4 Takeaways From Arizona’s Win Over UConn

Storrs, Conn. — Shortly after the final buzzer sounded, the entire Arizona roster huddled around FOX Sports analyst Bill Raftery for a postgame interview that reflected what had truly been a team victory. The Wildcats, ranked fourth, were underdogs in Wednesday’s game at Gampel Pavilion, but rallied after losing their double-digit half-time lead. Seven straight points scored in the last two minutes helped propel a 71 – 67 win over No. The Wildcats’ 71-67 victory over No. 3 UConn will be remembered for its signature win on Selection Sunday. Point guard Jaden Bradley (21 points) was arguably the best player in the game. Koa Peat, a freshman sensation (16 points and 12 rebounds), was also a standout. Absence of UConn center Tarris Reed Jr. changed the gameRoughly 90 minutes before tipoff, a UConn spokesman distributed an email with two injury updates for Wednesday’s contest: Shooting guard Braylon Mullins, who has yet to play this season while recovering from an ankle injury suffered during the preseason, would miss his fifth consecutive game. Mullins’ cautious movements in warmups were not surprising considering the school’s original timeline of four to six weeks. But the next surprise was that senior center Tarris Jr. would miss the game due to a previously unknown ankle injury. Head coach Dan Hurley hadn’t mentioned Reed as a potential candidate to miss the game during his media session on Tuesday afternoon. The betting line shifted by a point and a half almost immediately, trimming UConn’s projected advantage down to 4.5 points.Reed’s absence thrust true freshman big man Eric Reibe into the starting lineup for the second time this season. Reibe started the first game of the season while Reed was nursing a lingering injury to his hamstring. Reibe had scored six points in 18 minutes against New Haven. The team was playing their first Division I match. He’d averaged 11.7 minutes per game in UConn’s three subsequent outings once Reed returned.The early minutes against Arizona proved challenging for Reibe, whose primary defensive matchup was Arizona’s towering center, Motiejus Krivas, listed at 7-foot-2, 260 pounds. Krivas was able to get Reibe’s position in the lanes while chipping in 2 baskets prior to the first media break. Reibe responded late in the half with his own flurry, scoring an difficult layup in a traffic jam and then rising up for a dunking on a beautiful feed from UConn point-guard Silas Demary Jr. He made a pair 3-pointers during the second half, and seemed more confident as the game went on. He finished with 15 points for the team before fouling out. Reibe’s coaches and himself will be frustrated by his free-throw misses, and the uneven finish around the rim. Arizona’s freshman phenom Koa Peat is as good as advertisedA star-studded 2025 recruiting class in college basketball has injected the sport with arguably its best collection of one-and-done NBA prospects in years. From AJ Dybantsa at BYU to Darryn Peterson at Kansas to Cameron Boozer at Duke, some of the best all-around talents in the sport this season are unquestionably newcomers direct from high school.Based on how the first few weeks have unfolded, it’s more than fair to add Arizona power forward Koa Peat to the list. Peat, a five star prospect in his right, was also ranked No. According to 247Sports composite, Peat was the No. 9 player in the nation. In a high-profile game against then-No. Peat, who was playing on a neutral court, scored 30 points in a 93 87 victory over No. 3 Florida. He also grabbed seven boards, gave out five assists, and had three steals. Peat’s performance was impressive, particularly given that he faced the defending national champions. Peat’s 6-foot-8 height and 235-pound weight gave him an advantage against UConn forward Alex Karaban. Peat was able create space around the rim and scored easily. He scored his second basket after Arizona guard Jaden Braydon missed a layup. By halftime, Peat had already scored nine points and snagged seven rebounds as the Huskies hunted for a better defensive matchup after Karaban picked up his second foul.Peat chipped in an additional seven points and five rebounds in the second half while ceding some of the offensive workload to Bradley, whose driving layups and ability to draw fouls confounded UConn’s guards. Peat was the top scorer for both teams. Ivan Kharchenkov, #8, and Koa Peat #10 of Arizona Wildcats react in the second half during their match against Connecticut Huskies. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images). Fitting conclusion on a night when Arizona dominates the glassWith the Wildcats trailing by a point in the waning moments of Wednesday’s game, Bradley tossed an ill-conceived jumper toward the rim. The miss was a severe one, hitting only the backboard before bouncing downwards at an unusual angle. But there to scoop up the miss and turn it into a clutch half-hook was Krivas, who’d been brilliant on the glass all evening. His basket put Arizona ahead for good.That play — an offensive rebound and putback — felt like an appropriate ending to a game in which the Wildcats punished UConn on the backboards for 40 minutes. To get a plus-20 edge, Krivas and Peat along with Tobe Awaka outrebounded all of the Huskies. A UConn player did not finish with more than 4 rebounds. Reibe was his replacement but fouled out after only four rebounds, despite his 7 foot 1 frame. Losses in which the Huskies weren’t the most physical team are the hardest for UConn coach Dan Hurley to stomach.4. Foul problems persist for UConn’s defenseAn area of emphasis for Hurley entering the 2025-26 season was to improve defensively after finishing 75th nationally in defensive efficiency, far and away the lowest mark since his first season at UConn. Guards Silas Demary Jr., and Malachi, Smith were both considered plus-defenders. They are certainly seen as an upgrade in this category over the Huskies’ backcourt from last season. Retaining Reed, whose minutes have expanded in a leading role, was also viewed as a step in the right direction.Through five games, there’s been no question that UConn’s defense has improved significantly, even with a difficult game against then-No. 7 BYU last weekend. The Huskies entered Wednesday’s date with Arizona ranked 16th in the country for defensive efficiency, best in the Big East thus far.But the problem that has nagged UConn to begin the season — and one that reared its head again in a loss to the Wildcats — is fouling. The Huskies tied for 205th place in the nation in fouls committed per game, with an average of 18,8. This placed them less than two fouls away from falling outside the top 300 Division I programs. They were whistled for 21 fouls by a fairly strict officiating crew on Wednesday night, with six players picking up two or more by the 9:57 mark of the second half.UConn’s struggle to defend without fouling led to 19 points at the free-throw line for Arizona — a plus-10 advantage in a game that was decided by single digits.   Malachi #0 and Jaden #0 Bradley of the Arizona Wildcats are defended by Malachi #0 of Connecticut Huskies in the second half. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images) 4 ½: Arizona and UConn are both good enough to reach the Final FourWith the caveat that plenty can change between now and March — from injuries and suspensions to assistant coach departures and fluctuations in locker room dynamics — the level of basketball played in Storrs suggests both of these teams are good enough to play deep into March, perhaps even reaching the Final Four.There were, conservatively, seven future pros on the two rosters combined Wednesday night, including a pair of likely lottery picks in Koa Peat and Braylon Mullins. Six players scored in double figures in this balanced game, a reflection of the depth and quality of the talent on the court. That UConn hung close with Arizona despite missing Mullins and Reed speaks to the depth Hurley has built this season.It wouldn’t be surprising to see either of these teams, or perhaps both, pushing for a national championship in a few months’ time.Michael Cohen covers college football and college basketball for FOX Sports. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for a FOX Sports account or create one. Follow leagues, players and teams to receive daily personalized emails!
2025-11-20 03:50:20