Arizona-UConn scouting report: On Hurley brothers and Huskies' offensive intricacy

No. 4 Arizona (4-0) vs No. 3 Connecticut (4-0)

Gampel Pavilion, Storrs, Conn. | 5 p.m. | FS1 | 1290-AM

Probable starters

ARIZONA

0 G Jaden Bradley (6-3 senior)

5 G Brayden Burries (6-4 freshman)

18 F Ivan Kharchenkov (6-7 freshman)

0 F Koa Peat (6-8 freshman)

13 C Motiejus Krivas (7-2 junior)

Key reserves

3 F Anthony Dell’Orso (6-6 senior)

30 F Tobe Awaka (6-8 senior)

2 F Dwayne Aristode (6-8 freshman)

Connecticut

2 G Silas Demary (6-4 junior)

1 G Solo Ball (6-4 junior)

3 F Jaylin Stewart (6-6 junior)

11 F Alex Karaban (6-8 senior)

5 C Tarris Reed (6-11 senior)

Key reserves

0 G Malachi Smith (6-1 senior)

12 C Eric Reibe (7-1 freshman)

23 F Jayden Ross (6-7 junior)

How they match up

The series: The Huskies lead Arizona 5-2 in the all-time series, including a 71-69 win over the eventual NCAA runner-up Wildcats in the 2000-01 season and a 65-63 victory over UA in the 2011 Elite Eight. UA swept the last two games, beating UConn 73-58 at McKale Center during the 2017-18 season and 76-72 the next season in Hartford.

Game agreement: Arizona and UConn will be playing the first of a two-game series that will be returned to McKale next season on Nov. 18, 2026.

UConn overview: After winning back-to-back NCAA titles in 2023 and 2024, the last in Glendale, the Huskies dipped to a 24-11 record and second-round NCAA loss last season but appear to be back on the upswing. UConn lost two starters from last season but promoted two backups – including leading scorer and rebounder Tarris Reed – while pulling in Georgia transfer Silas Demary to take over at point guard.

UConn has played only one high-major opponent so far, holding off BYU for an 86-84 win on Saturday, but ranks fifth in offensive efficiency and 15th in defensive efficiency. The Huskies are shooting 40.2% from 3-point range and are seventh nationally in two-point shots with a 65.3% mark.

That two-point mark is due in large part to center Tarris Reed, who shoots 76.7% from two-point range and picked up an average of 7.8 fouls per 40 minutes played. He also makes an impact around the other basket, blocking 12.3% of opponents’ shots when he’s on the floor. Reed leads the Huskies in scoring (20.0) and rebounding (9.3).

Preseason All-American power forward Alex Karaban shoots 60.0% from two but also has stretched out to hit 12 of 19 3-pointers so far, including 4 of 4 against BYU and averages 18.3 points overall. 

On the wing, Jaylin Stewart and Solo Ball can score at multiple levels while Demary gets to the basket often, shooting 70.8% from two-point range and has just six turnovers to 25 assists so far. Off the bench, wing Jayden Ross has made all six two-pointers he’s taken and is shooting 45.5% from 3.

He said it: “This is an elite team. They’re gonna be competing for the Final Four. They're gonna be competing for the national championship. I think all of their players are professional, mature, have a lot of great experience and everybody's there for one goal. I definitely feel that when I see it, and I know they believe it as well.

“Demary is much more dynamic than the point guards they've had in years past. He can easily get 15 points on you just doing his thing. He's a real threat. Karaban, Ball and Stewart were on those championship teams. Those are the main guys and then there's Tarris Reed. But I think what makes them great is that their role players are really good players. Stewart and Ross are real threats. I love watching both of those guys. They play to their role, but are also very opportunistic. They have low usage, but are very, very efficient.”

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“Compared to the other teams we’ve played, they run a lot more off-screen stuff like pin downs. I guess the easiest comparison would be the Warriors, the way they like to score off the ball, which we haven't been exposed to as much yet, so it's a great challenge for us.

“(Inside) the stuff with Karaban is very similar (to past years), but Reed is a real paint and down-low threat that they haven't had in the past. He's a game-changer for them, because within the off-screen motions, they can just hit him in the post and he can do real damage down there. He adds another layer for their offense.

“(With Ball), I think they want him to shoot 3s first, but he's a big dude, so his Plan B is to drive. It’s almost like 1A and 1B. He’s really good at both.

“(Stewart’s progress) shows how coach Hurley runs his program. He asks guys to play a role and they maximize it. Stewart is a great example of somebody who just is all in for their one common goal and he's a great basketball player. He could throw in 10-15 points easy.”

— UA assistant coach Ken Nakagawa, who scouted the Huskies

Key players

UConn — Alex Karaban

The reigning Big East Player of the Week, after averaging 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in UConn’s wins over Columbia and BYU, Karaban is a rarity in today’s college game: He’s in his fourth season at the same school, has started 114 of 115 games he’s played in and has helped win two national championships.

Arizona — Koa Peat

After an attention-grabbing college debut against Florida, the Wildcats’ in-state freshman forward came down to Earth against UCLA. Now he has to deal with Reed and Karaban inside offensively and will have to chase Karaban to the 3-point line as a defender.

Sidelines

Brotherly assist

Outside of the Arizona program, there may be no coach more familiar with the Wildcats’ personnel and playing style than ASU’s Bobby Hurley.

Bobby’s little brother admitted he would tap into that knowledge, at least a little.

“Yeah, I mean, you talk about tendencies, you talk about things they like to do and personnel,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “But in the end, when your team is different than your brother's team in terms of the way you play, some of the stuff is not as applicable.”

While ASU typically runs a more uptempo style than UConn, Dan’s Huskies are known for a rugged defense and an intricate offense that uses a variety of screening strategies to create mismatches and, ultimately, efficient shots.

Still, there are things the brothers can share.

“They’re both great basketball minds,” Nakagawa said. “Everybody sees the game with a little bit of a different perspective. So I’d think any information would help just gain a new perspective on a team.”

Wildcats move up

Arizona moved up one spot to No. 4 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll after beating UCLA on Friday in Los Angeles, but the Wildcats were shut out of the individual weekly Big 12 awards.

Houston's Kingston Flemings was named both the Big 12 Player and Newcomer of the Week, while the conference’s new “Starting Five” of weekly honors went to Flemings, BYU's AJ Dybantsa, Iowa State's Tamin Lipsey, Kansas' Flory Bidunga and Texas Tech's JT Toppin.

A freshman guard from San Antonio, Flemings helped Houston hold off Auburn with 22 points, seven assists, five rebounds and a game-winning block. Arizona had nominated guard Jaden Bradley, who scored 13 of his 15 points against UCLA in the last seven minutes to help the Wildcats beat the Bruins.

The Wildcats also will get a crack at No. 22 Auburn on Dec. 6 at McKale. Their remaining nonconference schedule after Wednesday also includes Alabama, which dropped from No. 8 to No. 11 after losing to Purdue, and San Diego State, which picked up the most votes of any team outside the Top 25.

Among Arizona's Big 12 opponents, Houston dropped from No. 1 to No. 2 after beating Auburn 73-72, BYU dropped from No. 7 to No. 9 after losing to UConn, Texas Tech dropped from No. 11 to No. 15 after losing 81-77 at Illinois, Iowa State remained at No. 16 and Kansas moved up a spot to No. 23.

Big opportunity

Even before he was promoted to a full-time assistant coach before last season, when the NCAA began allowing staffs to have up to five assistants, Nakagawa had been helping scout UA opponents and was the lead game scout against several teams last season.

But UConn is his biggest assignment to date. He’s not taking it lightly.

“Anytime you get to go up against and learn about a high level player, program, elite coach, it’s fun,” Nakagawa said. “I’ve got so much respect for coach Hurley and everything he's done there and at (previous stop) Rhode Island. He comes from basketball royalty and he's just a phenomenal coach. I'm very excited, very excited for the opportunity.”

Numbers game

5: Currently ranked teams UConn has on its nonconference schedule.

5: Currently ranked teams Arizona has on its nonconference schedule

25: Years since Arizona has visited Gampel Pavilion, having lost 71-69 after a controversial goaltending call against center Loren Woods early in the 2000-01 season.

— Bruce Pascoe