Arizona Basketball (0-0, 0-0) officially kicks off the 2021-22 season with their annual matchup against in-state foe, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (0-0, 0-0).
It has seemingly been a long off-season waiting for Arizona Basketball to start but finally, after months of anticipation, the 2021-22 season is here.
The Wildcats gave us a little preview last week, easily defeating Eastern New Mexico in their Exhibition win, however, now things begin to truly matter as the regular season begins tonight in Tucson with a matchup against Northern Arizona.
Arizona has dominated this head-to-head series, and once again will be heavily favored here as the Wildcats have a slew of talent to showcase, which will now possibly include Utah transfer, Pelle Larsson as well, as he appears to be healthy and ready.
Beyond that, Arizona will also have first-year head coach Tommy Lloyd leading the way. Either way, Arizona Basketball is finally back and that’s a great thing for Wildcats fans!
Getting to Know the details of Arizona Basketball’s opponent, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks.
Team: Northern Arizona Lumberjacks
Conference: Big Sky
2020-21 Record: Last year the Lumberjacks struggled mightily, putting together just a 6-16 (4-10) record.
Head Coach: Spencer Burcar enters his third season with the Lumberjacks after serving as the interim head coach in 2019-20 before officially being hired and named the head coach in 2020. So far, Spencer is just 22-30 (14-20) at NAU.
Keys to the Game:
Start Fast – Arizona is the clear favorite in this game and should have every competitive advantage against the Lumberjacks.
Last week, Arizona did a nice job in getting out in front quickly and cruising. So for this one, it would be great to see the Cats starting fast, controlling the tempo, and setting the tone early.
Any time you let a lesser team hang around, the worse it ultimately is for you, so handle your business early, set the tone early, and hopefully cruise to the big win.
Being Aggressive – Be aggressive! Against Eastern New Mexico, the Wildcats attacked the post early and often, and with Arizona having a clear size advantage down low, that should be the focus in this one as well.
Arizona will dominate this game if they are able to use their big men to get into the post and attack the bucket!
Use the Deep Bench – The Wildcats have a deep and talented bench, and against Northern Arizona, they have a great opportunity to use their depth to their advantage.
If the Cats can run away in this one, they can get more players rotated in and more players involved. If Arizona is able to do that, the better it is for the team long-term with more guys getting valuable minutes.
The Wildcats will likely and should likely win this game handily, and hopefully, that means everyone gets a chance to play.
Arizona Basketball versus Northern Arizona game information and details:
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021
Time: 8:30 P.M. MST / 7:30 P.M. PST
Location: McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz. (14,545)
Spread: -24.5 Arizona (Also, don’t forget to use WynnBet to enhance your betting experience)
Television: Pac-12 Network
Radio: 107.5 FM (Tucson) / 1290AM (Tucson) | Arizona IMG Sports Network
Team Records:
Arizona Wildcats (0-0, 0-0): Arizona handled Eastern New Mexico easily in their Exhibition game last week but now things intensify as the games count for real.
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (0-0, 0-0): Beginning their 2021-22 season in Tucson, the Lumberjacks will look for the major upset against the Wildcats.
All-Time Record (since 1949-50): Arizona has dominated this series in the last 60-70 years, owning a 38-0 head-to-head record against Northern Arizona.
Last Meeting vs. Arizona: The last time these two teams met, Arizona came away with the 96-53 win over the Lumberjacks in 2020 in Tucson during the Covid season.
My Prediction: Arizona 91 NAU 62 – I see the Wildcats controlling this one from start to finish en route to the big win. Nerves didn’t really affect the Wildcats last week, and I don’t see that changing against the Lumberjacks.