The Wildcats are back on top.

Tommy Lloyd's Arizona basketball squad jumped to No. 3 in the AP Top 25 Monday. Arizona defeated then-No. 2 Duke, which is now No. 9, Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.

“We’re on a longer journey than this,” Lloyd said, per WildcatAuthority.com. “Winning at Duke was nice, but we got a good Southern team (on Monday at McKale Center in Tucson) that just beat UNLV by [14], so we are looking forward to jumping on the plane, wrapping this one up, getting ready for chapter three.”

Arizona basketball is led by Caleb Love, who transferred following the 2022-23 season at preseason No.1-ranked North Carolina. Love was a preseason first-team All-American by CBS Sports reporter Jon Rothstein and expected to be a key piece of a team that advanced to the 2022 NCAA Tournament final.

Unfortunately, Love and the Tar Heels disappointed. He initially announced his intention to transfer to Michigan but later committed to the Wildcats, who are the top team in the Pac-12 in 2023-24.

Colorado basketball, which defeated Grambling State and its eight returnees from its 2022-23 team, is No. 25. USC basketball, which is yet to have Bronny James on the floor, is No. 16.

Offensive preview

Arizona is led by coach Tommy Lloyd, who in two seasons has the most wins (61) by an NCAA coach in the same span.

Lloyd and the Wildcats won the 2022-23 Pac-12 Tournament. Arizona was a No. 2 seed and was upset by 15th-seed Princeton in the NCAA Tournament.

Arizona is similar to that of Gonzaga, which under coach Mark Few has the most seasons with a top-10 adjusted offensive efficiency since 1998. Lloyd was the Zags' lead assistant for 20 seasons.

The Wildcats' offense is incredibly well-documented as being balanced with an emphasis on passing. Arizona basketball is No. 5 by KenPom in adjusted offensive efficiency. Lloyd was known for his recruiting overseas and works on playmaking from multiple players.

“International guys are used to playing our kind of basketball, where there are multiple playmakers, multiple scorers, multiple sharing responsibilities,” Arizona assistant coach Riccardo Fois, who spent five years at Gonzaga, told CJ Moore. “That’s what they do since they’re kids. And so it’s easier for them to buy into it because that’s what they did their whole life.”

Arizona is yet to rank lower than 10 in adjusted offensive efficiency in Lloyd's two-plus years.

Defensive preview

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Arizona's defense is something that carried it to a top-seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

The Wildcats' defense often leads to their offense. Arizona is anchored by redshirt senior Oumar Ballo, who was a breakout player in 2021-22.

The Wildcats are guard-oriented but have experienced players. Love is joined in the backcourt by Pelle Larsson, who is in his third year in Tucson. Guard Kylan Boswell, a four-star prospect in the 2021 class by the 247Sports Composite from Chandler (Ariz.) Compass Prep, joins them.

Arizona's defense forces 19.5 turnovers, which ranks No. 2 in the Pac-12.

Arizona needs to have transition baskets to make up for its lack of depth. The Wildcats are expected to have one of the best offenses and experienced starting units. Love, Larsson and Boswell are the best guard tandem in the country to some.

Preview

Arizona is back-to-back Pac-12 Tournament champions. Lloyd has quickly turned the program away from the controversial state it was left in by former coach Sean Miller.

The Wildcats got a big boost with Love, who is a top-tier scorer. He has struggled with efficiency — he shot below 40 percent in each of his three seasons in North Carolina — but is quickly becoming a team player with the Wildcats.

Arizona needs its guards and offense to push it to a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The Wildcats face Southern, which is 1-1, Monday night at McKale. The game will be televised by the Pac-12 Networks.