5 takeaways from the Arizona men’s basketball team’s 86-83 victory at BYU | Michael Lev

Never in doubt, right?

Visiting No. 13 BYU for a “Big Monday” showdown in Provo figured to be No. 1 Arizona’s biggest test to date. For the longest time, the Wildcats were in complete control. They led by 11 points with 1:22 remaining.

Then the foundation began to crack.

Arizona sent BYU to the foul line. The Wildcats missed their own foul shots. They lost their composure.

But when it absolutely mattered the most, Arizona came through. The Wildcats held off the Cougars 86-83 in front of more than 18,000 fans at the Marriott Center to improve to 21-0 — matching the best start in program history.

How did it all go down? Here are my top five takeaways:

1. Foul play

We have to start with the finish. It wasn’t pretty.

Arizona did just about everything wrong over the final minute-plus.

It started with Brayden Burries fouling AJ Dybantsa on a 3-point attempt. It wasn’t a great call; Burries tried to go around Dybantsa, who stuck out his left leg, flopped and got the whistle. (The projected top-two pick in the NBA Draft is pro-ready in that regard.)

So, not really Burries’ fault — but why put yourself in a position where the officials might make that call?

Dybantsa made only 1 of 3 foul shots, but Arizona couldn’t corral the rebound, leading to a Robert Wright III 3-pointer.

After Tobe Awaka made 1 of 2 free throws, Keba Keita crashed the boards, made a putback — and got fouled by Awaka. Basketball 101 says you shouldn’t put a trailing team at the line, but Arizona kept doing it.

Keita missed the free throw. Ivan Kharchenkov got the rebound but had the ball poked away. It came to Dybantsa. As he went up to shoot, Burries grabbed his arm and yanked him down — a textbook Flagrant 1 foul.

Dybantsa made both free throws, cutting the lead to 83-79. Then came the first of two clutch defensive plays in the final 30 seconds.

Dybantsa drove down the left side of the lane. Koa Peat stayed with him stride for stride and maintained his verticality as Dybantsa attempted a runner. It sailed over the rim entirely.

BYU wasn’t done. Burries missed the second of two foul shots. Keita slammed home an alley-oop dunk. Then Jaden Bradley got called for an offensive foul before the ball was inbounded. It was another debatable call. It was also the last thing Arizona wanted to do in that situation.

Keita scored again on a putback, improbably outmaneuvering Awaka for the rebound. One-point game, 15 seconds left.

Then Bradley got trapped on the sideline. Held ball. BYU possession.

The Cougars inbounded from the baseline and threw the ball deep into the backcourt to Wright, giving him a running start. Wright drove into the lane and spun to his left. Bradley got his right hand on the ball, giving Burries time to fly in from behind and swat Wright’s shot away.

Burries sank two foul shots to ice it. He finished with a career-high 29 points. But it was his defense — out of necessity — that saved the game.

2. Blossoming Burries

Burries led Arizona in scoring for the second consecutive game. It was only the second time this season that the Wildcats have had the same solo leading scorer in back-to-back contests. The other time: also Burries.

Every member of Arizona’s eight-man rotation has led the team in scoring or tied for the lead this season. But as the season has progressed — and Burries’ game has blossomed — the freshman guard has emerged as the Wildcats’ top scoring threat.

Burries has paced the team in scoring in six of the past 13 games. This was the second time he has scored 20-plus in consecutive contests. He was ultra-aggressive in the early going. When you’re in the midst of a heat check, you gotta hunt your shot.

Burries and Bradley — whom we’ll delve into in the next item — carried the load, combined for 55 points. Arizona still managed to get four players in all into double figures as Peat and Kharchenkov finished with 10 points apiece. Awaka had nine.

Before Burries’ back-to-backs, there was one occasion when the leading scorer from one game also led in the next — although it happened in the most Arizona way possible.

Three players tied for team-high honors in the second game of the season vs. Utah Tech — Peat (who led the way in the opener), Burries and Anthony Dell’Orso. Could there be a more perfect illustration of the Wildcats’ team-first mentality?

3. King of the road

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Bradley is a different player away from McKale Center. Simply put, he’s more aggressive in looking for his own shot — and more effective in putting it in the basket.

In 12 home games this season, Bradley is averaging 10.3 points on 7.5 field-goal attempts while shooting 44.4% from the floor and 76.1% from the foul line.

In nine road/neutral-site games, Bradley is averaging 19.0 points on 11.2 field-goal attempts while shooting 55.4% from the floor and 83.9% from the line.

It’s not a one-year one-off, either. Bradley averaged more points and more shot attempts and had a higher field-goal percentage last season, as well.

What do we make of that?

One possibility is that there are more blowout wins at McKale. Bradley doesn’t have to do — or play — as much for Arizona to win. (He also averages more minutes away from home than at McKale the past two seasons.)

But I think it’s really about Bradley understanding that his team needs him to be more aggressive in less-friendly environments. The senior has seen everything in college basketball; no situation can faze him.

Although Arizona’s freshmen handled themselves well Monday night — including Sidi Gueye during a cameo late in the first half — that might not always be the case. Bradley provides that steadying presence and an example for his teammates to follow.

4. Defending Dybantsa

Dybantsa is an interesting player. Opposing fans might call him an annoying one.

The well-compensated, NBA-bound freshman already seems to have mastered the art of drawing fouls. BYU had 19 free-throw attempts Monday; Dybantsa had 16 of those, with many coming on jump shots.

Dybantsa, who’s listed at 6-foot-9, has some Kevin Durant to his game. He has shades of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, too, with his ability to operate, draw contact and make shots in the midrange areas.

Although Dybantsa scored 24 points, Arizona did an excellent job defending him. Dybantsa made only 6 of 24 field-goal attempts — 25%. His previous low for a game was 35.3%.

As Tommy Lloyd explained afterward, the Wildcats didn’t do anything exotic against Dybantsa. It was simply a group effort.

“We knew over the course of the game we were going to have to give him different looks,” Lloyd said.

That’s one of the luxuries this roster allows. Peat (6-8), Kharchenkov (6-7) and Dwayne Aristode (6-8) can guard multiple positions. They’re essentially switch-proof.

Peat guarded Dybantsa the most. Lloyd said it had nothing to do with the two of them having been teammates for Team USA last summer. But it was clear Peat knew what he was up against.

Still, it took a village. Two examples:

– With just over 14 minutes to play, Dybantsa drove past Motiejus Krivas. Bradley came over and slapped the ball. It caromed off Dybantsa’s thigh for a turnover.

– About a minute and a half later, Dybantsa broke away from Aristode, who got screened. Dybantsa went for a left-handed layup, but Krivas erased the shot.

That’s team defense at its finest.

5. Long way to go

Arizona will lose at some point. I think.

The Big 12 gauntlet is brutal. And it only gets harder from here.

The Wildcats still have games against Iowa State (No. 8 in this week’s AP Top 25 and No. 6 per Kenpom entering Monday night), Houston (10/7), Texas Tech (11/18), BYU (13/15) again and Kansas (14/14) twice.

Arizona’s schedule from Feb. 9 through March 2 is insane: at Kansas, vs. Texas Tech, vs. BYU, at Houston, at Baylor, vs. Kansas, vs. Iowa State. If that doesn’t prepare the Wildcats for the NCAA Tournament, nothing will.

Let’s say Arizona goes 4-3 over that stretch. Would that be worrisome? Maybe a little.

But no team in America is running the table against those teams. And it’s unlikely that a handful of losses down the stretch would cost the Wildcats a No. 1 seed in the tourney, considering their strength of schedule.

They’ve already beaten the current AP No. 2 team (UConn) on the road and Nos. 19 (Florida) and 23 (Alabama) on neutral courts. Auburn was No. 25 in Kenpom entering Tuesday, and UCLA was No. 41. Those are notches on Arizona’s belt, too.

As long as the Wildcats keep defending the way they have lately — the final minute-plus in Provo aside — they can beat anyone.