Because he won’t have to split up his 12-player roster anymore with the Red-Blue Showcase over, Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd says he’ll have “a lot of options” ahead.
“When you’re a coach, these intersquad scrimmage can sometimes be misleading because eventually you’re going to play five guys at a time,” Lloyd said. “You’re not splitting your team in half.”
But sometimes splitting guys up can reduce potential headaches. Especially when it comes to UA centers Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka.
Arizona forward Tobe Awaka (30) gets an arm in trying to stop Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (13) during the annual Red-Blue Showcase, Oct. 3, 2025, at McKale Center.
When Arizona stumbled to a 4-5 start last season, one of the Wildcats’ top struggles was in getting steady production out of the center spot. Krivas, then projected as a first-round NBA pick by ESPN, missed the bulk of the preseason with a foot injury, then struggled at times over UA’s first eight games.
Krivas’ presence in the rotation also bumped around Awaka, a transfer from Tennessee who didn’t fully hit his stride last season until Krivas was shelved for the season in mid-December when the injury appeared to regress.
Now, as he showed in a game-high 20-minute effort on Friday in the Red-Blue scrimmage, Krivas is in a much better place physically … while Awaka is coming off a season in which he became the Big 12’s fifth leading rebounder and an honorable mention all-conference pick.
So, with just one center and four other players on the floor at any one time now, what does Lloyd do? Can Krivas and Awaka split up 40 minutes at the center spot or do they occasionally play together at times?
While Krivas has four inches on the 6-8 Awaka, both players have been most productive in the low post. Still, during a joint media appearance in July, both Krivas and Awaka said they could play together if that’s how the coaches wanted to use them.
“For sure,” Awaka said. “I don’t see why not. I think we would be a great 1-2 punch, 1-2 combo. Obviously, the coaches have their game plan, and that might be more matchup oriented but I’m sure coach has a lineup for any kind of situation.”
Arizona forward Tobe Awaka (30) dunks the ball during a partially-open practice at Richard Jefferson Gymnasium, Aug. 12, 2025.
Since arriving at Arizona in 2021, Lloyd has often expressed interest in big lineups. He even threw out a twin-tower lineup during his first Arizona season in 2021-22 with 7-footers Oumar Ballo and Christian Koloko, while the 7-foot Ballo and 6-11 Azoulas Tubelis started together inside during the 2022-23 season.
After the Red-Blue scrimmage Friday, Lloyd suggested he could use Krivas and Awaka at the same time, too.
“I think they work great together,” Lloyd said. “I think we have a lot of lineup versatility. Obviously, I’m not afraid to go out there and play some big boy basketball, and we have two guys that I think will be great together.
“They’re experienced in the system, and that’s the main thing. They know how to move within the offense. They know how to move within the defense. That’s something I hope we’re able to take advantage of.”
Over his 20 minutes in Friday’s scrimmage, Krivas had seven points and five rebounds, making 3 of 5 shots, including one over Awaka inside. He also dished two assists and blocked two shots in what was his first public appearance since collecting 10 points against Southern Utah on Dec. 7 early last season.
Arizona forward Ivan Kharchenkov (8) manages to scoop his way around and under Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (13) during the annual Red-Blue Showcase, Oct. 3, 2025, in Tucson.
Krivas showed up a week later to watch Arizona’s 57-54 loss to UCLA in a boot and spent the rest of last season rehabbing and working out.
“Mo has come a long way,” Awaka said last month. “I know mentally what he went through last season was tough. Obviously, he wanted to compete and play at a high level and contribute to the team, and I knew that was kind of eating away at him.
“But seeing how he’s progressed this summer, how he’s sort of thinned down, and how he’s attacked the weight room … he’s taking that seriously. He’s looking to transform his body. He understands how important his body is and how it’s integral to his performance on the court.”
Lloyd has found Krivas’ improved condition visible, too. Maybe not all the time in Friday’s scrimmage, when he said the Wildcats were likely tired from hard workouts earlier in the week, but in every practice since mid-summer.
“We call him ‘Mo,’ and that’s short for mobile. Not for Motiejus,” Lloyd said, smiling. “He has good mobility. He always has. Last year wasn’t a great showing for him, but physically, he obviously wasn’t where we hoped he would be and he had the season ending injury. He’s really done a good job bouncing back from that.”
Continuing the party
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd, moonlighting as DJ Tomm-E, works the stage with DJ Mix Master Mike during the Red-Blue Post/Move after party concert on Bear Down Field, Oct. 3, 2025, in Tucson.
Arizona’s “Post/Move” Red-Blue afterparty appeared to draw over 2,000 spectators Friday evening at Bear Down Field, with Lloyd, DJ Mix Master Mike and Shaquille O’Neal taking turns on the stage as DJs.
Lloyd did a back-to-back set with Mix Master Mike, then stuck around on stage for the beginning of O’Neal’s set, when the Wildcats walked across the stage to join.
“Give it up for the men’s basketball team,” O’Neal said in a booming voice. “Arizona. Wildcats. You ready?”
DJ Diesel, Shaquille O’Neal, plays to the crowd during his set at the Red-Blue Post/Move after party concert on Bear Down Field, Oct. 3, 2025, in Tucson.
O’Neal, acting as “DJ Diesel,” also drew cheers when he asked if “We gonna win the national championship this year?”
Injury reports coming
Like many coaches, Lloyd hasn’t been fond of detailing injuries before games at Arizona.
But he’ll have to this season at least before Big 12 games, now that the conference is requiring football and basketball coaches to file injury reports. In basketball, teams will be required to file on the night before games and again 90 minutes beforehand, designating players as available, game-time decision or out.
The move has been seen as an effort to reduce inside information used by gamblers, but Colorado football coach Deion Sanders said he hated that coaches had to fill it out “so people can bet on our games,” and Lloyd wasn’t a fan of the idea, either.
“To me, it’s crazy,” Lloyd said. “It’s just crazy how impactful gambling has become in this whole deal. Everyone’s so scared of it, but no one’s doing anything to remedy it. It seems like they’re encouraging it more and more and more.
“I’m not speaking on behalf of anybody but myself, but I would assume that’s the reason the conference made a push to do that. For that type of stuff, I don’t know why we have to do it. It’s crazy to me. We’ve had guys get injured the night before, twist an ankle, and you go to bed, and the next day they play.
“So I don’t know. We’ll see.”
Norfolk game date OK’d
Arizona has received a waiver to face Norfolk State on Nov. 29 at McKale Center as the second game in its “Wildcat Classic” multi-team event after it will host Denver on Nov. 24. A tipoff time and television coverage have not been set.
NCAA rules require MTEs that involve two games for each team to be completed within five days, and the Wildcat Classic technically begins on Nov. 23 when Wyoming plays Norfolk State, even though UA will not play Wyoming in the event.
UA applied for a waiver to stretch the event to six days because its volleyball team is hosting Cincinnati on Nov. 28 at McKale while the Wildcat football team is playing at ASU that evening.
