The series: Arizona has only faced Belmont once before, beating the Bruins 81-64 in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament in Salt Lake City.
Game agreement: Belmont is making a one time appearance in exchange for a payment expected to be in the $90,000-$100,000 range (a public records request to UA made in September for the game contract remains unfulfilled).
Belmont overview: A perennial mid-major power, Belmont is coming off a third-place finish in its first season in the Missouri Valley Conference, having shot the fifth-best nationally in 3-point shooting (38.9) last season. But the Bruins are adjusting without wing Ben Sheppard, who was taken No. 26 overall in the NBA Draft last summer by the Indiana Pacers, and are turning to young standouts in their up-tempo system.
With an offense that ranked 67th in offensive efficiency last season — fourth in the MVC — Belmont aims to run as much as Arizona, though the Bruins run more of a four-out system than the Wildcats. Defensively, they’ll pressure but were average in two-point percentage defense (49.8).
The Bruins get steadiness from senior guard Keishawn Davidson, who ended last season with a torn labrum and suffered a sprained ankle earlier this month that could limit him Friday. Sophomore Ja’Kobi Gillespie adds dynamic scoring in the backcourt, with the ability to get hot from long range and 63.2% shooting from two-point range in Division I games so far.
But much of Belmont’s offense goes through combo forward Cade Tyson, an efficient shooter who scored in double-figures over 25 games last season. He shot 53.6% from two-point range and 41.6% from 3-point range as a freshman last season. Vanderbilt transfer Malik Dia is a presence inside and outside, too.
He said it: “It’s certainly a good challenge. Morgan State presented some challenges in terms of cutting off ball. Then (we played) Duke on the road, and the other day Southern presented some challenges just because they hit the roll on the on the ball screen. They ran good offense, and they were pressure defensively. I think Belmont’s just a different version of the next challenge.
“They’re one of the fastest teams that we’ll face. They’re not going to shy away from running with us and it’s really gonna test our transition defense. Gillespie is really aggressive, can score downhill. He’s a talented player and good athletic.
“Gillespie and Davis push the pace. if you’re not back and have your defense set, they’re going to drive it all the way to the rim. They’re gonna put pressure on your defense early in the clock. Then once you’re back and have it built out, their whole offense is predicated on ball movement and player movement. They’re going to swing that ball side to side and look for gaps to drive. It really puts the emphasis on your defensive discipline and understanding personnel — who’s the shooters and who are the drivers?
“Tyson could be one of the best shooters we face all year. Really have to be find him. In the halfcourt, they do a great job of getting him shots and looks. Malik Dia is really talented as well. I think he’s just trying to find his footing. He’s big, talented, can shoot it, handle it. He’ll play on the perimeter and in the post. They have a lot of other guys, especially off the bench, who are capable shooters, good athletes.”
— UA associate head coach Jack Murphy, who scouted the Bruins.
Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) is defended by Southern University guard Jordan Johnson (11) in the first half of the Wildcats’ matchup with the Jaguars Monday night at McKale Center.
Key players
Belmont – Cade Tyson
The Missouri Valley’s Freshman of the Year last season — and brother of 2023 NBA first-round pick Hunter Tyson — Cade Tyson is a first-team all-conference preseason pick as a sophomore. He’s equally comfortable and efficient shooting from inside or outside the 3-point arc, and took advantage of fouls last season by hitting 85.5% from the free-throw line.
Arizona — Jaden Bradley
The sophomore transfer from Alabama has struggled at times to fit into Arizona’s rotation so far, shooting 1 for 5 with four turnovers on Monday against Southern. UA coach Tommy Lloyd says he’s been sacrificing too much of his game but should accelerate in the games ahead. Belmont will give him a chance to flourish in an up-tempo environment.
SIDELINES Portugal can wait
Raytheon engineer Talbott Denny said he changed his flight back from a work trip to Portugal so he could take in Friday’s Arizona-Belmont game.
He had good reason. Not only was Denny a graduate transfer who spent two seasons with the Wildcats in 2016-17 and 2017-18, but he spent three seasons at Lipscomb playing for now-Belmont coach Casey Alexander, who coached the Bisons between 2013-14 and 2018-19.
An all Atlantic Sun Tournament selection in 2015, Denny missed the 2016-17 season with a knee injury and played only in three games for the loaded Wildcats in 2017-18. But off the court, he graduated cum laude from UA’s Eller School of Business and landed a job in Raytheon’s engineering division. Now he’s an International Partner Technical Lead for the company, based in Tucson.
“He was a really smart engineering student,” Alexander said. “Definitely did well for himself.”
Opportunity knocks
Kept on the bench throughout Arizona’s 78-73 win at Duke a week ago, when UA coach Tommy Lloyd said he didn’t want to induce a “baptism by fire” for his young players deep in the rotation, Filip Borovicanin took advantage of 15 minutes on Monday against Southern.
The Serbian sophomore had eight points, six rebounds and three assists, continuing to make a bid for the Wildcats’ playing rotation after playing in only 14 games last season.
“I was definitely really happy for our team to win the game (at Duke). Also hard for me not to get in the game,” Borovicanin said. “But I’m just moving on. I’m thinking every single game to get better and to do as best as I can to earn a spot in rotation.”
Early bird
After having scrambled to sign six players last spring, UA coach Tommy Lloyd already has three in his 2024 class. Corona (Calif.) Centennial forward Carter Bryant and two players at Glendale Dream City, guard Jamari Phillips and forward Emmanuel Stephen, all signed letters-of-intent for Arizona last week during the early signing period.
Lloyd said it was a result of being in his third season and having had time to develop relationships. He offered Bryant a scholarship in June 2022, having followed Bryant during his first year at Arizona in 2021-22.
“You put a lot of effort and energy into recruiting guys to sign early,” Lloyd said. “There’s probably a pretty extensive process behind the scenes to get a kid to sign early. Now we’ve had a chance to get through full recruiting cycles and we have proof of concept in how we play. We know the kind of players we think will help make us successful here. So I think it’s just a it’s kind of a collision of all those things.”
Lloyd said it also helped that there were recruiting targets in his region who fit what he wanted. Bryant and Phillips are from California, while Stephen is a Nigerian who relocated to suburban Phoenix.
“Carter, Jamari and Big E — I’m really excited about those guys,” Lloyd said. “I think they’ve got great potential here in this program. I can’t wait to get them here and help them, grow as basketball players and grow as people.”
Carter’s senior season has yet to begin, however. According to SBLive’s Terek Fattal, Bryant was held out of Centennial’s opener on Wednesday because the California Interscholastic Federation had not ruled him eligible after transferring from Newport Beach’s Sage Hill School last spring.
Centennial coach Josh Giles told Fattal paperwork had been filed and that he hoped Bryant would become eligible this weekend.
Numbers game
20 — Conference championships Belmont has won since 2006 (12 regular-season, six tournament), fewer than only Kansas and Gonzaga over that span.
100 — Wins at Belmont for Alexander, who became the fifth-fastest coach to hit the century mark (131 games) on Tuesday against Division III Berry. UA’s Tommy Lloyd is also on a pace to reach the top five with 64 wins in 75 games so far.
297 — Points Arizona scored over its three games, and without any one player scoring 20 or more.
— Bruce Pascoe
Arizona Basketball Press Conference | Tommy Lloyd | Postgame after win over Southern U. | Nov. 13, 2023 (Arizona Wildcats YouTube)
