°µÍø³Ô¹Ï

Arizona No. 5? UCLA No. 22? Maybe it should be the other way around?

The Bruins controlled the action for most of Monday night’s season opener in Las Vegas.

The Wildcats rallied to the point of possessing the ball with a chance to tie.

They turned it over and never scored again.

UCLA defeated Arizona 84-75 in a physical, intense, entertaining game befitting of the West Coast’s best college basketball rivalry.

Here are my top five takeaways on the Wildcats, who showed their potential — but also their potential flaws.

1. Triple trouble

You could argue that Arizona took too many 3-pointers. Exactly half of their 60 field-goal attempts came from beyond the arc. It was the first time Arizona attempted at least 30 3-pointers in a game since March 21, 2024, against Long Beach State in the NCAA Tournament.

There’s no disputing that the Wildcats didn’t make enough of them. They shot 7 of 30. That’s 23.3%. That isn’t going to cut it.

UCLA shot 10 of 29 from beyond the arc. The Bruins made three more 3-pointers than the Wildcats ... and won by nine. Seems pretty cut and dried.

This is not what we’re used to seeing from Tommy Lloyd-coached teams. He likes to operate inside-out. Arizona did get to the foul line 30 times.

But here’s the thing about this team as currently constituted: The role players are going to get a bunch of wide-open looks from the arc. The rate at which they hit them could determine how far this UA squad goes.

Ivan Kharchenkov will draw defenders by driving to the hoop. Motiejus Krivas will draw defenders every time he catches the ball on the block.

If Arizona moves the ball, Caleb Holt, Derek Dixon and JJ Mandaquit will have tons of catch-and-shoot opportunities.

The three guards combined to go 5 of 20 from the 3-point range. Holt was 0 of 4, Dixon 4 of 12 and Mandaquit 1 of 4.

We don’t know what kind of shooter Holt will be (more on the freshman later). Dixon shot 39.7% from 3 as a freshman last season at North Carolina. Mandaquit shot 28.2% at Washington.

If both can settle in the 36-40% range, Arizona will be hard to stop. If not, the Wildcats will experience more nights like Monday.

2. Ivan the Great

We saw glimpses of the new and improved Kharchenkov during Arizona’s summer tour in Lithuania.

He took it to an even higher level in the opener.

Kharchenkov scored a career-high 38 points. He had a team-high 10 rebounds. He kept the Wildcats afloat while others struggled to score.

Only one other player, Dixon, scored in double figures; he finished with 18 points. That’s something we’re not used to seeing from Lloyd’s teams either. Each and every one has shared the ball.

It wasn’t for lack of trying. Guys just didn’t hit shots.

It’s comforting to know that Kharchenkov can take over if necessary. A role player a year ago, the sophomore has quickly evolved into a go-to guy. That new role suits him well.

Kharchenkov got into the paint just about anytime he wanted to. He got to the foul line 16 times. He knocked down a pair of 3-pointers. He had one of Arizona’s three steals.

Only two players who played at least 11 minutes avoided negative plus/minus ratings: Kharchenkov and Mandaquit both put up zeroes. Not ideal, but it beats the alternative.

Kharchenkov did turn the ball over three times. He still has a tendency to over-dribble, plowing into traffic with his head down and without a definitive plan.

But it’s hard to argue with the overall production. Kharchenkov looked like a potential Big 12 Player of the Year. The preseason pick for that award was one of his teammates. About Big Mo ...

3. Mo or less

Krivas scored only eight points. The TNT broadcast crew was getting on his case.

Yes, there were moments where he seemed frustrated. That possession where Arizona could have tied? Krivas threw the ball away. He fired it into the corner, where no Wildcats were. Check that; no Wildcats who were in the game at the time. A few were standing in the bench area. I assume that’s what Krivas saw.

Krivas was surrounded by Bruins when he touched the ball, and that happened throughout the night. It’s going to happen all season long. Such is the case when you’re 7-foot-2 and the focal point of the halfcourt offense.

Krivas had only four field-goal attempts. You’d like that number to be higher. I would expect Lloyd to use Krivas in more pick-and-roll actions moving forward — maybe that one where he clears a side out to create a two-on-two situation. Or have Krivas quickly flash to the middle to make it harder to double-team him. Whatever the alternative, Krivas needs more room to operate.

He did have nine rebounds, a career-high-tying six blocked shots and several other contested shots. One block had to make NBA scouts’ mouths water; Krivas “hedged� on a pick-and-roll and sprinted from the arc to the basket to stuff an attempt at the rim.

After easing his way through the preseason, Krivas turned on “block everything� mode and again became the defensive paint presence that was so critical to Arizona’s success last season. He didn’t necessarily have a well-rounded game Monday, but he made an impact. He even had a bloody chin to show for it.

The double-doubles will come for Krivas, and they will be plentiful. Of course, it’d be a lot easier for him and Kharchenkov if a third player stepped up.

4. What’s holding back Holt?

Remember Koa Peat’s epic college debut last season?

Holt came to Arizona with even more hype. But he’s considerably less polished, and that showed Monday night.

Holt battled foul trouble, couldn’t hit from outside and finished with just seven points and seven rebounds.

It’s fascinating to watch him play. He plays extremely hard, and he’s incredibly athletic. If you make a lazy pass, he’ll pounce on it.

But that gets Holt in trouble sometimes. He knocks into opponents. He’s overly aggressive defending jump shooters. And he sometimes rushes his shot.

Holt was 2 of 7 from the field vs. UCLA. It was the fifth time in seven appearances in a UA uniform that he has shot well below 50%.

I don’t get the sense that Holt is forcing the issue. He also has good form, if not always good footwork. He just looks a bit sped up.

Given his long-range inconsistencies, I’d like to see him take the ball to the hole whenever possible. Holt has the strength to absorb contact and the hops to finish against anyone. Worst case, he’s getting to the line.

Overall, I’m inclined to give him time. Remember how long it took Brayden Burries to adjust to college basketball?

Holt has all the tools. And the want-to. The more experience he gets, the more the game will slow down for him.

He’ll only get better from here. I wouldn’t be surprised if seven points ends up being his lowest output of the season.

5. Power (forward) struggle

UCLA had 16 offensive rebounds to Arizona’s 12. The Bruins had 19 second-chance points to the Wildcats’ nine.

Again, these are atypical statistics for a Lloyd-coached club.

It sure would be nice to have another big body roaming the paint. Arizona has one. He just isn’t eligible to play.

While others have been granted temporary restraining orders or injunctions, power forward RJ Godfrey continues to sit and wait. He even tried to gain eligibility by becoming part of a different lawsuit in a different state. No luck.

The situation with these five-for-fivers is beyond ridiculous. Their status depends almost entirely on the whims of judges. You just have to find the right one, which is easier said than done.

Of course, none of this would be happening if the NCAA hadn’t been so obstinate. Regarding the exclusion of some — but not all — class of 2022 student-athletes from the five-for-five rule, Gonzaga coach Mark Few put the blame where it belongs.

“The NCAA screwed up on this deal,� Tommy Lloyd’s mentor said after the first game of Monday’s men’s doubleheader.

If I were an Arizona fan, I’d be furious about how the past two ranked matchups transpired for the football and men’s basketball teams.

Texas Tech beat the UA football team Saturday thanks largely to quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who went from eligible to ineligible to eligible again. Meanwhile, UA running back Ismail Mahdi and linebacker Max Harris — also would-be five-for-fivers — remained sidelined. The Wildcats sure could have used Mahdi on Saturday, when their run game completely stalled.

Then, Monday night, Godfrey couldn’t suit up in a game that was perfectly suited for his particular set of skills. No offense to anyone who’s playing more minutes in Godfrey’s absence, but how much better would this team be if he could play?

Hopefully we’ll find out soon. It’s also possible we never will.