Over his first four seasons at Arizona, if the decision was close, coach Tommy Lloyd leaned toward starting veterans, playing talents such as Carter Bryant, KJ Lewis, Kylan Boswell and Jaden Bradley mostly off the bench as younger players.
This season promised to be different for the Wildcats, who were bringing in seven freshmen around their four returners, but not in the exact way it has been so far.
For the second straight game, Arizona’s 93-67 win over Utah Tech on Friday at McKale Center, Lloyd started three freshmen — and played seniors Tobe Awaka and Anthony Dell’Orso off the bench.
That is, the Tobe Awaka who was given all-Big 12 honorable mention honors last season and ranked fourth nationally in offensive rebounding percentage. And the Anthony Dell’Orso who led the Wildcats in 3-point shooting (41.3%) while also ensuring a trip to the Sweet 16 last season with clutch free-throw shooting in the final nine seconds of a second-round win over Oregon.
Arizona guard Anthony Dell’Orso (3) passes the ball to UA forward Koa Peat (10) over Utah Tech guard Noah Bolanga (66) in the second half at McKale Center on Nov. 7, 2025. Arizona won 93-67.
Now? Well, freshman forward Koa Peat made it obvious with his eye-popping 30-point night against Florida, and an 18-point effort Friday, that he had to start.
Also, freshman guard Brayden Burries bounced back from a foul-plagued effort against Florida with 18 points on Friday, showing the explosiveness that warrants his spot.
Arizona guard Brayden Burries (5) tries to grab the ball from Utah Tech guard Jusaun Holt (4) in the first half at McKale Center, Nov. 7, 2025.
Then there’s freshman wing Ivan Kharchenkov, the former German pro who is starting at the small forward spot Dell’Orso held most of last season, and the return of center Motiejus Krivas from a foot injury last season — which has effectively made it tricky to figure out what, exactly, to do with Awaka.
So, does Lloyd keep starting Krivas, the 7-2 Lithuanian who has been projected as a first-round draft pick? Does he start Awaka and Krivas together, or at least juggle them in when Peat is off the floor? Does he turn, again, to his veterans, to Awaka and maybe also to Dell’Orso?
It’s TBD.
“Don’t put me in a box,” Lloyd said, when asked about usually favoring veterans in his lineups. “Let me cook, you know?
“I mean, I don’t coach out of a manual. I coach off a feel and what I think is best for the team.”
Both Awaka and Dell’Orso gave Lloyd plenty to think about Friday. While Awaka was limited to seven points and five rebounds over just 16 minutes against Florida because of foul trouble, he exploded with a career-high 18 rebounds and 12 points in just 19 minutes against Utah Tech on Friday.
Arizona forward Tobe Awaka (30) eyes the basket as he’s defended by Utah Tech forward Samuel Ariyibi (23) in the first half in Tucson on Nov. 7, 2025.
Dell’Orso, meanwhile, scored 18 points and hit 3 of 5 3-pointers, helping the Wildcats stay comfortably ahead most of the game.
“They played great,” Lloyd said. “To have the luxury of making a decision that they may not love. ... it really gives our team a really unique thrust, to bring two guys off the bench that are that good and have that much experience.
“If we continue this thing, I think that’s going to be a really big advantage for us over the course of the season. I mean, one guy finishes with 18 points, and the other guy finishes with 12 points, 18 rebounds. It’s pretty impressive. You might need to look at that in your statistical almanac to see how often that has happened.”
The 18 rebounds were a total Awaka had never collected before and, while Dell’Orso’s numbers weren’t close to his career highs, he shook off some early shooting struggles.
Dell’Orso hit only 1 for 7 shots from 3-point range in UA’s Oct. 18 exhibition game against Saint Mary’s and didn’t take a 3-pointer against Embry-Riddle in the Wildcats’ second exhibition.
Then, while Kharchenkov started over him in UA’s regular-season opener against Florida on Monday, Dell’Orso missed both 3s he took but collected eight points and four rebounds.
Lloyd said last season he liked the way Dell’Orso’s shooting threat could stretch defenses at the beginning of the game, but he’s also found value in Kharchenkov, who hit both 3-pointers he tried during his double-double effort against Florida.
Arizona forward Ivan Kharchenkov (8) makes a run towards the basket as he’s defended by Utah Tech guard Jusaun Holt (4) in the first half at McKale Center on Nov. 7, 2025.
“I think Delly’s a better shooter than Ivan, but I think Ivan is a really good player, too,” Lloyd said. “I don’t need guys to be carbon copies of each other. They all bring something different to the table. Obviously, Ivan is a really mature player for his age, and he obviously showed that Monday night.”
Meanwhile, Awaka wound up taking some pressure off Krivas, who fouled out after just 17 minutes Friday with six points and four fouls. Awaka scored his 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting while eight of his 18 rebounds came on the offensive side.
Afterward, Awaka didn’t make an issue of his reserve role, saying Arizona has “eight, nine, 10 starters,” noting that Krivas’ return and Peat’s presence meant something had to change.
“There’s only five spots, so somebody at the end of the day has to sacrifice,” Awaka said. “And we understand what coach is trying to build, what we’re trying to do as a group. So some of us might have to sacrifice that title of starter, but at the end of the day, we all just want to play. I think minutes count more than title starter or whatever.”
Sitting next to Awaka at the postgame interview podium, Dell’Orso offered a similar explanation.
“I don’t think there’s a negative connotation to that,” Dell’Orso said. “If you’re playing 40 minutes and coming off the bench, or 39.9 or whatever, you’re basically a starter. It doesn’t matter who gets their name read (in the starters’ introduction). If you got the minutes and you got the impact, that’s all that matters.”
Whatever the mix, this much is known so far: Over two games, the Wildcats have had four players score at least 18 points, and two players post double-doubles: Awaka against Utah Tech and Kharchenkov against Florida.
That’s despite the fact that Krivas did neither of those things, having been limited in part because of fouls during UA’s first two games, and despite the fact that half of Lloyd’s top eight guys are freshmen.
Lloyd has some tough choices to make. But also the kind of tough choices that many coaches only wish they could make.
Lloyd says he’s figuring it out.
“What we’re doing today, we might not be doing in two weeks. I don’t know,” Lloyd said. “We’re going to read and react as things play out.”
