Preview: Arizona Women's Basketball Vs Southern Jaguars

The Jaguars may look like what some would refer to as an easy opponent, but their 1-5 record is greatly misleading, as they have seen one of the toughest schedules in the country coming off their 2024 NCAA tournament bid. 

Wildcats head coach Becky Burke acknowledged Southern as a great opponent and a team that could challenge her young team, looking at the matchup as a “measuring stick game”.

Coach Burke's Thoughts

“Being an NCAA tournament team last year and picked to win their conference again this year, this is going to be a really good kind of measuring stick game for us to see where we're at against a really good quality opponent," Burke said.

All five of the team's losses have come from Top 25 teams in the country, and the team is looking for its first win against a major opponent.

As Southern looks for a statement win, here is what to look for from their team in the upcoming matchup. 

One of the defining characteristics of Southern women’s basketball is the team’s consistency in competing with toughness and defensive intensity, as explained by Burke. 

Programs from the SWAC traditionally face some of the nation’s most demanding nonconference schedules, often playing multiple Power Five opponents early in the season to gauge where they might stack up as a team.

As a result, Southern’s record often doesn’t reflect its true competitiveness. Instead, those early matchups build physicality, resilience, and experience against top-tier talent, all qualities that tend to show up in games like this one.

Southern typically plays a fast, energetic brand of basketball. They pressure ball-handlers, fight for rebounds despite size disadvantages, and rely on speed and aggression to score in transition. Their players are taught to defend with intensity and to attack the rim with confidence.

Even if they face mismatches against Arizona, the Jaguars can try to go to their best players to establish themselves early. 

For Arizona, this game is less about the opponent and more about self-definition. The Wildcats are in a period of transition with new leadership and a retooled roster.

Early-season games like this one offer critical opportunities to build chemistry, test rotations, and reinforce coaching philosophies. Although perfect on the season to start, Coach Burke feels this is possibly the team's toughest matchup so far. 

“We feel like this is maybe one of the better, if not the best, teams that we’ve played so far this season from an athleticism standpoint,” said Burke. 

One of Arizona’s keys will be controlling tempo. Southern excelled last year when games became chaotic, fast, and turnover-heavy. Arizona must counter by valuing possessions, avoiding careless passes, and dictating pace through patient offensive sets.

The Wildcats’ guards will play a major role, not only in pushing the ball when opportunities arise but also in slowing things down when Southern tries to speed up the game.

Defensively

Defensively, Arizona will need to match Southern’s physicality, crashing the boards from every angle and attacking the paint aggressively. Arizona’s bigs must establish presence early, boxing out, protecting the rim, and avoiding foul trouble. If Southern senses hesitation, it could be a point of weakness.

Depth will matter for Arizona. New faces like freshmen and transfers alike will be challenged to bring efficiency against a former tournament team looking hard for a much-needed win. A team that is still growing and meshing gets put to the test in early games like these. 

What player do you have your eye on when Arizona takes the court against Southern University? Let us know by commenting on our Facebook page and give Nathaniel Martinez  a follow on X for updates on all things Arizona Wildcats.