TUCSON, Ariz. - As Pac-12 Conference play rolls on, the Arizona Wildcats host the USC Trojans on Wednesday night at the McKale Center. Tip-off is slated for 8:00 p.m. MST on ESPN with Dave Pasch, Jay Bilas and Myron Medcalf on the call.
STARTING FIVE
1) Under Tommy Lloyd, Arizona has not lost back-to-back games (14-0) and has won the game after a loss by an average of 22 points.
2) Arizona leads the Pac-12 in team FG% (50.3%) in conference play.
3) Tommy Lloyd is 40-2 at McKale Center as the head coach of Arizona (8-0 this year).
4) Oumar Ballo needs 49 more points to become the 54th player in Arizona history to score 1,000 points as a Wildcat.
5) Senior Caleb Love is averaging 22.4 points in Pac-12 play, which ranks second in the conference. He was also one of 25 players named to the Wooden Award Midseason List. He had 28 points at WSU, his 8th game of the year with 20+ and seventh in the last nine games.
SERIES VS. USC
• Arizona leads the all-time series, 74-46
• The Wildcats have won 12 of the last 13 meetings in Tucson; lone USC win in 2021
NOTING THE WILDCATS
• Arizona is one of three team in the country to have all five starters averaging double figures in scoring this season (Baylor, Indiana State, Tulane)
• The Arizona offense has post a 10-0 run 20 times this season, second-most in the country. Conversely, the Arizona defense has surrendered just two runs of 10-0 or better, also the second-best total in the country.
• Pelle Larsson is averaging a career-best 12.3 points and shooting 53.1% from the 3-point line this season (17 of 32). He's scored in double figures 13 of 16 games and has 24 assists to 10 turnovers in the last seven games.
• Sophomore Jaden Bradley is +56 while playing 67 minutes over the last three games.
• Fifth year forward Keshad Johnson has made 15 3FG this season, surpassing the 11 he made in 39 games last year at San Diego State. He's averaging career bests in points (11.9), rebounds (6.1) and minutes (25.2).
• Sophomore Kylan Boswell is shooting 42% from the 3-point line and is the team leader in assists (64). He has already made more FG, 3FG, assists and points this year than he did all of last season.
• The Wildcats have been ranked 48 straight weeks and 48 out of 50 weeks under head coach Tommy Lloyd. They have been in Top 10 for 38 weeks and in the Top 5 for 21 weeks.
• Motiejus Krivas is averaging 8.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and is 7 of 7 at the free throw line in Pac-12 play. He had 18 points at Cal and 15 points against Colorado.
• Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd is in his third season with the Wildcats and has a record of 73-15, the third-most wins of any team in the country over that span.
• Under Lloyd, Arizona has recorded 20+ assists in 46 out of 88 games to lead the nation.
• The preseason All Pac-12 teams featured four Wildcats: senior Oumar Ballo (first team), senior Caleb Love (second), sophomore Kylan Boswell (second) and senior Pelle Larson (honorable mention).
• Ballo was named to the preseason watch list for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award, Love is on the preseason list for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award and Keshad Johnson is on the preseason list for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award.
• The 2023-24 season marks the 119th year of men's basketball for the University of Arizona, and the Wildcats have an all-time record of 1,874-981.
THIS AND THAT
The 85 FGA against Florida Atlantic were the most by an Arizona team since attempting 91 shots against Northern Arizona on 11/24/2003
Kylan Boswell had five steals in back-to-back games against Alabama and FAU, becoming the first Wildcat since Jason Terry in 1999 to do that.
Oumar Ballo had 21 rebounds against FAU, the most by a Wildcat since Jordan Hill grabbed 22 in 2008.
Ballo and Larsson both reached 1,000 career points in their overall college careers in the Jan. 6 game vs. Utah.
MAGIC NUMBER: 90
Arizona is 29-1 under Tommy Lloyd when scoring at least 90 points in a game. The lone loss was a 96-95 double overtime defeat against FAU on Dec. 23, 2023.
BALANCE
All five starters are averaging between 10.4 and 18.3 points per game this season. At least five players have scored in double figures in 10 of 16 games. The Wildcats are one of four teams in the country with all five starters averaging double figures.
LLOYD LEADS THE WAY
Head coach Tommy Lloyd's record is 73-15 in his third season as a head coach. After setting the NCAA record for most wins in his first two seasons (61), the focus turns to the three-year record. The NCAA record for most wins through three seasons is 89 wins by Brad Underwood and Brad Stevens.
