Winning on the road is never easy; blowing a big lead only makes it tougher. Yet, somehow, Arizona found a way to pull it off. The Arizona Wildcats played their first game in nearly three decades in the state of Ohio, taking on Cincinnati under Tommy Lloyd’s leadership, the Wildcats saw their 19-point lead slip away but managed to hold their ground, never falling behind in the final 26 minutes as they battled hard to secure a 72-67 win over No. 16 Cincinnati. Despite this big win, concerns are looming around.

In the recent episode of The Field Of 68: After Dark; Fanta asked the question on everyone’s mind: “Jeff Goodman, is Arizona back?”

“I don’t think that they’re back but they needed this bad, I mean they needed this one bad because really they haven’t beaten anybody of note all year, I mean if you think about it is what TCU at home in the last game so they’re starting to get it going a little bit here.”

After a challenging few weeks, Arizona bounced back, winning 4 of their last 5 games to close out the year. In their final game of 2024, the Wildcats defeated the TSU Horned Frogs 90-81, led by Caleb Love’s stellar performance with a season-high 33 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Although his consistency is something concerning this season.

“Caleb Love has not played, this year for the most part. Other than the last game, he has not played like he did last year when he won Pac-12 Player of the Year.”

Last season, Caleb Love was a standout for Arizona, averaging 18.0 points per game and leading the team in key stats, including 92 3-pointers and 648 total points. His dominant performance earned him Pac-12 Player of the Year and made him the third Wildcat under Tommy Lloyd to surpass 600 points in a season. This year, however, Love’s numbers have dipped to 16.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. While Caleb Love’s numbers have dipped this season, Arizona found a way to bounce back and secure a crucial win.

Bradley, Bryant shine in Arizona’s key win

It was a big moment for Arizona, as they secured their first Quad 1 victory of the season after falling short in their first five attempts. Not only was this win a much-needed boost for the Wildcats, but it also marked Tommy Lloyd’s 15th win over a ranked opponent.

With just 43.9 seconds left on the clock, Jaden Bradley drove to the basket for a crucial score that proved to be the game-winner for Arizona. The Wildcats held their ground and secured their fourth straight victory as they rank No. 4 in the Big 12 (8-5).

Bradley was the standout for Arizona, leading the team with 15 points on an efficient 5-of-9 shooting performance. Meanwhile, Carter Bryant had a career high scoring 14 points and making all five of his attempts, including a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc.

The Wildcats are set to continue their inaugural Big 12 road trip on Tuesday, facing off against West Virginia. The Mountaineers are on a winning streak, having won seven straight, which includes an overtime victory over Arizona and a surprising upset over Big 12 preseason favorite Kansas.

Tommy Lloyd’s team has displayed strong resilience, but their inability to maintain consistency remains a significant challenge. With ongoing concerns about Caleb Love’s performance and the Wildcats’ overall play, there are questions about their ability to sustain success moving forward.