big 12 title. That #1 seed in the West is locked, and maybe the #1 overall seed in NCAA Tournament?

Next: #4 Iowa State
#BearDown

[Cactus🌵Cat]

Game highlights
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