With No. 10 Arizona basketball officially opening the 2024-25 season just a few days back against Canisius, the Wildcats are back into the swing of things for another thrilling year. Led by good performances from guards Caleb Love along with KJ Lewis and Jaden Bradley to roll 93-64 over the Golden Griffins.
A combined 46 points from the top trio of guards that returned to Tucson set the tone for how Coach Tommy Lloyd's Wildcats will look to play. On top of that prolific scoring offense that propelled the team to a dominant win, it was an impressive effort from the defense that held strong and allowed the guards to get their opportunities. There were 19 turnovers forced in the season opener that led to 26 points.
The biggest gripe Lloyd had with the performance against Canisius was the lulls of effort showcased where the game started to slow down for Arizona. In the final tune-up type of game before the Cats go on a big time two-game stretch at Wisconsin then back home for No. 7 Duke, expect more emphasis on rotations to get more juice on the court consistently as well as finding transitions to use in those big games.
While the returners for Arizona looked solid in their season debuts, the newcomers are still acclimating and could see more meaningful reps against Old Dominion.
New starters Tobe Awaka and Trey Townsend shot a combined 2-for-7 on the floor and may receive some more shots to get a groove going before Wisconsin. Although the scoring wasn't there, the two notched a total of 15 rebounds which is a play they'll be counted on to make in 2024.
GAME INFO
Who: Arizona (1-0) vs. Old Dominion (0-1)
When: 2 p.m. (MST)
Where: McKale Center | Tucson, Ariz.
TV: ESPN+
Odds: Arizona (-33) O/U (163)
All-time series: Arizona leads 1-0 (Arizona won the last meeting in 1975 defeating Old Dominion 88-74)
We'll keep you updated throughout the Arizona-Old Dominion game on this game thread, so come and join the discussion!
