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In their final exhibition tune-up before the games start counting, the Arizona Wildcats cruised past the Eastern Washington Eagles, 85-54, on Friday night at the McKale Center in Tucson. The victory capped a perfect exhibition season for head coach Tommy Lloyd's squad, which now shifts its focus to the regular-season opener against UCLA on Nov. 2 in Las Vegas.
Arizona delivered its most polished performance of the exhibition slate, controlling the game on both ends of the floor. The Wildcats' 31-point margin underscored their dominance and provided plenty of positives to build on.
Key Analysis
Three key takeaways emerged from the victory:
- Caleb Holt looks ready for a major role: The 6-foot-5 freshman turned in his most complete performance yet, pouring in a game-high 21 points on 5-of-7 shooting from inside the arc and 3-of-4 from beyond it. Holt also contributed five rebounds, two assists, and three steals in 24 minutes, flashing his immense upside while occasionally struggling with turnovers. Though Mo Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov may be Arizona's preseason All-Big-12 representatives, Holt's play on Friday suggested he belongs in that conversation.
- JJ Mandaquit is settling into the backcourt: The 6-foot-1 sophomore, who had a solid but unspectacular freshman year at Washington, showed why Arizona brought him in. Mandaquit pushed the pace, made quick decisions in the half-court offense, and knocked down open shots, finishing with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting (2-of-4 from three), a team-high five assists, and two rebounds. He appears comfortable sharing point guard duties with Dixon, and Lloyd has shown no hesitation playing the two together.
- Turnovers are a concern ahead of UCLA: Despite the lopsided score, Arizona committed an uncharacteristically high 20 turnovers, including nine in the first half (four by Holt). With Mick Cronin's UCLA team known for punishing teams that give away possessions, the Wildcats have just over a week to clean up their ball security before tipping off against the Bruins on Monday, Nov. 2 at 7:00 PM MST.
Arizona's exhibition finale offered a glimpse of the team's potential, but the turnover issue looms as a critical area to address before the games matter.