(M) Game 8, Wyoming at Arizona (2021-2022)
Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2021 6:08 pm
Game Notes
The first release of the NCAA's NET ranking came out this week and tonight's game is a Top 10 matchup, with Arizona checking in at #3 and Wyoming at #9.
Arizona is ranked 11th in the Associated Press poll for the second straight week, but moved up to #8 in the Coaches Poll. From 1949 through this week, Arizona has appeared in the AP Top 25 a total of 552 times, the eighth-most in the country.
The last time Arizona played a non-conference opponent and both teams were 7-0 or better on the season was Dec. 6, 2014 when #3 Arizona defeated #9 Gonzaga, 66-63 in overtime. Both teams were 7-0 and entering that game.
Tommy Lloyd is the first Arizona coach to win his first-ever Pac-12 road game since the Wildcats joined the Pac-12 in 1978-79.
The 25-point margin of victory over Oregon State on Sunday is also significant - it's tied for the second largest margin by a coach in his first-ever Pac-12 road game in conference history. The largest was a 31-point win by UCLA's Jim Harrick at Oregon on Jan. 5, 1989.
The Oregon State game was also Coach Lloyd's first-ever Pac-12 game coached, and the 25-point margin of victory is tied for the largest in a coach's Pac-12 debut. Cal's Todd Bozeman defeated Stanford by 25 in February of 1993.
Arizona is one of 4 teams nationally to have 3 players averaging 15.0+ points per game.
UA leads the nation in assist rate (71.9%), assists per game (23.0), scoring margin (+33.8) and scoring offense (91.3).
Arizona also ranks in the top 10 nationally in FG% defense (2nd), defensive rebounds (3rd), assist/turnover ratio (4th), blocked shots/game (6th), and total assists (9th).
According to KenPom, Arizona's average possession length is just 14.2 seconds, the third-fastest pace in the country.
Sophomores Dalen Terry and Kerr Kriisa have combined for 66 assists and 12 turnovers this season, the best combined assist-to-turnover ratio of teammates in the country.
Terry is tied for 2nd nationally with a 5.80 assist-to-turnover ratio while Kriisa is 4th in the country at 5.29.
Junior center Christian Koloko ranks 9th in the country in FG% this year, shooting 66.7% while averaging 16.2 points. The native of Cameroon has 24 blocked shots this season, tops in the Pac-12 and 20th nationally. He has scored in double figures in six of seven games this season after reaching double figures twice in his first 54 career games.
Sophomore Bennedict Mathurin was named Pac-12 Player of the Week on Monday after scoring 29 points at Oregon State. It was his fifth career 20-point game and second this season. He leads UA in scoring at 16.0 points per game.
The first release of the NCAA's NET ranking came out this week and tonight's game is a Top 10 matchup, with Arizona checking in at #3 and Wyoming at #9.
Arizona is ranked 11th in the Associated Press poll for the second straight week, but moved up to #8 in the Coaches Poll. From 1949 through this week, Arizona has appeared in the AP Top 25 a total of 552 times, the eighth-most in the country.
The last time Arizona played a non-conference opponent and both teams were 7-0 or better on the season was Dec. 6, 2014 when #3 Arizona defeated #9 Gonzaga, 66-63 in overtime. Both teams were 7-0 and entering that game.
Tommy Lloyd is the first Arizona coach to win his first-ever Pac-12 road game since the Wildcats joined the Pac-12 in 1978-79.
The 25-point margin of victory over Oregon State on Sunday is also significant - it's tied for the second largest margin by a coach in his first-ever Pac-12 road game in conference history. The largest was a 31-point win by UCLA's Jim Harrick at Oregon on Jan. 5, 1989.
The Oregon State game was also Coach Lloyd's first-ever Pac-12 game coached, and the 25-point margin of victory is tied for the largest in a coach's Pac-12 debut. Cal's Todd Bozeman defeated Stanford by 25 in February of 1993.
Arizona is one of 4 teams nationally to have 3 players averaging 15.0+ points per game.
UA leads the nation in assist rate (71.9%), assists per game (23.0), scoring margin (+33.8) and scoring offense (91.3).
Arizona also ranks in the top 10 nationally in FG% defense (2nd), defensive rebounds (3rd), assist/turnover ratio (4th), blocked shots/game (6th), and total assists (9th).
According to KenPom, Arizona's average possession length is just 14.2 seconds, the third-fastest pace in the country.
Sophomores Dalen Terry and Kerr Kriisa have combined for 66 assists and 12 turnovers this season, the best combined assist-to-turnover ratio of teammates in the country.
Terry is tied for 2nd nationally with a 5.80 assist-to-turnover ratio while Kriisa is 4th in the country at 5.29.
Junior center Christian Koloko ranks 9th in the country in FG% this year, shooting 66.7% while averaging 16.2 points. The native of Cameroon has 24 blocked shots this season, tops in the Pac-12 and 20th nationally. He has scored in double figures in six of seven games this season after reaching double figures twice in his first 54 career games.
Sophomore Bennedict Mathurin was named Pac-12 Player of the Week on Monday after scoring 29 points at Oregon State. It was his fifth career 20-point game and second this season. He leads UA in scoring at 16.0 points per game.
