The University of Arizona men’s basketball team will host its first exhibition game of the season against Saint Mary’s College of California on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 2 p.m. in McKale Center.
This will be the first official look at the team following the Red-Blue showcase earlier this month on Oct. 3.
History vs Saint Mary’s
The Wildcats hold five wins over the Gaels and have seen two losses in their recorded history. Their first game dates back to 1949 and resulted in a 58-50 loss for Arizona. The Wildcats saw their second loss against Saint Mary’s in 1951. Since those matchups, Arizona has been victorious. The program’s most recent showing was in 2017, hosted in Salt Lake City and granted the Wildcats a 69-60 win.
Gaels to watch
Randy Bennett enters his 25th season with Saint Mary’s basketball as head coach of the program. Impressively, Bennett is a seven-time West Coast Conference Coach of the Year awardee. He has become the school’s all-time wins leader with 562 victories leading the men’s basketball program.
Paulius Murauskas, 6-foot-8 junior forward and former Arizona forward, stepped into a big role as the Gaels’ starting power forward his sophomore year. He ended the season second on the stat line, averaging 12.1 points per game, 7.7 rebounds and earned 13 double-doubles which was named highest in the WCC.
In his freshman year with Arizona, Murauskas saw 23 games on the court and shot 51.9% from the 3-point line. His impressive marks with the Wildcats transferred over to his play with Saint Mary’s, making him a dangerous forward.
Senior center Harry Wessels will be a big presence on the court for the Gaels this season as well. Standing at 7-foot-1, Wessels action under the hoop earned him 117 rebounds for the 2024-2025 season and a 3.4 game average.
Offensively, Wessels averaged 5.3 points per game with a 54.6 shooting percentage from the field and 82.4 shooting percentage from the free throw line. He’s proven to thrive under pressure, going 6-for-8 from the line against University of Alabama in the Gaels’ final match of the season in the NCAA tournament.
Mikey Lewis, a sophomore guard, had an impressive freshman season with Saint Mary’s. He earned WCC Sixth Man of the Year as well as being named a member of the WCC All-Freshman Team in the 2024-2025 season.
He appeared in every single game for the Gaels, being complimented as the team’s sixth man. Lewis averaged 8.2 points per game and led the team in 3-pointers, collecting 58 made shots last season. His shooting capabilities around the arc helped advance Saint Mary’s in tough competitions.
Wildcats to watch
Tommy Lloyd prepares to enter his fifth season with the Wildcats as head coach. Lloyd earned himself a decorated career under the staffing team with Arizona, including 2022 NABC National Coach of the Year, 2022 USBWA National Coach of the Year, 2022 Associated Press National Coach of the Year and 2022 Pac-12 Coach of the Year. On top of his awards, Lloyd has sent countless players to go on into the league, including last year’s Wildcat players Carter Bryant and Caleb Love.
Jaden Bradley, a senior point guard, will be one of the biggest players for the Wildcats this year. As a seasoned leader for the team, Bradley will be expected to connect the team’s new recruits to their senior members. He’s proven to be a consistent guard for Arizona, starting every game and earning the fourth most playing time in all of the Big 12 in his 2024-2025 season.
Last season, Bradley averaged 12.1 points per game, 3.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game. For Arizona individually, he led the team with 136 assists and 65 steals, ranking seventh in the Big 12 for steals.
Freshman five-star recruit Koa Peat will be an impressive new figure on the court for the Wildcats. Peat earned his spot at the eighth recruit in the country by helping USA Basketball U19 Junior National Team win this year’s FIBA U19 World Cup, contributing a 12-point average and seven rebound average.
Originally from Chandler, Arizona, Peat earned Gatorade Player of the Year for Arizona in his last 3 years of high school. In his senior year, he averaged 19 points, 10 rebounds and five assists per game on top of allowing just two losses in 29 games. Peat will be a valuable addition to the Arizona roster this season.
Tobe Awaka, a returning senior forward, will be another grounding player for the Wildcats entering this season. Awaka’s defense efforts and plays beneath the board were critical for the Wildcats last season. He averaged 7.8 boards per game in the 2024-2025 season paired with an 8-point average.
Awaka had 12 games in the season with double digits in rebounds. He earned his spot at fourth in the Big 12 with nine double-doubles. His presence and physicality on the court will be huge for Arizona this season.
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