NCAA Basketball: UConn, Purdue rise on top 25 power ranking after Feast Week
By Joey Loose
4. Arizona (6-0)
Last season, Arizona won the Pac-12 regular season and tournament titles in Tommy Lloyd’s first season leading the program. We all thought this was a fantastic coaching effort for Lloyd, the long-time Gonzaga assistant, but this year’s effort might be even more impressive after the first three weeks.
The Wildcats were at the Maui Invitational and really took care of business, with that elite offense continuing to shine. They got a 101-93 win over Cincinnati to open the tournament, led by a 30-point, 11-rebound effort from Azuolas Tubelis. The Wildcats were even more stellar in the semifinals, scoring an 87-70 victory over #17 San Diego State, with Courtney Ramey’s 21 points (5 for 5 from long range) helping lead that effort. In the title game, Arizona played another fantastic game, winning 81-79 over #10 Creighton with a 30-point, 13-rebound effort from Oumar Ballo spearheading the victory.
Talent abounds on a team that lost Bennedict Mathurin and a few others from last year’s fantastic squad. Lloyd has done an unreal job of putting these teams together and putting them in the best positions for success, especially with this dynamic frontcourt of Ballo and Tubelis. The Maui Invitational championship greatly elevates the Wildcats, who’ll start Pac-12 play this upcoming week with very winnable games against Utah and California.