Tommy Lloyd and the Arizona Wildcats cruised through three home exhibition games over the last two weeks, helping to prepare the squad for the 2026-27 college basketball season - which begins on Monday, Nov. 2.

The Wildcats secured wins over San Francisco, San Diego State, and Eastern Washington, giving their new look roster a chance to gel in front of the home crowd and against a trio of quality Division 1 opponents.

Even without Clemson transfer RJ Godfrey, Arizona looked like a team capable of making another deep March run. Below is a look at three key takeaways from the Wildcats exhibition season, with the season opener against UCLA just around the corner:

1. The two point guard lineup works

Arizona acquired two new point guards this offseason via the transfer portal in sophomores Derek Dixon (North Carolina) and JJ Mandaquit (Washington).

Both were productive as freshmen last year, but neither exactly looked like Jaden Bradley 2.0. It was a big question mark how this duo would look running coach Lloyd's offense, and how they would be unleashed in the exhibition season.

What we saw was a lot of minutes sharing the floor, which led to great decision making, an ability to push the pace when necessary, and strong floor spacing that will really help Mo Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov operate around the rim.

The concern at point guard has diminished greatly, and these two running the show gives Arizona a very high floor and ceiling for this upcoming season.

2. Caleb Holt is ready for superstardom

Arizona's latest 5-star freshman is Caleb Holt, a big physical 6'5 guard who is widely projected as a top 5 pick in the 2027 NBA draft.

Holt looked the part in Arizona's trio of exhibition games, playing outstanding on-ball defense, getting out in transition and causing all sorts of chaos, but also showing an improved ability to play within the offensive system, picking his moments to attack and go get a bucket, and when to let the game come to him.

"I’m just excited to kind of help him on the journey, but I definitely don’t want to put the shackles on this guy or make him a robot, because I think he’s a guy that has to kind of be turned loose a little bit," Lloyd said of Holt after the San Diego State game. "Yeah, there’s probably going to be a few head scratching plays, but there might also be some head scratching plays in a positive direction as well.”

Holt's two-way capability and willingness to learn and grow make him an extremely tantalizing prospect, and the key to Arizona reaching their ceiling in 2026-27.

3. Arizona needs RJ Godfrey

If there is one area to critique for Arizona heading into the season, it's at power forward. That's hardly a surprise, considering the guy the Wildcats brought in to fill that role - RJ Godfrey - sat out all three games while his eligibility continues to be contested in the courts.

Godfrey is a rugged 6'7 transfer forward from Clemson who is a perfect Tommy Lloyd big man - great on the glass, efficient around the rim, and willing to do the dirty work. His fit next to Krivas and Kharchenkov is very easy to see, and if/when he gets cleared it will make a world of difference for Arizona.

However, until then the team will likely rely on Kharchenkov sliding up the four - which leaves Cameron Holmes, Bryce James, and/or the Mandaquit/Dixon two guard lineup as options at the three. It's less than ideal to play Kharchenkov out of position, even though he can handle it, but none of the young bigs look quite ready for a big minute starting role in Tucson.

Maxsim Brnovic was the best of the bunch in the exhibition games, showing good defense and solid range as a floor spacer, but he's still quite raw and prone to foul trouble. Ugnius Jarusevicius showed flashes as well, while Evan Otten played well against Eastern Washington, but they look best served as depth options rather than 25+ minute starters.

Godfrey's lawsuit has a hearing set for late January, but his lawyers are hoping to get the current stay reversed by the Georgia Supreme Court, which would render him eligible until the hearing takes place.

Arizona is set to begin the season on Monday, Nov. 2 against rival UCLA at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The game will tip at 7:00 PM PT and be broadcast on HBO MAX.