I remember this all too well: In 1997, Arizona was getting ready to face No. 1 Kansas in the Sweet 16 and reporter told Michael Dickerson Arizona was a seven-point underdog.
Astonished – or oblivious – Dickerson replied: “We’re underdogs?”
True story. It was that eventual chip on the shoulder – us against them – that helped guide UA to an eventual national title in 1997, behind the likes of Mike Bibby, Miles Simon, Dickerson, AJ Bramlett and Bennett Davison.
Arizona found a way.
“We had nothing to lose,” said Mike Bibby, in a text message to me on Wednesday. “There was more pressure on the other team to win, so we just went out and played.”
And play, they did.
This is not to draw a correlation between 1997 and today’s Arizona team – I know everyone tries to do it every season and it is never apples to apples – but it goes to my longstanding point that when Arizona was always doubted or in an underdog role, it seemingly always stepped up. Sometimes to begin the season – 1995-96 – when it started unranked and in the second week of the season was in the top 10.
It happened often enough to know it was a trend.
As a favorite, well, that’s another story (sometime sad stories), but that doesn’t fit Thursday’s game with No. 1 seed Duke in the East region. Arizona is a decided underdog at 9.5 points. According to Brian Pedersen, of AZDesertSwarm.com, it’s the largest number as an underdog in the NCAA tournament since 2011 against, um, Duke in the Sweet 16.
And, um again, Arizona won that one going away.
UA hasn’t been a dog since 2013 when it faced Ohio State. It was a 3.5 dog and lost. According to Pedersen, UA has won straight up as a dog in 17 games, covering in 12 of those.
Sweet 16
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) March 26, 2025pic.twitter.com/ERQebcjm9X
How does Tommy Lloyd feel about Arizona being good in these situations – at least historically?
“That would be great, but it’s (early in the week) and we don’t play it (until) Thursday night,” he said, with a smile. “… I wish it was a guarantee that Arizona always plays great in these situations, but the only guarantee that I know of (is) it’s going to be 0-0 with 20 minutes on the clock in the first half. You’re going to have to make it happen.
“The one thing I truly believe in the NCAA tournament is you throw all the seeds out the window.”
The game must still be played, he said.
“We don’t pay any attention to the seed, but we know we’re playing a great Duke team,” he said. “And we know it’s a great opportunity for our program.”
When again asked about being an underdog but being a favorite in his last two Sweet 16s (his first and third years), Lloyd said all that didn’t matter.
“These are all tough games and I’m not playing it any different (being a favorite or underdog),” Lloyd said. “There’s no more pressure on us on Thursday than there was on us Sunday. If you win you continue in the tournament and if you lose you go home. The stakes are no bigger than that. I’m not going to magnify the stakes, being an underdog or favorite. That’s wasted energy.”
Still, the history will show Arizona plays well as an underdog. It just does. Of course, Arizona sometimes runs up against a better team and loses, but it also fights like hell to get the win. I’ve seen it too many times.
“That’s 100 percent (accurate),” said former UA player Matt Muehlebach on Wednesday’s Eye on the Ball. “It’s that belief of not backing down from a team that maybe nationally is perceived better. And (they) really believe in it, not the BS talking … this team has that drive and that competitive belief behind them. It’s going to take that for sure.”
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