2. Arizona Wildcats (8-0, 1-0)
Former Gonzaga assistant Tommy Lloyd took over a solid roster that features a pair of good pieces in Bennedict Mathurin and Azuolas Tubelis this offseason. And both of them have been great in the first eight games, combining to average 32.8 ppg and 12.1 rpg on high percentages.
What’s been impressive for the Wildcats has been how great the supporting cast has been. Big man Christian Koloko has been a breakout star, averaging 14.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg, and a Pac-12 leading 3.3 blocks per game. He and Gonzaga transfer center Oumar Ballo have given Arizona an elite rim protector for all 40 minutes, hence the team’s top-30 defensive efficiency.
But this team is even better offensively, currently No. 1 in the country with 91.6 ppg. That includes multiple games of at least 100 points, with no game scoring fewer than 80 thus far. Guards Justin Kier, Dalen Terry, Kerr Kriisa, and Pelle Larsson have been great passers and facilitators to the star duo of Mathurin and Tubelis. The only thing this team doesn’t do great is shoot but Arizona is top-5 nationally inside the arc, which makes up for that small flaw.
The Wildcats have a tough road trip at Illinois this weekend, before a three-game set against Tennessee, UCLA, and USC at the end of the month. This team has a chance to be top-5 ranked for most of the season and Coach Lloyd is a current frontrunner for National Coach of the Year.