NASSAU, Bahamas — At the tail end of a forgettable trip to Paradise (Island), the Arizona Wildcats found one of their key privileges had been taken away.
They could have really used it this time, too. Normally able to quickly escape an away game via a charter flight that has minimal security and bag hassles, the Wildcats instead were subject to the madness that was Lynden Pindling International Airport on Saturday morning, just like everyone else.
It actually had nothing to do with their 1-2 performance in the Battle 4 Atlantis, nor their 3-4 overall record, but simply because all U.S.-bound passengers face the same procedures regardless of their flight style.
Still, it might have felt that way.
Motiejus Krivas’ limited production and Tobe Awaka’s reliability prompted Tommy Lloyd to put Awaka in the starting lineup all week in the Bahamas.
The Wildcats had to wade through a theme-park-style line that snaked tightly back and forth, skirted past a glass barrier, then snaked back and forth and around until hitting a security screening for U.S.-bound flights. Then they faced additional queuing for U.S. Customs and immigration pre-clearance.
The whole process took so long that Arizona’s charter was delayed nearly two hours from its scheduled departure time, meaning the Wildcats’ plans to arrive before kickoff of the UA-ASU football game were pretty much shot.
But just after Tommy Lloyd made it through all that, before making his way to the Wildcats’ overcrowded gate area, the UA coach still had half a smile left on his face.
“We’ll be all right,” he said.
Part of his team’s troubles could be attributed to a November in which Arizona played only two lower-level opponents at home before opting to play at Wisconsin, host Duke and then enter the always competitive Battle 4 Atlantis field. That was nearly the opposite approach of a team that schedules softies leading up to Thanksgiving or even afterward.
Both can backfire: Too hard a schedule and you risk losing too many games and maybe your confidence. Too easy, and you won’t be prepared for higher-level play and the NCAA Tournament down the road.
“The art of scheduling,” Lloyd said.
Then there was some simple math: The Battle 4 Atlantis featured seven high-level teams, three of them ranked, and a proud mid-major program in Davidson.
Not everyone was going to go home happy.
“Coming here, one team is going to go 0-3, a couple teams are going to go 1-2 a couple are going to go 2-1 and one team is going 3-0,” Lloyd said. “Our hope was to come here and find a way to try to get to 3-0. We didn’t do that. We ended up in the one and two slot. That’s our reality.
“We’re gonna wear it. We own it. We’ll take responsibility for it and see if we can make the necessary changes to flip it.”
Lloyd and the Wildcats have basically two weeks to do so. They have only a Dec. 7 home game against Southern Utah before facing UCLA in Phoenix on Dec. 14, allowing plenty of time for practice, video review and deep thoughts.
Maybe even positive thoughts.
Guard Caleb Love tried one out during the postgame news conference after West Virginia beat Arizona 83-76 in overtime in the Atlantis third-place game Friday.
“I still believe we’re a good team,” Love said. “It’s early in the season and I’m not panicking. We just know once we get back to Tucson we’re gonna regroup and figure this thing out.”
West Virginia (40-39) outrebounded Arizona despite the Wildcats’ height advantage, Nov. 29, 2024.
There are many places for them to start working on. Here’s a few of them:
Find their 7-footers
While the Imperial Ballroom’s 26-foot ceiling still left plenty of room above Motiejus Krivas and Henri Veesaar, neither one appeared comfortable all week.
Krivas averaged just 8.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in UA’s three games, while playing 16.6 minutes off the bench behind Tobe Awaka, while Veesaar averaged 3.7 points and 2.3 rebounds despite averaging 24 minutes a game.
Although Trey Townsend hit a groove as UA’s starting power forward after a slow start to the season, averaging 15.3 points and shooting 58.1% over the three games, center is still a question mark.
Lloyd gave Krivas the start on Nov. 22 against Duke but Krivas’ limited production and Awaka’s reliability prompted Lloyd to put Awaka back in the starting lineup all week in the Bahamas.
“If he’s going to eventually start, I wanted him to earn it,” Lloyd said of Krivas. “I’m kind of waiting for him to do that. It’s nothing against Tobe; it’s just me trying to kind of figure out a way to take advantage.”
Get tougher
Both Oklahoma (38-34) and West Virginia (40-39) outrebounded Arizona despite the Wildcats’ height advantage and that didn’t tell the whole story. While Lloyd complained the Wildcats were out-toughed physically against Oklahoma, the Wildcats also lost the mental game on Friday.
West Virginia had played two overtime games just to get to a third one Friday against Arizona, but the Mountaineers didn’t let it faze them.
“Going to the overtimes, you’re not really thinking much about how tired you are,” said West Virginia forward Tucker DeVries, who led the Mountaineers with 26 points. “I think the team that gives in the quickest and thinks about how tired they are is going to fold. I thought our group just stuck with it and just continued to focus on the next play.”
Trey Townsend hit a groove as UA’s starting power forward after a slow start to the season, averaging 15.3 points and shooting 58.1% over the last three games.
Emotional control
Just as Love did at Wisconsin on Nov. 14, guard KJ Lewis committed what became a costly technical foul against Oklahoma.
Love extended an arm out for a light shove on Wisconsin’s John Blackwell after fouling him, giving Wisconsin four ensuing free throws. They hit all four, expanding their lead from 9-8 to 13-8 while Love eventually fouled out with just six points.
Lewis drew a T for taunting after his 3-pointer pulled UA within four points with 15 minutes left against the Sooners. But Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears took advantage by hitting both ensuing technical free throws, and UA’s momentum was slowed. Oklahoma won 82-77.
Lewis finished with five points and was held out of the starting lineup against West Virginia as a result.
“We’ve gotta exhibit more winning habits,” Lloyd said. “We’re gonna have to look deep within to find those.”
