The #6 Houston Cougars, 20-4 (12-1), are in Tucson, Arizona, for a monster Big 12 clash with the #13 Arizona Wildcats 17-7 (11-2). First place in the conference is on the line with three weeks to play in the new-look Big 12. With a win, Houston grabs a two-game lead in the league, while Arizona plays for a share of first place

Arizona has a top-notch roster. They are led by the “Head of the Snake” Caleb Love, who Kelvin Sampson described as “dynamic and fearless” on Thursday. He has played in big games at North Carolina and now at Zona. Love is an elite three-level scoring guard with over 130 more shot attempts than his next closest teammate. He had a poor game at Kansas State earlier this week.

The Wildcats have two other excellent guards besides Love: scoring PG Jaden Bradley and the super-aggressive sixth man KJ Lewis. Together, they are one of the more dynamic guard trios in the nation.

Arizona has two solid post players: Tobe Awaka and Henri Veesaar. Awaka resembles a Kelvin Sampson four due to his hustle, offensive rebounding ability, and toughness. I’ve been quite impressed with Veesaar in the two games I scouted. He is massive, plays hard, and is a threat on both ends of the court.

The Wildcats also have sharpshooter Anthony Dell’Orso, all-around guard/forward Carter Bryant, and highly recruited transfer Trey Townsend. Townsend has missed the last two games with a concussion but should return on Saturday. Bryant screams NBA potential when you see him. He is built like a grown man and can play inside or outside with his size (think Jarace Walker).

This is one of the top games in the Big 12 in 2025: two heavyweights in the McKale Center for the first time as conference mates. Sampson and Arizona Head Coach Tommy Lloyd are two of the best coaches in the business, and I’d expect this to be a back-and-forth war. Lloyd has said that you must play against Houston before you know how hard they play. The Coogs must play at that high level to make it out of Tucson with a win.

Arizona National Rankings

• Net – #10; Houston Ranked #3
• Kenpom – #14; Houston Ranked #3
• AP Poll – #13; Houston Ranked #6
• Coaches Poll – #13; Houston Ranked #6

Arizona Offensive Rankings (Top 50 in Nation)

#16 – Fastbreak Points Per Game: 14.88

#19 – Assists Per Game: 17

#20 – Bench Points Per Game: 30.08

#20 – Scoring Margin: +12

#23 – Scoring Offense: 82.3

#26 – Free Throw Percentage: 77.19%

#26 – Free Throws Made Per Game: 16.9

#48 – Offensive Rebounds Per Game: 12.67

#50 – Assist/Turnover Ratio: 1.42

Wildcats Defensive Rankings (Top 50 in Nation)

#9 – Rebounds Per Game: 40.92

#13 – Rebound Margin: +8

#14 – Defensive Rebounds Per Game: 28.25

#29 – Field Goal Percentage (Defense): 40.23%

#49 – Steals Per Game: 8.4

Arizona Offense Notes

• The Wildcats like to run in transition offense. Houston must keep an eye on Tobe Awaka and the other big men on the rim run.
• Arizona does well passing and cutting hard to the basket. Houston must ensure they aren’t cutting in front of their face on give-and-go passes to the basket.
• They run a lot of isolations for their guys when they can create mismatches. Their guards and forwards can create for themselves in the paint.
• Zona has multiple guys who can consistently knock down the three-pointer. It will be crucial to identify anyone who is heating up from outside.
• The Wildcats run some great BLOB (baseline out-of-bounds) plays. UH must keep their heads on a swivel. JoJo Tugler did not guard the inbound passer vs Baylor, so it will be interesting to see how they defend Arizona.

Wildcats Defense Notes

• The Cats usually play half-court, man-to-man defense.
• They may try to run a 1-2-1-1 diamond full court press after a made free throw.
• Sometimes, Arizona is slow to get back on defense, and Milos Uzan needs to look to run in transition and create some easy offense.
• I’d try to get Dell’Orso switched onto Milos or Terrance Arceneaux and let them isolate him. He struggles against stopping the drive.
• Zona typically does not double-team the post, so UH will likely feed J’Wan Roberts early.
• Sometimes, Arizona struggles to guard the pick and roll. I’d get J’Wan and Milos going early in the P&R game.

Arizona Personnel Report

*#1 – Caleb Love – 6’4″ – 5th SR – Guard – (UNC) – 16ppg, 5rpg, 3apg.

• “Dynamic and Fearless” -Kelvin Sampson;
• All-American scoring guard;
• Top notch three-level scorer;
• Plays tough defense when he wants to;
• Nationally Ranked Top 50: #39 – Three-Point Attempts (188); #49 – Field Goal Attempts (347).

*#0 – Jaden Bradley – 6’3″ – JR – Guard – (Alabama) – 12ppg, 4rpg, 4apg, 2spg.

• Athletic/three-level scoring point guard;
• Elite defender;
• Decent three-point shooter – 17/53 (32%);
• Good mid-range shooter;
• Crafty scorer in the paint;
• Nationally Ranked Top 50: #26 – Steals (51); #26 – Steals Per Game: (2.12).

*#30 – Tobe Awaka – 6’8″ – JR – Forward – (Tennessee) – 8ppg, 8rpg.

• Hard working/big-bodied forward. Would be a great Coog (I don’t say that often);
• Tough around the basket – he works to get deep position;
• Likes to “rim run” in transition offense.

*#4 – Trey Townsend – 6’6″ – 5th SR – Guard – (Oakland) – 9ppg, 4rpg.

• Will likely start, but has missed the last two games with a concussion;
• Tall/athletic guard;
• At his best when getting in the paint and from mid-range;
• Not a great outside shooter – 8/32 (25%).

*#3 – Anthony Dell’Orso – 6’6″ – JR- Guard – (Campbell) – 8ppg, 2rpg, 42% 3pt.

• Tall/thin outside shooter;
• Outstanding three-point shooter – 35/83 (42%);
• Good shooter in the mid-range;
• Capable of getting to the rim.

#5 – KJ Lewis – 6’4″ – SO – Guard – 11ppg, 4rpg,

• Athletic guard and their sixth man
• Best when driving downhill;
• Not a good three-point shooter. He’s had an injured wrist that has affected his outside shooting percentage – 9/44 (21%);
• Solid at shooting the pull-up jumper;
• Leads the team in turnovers (55) – UH will blitz him.

#9 – Carter Bryant – 6’8″ – FR – Forward – 6ppg, 4rpg.

• Big/athletic freshman forward. He looks like a prototype NBA forward;
• Started the last two games (Townsend has been out with a concussion);
• Good three-point shooter – 22/62 (36%);
• Solid at driving to the basket;
• MONSTER and BLITZ could give him some issues. He panics sometimes.

#13 – Henri Veesaar – 7’0″ – RS SO – Forward – (Real Madrid) – 9ppg, 5rpg, 1bpg.

• Super lengthy forward who brings GREAT energy off the bench;
• Aggressive rebounder on both ends;
• Good shot blocker and affects all shots in the paint;
• Nice touch around the rim;
• Capable (not great) three-point shooter – 9/31 (29%);
• Not great hands – he loses the ball and struggles to catch it clean at times.

Keys to Victory

1. Toughest team wins. This will be a battle of two tough teams, but Arizona has a great home-court advantage. This one could come down to one possession. It will be critical to get as many scoring opportunities as possible.
2. Keep them off the boards. Arizona is athletic, huge, and physical. The Coogs must rebound as a team to keep them off the glass – it will take a group effort.
3. Make them play slow. The Wildcats want to run with their super-athletic guards. They can all get downhill quickly. Communication at a high level will be vital to slow them down in transition.
4. Keep Caleb Love in check. Kansas State did a great job on Caleb Love – they contested everything and made it tough for him.
5. Get the ball in the paint. The Coogs are a much better offensive team when the ball touches the paint. Milos, Terrance, and LJ should be in attack mode or look inside for J’Wan and allow him to create.