Arizona is hoping the beginning of Big 12 Conference play will jump-start its season as it heads to No. 16 Cincinnati on Saturday.
So far, the Wildcats (7-5, 1-0 ) are off to a good start as they topped TCU 90-81 at home on Monday to extend their winning streak to three games.
Meanwhile, the Bearcats (10-2, 0-1) will look for some home cooking to get back on track in Big 12 play as they dropped a 70-67 decision at Kansas State on Monday.
Arizona will be without injured 7-foot-2 center Motiejus Krivas, who is expected to miss the remainder of the season due to a foot injury. The Wildcats have a 7-foot big man in redshirt sophomore Henri Veesaar, who collected 15 points and six rebounds against TCU.
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said Veesaar has added weight on what was a slight frame and improved his ball handling, decision-making and shooting. His opportunity for more minutes to show off the work he’s put in has finally arrived.
“There’s this thing you get called game confidence,” Lloyd said. “You have to be able to do it under the lights. Now we are going to be able to roll with Henri and he’s going to get a little more opportunity.”
Caleb Love said the team has worked hard to support Veesaar’s growth. Love exploded for a game- and season-high 33 points against TCU. Love, who averages a team-high 16.7 points per game, has seen Veesaar shoot the ball well in practice.
“We pour belief into each other,” Love said. “I think he’s getting that belief from everyone that we believe in his ability. This (game against TCU) is a sample size of what he can do.”
The Bearcats’ quest to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 got off to a rocky start at Kansas State. Cincinnati trailed for all but 24 seconds of the game and couldn’t sustain a long enough rally to pick up a road win.
Dan Skillings Jr. led the Bearcats with 18 points and Dillon Mitchell had 15 points and 11 rebounds.
“I think every night no matter who it is, no matter who we’re playing, if it’s a Big 12 game or nonconference, we come out together and want to play hard,” Skillings Jr. said. “We don’t pick and choose which games we play hard in.”
While the Bearcats never trailed by more than nine to Kansas State, they could get no closer than one possession in the closing minutes. It was the kind of game Lloyd said he expects every night.
“The days of 20-0 runs and being up 30 at half are done,” Lloyd said. “We have to get comfortable being in close games and fighting and fighting back. That’s what it takes on a night in and night out basis.”
–Field Level Media
