It started with one freshman (Koa Peat) getting 30 points and ended with Brayden Burries having 31 points vs. Colorado in Saturday’s 89-79 win.
Oh, what a season it’s been for second-ranked Arizona – and there’s still more in store
But to this point, it’s been a glorious ride as it moved to a record 29-2, the most wins in a regular season for Arizona.
From the freshman shining throughout the season to the seniors doing the same at the same frequency. It all added up to a season – um, regular season – to remember. Saturday night’s high-altitude – and a resurging attitude – game with the Buffaloes had Arizona re-finding itself in the second half.
The Fresh(men) Connection were at it again.
Peat kept Arizona in the game and Burries had Arizona surviving it. Burries had a career-high 31, 22 in the second half. Peat had 25 points, 19 in the first half. They played tag team leaders with the ultimate tag teamer Tobe Awaka getting 10 points and seven reounds.
“I thought Brayden didn’t have a good start to the game … he was like 1 for 6 or something like that,” said UA coach Tommy Lloyd, to reporters in Boulder. “We just don’t really have to challenge him. He’s a competitor, and he kind of figured it out on his own and got himself going a little bit.
“I didn’t realize he had 31 points, but for him to do that was great … Koa goes 12 for 15, 25 points. When your team’s not playing (well), it’s great to have a guy like that step up and kind of keep your team in the game. Koa did a great job of that.”
How many times have you seen that this season? Was there any doubt it wouldn’t happen? Someone – or someone and someone else – keeping Arizona close or ahead and then someone else steps up? And how about Arizona not feeling it in the first half and then finding a way in the second? It’s a movie you’ve seen a few times this season.
“I’m really proud how we bounced back, it showed some character and some grit,” Lloyd on his postgame radio show.
Grit … and Grind might be Arizona’s book title this season. It was all on display in Boulder, where the Buffs jumped out to an 11-point lead and looked poised enough to pull off a victory.
Then, Arizona regrouped and rallied to close it before the half – giving a sign that, yes, Arizona played with its food for 20 minutes and was ready to eat the meal in the second half.
How did that happen? At least the playing with food part?
”You could probably try to find lots of reasons,“ Lloyd said. “But I know this – human nature is tough to beat. Human nature is almost undefeated, So a lot of these seasons is just figuring out how to endure the ups and downs, and the emotions that go with the season.“
For Arizona, there have been very few downs. Of course, the two loses (Kansas on the road and Texas Tech at home) and an injury or two that could have stunted UA’s growth (but didn’t).
So, here Arizona is at 29-2 with college basketball royalty to play for in the coming weeks. Not much should – will? – change before, during or after the Big 12 Conference tournament this coming week, because all that matters is the NCAA tournament.
But, that’s to be determined.
In beating Colorado, Arizona found a way after Monday night’s emotional Big 12 champion celebration. Emotions were high; Saturday, emotions were there when UA needed it. Lloyd sensed it might be a problem early, ditching his plan on going deep into his iineup to instead going with his top seven, eight players to get Arizona out of its funk.
Eventually, it got out of it.
“I think our energy is good right now, once we got it figured out we were pretty good,” Lloyd said. ”I think it’s important for us to understand, as you head into the postseason that, you’re going to have games where you’re playing against a team that’s playing their ass off and playing really good, and maybe your energy’s not quite where you want it to be, but you got to be able to dig deep and respond.”
He hopes it was a lesson learned “because obviously it’d be great if we could continue to play for a long time.”
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