Arizona Wildcats vs Southern Utah Thunderbirds Picks and Predictions December 7th 2024

Arizona in Rare Losing Streak Facing Southern Utah

Arizona faces Southern Utah on Saturday in Tucson, looking to snap a rare losing streak while navigating its worst season start under head coach Tommy Lloyd. Meanwhile, Southern Utah arrives with a strong record and momentum on its side.

Arizona’s Struggles

The Wildcats (3-4) have lost two straight games and have dropped four of their last five, marking their worst start since the 2009-10 season. That year, under former coach Sean Miller, Arizona finished 16-15.

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Tommy Lloyd, in his fourth year at the helm, has expressed the need for his team to regroup after a pair of losses at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas to Oklahoma and West Virginia.

“We’ve got to (get) back as a program and do some soul searching and find some real answers to why we’re not being as successful as we’d like to be,” Lloyd said.

The Wildcats have also fallen out of the AP Top 25 rankings for the first time since early in the 2021-22 season, a jarring shift for a program accustomed to dominance under Lloyd, who led Arizona to records of 33-4, 28-7, and 27-9 in his first three seasons.

Caleb Love, the reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year, leads Arizona with 14.6 points per game but has struggled with efficiency. He is shooting just 28.6 percent from beyond the arc, a challenge shared by fellow guards Jaden Bradley (33.3 percent) and KJ Lewis (29.4 percent).

Southern Utah’s Momentum

Southern Utah (8-2) enters the game with confidence after improving to 6-0 at home with a commanding 90-55 victory over Park University Gilbert, an NAIA opponent, on Tuesday.

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The Thunderbirds showcased their depth, with 13 players scoring. Jeffrey Langston Jr. led the team with 14 points and seven rebounds in just 16 minutes, while Jamir Simpson added 12 points and seven rebounds in 13 minutes. Hercy Miller contributed 13 points in 14 minutes.

Southern Utah head coach Rob Jeter is relishing the opportunity to face a storied program like Arizona, even after a tough 88-43 loss at UCLA on Nov. 26.

“We didn’t play at UCLA; I’m not going to give any excuses,” Jeter said. “We have a chance again like every game to rewrite or continue to write a story about our team. … This is a great opportunity to go to Arizona and play a team that’s always in the hunt for their championship and making a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.”

Key Players

• Arizona: Caleb Love (14.6 ppg) needs to find his shooting rhythm to lead the Wildcats back to form. Jaden Bradley and KJ Lewis will also need to step up in the backcourt.
• Southern Utah: Jamir Simpson leads the Thunderbirds with 16.2 points per game, followed by Dominique Ford at 13.8. Jamari Sibley’s team-best 7.2 rebounds per game will be crucial in matching Arizona’s size and physicality.

What’s at Stake

For Arizona, this game represents an opportunity to stabilize its season and avoid a three-game skid. Southern Utah, on the other hand, sees this as a chance to gain invaluable experience and possibly deliver an upset against a powerhouse program.

Tip-off is set for Saturday in McKale Center, where Arizona hopes its home-court advantage can reignite its campaign.