Arizona basketball fell 70-55 vs Duke in a fiery matchup Friday night.
The Wildcats took on the Duke Blue Devils on Friday night at McKale Center and lost 55-70. This matchup is a fiery rivalry and probably some of the toughest competition Arizona will see all season. Last year Arizona basketball beat Duke at their home court; this year Duke came for revenge.
This loss left fans disappointed as many spent the night in McKale Center to receive priority for seats in the ZonaZoo. The ZonaZoo crew, who leads Arizona’s student section created a way for students to get priority seating at Friday’s game. Students were at the McKale Center from 4 p.m. Thursday until after the game late Friday night.
KJ Lewis and fans were clearly frustrated with the outcome of tonight’s game. Duke gained momentum for their big game against Kansas on Tuesday. Hopefully, Arizona can gain momentum after their game against a Davidson team.
Takeaway #1: This is NOT a three-point competition
In the past couple of games, the Wildcats have created a trend; missing three-point shots. The Wildcats finished the game 6-23 from the three-point line against a strong Duke team. Caleb Love led that disappointing statistic going 1-9 from the three-point line. At some point, this team has to realize they are stronger inside the paint.
This game was a high-pressure, highly promoted game and likely an important game for NBA prospects. The Wildcats played flustered and needed their captain, Caleb Love to lead them to more calm, and collected play. Frustration boiled out of KJ Lewis for the majority of the second half. The struggle from the three-point line has been an ongoing trend this season, including in their loss against Wisconsin.
Takeaway #2: Transition offense
In the first two, less competitive games of the season the Wildcats saw the most success in their fast transition and getting to the paint. Against the higher level teams like Wisconsin and Duke the Wildcats have struggled to keep up and get in the paint. Duke’s big man Khaman Maluach made Arizona stars look small forcing them to their weak spot, the three-point line. The slow transitioning led to sloppy turnovers and therefore, a lack of offensive success.
Tobe Awaka found himself in the starting lineup for Arizona basketball until this game. One of his first plays with the ball, he was called for traveling as the team frantically tried to get the ball to the basket. This Arizona team couldn’t find their rhythm possibly because of the strong matchup in pace, height, and skill. Fans are hopeful this won’t be the only time Arizona faces Duke this season. Do the Wildcats do better on the road?
Takeaway #3: KJ Lewis shows frustration
For the majority of the second half KJ Lewis was clearly frustrated, receiving a technical early in the second half. Although he was frustrated he carried the Wildcats alongside Jaden Bradley. Lewis finished with 12 points and only three three-point attempts, making one of them. Was Lewis frustrated that the team couldn’t get inside? In a timeout called by Tommy Lloyd later in the second half the bench and other coaches were hyping Lewis up telling him to calm down and play his game.
Bradley led with 18 points but had zero rebounds for the Wildcats. It was an underwhelming performance from some of Arizona’s star players like Caleb Love. Love has faced Duke nine times winning five of those games. In his last eight games against Duke, he averaged 16.9 points and 4.3 assists. Fans had high expectations for him going into this match-up and he finished with 8 points and 4 assists. What has happened to Caleb Love?
Maybe after a trip to the Bahamas, we will see a different side of this strong Wildcats team.
Next up for Arizona (2-2): vs. Davidson (4-0) – Nov. 27 at 7:30 p.m. EST
Next up for Duke (4-1): vs. Kansas (5-0) – Nov. 26 at 9 p.m. EST