THE Arizona Wildcats put on a show at home, beating Auburn 97-68. Arizona managed to punk the Tigers in this one, completely overpowering Steven Pearl’s group. The 29-point win was the fifth-largest margin of victory against a ranked team in program history. The Wildcats were able to accomplish this with physical play and all-around non-conference play and tonight was no different. It was a dominant performance that saw Auburn play from behind early in the first half.
The win over Auburn was Arizona’s fourth victory against a top 25 opponent this season and they are still scheduled to face six ranked teams at this time. This team’s ceiling continues to rise and their performances against ranked teams only accelerate that process.
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Arizona gives Auburn some Michigan flashbacks
The Auburn Tigers are a very strong team that, without Bruce Pearl, has still found ways to win games and gain experience as a group. There have only been a few hiccups along the way so far. One of those misses was a demolition at the hands of Yaxel Lendeborg and Michigan. Michigan was able to inflict punishment on the Tigers to the tune of a 30-point blowout.
This victory has fans and pundits across the country assuming that Michigan is simply in a class of its own. However, Arizona was able to replicate that level of dominance tonight and even Tigers head coach Steven Pearl said he thinks Arizona and Michigan are in a tier of their own based on what he’s seen so far this season.
Tommy Lloyd responded to Pearl’s praise in his post-match press conference.
Arizona draws a line in the sand
One thing has been made clear so far this season: If a team wants to beat Arizona, they will need to have a combination of size and skill that few teams possess. Arizona’s front court is a dominant force and its pressure at the rim is a unique obstacle for teams to overcome.
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Auburn scored 68 total points in the game, Arizona scored 60 points in the paint alone. Auburn rebounded by six overall and 11 on the defensive boards. The Tigers shot less than 40 percent on their two-pointers in this one and just 28.6% on two-pointers in the second half.
The paint wasn’t safe, it’s never safe against this Arizona team. Between Koa Peat, Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka, Arizona has three elite-level bigs while most teams have one or none. Arizona’s proficiency in the painted area will only continue to expand until teams find a solution, if a solution exists.
Freshmen have their sea legs
Arizona’s number two recruiting class this season has been mixed in its on-field reps. Peat came out on night one and dominated the defending champs, Brayden Burries fouled out in that game and has just started to show signs of the player fans know he can be, Ivan Kharchenkov had an impact in every phase of the game and even had eight assists against Auburn and Dwayne Aristode had his ups and downs but started to show flashes of a high-level “3 and D” player.
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Not every freshman can come in and dominate like Peat. Burries has shown much more positive indicators over the past three games, but the level of competition has increased sharply with Auburn and the five-star recruit has responded. 16 points and five rebounds for Burries in what was his best game so far this season.
Burries is very talented and has all the tools to be an impact player on a team trying to win it all. Patience proves wise.
Arizona takes over Alabama
Arizona’s next game sees the Wildcats fly to Birmingham to face Alabama. The Crimson Tide is currently in the top 15 with two losses at the hands of Gonzaga and Purdue. Nate Oates’ group is known for its high-octane three-point offense that will surely test the Wildcats in a semi-road environment.
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If the Wildcats can defeat the Tide, the nation will turn its attention to the most battle-tested team. Arizona’s game against Alabama will be broadcast live on ESPN on December 13 at 7:30 p.m. MST.
To learn more about the fallout from this game and upcoming athletics events in Arizona, tune in to Arizona Wildcats Podcast with Damon Fairall And Kevin Thomas.
