BYU vs Arizona Game Preview: Cougars Host the Top 20 Wildcats in Big 12 Showdown
BYU basketball faces a significant test as they prepare to take on a formidable Arizona team.
After securing back-to-back quad-one victories, BYU basketball faces another tough task as they host the 20th-ranked Arizona Wildcats at the Marriott Center. Both teams experienced slow starts to the season but have quickly found their rhythm, with BYU winning their last four games while Arizona has triumphed in 9 of their last 10 conference matchups.
Egor Demin has begun to hit his stride this season. The freshman guard is recognized for his ability to make precise passes through defenses to find open teammates, though his scoring has drawn criticism, having reached double figures only four times since Thanksgiving. However, two of those four performances have come in the last three games, while he remains one of the top-25 assist leaders nationally.
BYU’s success under Kevin Young isn’t solely based on Egor’s play. Richie Saunders is a candidate for All-Big 12 honors, Kanon Catchings could improve his draft stock if he can replicate his performance against Baylor, and Mawot Mag, the defensive ace from Rutgers, has stepped up in recent weeks, earning player of the game recognition from Cougar Nation.
But facing a red-hot Arizona team, BYU has a tall order ahead.
Arizona holds a 15-6 record, with five of their losses occurring early in the season. Had BYU suffered five non-conference losses, panic would likely have set in at the Provo campus, but the Wildcats’ defeats came against some of the nation’s top teams.
Losing to Wisconsin, Duke, UCLA, and West Virginia isn’t a major setback, but those losses came at an inconvenient time for Arizona, who has only recently reentered the top 25 after several months away.
Led by former Tar Heel Caleb Love, the Wildcats took revenge on West Virginia and then defeated teams like Baylor and Iowa State, having only lost to Texas Tech since starting Big 12 play.
MATCHUP: WILDCATS 15-6 VS. COUGARS 15-6 February 4, 2025, 9:00 PM MT ESPN
With a high-powered offense ranking among the top 30 nationally in points and assists per game, Arizona also excels on the boards, grabbing 40 rebounds per game, ranking 27th. BYU, another strong rebounding team, will need to assert control in that area.
Both teams are known for their offensive firepower, and as has been the case in recent Big 12 games, the team that reaches 80 points first will likely come out on top. BYU, still on the bubble, has a chance to make a major statement with a winover Arizona tonight.