No. 1 Arizona (13-0) at Utah (8-5) | Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City | 2 p.m. | Peacock | 1290-AM
Probable starters
ARIZONA
Probable starters
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)
UTAH
2 G Terrence Brown (6-3 junior)
3 G Don McHenry (6-2 senior)
0 F Seydou Traore (6-6 junior)
7 F Keanu Davis (6-9 junior)
32 F James Okonkwo (6-8 senior)
Key reserves
21 G Obomate Abbey (6-0 freshman)
13 F Kendyl Sanders (6-8 freshman)
7 F Josh Hayes (6-9 junior)
How they match up
The series: UA now leads its former Border Conference, Pac-12 and now Big 12 counterpart 41-32 overall, though the Wildcats needed triple overtime to beat the Utes in their last visit to the Huntsman Center in Feb. 2024 and are 2-3 in their last five games there. Last season, the Wildcats beat the Utes 83-66 at McKale Center in their first game after coach Craig Smith was fired.
Utah overview: Perhaps feeling additional pressure from deep-pocketed rival BYU, the Utes fired Smith and turned to a figure from its more successful past in Alex Jensen, a former standout in the Rick Majerus era. Jensen inherited no starters but filled his roster through the transfer portal while also talking forward Keanu Dawes, who started the final two games last season, into pulling out of it.
Dawes is now playing a bigger role as a starting power forward, and he doesn’t miss when he’s open inside, ranking second nationally in two-point shooting percentage at 82.8. Dawes will also play center, where the Utes have been starting the 245-pound James Okonkwo, a former North Carolina and West Virginia big man from England who grabs 18.0% of offensive rebounding opportunities when he’s on the floor. Overall, Utah has been an average rebounding team, but outrebounded Washington 36-32 on Monday in Seattle to stay competitive against the Huskies.
Mid-major transfers Terrance Brown (Fairleigh Dickinson) and Don McHenry (Western Kentucky) generate much of the Utes’ production out of the backcourt. McHenry is a 42.5% 3-point shooter, while Brown is a driver who shoots 51.0% from two-point range and draws 7.2 fouls per 40 minutes.
With an offense that ranks 95th in efficiency, shooting 36.2% from 3-point range, the Utes won their first five games before losing at home to Cal Poly on Nov. 20 and have struggled away from home. They lost to GCU at Palm Springs, to Mississippi State at Salt Lake City’s Delta Center and to former Pac-12 rivals and at California and Washington.
He said it: “In the last month, I think they've really started finding an identity, and it starts on the defensive end. From what I've seen, they're doing stuff like Houston, just being really aggressive on the ball, protecting the paint, and being really handsy and trying to get deflections and create offense from defense. So that part has really stuck out to me in their last three games.
Offensively, Jensen "keeps it pretty simple. He puts guys in positions where they can be successful, then they kind of play off of that. They have two great guards, Terrence Brown and Don McHenry. They're like a two-headed monster; their three-man, Traore, is a shooter, but physically, he's big. Dawes is improved. He's a much better finisher, and his 3-point shooting has become a little bit more consistent. Okonkwo is a crazy athlete, really, really active, especially on defense, and offensively, he's more like a rim runner, a paint scorer, a lob guy.
"McHenry is a little bit smaller, but a dynamic scorer. He can shoot the 3, catch and shoot off on the move or off the dribble. He has a pretty good package. (Brown is) a driver first. He wants to get in the paint, pick up fouls and get to the line. I think that's really helped his scoring average. He’s shown he can shoot it a little bit, but he's definitely the engine on offense. — UA assistant coach Ken Nakagawa, who scouted the Utes.
Key players
UTAH
Terrence Brown
Fairleigh Dickinson's Terrence Brown, who has since transferred to Utah, plays against Creighton during an NCAA on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Omaha, Neb.
Voted Most Improved Player and a first-team all-league pick in the low-major Northeast Conference last season, the Utes’ late-blooming point guard has a game that is translating well to the high-major level. He’s not a major 3-point threat (29.4) but is an aggressive driver to the basket who hits 77.8% of his free throws and averages a 2-1 assist-turnover ratio.
ARIZONA
Brayden Burries
Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries makes a drive towards the basket as South Dakota State Jackrabbits guard Luke Haertle tracks him in the first half during a game at McKale Center on Dec. 29, 2025.
After a bumpy start, the Wildcats’ freshman combo guard exploded over the past month. Now he’ll be facing the first of nine true road games in conference play and against an aggressive and veteran Utah backcourt.
Sidelines
No holiday this time
While the Wildcats took a three-day break for Christmas, no such thing happened this week. After wrapping up nonconference play on Monday against South Dakota State, the Wildcats practiced at 11 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday before practicing again on Friday and leaving for Salt Lake City.
Somewhere in there was New Year’s Eve.
“It’s the same schedule,” Nakagawa said.
Subtle humor
Always cool, collected and never controversial at the interview podium, UA guard Jaden Bradley slipped in a little comedy earlier this week.
After the Wildcats beat South Dakota State, Bradley was asked about the slick baseline dunk that Anthony Dell’Orso threw down on the Jackrabbits.
“I think he dunked over Koa (Peat) one time” in practice, Bradley said of Dell'Orso. “Crazy.”
No, he didn’t, Peat said after the interview ended.
But Dell’Orso’s elevation was for real. Bradley said Dell’Orso’s “body is a little different” after offseason work and said he had been seeing the results in practice.
Then it came out in a game.
Arizona Wildcats guard Anthony Dell'Orso eyes the basket for a dunk over South Dakota State Jackrabbits center Alec Squires in the second half during a game at McKale Center on Dec. 29, 2025. UA won 99-71.
“This is not supposed to happen,” ESPN analyst Corey Williams said on the broadcast. “This is your 3-point shooter with your most athletic play of the night. He’s your shooter!”
Wait and see
For all the hype Arizona’s freshmen have been getting – and living up to – so far this season, coach Tommy Lloyd took a neutral stance when asked about them earlier this week.
“There's a long road ahead so I'm withholding judgment,” he said. “Let's also put it this way: I'm not putting any limitations on these guys and I'm not going to be surprised if ultimately we're like, 'Wow, we knew they were good, but maybe they're even better than we thought.' I think that would be a great thing, but we're not there yet.”
Numbers game
1: Terrence Brown’s rank among Big 12 players in free throw attempts (108) and free throws made (84).
1: Loss in Utah's last 14 conference openers that have been played at the Huntsman Center.
3: Arizona’s national ranking in adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing just 90.5 points per 100 possessions.)
— Bruce Pascoe
