NCAA Basketball top 25 power rankings: UCLA and Kentucky rise, Kansas falls
By Joey Loose
8. Arizona (17-2)
It was understandable to be skeptical of Arizona, even as they ran off 11 straight wins to begin the season. They have had some remarkable performances and have stumbled as well, but one thing is clear. Even though this is Tommy Lloyd’s debut as head coach, he has these Wildcats in position to make some noise come March.
This week started with one of those stumbles, as the Wildcats struggled to a 75-59 road loss against a very good UCLA team. Bennedict Mathurin had 16 points and 10 rebounds, but they just couldn’t hang with the Bruins on the road. Christian Koloko made sure Arizona got back on track, delivering 12 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a 67-56 home win against Arizona State over the weekend.
The defense has been playing well most of the year for Arizona, but the offense really struggled this past week. These struggles aren’t expected to be a long-term issue, and it’s great to see them pull out a double-digit win even when the 3-pointers aren’t falling. Next week marks a brand new challenge, with home dates against UCLA and USC, their two true contenders to take home the Pac-12 crown.