After reaching the Final Four last season, Arizona fans gathered at McKale Center for the Wildcats’ last exhibition game on Friday with hopes of another deep run in March.

The Wildcats hosted Eastern Washington Friday at ALKEME Arena, with the game giving fans the opportunity to check out Arizona’s returning and new players before the start of the regular season.

On the heels of last year’s Final Four run, expectations were high among fans hoping to see a repeat. For Kaiden Weber, the upcoming season represents another opportunity to watch Arizona compete for a national championship.

“I’m excited for another season (and to) maybe go back to the Final Four,” Weber said.

Weber was especially excited about freshman guard Caleb Holt and sophomore guard Bryce James, two players he’s looking forward to watching this season.

“I’ve been watching Caleb Holt since high school,” Weber said.

A highly sought-after five-star recruit, Holt showcased his talent across three states during his standout high school career at Buckhorn, Grayson and Prolific Prep. Weber called Holt an amazing player, saying he was also looking forward to seeing what James brings to his sophomore season.

Weber said teamwork, defense and creating good shooting opportunities would be key to another successful season for the Wildcats.

Marcos Hong also said Holt was the player he was most looking forward to watching.

“I have watched him since high school and I want to see him on the court,” Hong said.

He had a simple answer for what Arizona needs to be successful.

“Probably play together,” Hong said.

That focus on teamwork was shared by many fans throughout the night.

Charlie Albaugh said he was especially interested in watching Arizona’s incoming freshmen and seeing how the team developed its chemistry.

“I think they put together a really good team this year,” Albaugh said, naming Holt and returning forward Ivan Kharchenkov as two players he believed could make an impact this season. “Caleb Holt looks like a really incredible freshman and Ivan Kharchenkov, I think he’s going to be fantastic.”

Albaugh said the Wildcats would need to follow head coach Tommy Lloyd’s plan to have a successful season.

“I think they just need to stick to the game plan, do whatever Tommy says,” he said.

Bernardo Esquer was particularly excited about center Motiejus Krivas and Kharchenkov, two returning players he believed could make a difference for the Wildcats. Esquer also hoped fifth-year forward RJ Godfrey would become eligible to play and contribute to Arizona’s frontcourt.

Godfrey, a 6-foot-8 forward who transferred from Clemson, has not been cleared to play because his fifth year of eligibility is tied up in a Georgia court case over the NCAA’s new five-years-in-five rule.

Esquer said rebounding and defense would be important factors in determining how successful the team can be.

“I think they’re going to be shooting more threes this season,” Esquer said. “But as long as they keep to their regular philosophy of inside shooting and getting rebounds and playing defense, I think they’ll be fine.”

Esquer said attending the exhibition game was about more than watching Arizona’s new roster.

“I came out tonight because I’m really excited that Arizona hoops are back, and I want to be here at every game,” Esquer said.

Maddie Lowe shared the excitement for another season and the possibility of seeing the team compete in March Madness.

“I’m just excited to watch our team do really well again, go to March Madness, you know, hopefully win, but yeah, it’s just fun to watch,” Lowe said.

Lowe also attended Arizona’s Red-Blue Game and said she’s looking forward to watching Holt and Kharchenkov throughout the season.

She said communication, teamwork and listening to Lloyd would be important for the Wildcats.

“I think they can get really far with the talent they have,” Lowe said. “I love basketball and I love watching and supporting U of A.”

Annie O’Donnell was also looking forward to seeing how far Arizona could go after reaching the Final Four. She named point guard Derek Dixon, a North Carolina transfer, and Krivas as two players she was excited to watch, saying exhibition games offer something different from regular-season matchups.

“I decided to see exhibition games because I get to see the players that don’t play very often actually play,” O’Donnell said. “During season, I get to see a lot of the starters, but it’s fun to see the players that are normally on the bench.”

O’Donnell agreed that listening to Lloyd would also be important for Arizona’s success.

For Hriday Krishotra, attending the game was less about individual players and more about spending time with friends and enjoying the atmosphere.

“I’m excited to see our team play and just hang out with my friends and just enjoy an overall great atmosphere,” Krishotra said.

Watching Arizona basketball was particularly exciting for Krishotra after he missed games last season.

“I’ve never been to an exhibition game and my roommates really like it so I decided to come along and I’m super excited to be here,” Krishotra said.

Arizona defeated Eastern Washington 85-54, completing its exhibition schedule before the start of the regular season.

Holt led the team with 21 points, while Krivas finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Kharchenkov added 11 points.

The Wildcats will open their regular season against UCLA on Nov. 2 in Las Vegas. But before the regular season begins, fans have already found plenty of reasons to be excited about the months ahead.

Kyleigh Pandhi is a University of Arizona alum and freelance journalist based in Tucson. Contact her at kyleighpandhi@gmail.com.

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