TEMPE โ In the ongoing debate about whether Kylan Boswell or Jaden Bradley is Arizonaโs best option at point guard, the Wildcats found another possible answer Wednesday.
Both of them.
Bradleyโs efficient ascendance this season has demanded more minutes in recent weeks but, during Arizonaโs 85-67 win at ASU on Wednesday, he and Boswell each played more than 23 minutes and spent over eight of them doing so together.
When they were on the floor at the same time, Arizona outscored ASU 13-11 and the Wildcats were 7-3 with them during a critical three-minute stretch in the second half when the Sun Devils were trying to cut UAโs lead below five points.
Boswell and Bradley picked up four fouls each but thatโs where having them both able to fill in for each other comes in handy, too.
โThe combination of those two was exceptional,โ UA coach Tommy Lloyd said. โThey both kind of had foul trouble so we were kind of yinging and yanging a little bit in the game and JB ended up out there in that finishing lineup.โ
Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0), left, center Motiejus Krivas (14) and guard Pelle Larsson (3) react after Bradley got fouled while scoring, giving the Wildcats an and-one late in the second half against Arizona State Wednesday at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe.
While hitting half his field goals, Bradley was called for an offensive charge in the first half when driving for a layup but he also stole the ball from ASUโs Jamiya Neal in the second half and broke free for a layup that gave the Wildcats a 59-49 lead with nine minutes to go.
โIt was a big turn of events for sure,โ Lloyd said of that play.
ASU cut Arizonaโs lead to five two minutes later but never came closer while Lloyd went with his โfinishing lineupโ over the next six minutes: Bradley along with UAโs four other starters โ Caleb Love and Pelle Larsson on the wings, Keshad Johnson at power forward and Oumar Ballo at center.
The Wildcats outscored ASU 22-10 over that six-minute span.
โIโm totally comfortable with him there,โ Lloyd said of Bradley in that final lineup. โJBโs a winner. He makes big plays. I always know heโs going to. Heโs not scared of the moment.โ
Bradley ended up with seven points on 3-for-6 shooting, along with three rebounds, an assists and two steals. Boswell led the Wildcats in scoring with 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting, dishing two assists to one turnover.
Arizona guard Kylan Boswell (4) drives the baseline against Arizona State guard Adam Miller (44) in the first half of a Pac-12 matchup between the Wildcats and Sun Devils Wednesday at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe.
Maybe not coincidentally, Boswellโs production came after Lloyd verbally tore into him during a rough moment in the Wildcatsโ win over Washington last Saturday at McKale Center. Lloyd said he did so because he loved and thought highly of Boswell, while Boswell later texted him later that night with an apology.
Boswell said it helped to know that Lloyd โhad his back,โ and that their exchange Saturday helped carry into Wednesdayโs game.
โFor sure,โ Boswell said. โA lot of people had their own opinions about the moment. Nobody on the outside knows me and coach Lloydโs real relationship. I was upset at myself.
โSometimes you want to hear the truth but and then after reflecting on it, I realized heโs always on me, trying to get on me. Heโs always gonna support me for sure, and he always wants the best for me. So after the game, I texted him to apologize.โ
Also helping, the way Boswell explained it: That Bradley was on the floor with him. Afterward, UA chose Boswell and Bradley to appear for its player interviews in a Desert Financial Arena hallway, a sign they had, together, led the Wildcats to their win over the Sun Devils.
โI always feel like I play my best when I run the court with him,โ Boswell said. โMe and him have great chemistry. Itโs been building throughout the year. I always watch him work out. He knows stuff I like and I know stuff he likes. It only gets better from here.โ
Former University of Arizona basketball player Kenny Lofton, left, greets UA coach Lute Olson at a Cleveland Indians baseball spring training game at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson on March 31, 1992.
Rim shots
UAโs five seniors are scheduled to take part in a Senior Day ceremony before the Wildcatsโ game with Oregon at noon Saturday at McKale. All of them except Keshad Johnson still have a โCOVIDโ year of eligibility remaining but Lloyd said he didnโt know if they were all definitely leaving. โWe havenโt even had those conversations,โ Lloyd said.
Former UA player and assistant coach Josh Pastner is scheduled to call the UA-Oregon game Saturday for ESPN along with play-by-play announcer Dave Pasch. After serving as head coach at Memphis and Georgia Tech, Pastner has been working for Peacock, ESPN and CBS Sports Network for studio and on-site work this season.
Former major-league baseball all-star Kenny Lofton is scheduled for his formal UA Ring of Honor induction at halftime Saturday. Lofton played mostly basketball at UA but qualified based on his 10 years playing sports at a major-league level.
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Photos: Arizona scraps out an 85-67 win on the road at Arizona State, Pac 12 basketball
Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0), left, center Motiejus Krivas (14) and guard Pelle Larsson (3) react after Bradley got fouled scoring, giving the Wildcats an and-one late in the second half against Arizona State at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd gets tโd up early in the second half against Arizona State at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona State center Shawn Phillips Jr. (9) gets fouled by Arizona guard KJ Lewis (5) as heโs trying to back down center Oumar Ballo (11) in the second half of their Pac 12 game at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) takes a stab at a steal as Arizona State guard Jose Perez (12) tries to get into the lane past him and forward Keshad Johnson (16) in the second half of their Pac 12 game at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona forward Keshad Johnson (16) gets hit from all sides trying to score in the lane against Arizona State in the second half of their Pac 12 game at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona forward Keshad Johnson (16) looks for an outlet while driving against Arizona State guard Jose Perez (12)) in the second half of their Pac 12 game at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) lets go a big yell after drawing an and-one against Arizona State in the second half of their Pac 12 game at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) gestures at the Arizona State student section after being fouled while scoring in the second half of their Pac 12 game at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona guard KJ Lewis (5) has to twist to get a shot over the defense of Arizona State center Shawn Phillips Jr. (9) in the first half of their Pac 12 game at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona forward Keshad Johnson (16) scores an unopposed dunk against Arizona State in the second half of their Pac 12 game at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona guard Caleb Love (2) gets fouled by Arizona State guard Jamiya Neal (5) while putting up a shot in the paint in late in the second half of their Pac 12 game at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) slams home a bucket against Arizona State in the second half of their Pac 12 game at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona forward Keshad Johnson (16) draws a crowd, including /s24, left, and center Shawn Phillips Jr. (9) in the second half of their Pac 12 game at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) picks up the charging foul bowling over Arizona State guard Frankie Collins (1) during their Pac 12 game at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona State guard Frankie Collins (1) tries to slow down Arizona guard Caleb Love (2) in the first half of their Pac 12 game at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona guard Kylan Boswell (4) reaches in and ties up Arizona State guard Bobby Hurley (11) early in the first half of their Pac 12 game at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley has words with one of the game officials in the first half against Arizona at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona State guard Frankie Collins (1) looks for an outlet after wining the scramble for a loose ball in front the Arizona bench in the first half of their Pac 12 game at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona guard Kylan Boswell (4) drives the baseline against Arizona State guard Adam Miller (44) in the first half of their Pac 12 game at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona forward Keshad Johnson (16) dives between two Sun Devils in the scramble for a loose ball near mid-court in the first half of their Pac 12 game at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona guard Kylan Boswell (4) makes a lunge between the legs of Arizona State guard Frankie Collins (1) trying to get the steal in the first half of their Pac 12 game at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (14) takes a hit from Arizona State center Shawn Phillips Jr. (9) as he maneuvers for shot from the paint in the first half of their Pac 12 game at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona forward Keshad Johnson (16) makes a seat of the pant pass after coming up with the ball on a chase against Arizona State in the first half of their Pac 12 game at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
Arizona State guard Jamiya Neal (5) grabs Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11) from behind in an attempt to stop him from getting to the bucket in the first half of their Pac 12 game at Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz., February 27, 2024.
VIDEO:ย Arizona men's basketball players Jaden Bradley and Kylan Boswell speak Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, after the Wildcats defeated ASU 85-67 in Tempe. (Courtesy Arizona Athletics)
VIDEO:ย Arizona men's basketball coach Tommy Lloyd speaks Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, after the Wildcats defeated ASU 85-67 in Tempe. (Courtesy Arizona Athletics)
