Baylor cracked the Related Press rankings at No. 25 this week after profitable six of its previous seven video games forward of a matchup with Arizona on Tuesday in Tucson, Ariz.
The Bears (11-4, 3-1 Massive 12) are coming off a 72-66 extra time victory at Arizona State on Saturday.
Arizona (10-5, 4-0) elevated its profitable streak to 6 video games with an 88-80 victory over visiting UCF on Saturday.
Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd was vital of his group, himself and the teaching employees within the postgame press convention after Arizona made only one area objective within the final 4 1/2 minutes of the primary half and went with no made area objective within the final 5 1/2 minutes of the sport.
The Wildcats had been 0-for-6 from the sector with 5 turnovers on the finish of the competition.
“I am upset with how dumb we performed. We had been dumb,” Lloyd mentioned. “Our fundamentals had been poor. Our late-game execution was poor, and it is not acceptable.
“I really like the place we’re at, however I am additionally going to combat for the place we’re going, and Arizona basketball doesn’t play dumb on the finish of the sport. We simply weren’t ok on the finish of the sport.”
Arizona’s main scorer, Caleb Love (15.8 factors per recreation), completed with 16 factors, eight rebounds and 6 assists.
Love, a preseason All-American, was 0-for-3 from the sector with a turnover within the final 5 minutes of the sport.
“Caleb was nice to begin. Was not ok on the finish, whether or not it is shot choice or dribble down the sideline that will get a lure,” Lloyd mentioned. “Caleb’s performed school basketball for 5 years. He is aware of higher than that. Falling down, OK, these things should not occur.
“I am relying on this man to be like an All-American-level participant. I really like Caleb, and I’ve given him quite a bit. He is obtained to be higher. Backside line, he is obtained to be higher.”
Baylor received its extra time recreation towards the Solar Devils with a seven-player rotation as a result of ankle accidents stored guards Jalen Celestine and Langston Love from enjoying.
Neither has performed because the Dec. 31 recreation towards Utah and their standing for the Tuesday evening recreation was questionable.
Baylor held off Arizona State, which trailed by 15 factors within the second half, behind 19 factors from Miami switch Norchad Omier.
“With a brand new group, you’ve got obtained a number of guys going by way of issues for the primary time collectively,” mentioned Bears coach Scott Drew, whose group improved to 1-3 in true street video games. “Once we obtained to extra time, it was recalibrate, refocus, recenter and play Baylor basketball. And I believe we did that.”
Baylor has received the 2 previous conferences towards Arizona, leveling the all-time sequence at 5-5.
The Bears final visited Tucson in 2018, once they ended Arizona’s 52-game house profitable streak with a 58-49 triumph. Baylor beat the Wildcats in Waco, Texas, a yr later, prevailing 63-58.
Baylor led the Massive 12 and ranked seventeenth nationally by way of the weekend with a mean of 14.1 offensive rebounds per recreation.
Arizona struggled towards UCF in that class, permitting the Knights to seize 20 offensive rebounds that led to 23 second-chance factors.
–Discipline Degree Media
