Arizona Falls to No. 12 After UCLA Loss

Arizona’s seven-place slide followed its first season-opening defeat in two decades. The Wildcats had opened last season at No. 13 before beating Florida, and their new ranking is below every position they held during that season.

The team can try to regain ground in a series of nonconference games. A matchup with Northern Arizona is next, followed by a road game against Auburn, which received no votes in the poll. Arizona then hosts No. 4 UConn on November 18. The Wildcats beat UConn 71-67 in Storrs last season.

Other upcoming tests include a December 5 game against No. 13 St. John’s at Madison Square Garden and a December 19 meeting with No. 19 Arkansas in Phoenix. Five Big 12 teams are ranked: Houston is No. 8, Kansas No. 15, Texas Tech No. 16 and BYU No. 23, alongside Arizona. Iowa State, Baylor and TCU also received votes.

Arizona forward RJ Godfrey is seeking eligibility through a lawsuit against the Arizona Board of Regents. He averaged 12 points and 5.3 rebounds for Clemson last season. A hearing is scheduled for November 6 in Pima County, and a temporary restraining order could make him eligible to play against Northern Arizona. The team’s coach, Lloyd, could use Godfrey as Arizona pursues its championship ambitions.