STORRS, Conn. — They don’t hang national championship banners for November, and Tommy Lloyd is quite aware of that.
But if they did, the Arizona men's basketball coach and his players might have a few already.
Once again Wednesday, the Wildcats pulled out an early-season stunner, holding off third-ranked UConn 71-67 before a sold-out and cheap-beer-night-infused crowd of 10,244 at Gampel Pavilion.
With their early struggles last season now appearing merely a one-off due in part to center Motiejus Krivas’ injury struggles, the Wildcats are now likely to finish with their fourth undefeated November in Lloyd’s five seasons of coaching them. Only home games against Denver (on Monday) and Norfolk State (on Nov. 29) remain on their schedule this month.
The Wildcats rose into the national polls in Lloyd’s first UA season by beating No. 4 Michigan in Las Vegas during November 2021, won the Maui Invitational in November 2022, then won at No. 2 Duke early in November 2023, among other November games.
And now this: No. 3 UConn, beaten, at what the school — and state of Connecticut — brag is the “Basketball Capital of the World.” The Wildcats also did this before a national FS1 audience, shown during Eastern time zone evening hours, with several prominent national media on hand.
Arizona guard Brayden Burries, raises his arms in celebration with Arizona forward Tobe Awaka, left, and Arizona guard Anthony Dell'Orso at the end of the half against UConn, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, in Storrs, Conn.
Everyone will know who they are now. Including those who will determine the No. 1 team in next week’s major college basketball polls.
"We're not going to say it doesn't change things,” Lloyd said. “We know it changes things. But if you get a good hop, field it and turn two. And our guys found a way to do that. So I'm really proud of our team."
In that baseball analogy, the easy grounder up the middle might have been the ankle sprain that kept out UConn center Tarris Reed, giving the Wildcats a wide-open opportunity to dominate inside.
Factoring in that disadvantage, and the presence of Arizona post players he raved about, UConn coach Dan Hurley estimated his Huskies should have been outrebounded by 10.
UConn center Eric Reibe, left, and Arizona center Motiejus Krivas fight for a rebound in the second half, Nov. 19, 2025, in Storrs, Conn.
The number was actually 20. Arizona outrebounded the Huskies 43-23 while scoring 16 second-chance points off 13 offensive rebounds. Krivas had 14 rebounds and Koa Peat had 12.
Asked if physical play was part of his plan against UConn, Lloyd said it was actually something of a necessity, the way teams have to be if they want to succeed at a high level and make deep NCAA Tournament runs.
"That's how we're built," Lloyd said. "As you are looking at the landscape for college basketball, if you're not up for the physical fight, it's going to be tough. It's going to be tough to be a team that wins consistently at a high level. It's going to be tough to win on the road. It's going to be tough to win the NCAA Tournament."
But even with all that inside heft, the Wildcats also have a 200-pound point guard they can lean pretty heavily on, too.
Jaden Bradley had 21 points, and much like he did in the Wildcats’ 69-65 win over UCLA on Friday, drove in and picked up fouls or layups, often just when Arizona needed them the most.
“He just keeps proving he’s the best point guard in the country,” Krivas said. “He’s huge for our team.”
While Bradley drove inside for a layup and hit a go-ahead 3 in the final three minutes against UCLA on Nov. 14, this time he did his thing after UConn had completely wiped away what was a 13-point Arizona lead earlier in the second half.
The Huskies had tied the game at 60 with 3:56 left on a 3-pointer from Eric Reibe, and a stepback 19-footer from Malachi Smith put them up 64-62 entering the final two minutes, amplifying the decibel level on a night when 16-ounce beers were going for just $2.
“The environment was insane,” Krivas said. ”The arena got super loud a couple of times. It was a big factor for them. It was hard. But we stayed together.”
UConn forward Alex Karaban, left, and UConn guard Silas Demary Jr., right, pressure Arizona forward Koa Peat, center, in the first half, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, in Storrs, Conn.
Krivas, Peat and Bradley led the way. Peat, who also had 16 points to rebound from a rough outing against UCLA, hit 1 of 2 free throws to cut UConn’s lead to a point.
Then, after UConn’s Solo Ball missed a 3-pointer, Krivas rebounded a missed jumper from Bradley to give the Wildcats the lead for good, 65-64.
After Silas Demary turned the ball over when driving inside on UConn’s next possession, leaving UA with the one-point lead but 44 seconds left, it was Bradley’s turn. After the clock whittled down, Bradley raced to the right with the help of screens and then straight to the basket.
Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) shoots over UConn forward Jayden Ross (23) in the second half, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, in Storrs, Conn.
"Most of our games have been down to the wire, down the stretch, and coaches threw up a great set," Bradley said. "We were able to get a ball screen, my guys gave me great space, and I was able to make the layup. Then we got a stop at the end."
Basically, Bradley's layup gave the Wildcats a 67-64 lead that the Huskies couldn’t overcome.
That meant Lloyd, once again, said even more good things about him at the postgame press conference, this time as Bradley sat next to him.
“I mean, he's — you guys should probably start asking him some questions. I'm talking too much,” Lloyd said, when asked how comfortable he was turning to Bradley. “So next question is for him.
"But yeah, when you have a point guard who is selfless and also a baller and who has big enough cojones to take and make those shots at the end of a game, it's pretty special.”
Arizona guard Jaden Bradley reacts in the second half against UConn, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, in Storrs, Conn.
As the Wildcats' senior floor leader, Bradley has led Arizona to what just might be the top resume in college basketball to this point of the season. They are at least in the conversation for a No. 1 ranking, and have the early edge on a No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed, too.
But it is only November. There’s still four more months before the NCAA Tournament even starts, when the Wildcats will really be judged for what they did in 2025-26.
After all, what may have been ultimately most remembered after the Wildcats’ hot starts in 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 were two Sweet 16s and a first-round flameout. Not much else.
“The journey is long, and I think this team is built for the journey,” Lloyd said. “So we're not gonna overreact. We're not gonna act like, we're anointed (and having the) ultimate success long term. We’ve got to go have a couple good weeks of practice, and we’ve got to get better.
“That’s the only mindset we can have.”
