Arizona 67, Duquesne 59

[recap] [box score]

Tuning in during the middle of a basketball game is always a little bit disorienting to me. So much of the rest of the game is dictated by those early moments; we learn what pace the teams want to play at, what matchups they're looking to exploit, what defensive strategies they plan on using. A great deal of the scouting report shows up in those first few minutes.

Because Lehigh at St. John's ran late, I missed almost eight minutes of the beginning of this game, which is a lot to miss -- especially early in the season, with a team I was completely unfamiliar with. It didn't help that Duquesne's leading returning scorer, senior B.J. Monteiro, picked up two fouls in the first four minutes and a third immediately upon re-entering the game seven minutes later. I never really got a feel for the flow of this game, other than to (again) be impressed with Arizona's defense and less than unimpressed with both teams' offense.

Arizona 73, Valparaiso 64

[recap] [box score]

It's only been one game, but based on Monday night's win against Valparaiso, I think 60 percent of Arizona's starting lineup could turn over at some point or another.

The "safe" players are seniors Jesse Perry and Kyle Fogg. Both did their damage off the dribble; Fogg as a slasher, Perry powering his way to the bucket.

Josiah Turner, Solomon Hill, and Kyryl Natyazhko, on the other hand, were all outplayed by their backups.