Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd talked about his team's ascent to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll this week, pointing out that playing on big stages with a big target on your back is why his guys wanted to play for the Wildcats.

They will get another opportunity to do it Saturday.

Already with four ranked wins amid their 8-0 start, the Wildcats are headed next to Birmingham, Alabama, for what amounts to a road game against No. 12 Alabama on a court that will be neutral in name only for the C.M. Newton Classic.

“There's a lot of really, really good teams,” Lloyd said after routing Auburn last weekend, ticking off No. 2 Michigan, third-ranked Duke, a UConn team his Wildcats have beaten already, and No. 25 UCLA, which also fell to Arizona earlier this season.

“But we're

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