Year 6 of the Tommy Lloyd Era gets underway Monday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where the No. 5 Arizona Wildcats will play No. 22 UCLA in a rekindling of the old Pac-10/12 rivalry.
Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. Arizona time as part of the TNT Sports Hall of Fame Series. The game will be televised on TNT and truTV and streamed on HBO Max. Brian Anderson, Grant Hill and Allie LaForce will be the broadcasters. The game on Wildcats Radio 1290-AM will be called by the Voice of the Wildcats, Brian Jeffries, and Reggie Geary.
Arizona enters the season with considerable expectations after completing a Brian Anderson, Grant Hill, Allie LaForce 2025-26 campaign that included a 36-3 record and the program’s first Final Four appearance in 25 years. The Wildcats were selected as the preseason favorite in the Big 12 and enter the season ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press poll.
UCLA begins its eighth season under head coach Mick Cronin, an unpopular figure in Tucson inasmuch as he has not welcomed bringing the Bruins back to McKale Center after incidents between the fans and players.
The Bruins are looking to establish themselves as a national contender after winning 24 games last season.
Lloyd believes playing this early a nationally-ranked opponent, such as the hated Bruins for Arizona fans, will benefit his team but is cautious about its impact on the rest of the season.
“I’m sure it’ll be an entertaining ride,” Lloyd said. “I’m sure a lot of (fans) are going to hinge the hopes of our season on how Monday night goes. I’m not, but I’m sure they will. We’re going to give it our best shot.
“We’re just looking forward to get out there playing great competition and getting the experience. What’s great when you play games at this level this early is, man, you got to have to hit fast forward on the development of the team, and this is a great opportunity to do that because you’re going to be tested.”
Arizona has some experience returning in the frontcourt but the starting backcourt is brand new.
Motiejus Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov are two important pieces of the Wildcats’ returning lineup. Both started all 39 games last season and each averaged 10.4 points per game.
Krivas enters the season as the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year and a preseason All-American.
He recorded 73 blocked shots last season, the seventh-highest single-season total in program history.
Kharchenkov brings defensive versatility and another experienced presence to the lineup.
Freshman Caleb Holt is an electrifying player to watch, replacing Brayden Burries as the starting off-guard.
Holt, a McDonald’s All-American co-MVP, averaged a team-best 17.7 points in Arizona’s three exhibition games.
Arizona also added North Carolina transfer Derek Dixon, the starting point guard in place of Jaden Bradley, and Washington transfer JJ Mandaquit to strengthen its backcourt.
Arizona continues to await the eligibility status of Clemson transfer RJ Godfrey, who is ineligible to compete but continues to practice with the team. He is seeking a fifth-year of eligibility as a result of the new five-for-five NCAA legistlation that allows athletes five years of eligibility but is not retroactive.
Godfrey and other plaintiffs withdrew their five-for-five case in Georgia last week and joined a separate lawsuit in Texas. The judge for that case reportedly denied any players that had sought injunctive relief in other states would not receive a temporary restraining order.
Speaking ahead of a recent practice, Cronin discussed the Bruins’ defensive intensity will be important against Arizona.
“Arizona is always good at certain things,” he said. “They do a great job of offensive execution. They shoot a high percentage.”
Cronin also discussed the athleticism of Holt, describing the young guard’s explosiveness as possessing “NBA-level athleticism.”
The UCLA coach cautioned that highly touted freshmen must adjust to the physical nature of college basketball.
“A lot less space in the college game to operate,” Cronin said, “and the guys guarding you are a lot older than the ones in high school that are playing intramurals right now.”
UCLA will have its own highly regarded freshman to introduce to the college game in Nikola Kusturica, a 6-foot-9 wing from Serbia.
Kusturica brings international experience after playing professionally in Spain. He averaged 24.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists for Serbia at the FIBA U17 World Cup.
The Bruins will rely on a combination of returning starters and newcomers.
Xavier Booker, Eric Dailey Jr. and Trent Perry return after starting last season. The three combined for 26 points and 12 rebounds against Arizona in last year’s game in which the Wildcats won 65-61 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.
Perry is particularly important to UCLA’s backcourt. He averaged 13 points and 5.5 assists during the Bruins’ two exhibition victories.
Texas Tech transfer Jaylen Petty provides another backcourt option, while Kusturica gives Cronin a versatile wing with considerable offensive potential. Petty averaged 9.9 points and shot 40.6% from the field with the Red Raiders last year, but in Texas Tech’s lone game against Arizona — a 78-75 overtime loss at McKale Center for the Wildcats — Petty played only 12 minutes and had two points.
One of UCLA’s biggest challenges will be replacing the production of Tyler Bilodeau, who led the Bruins with 17.6 points per game last season before being selected by the Brooklyn Nets in the second round of the NBA Draft.
“Mick’s got a good crew,” Lloyd said. “They definitely look really good, and you know they’ll be well coached and just be sound, sound and solid and physical and all those things that kind of contribute to being consistent. I mean, they look like to me they have all the makings for having a really good season.”
Cronin is 7-7 against the Wildcats during his UCLA tenure, with all seven losses coming under Lloyd.
UCLA holds a 64-51 advantage in the series, which dates back to 1923.
The programs have maintained one of the most recognizable rivalries in western college basketball, dating back to their years together in the Pac-10 and Pac-12, when Lute Olson made Arizona’s program relevant nationally.
Monday’s meeting also will honor the late Bill Walton, with Arizona bringing its custom tie-dyed chair made for the legendary UCLA basketball player to T-Mobile Arena.
Arizona has the returning frontcourt experience, athleticism and expectations of a national championship contender.
UCLA has the coaching, physicality and returning talent to make this a difficult opening-night test for Arizona.
The Wildcats’ biggest objective will be establishing Krivas inside, allowing Holt and the guards to operate in space, and forcing UCLA to play at Arizona’s preferred tempo.
Three keys to the game
1. Arizona’s frontcourt advantage
Krivas could be a major matchup problem for UCLA. His size, interior scoring and shot-blocking ability will challenge the Bruins defensively. UCLA must find a way to limit his touches without creating opportunities for Arizona’s perimeter players.
2. Controlling the pace
Arizona traditionally prefers to play an up-tempo game, using defensive pressure and transition opportunities to generate offense. UCLA under Cronin generally favors a more deliberate approach. The team that dictates the pace could have a significant advantage.
3. Turnovers and freshman performances
Both teams feature talented newcomers who will be experiencing their first regular-season college basketball action. Arizona’s ability to pressure UCLA’s ballhandlers while limiting its own mistakes will be important. How Holt and Kusturica handle the spotlight will also be worth watching.
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