Not every Arizona performance can be like it looked against Florida. Life – and play – isn’t like that. Just isn’t.
It’s hard to go from a big high to another one, to another one, and, …
Well, you get it.
On Friday night, Arizona did what it had to against stubborn Utah Tech: win 93-67 in McKale Center.
More importantly, it’s okay with head coach Tommy Lloyd. He got something out of it – a somewhat competitive game, even in a game where four UA players finished in double figures scoring. Koa Peat, Brayden Burries and Anthony Dell’Orso each had 18 points. Tobe Awaka added 12.
“I love that we were challenged,” Lloyd said. “Utah Tech gets a lot of credit. Obviously, you can get greedy and want every possession to go your way, but that’s just not reality. You got to be able to ride the wave a little bit and figure out why it’s working and figure out why it’s not working and make adjustments. So, I’m glad that our guys were challenged. I appreciate Utah Tech for putting up a heck of a fight.”
A few jabs but no true punches in the gut. Arizona took about eight minutes to take the lead for good then kind of played with its food, to lead 44-37 at halftime.
Then came Arizona’s 49-30 halftime advantage to make the final score, 93-67.
Arizona will have games like this, given the schedule against perceived good teams and perceived cupcakes. Utah Tech wasn’t the cupcake everyone thought it would be. And that was a good thing.
It helped Lloyd look at his top players longer, with Dell’Orso and Awaka coming off the bench in favor of freshmen Ivan Kharchenkov, Koa Peat ad Brayden Burries.
“To have the luxury of making a decision that may not be (something) they may not love, but it really gives our team a unique thrust to bring two guys off the bench that are that good and have that much experience,” Lloyd said. “If we continue this thing and how it plays out, I think that’s going to be a really big advantage for us over the course of the season.”
Now, he’ll have to figure out what combinations work. Friday, he had another look at it. What’s clear – and is usually the case – he’ll go with a good, strong eight, maybe nine with freshman Dwayne Aristode being No. 8. Local product Evan Nelson falling in at No. 9.
“I’m figuring it out,” he said, when asked about his rotation. “Obviously, I’m pretty comfortable with those eight guys that have been playing. I don’t think Evan’s far off. I had a good talk with him, like maybe when and where some of his opportunities will come.
“And part of this deal is I feel like I have an obligation to develop some of these younger guys that are going to be in the rotation a little bit more and give them some experience. I’m not taking for granted that they’re really good, that it’s going to come easy. And I don’t want it to come easy. Things that are learned without friction, without adversity, they’re less valuable than things that are earned with a little bit of struggle. And I honestly 100 percent believe that, so I appreciate embrace when those struggles come and do everything I can to try to help our guys navigate it.”
Like Friday night when UA struggled for a bit but then found its footing before pulling away. But didn’t you want that more than you wanted a quick kill that didn’t produce any adversity?
Tommy was okay with it. And that’s all that matters.
