What To Expect When Arizona Visits UConn

Arizona also boasts a season-opening victory over the defending champion Florida Gators in Las Vegas. Freshman star Koa Peat had a coming-out party, putting up 30 points, seven rebounds and dishing out five assists.

Now, the non-conference road laid out like a Jigsaw trap continues, but this time along the opposite coast. The Wildcats will face off with No. 3 UConn at Gampel Pavilion on Wednesday, with both sides hoping to keep their perfect records intact.

The Huskies are also finishing up a tough back-to-back. Dan Hurley's outlasted BYU, 86-84, in TD Garden in Boston. The big three scoring threats for the Huskies made an impact and set the tone for what Arizona should expect on Wednesday.

Alex Karaban, Tarris Reed Jr. and Silas Demary Jr. all recorded 21 points in the win. The trio combined to shoot 67% from the field and knocked down five of UConn's eight 3-pointers on the night.

The Huskies are missing 6-foot-6 freshman guard Braylon Mullins, who has not played yet this season while dealing with an ankle injury. Solo Ball and Demary have held down the backcourt without him, with Georgia transfer Malachi Smith coming off the bench.

Without the freshman guard, UConn has leaned into its size. For the first time this season, the Wildcats might be facing a team with as much depth in size as they have.

Karaban (6-foot-8), Reed (6-foot-11) and Jaylin Stewart (6-foot-7) are all in the starting lineup and have impressive athleticism for their size. Peat will surely draw some attention, but Arizona's traditional big defenders, Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka, will be massively important on the offensive end.

Peat really struggled for the first time this season against UCLA. He scored just seven points on 2-of-5 shooting from the floor in 21 minutes. He also had six turnovers and four fouls against an aggressive frontcourt.

This is not an ideal situation to ask him to bounce back in, but Peat did obliterate veterans Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon in the opener against Florida, so it's not without reason to think he could do it again.

Bradley and Anthony Dell'Orso lit up the floor for the Wildcats against the Bruins. Tommy Lloyd has needed that veteran experience and leadership this season on a few different occasions, but facing a top-5 team makes them vital.

Dell'Orso had 20 points against UCLA and drilled four triples off the bench. He and Awaka have been phenomenal off the bench while the freshmen take up the starting lineup.

Bradley, Dell'Orso and Brayden Burries, who is still trying to find his footing offensively, will be hounded by Demary and Stewart, both of whom have a nose for the ball. Demary is used to the physical game coming from Georgia in the SEC, and he has eight steals already this season.

Another guy to watch for the Huskies is Jayden Ross, who has emerged as a solid 3-D option for Hurley's team. Ross can get into foul trouble, but he is athletic enough to shoot consistently from range and throw down on someone's head. He might be the most valuable option off the bench besides Smith.

Both teams can expect another physical game in the paint and some savvy defense on the perimeter, but this is another resume builder for Lloyd and Hurley's squads. Arizona could have its third ranked win when all is said and done, while UConn is looking for its second, but will see three more ranked teams before Christmas.

For Arizona, we will learn how freshmen like Peat and Burries respond to rough showings, and we will see how the Wildcats measure up against a team with size on the road in a hostile environment.

What are your predictions for Arizona's matchup with UConn on Wednesday? What are your keys to victory for the Wildcats? To let us know, follow us on our X account by clicking on the link.