Arizona basketball has now won three in a row, after the Wildcats took out another quality Big 12 opponent. On Tuesday night, Arizona knocked off Baylor, 87-80, on the back of a stellar performance from Brayden Burries.
After the game, Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd had nothing but praise for his freshman guard, per Javier Morales of All Sports Tucson.
“Brayden is back. Brayden is so tough. … Don't mistake that pretty-boy face for a bada**. I mean, he's a tough dude, and he played like it today,” Lloyd said.
Burries played 39 minutes in the win over Baylor, coming away with 24 points, five rebounds, and four assists. It was a solid rebound for Burries, who has not been himself over the last three games. Against Houston, he has just seven points, and has shot under 35 percent each of the last three contests. Lloyd also commented on the toughness of his players in his postgame remarks.
“The toughness you get from a senior leader like Bradley, the toughness you get from a freshman guard like Burries was incredibly special. I thought those two guys were awesome today, and then I thought Ivan, the game might not have come really easy to him today, but he made some really key plays down the stretch with offensive rebounds and hustle, and that was inspiring to see.”
Arizona just finished a two-game road trip in the state of Texas, defeating Houston and then knocking off Baylor. This gives them three wins in a row after losing their first two games of the year. at 13-2 in conference play, Arizona is just one win away from claiming the regular-season conference title.
“We’re in the thick of it. I think all you got to do is look at Baylor’s record in conference, and that’s all you need to know. If you watched them play today and you see their record in conference, that’s all you need to say about the Big 12. That’s how hard it is on a day-in, day-out basis,” Lloyd said of the Big 12.
Now, the Wildcats return home for a huge Saturday game against Kansas with a chance to claim the Big 12.
“It’s been a tough stretch the last couple weeks and obviously we have an incredibly tough weekend coming at home, but we welcome that and we’re excited for the opportunity. I know our fans are going to be excited to welcome the boys back to town and, and I’m sure Saturday will be a pretty good environment. I’m sure Monday will as well,” the Arizona coach concluded with.
Arizona is now 26-2 on the year, and ranked second in the nation. They tip off against Kansas at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.
