Arizona is hoping the start 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 dominated TCU 90-81 at home Monday to extend their winning streak to three games.
Meanwhile, the Bearcats (10-2, 0-1) will look to cook at home to get back on track in the Big 12 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 with a foot injury. The Wildcats have 7-foot big man in redshirt sophomore Henri Veesaar, who had 15 points and six rebounds against TCU.
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said Veesaar added weight on what was a lightweight frame and improved his ball handling, decision-making and shooting. The opportunity to have more minutes to show off the work he has done has finally arrived.
“There’s this thing called confidence in the game,” Lloyd said. “You have to be able to do it under the lights. Now we will be able to ride with Henri and he will have a little more opportunities.
Caleb Love said the team has worked hard to support Veesaar’s growth. Love exploded for a game-high 33 points against TCU. Love, who averages 16.7 points per game, has seen Veesaar shoot the ball well in practice.
“We trust each other,” Love said. “I think everyone believes in their abilities. This (the game against TCU) is a sample 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 almost 24 seconds of the game and couldn’t sustain a rally long enough to earn a road victory.
Dan Skillings Jr. led the Bearcats with 18 points and Dillon Mitchell with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
“I think every night, no matter who it is, no matter who we’re playing, whether it’s a Big 12 game or a non-conference game, we come out together and want to play hard.” , Skillings Jr. said. “We don’t pick and choose which games we play hard.”
Although the Bearcats never trailed by more than nine points against Kansas State, they were only able to get within one possession in the final minutes. It was the kind of match Lloyd said he looked forward to every night.
“The days of 20-0 runs and being up by 30 at halftime are over,” Lloyd said. “We have to feel comfortable in close games and fight and fight back. This is what it takes, night after night.
–Field level media
This article was originally published on Arizona Republic: Arizona looks to extend winning streak against No. 16 Cincinnati
