The most significant comparison of the 2013-14 Arizona Wildcats to the 2025-26 team is a interesting look at a contrast in styles — Sean Miller’s defensive identity and Tommy Lloyd’s high-scoring, relentless offense.
Both teams reached No. 1 in the AP Poll and started their seasons with historic 21-0 records.
Arizona can break that record with a victory at Arizona State on Saturday at noon.
Personnel Comparison
| Feature | 2013-14 Team (Sean Miller) | 2025-26 Team (Tommy Lloyd) |
| Backcourt | T.J. McConnell (Elite floor general) & Nick Johnson (Pac-12 Player of the Year). | Jaden Bradley (Defensive anchor/leader) & Brayden Burries (Dynamic 5-star freshman). Ivan Kharchenkov (non-stop energy on offense and defense). |
| Frontcourt | Aaron Gordon (NBA-level athlete) & Kaleb Tarczewski (7-foot traditional anchor). Brandon Ashley (imposing inside-outside threat before season-ending foot injury) | Koa Peat (Versatile 5-star forward) & Motiejus Krivas (Skillful 7-foot-2 passer/scorer). |
| Key Reserve | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Lockdown defender/Energy) and Gabe York (effective perimeter shooter) | Tobe Awaka (Rebounding machine), Anthony Dell’Orso (effective shooter when hot) & Dwayne Aristode (quality defensive player, reliable long-range shooter) |
| NBA Talent | Gordon, Johnson, Hollis-Jefferson, McConnell. | Bradley, Peat, Burries, Krivas, Aristode (Projected). |
Quality & Style of Play
2013-14: Defensive Juggernaut
This team was built on toughness and transition. Before Brandon Ashley’s season-ending foot injury, Arizona was on track to a national championship.
- The Identity: They were a defensive nightmare, ranking third nationally in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They squeezed teams in the half-court and relied on Nick Johnson’s clutch scoring.
- The Weakness: 3-point shooting. The Wildcats 12 years ago were a grind-it-out team that sometimes struggled when the game slowed down in the half-court.
2025-26: Offensive Juggernaut
Lloyd’s team is built on pace, spacing, and elite depth. It is the most talented roster of the Lloyd era, blending veteran leadership with a top-ranked recruiting class with big-time freshmen (Koa Peat, Ivan Kharchenkov, Brayden Burries and Aristode)
- The Identity: Speed, tenacity and aggressive. They average nearly 90 points per game, utilizing a 7-foot-2 center (Krivas) who can pass and a hybrid forward (Peat) who can initiate the offense.
- The Strength: Versatility. With players like Aristode and Kharchenkov, they have more multi-positional wings than the 2013-14 team, allowing them to switch everything on defense and outshoot opponents on offense while attacking the lane.
The Verdict
- Peak Ceiling: The 2013-14 team (pre-Ashley injury) seemed to be invincible because they didn’t beat themselves. They were more physically imposing and mentally older with veterans McConnell and Johnson on the backcourth.
- Overall Talent: The 2025-26 team likely has more pure skill and professional upside across the roster. They are deeper and more dangerous from the perimeter into the lane.
Comparing the star players of the 2013-14 and 2025-26 teams highlights the shift from a “Defense & Grit” era to a “Skill & Pace” era.
The Dynamic Forwards: Aaron Gordon vs. Koa Peat
Both came in as 5-star, top-5 recruits with massive expectations.
- Aaron Gordon (2013-14):
- The Profile: An elite “glue guy” and world-class athlete. Gordon was the defensive engine, often guarding the opponent’s best player regardless of position.
- Impact: He averaged 12.4 ppg and 8.0 rpg. His biggest flaw was a “broken” jump shot and poor free-throw shooting (42% in free throws), but his ability to finish at the rim (73%) and switch everything on defense made Arizona nearly impossible to score on.
- Koa Peat (2025-26):
- The Profile: A “point forward” with a more polished offensive toolkit. Peat is a mismatch nightmare who can initiate the break or score in the post.
- Impact: He is averaging 14.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, and 2.6 apg. Unlike Gordon, Peat is a focal point of the half-court offense, drawing double teams that open up the perimeter. While Gordon was a better raw defender, Peat is a far more dangerous offensive weapon who facilitates the “Flow” offense.
The Backcourt Leaders: T.J. McConnell vs. Jaden Bradley
This is a battle of “pure floor general” vs. “two-way playmaker.”
- T.J. McConnell (2013-14):
- Stats: 8.4 ppg, 5.3 apg, 2.1 spg.
- The X-Factor: McConnell was the heartbeat of the team. He was a master of the no-look pass and the baseline poke-away steal. He didn’t need to score to dominate a game, but he was the ultimate safety net for Miller.
- Jaden Bradley (2025-26):
- Stats: 14.0 ppg, 4.4 apg 1.9 spg.
- The X-Factor: Bradley is a veteran who shares McConnell’s defensive intensity. He is much more aggressive as a scorer, shooting 50.3% from the floor and getting to the free-throw line nearly six times per game. He provides the veteran edge that balances out the heralded freshmen.
The Scoring Guards: Nick Johnson vs. Brayden Burries
Both are the “closers” when the team needs a bucket.
- Nick Johnson (2013-14):
- The Resume: Pac-12 Player of the Year. Johnson was a high-flying 2-guard who provided the clutch scoring for a team that often struggled to produce points. He was one of the few players on the 2013-14 team who could consistently create his own shot from the perimeter.
- Brayden Burries (2025-26):
- The Resume: Freshman phenom. Burries is currently the team’s leading scorer at 15.2 ppg. While Johnson was an explosive vertical athlete, Burries is a more nuanced, pro-style scorer with better range (37% 3PT). He benefits from the space created by Lloyd’s system, whereas Johnson often had to bail out the offense.
The Efficiency Contrast
The Gordon Era (2014): Wins were defensive masterpieces. If Gordon and Johnson held the opponent to 55 points, Arizona won.
The Peat Era (2026): Wins are offensive deluges. If Peat, Burries, and Bradley are clicking, Arizona is unstoppable.
When you look at the raw efficiency numbers through the first 20–21 games, the contrast between Miller’s “Defense-First” philosophy and Tommy Lloyd’s “Modern Pace” system becomes striking.
Both teams started 21-0, but they arrived at that record through different statistical paths.
Statistical Profile: 2013-14 vs. 2025-26
| Metric (Through ~21 Games) | 2013-14 Wildcats | 2025-26 Wildcats |
| Points Per Game | 72.9 | 89.6 |
| Points Allowed Per Game | 58.6 | 68.3 |
| Scoring Margin | +14.3 | +21.3 |
| FG% | 46.9% | 51.6% |
| Rebounding Margin | +7.1 | +13.0 |
| Assists Per Game | 15.1 | 18.3 |
| Adj. Offensive Efficiency | 112.3 (Top 45) | 122.6 (Top 15) |
| Adj. Defensive Efficiency | 90.2 (Top 5) | 93.4 (Top 10) |
Key Efficiency Takeaways
The “Blowout” Factor
The 2025-26 team is significantly more dominant in terms of margin. While the 2013-14 team was famous for grinding out wins (like the 60-57 nail-biter at Stanford to get to 21-0), the current squad is essentially a scoring machine. They have already had stretches of eight consecutive 20-point victories, a feat the 2014 team never matched.
Defensive Philosophies
- 2013-14 (The No-Middle Defense): They prioritized taking away the paint. With McConnell harassing the ball and Gordon/Tarczewski waiting at the rim, they held opponents to only 38% from the field.
- 2025-26 (The Versatile Press): While they allow more points, it’s largely due to a much faster tempo. On a per-possession basis, they still rank in the Top 10 defensively. Their rebounding dominance (+13.0) is actually superior to the 2014 team, as they use their size (Krivas/Awaka/Peat) to end possessions immediately.
Offensive Revolution
The 2013-14 team was often criticized for stagnant half-court offense, especially after Ashley went down. They relied heavily on Johnson creating late in the shot clock. The 2025-26 team, by contrast, is one of the most efficient offensive units in school history. They rank second in the country in points in the paint (46.7 ppg) and have a much higher assist-to-turnover ratio, showing a level of ball movement that Miller’s teams rarely reached.
The Injury Variable
It is worth noting that the 2013-14 team’s stats began to dip after game 22 when Ashley broke his foot. Up until that point, they were arguably as efficient as the current team. The 2025-26 team’s greatest advantage right now is depth; they have eight players averaging significant minutes, making them much more resilient to a single injury than the 2014 squad.
The battle in the paint between these two teams perfectly illustrates how the big-man role has evolved in Tucson over the last decade.
In 2014, the center was a shield; in 2026, the center is a weapon.
The Anchors: Kaleb Tarczewski vs. Motiejus Krivas
Kaleb Tarczewski (2013-14)
- The Profile: A classic, 7-foot, true center. “Zeus” was a physical specimen whose primary job was to hold his ground, box out, and protect the rim without fouling.
- Style of Play: He lived in the low post. He wasn’t a primary scoring option, but he was incredibly efficient around the rim. He anchored a defense that ranked in the Top 5 nationally, serving as the insurance policy behind Gordon.
- Key Stat: He averaged 9.9 ppg and 6.3 rpg, but his real value was his verticality. Opponents shot a dismal percentage at the rim because Zeus was essentially a immovable object in the paint.
Motiejus Krivas (2025-26)
- The Profile: A 7-foot-2, highly skilled Lithuanian center with soft touch and elite passing vision.
- Style of Play: Unlike Zeus, Krivas is a focal point of the offense. He operates from the high post, short-rolls to find shooters, and can score with both hands. In Lloyd’s system, the center has to run the floor and make quick decisions. Krivas has established himself as one of the best passing bigs in in the nation.
- Key Stat: He is averaging 11.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg, and 2.4 apg. His ability to facilitate the offense from the top of the key opens up the backdoor cuts that have become a signature of the 2025-26 team.
The “Enforcers”: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson vs. Tobe Awaka
Every great Arizona team has a “motor” guy — the player who does the dirty work who doesn’t always show up in the box score.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (2013-14)
- The Impact: RHJ was a pogo stick on the glass and one of the most versatile defenders in Arizona history. He could guard a point guard or a center.
- The Role: He was the ultimate energy sub. When he checked in, the defensive intensity improved. He didn’t have much of a jump shot, but his transition dunks and defensive stops were the fuel for the 21-0 start.
Tobe Awaka (2025-26)
- The Impact: Awaka is a human bowling ball who thrives off physical play. While he lacks Rondae’s length and perimeter defensive range, he is a significantly more dominant rebounder.
- The Role: He is a physical enforcer. He ranks among the national leaders in offensive rebounding percentage. In 2013-14, the Wildcats beat teams with athleticism; in 2025-26, with Awaka and Krivas, they beat teams with size and second-chance points.
The Verdict on the Frontcourt
- Defensive Edge: 2013-14. Tarczewski and Gordon formed the most intimidating defensive frontcourt in the country. Opponents could not score in the paint against them.
- Offensive Edge: 2025-26. Krivas and Peat are vastly more skilled. They can pass, shoot, and handle the ball, making them much harder to scheme against than the 2013-14 “post-up” offense.
The 2014 frontcourt would try to shut teams out.
The 2026 frontcourt tries to out-skill every opponent.
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