TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona opened the week by being voted unanimous No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the first time in the program’s storied history.
The two dominating wins that followed are a sign the Wildcats have no intention of letting up.
“We’re protecting nothing, because we’ve done nothing,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said following his team’s 88-53 win over West Virginia on Saturday. “We’re a program that’s more excited about what lies ahead than protecting what we’ve already accomplished.”
The accomplishments are impressive: wins over reigning national champion Florida, then-No. 15 UCLA in Los Angeles, at No. 2 UConn, then-No. 20 Auburn at home and No. 17 Alabama in Birmingham.
The victories have done little to change the Wildcats’ mindset.
It anything, it may have sharpened their focus.
Arizona had a stretch of 10 straight games of winning by at least 19 points. Its 20-game winning streak to start the season matches Kansas in 2007-08 for second-longest in Big 12 history behind the 22 straight by the Jayhawks in 1996-97.
Two days after earning their first unanimous No. 1 ranking, the Wildcats (20-0, 7-0 Big 12) blew out Cincinnati 77-51 and followed with Saturday’s even-more-lopsided win over West Virginia.
Arizona is off to its best start since opening the 2013-14 season 21-0 and is one of three remaining undefeated teams in Division I, with No. 7 Nebraska and No. 25 Miami (Ohio).
“They present so many challenges and you have to kind of make choices and decisions, and none of them are great,” West Virginia coach Ross Hodge said.
Balance at both ends of the floor is what makes Arizona so tough.
The Wildcats have had seven players score at least 20 points in a game this season and are beating teams by an average of 21 points per game, fifth nationally.
Arizona has five players averaging in double figures, led by freshman Koa Peat’s 14.6 points per game.
Against West Virginia, fellow freshman Brayden Burries was the offensive catalyst, hitting 4 of 8 from 3-point range to finish with 22 points and seven assists. Peat had 17, 7-footer Motiejus Krivas finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds, and guard Anthony Dell’Orso broke out of a shooting slump to score 12 points.
Defensively, the big, bad Wildcats are a menace, using their length and heft to harangue ballhandlers, jump passing lanes and block shots at the rim.
The win over West Virginia vaulted Arizona past Michigan for No. 1 in the KenPom ratings.
“Their ability to get the ball close to the basket and finish, and negate your ability to get the ball close to the basket is a separator, in my opinion,” Hodge said.
Arizona will need to keep its focus as the schedule is about to get tougher.
The Wildcats play at No. 13 BYU on Monday, where they’ll face standout freshman A.J. Dybantsa, who played for Lloyd at USA Basketball last summer. Arizona then has to play at rival Arizona State, twice against No. 19 Kansas, at No. 6 Houston and home games against No. 12 Texas Tech and No. 9 Iowa State.
“Just remember, it’s not going just go like this (up),” Lloyd said. “There’s going to be bumps in the road and hopefully you’re trending up, but there’s going to be real challenges ahead.”
The Wildcats have passed every hurdle so far and Lloyd has instilled a mindset that should allow them to bounce back if there is one they can’t clear — whenever that comes.
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