TUCSON, Ariz. - Saturday at the McKale Center will feature two of the top programs in the country, as No. 12 Arizona hosts UCLA for the final time as members of the Pac-12 Conference. The Wildcats are 27-18 all-time against UCLA in games played in Tucson. The game starts at 2:00 p.m. MST and will be televised on ESPN with Bob Wischusen and Sean Farnham on the call.
STARTING FIVE
1) Tommy Lloyd is 41-2 at McKale Center as the head coach of Arizona (9-0 this year).
2) Arizona leads the Pac-12 in scoring (87.17), team FG% (48.5%), scoring margin (+13.2) and rebounding margin (+11.3) in conference play.
3) The Wildcats have made 10 or more 3FG in the last three home games (.485 3FG%)
4) Oumar Ballo needs 41 more points to become the 54th player in Arizona history to score 1,000 points as a Wildcat.
5) Senior Caleb Love is second in the Pac-12 in scoring, averaging 22.0 points in conference play. He has scored 20 or more in five of six Pac-12 games, including each of the last three. His longest career streak of 20-plus point games is 4 games from Feb. 7-19, 2023 at UNC.
SERIES VS. UCLA
• UCLA leads the all-time series, 63-48; the only Pac-12 opponent w/ winning record vs. UA
• Arizona is 4-2 against the Bruins since Tommy Lloyd took over at Arizona
NOTING THE WILDCATS
• The Wildcats registered 15 steals against USC, the seventh game with 10 or more steals this year. The 163 total steals on the year ranks 23rd in the NCAA.
• All nine home wins for Arizona this season have been by at least 15 points.
• Arizona is one of three team in the country to have all five starters averaging double figures in scoring this season (Indiana State, Tulane).
• Pelle Larsson is one of five players in the country that has taken at least 130 shots, with at least 30 from the 3-point line, and is shooting above 50% on both this season. He is averaging a career-best 12.4 points.
• Sophomore Jaden Bradley scored in double figures for the second time this season on Wednesday against USC, finishing with 10 points, three assists and a career-high five steals.
• Fifth year forward Keshad Johnson has made 16 3FG this season and shooting 36.4% after making a total of 28 and shooting 24.6% in 113 games at San Diego State. He had his second double-double of the year (sixth career) with 10 point, 13 rebounds vs. USC.
• Sophomore Kylan Boswell is shooting 41.4% from the 3-point line and is the team leader in assists (67). He has already made more FG, 3FG, assists and points this year than he did all of last season. After shooting 26.3% from the 3-point line in December, he is connecting at 41.4% so far in January.
• 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 per EvanMiya.com
• 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 7.5 points, 5.8 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 74-15, the third-most wins of any team in the country over that span.
• Under Lloyd, Arizona has recorded 20+ assists in 46 out of 89 games to lead the nation.
• Under Tommy Lloyd, Arizona has not lost back-to-back games (15-0).
• 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 1,875-981.
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 10.5 and 18.4 points per game this season. At least five players have scored in double figures in 11 of 17 games. The Wildcats are one of three teams in the country with all five starters averaging double figures.
