Phase 3 of Arizona’s season, the most important one, is upon the Wildcats
Phase 1 was a regular-season Big 12 championship that capped a school-record 23-0 run overall that started everything. It was completed with another program-record — 29 victories in the regular season.
Phase 2 was beating three NCAA tournament teams — UCF, Iowa State and Houston — in three days to earn the Big 12 conference tournament title at Kansas City, Mo.
Phase 3 is the NCAA tournament, which for Arizona (32-2) starts Friday at San Diego with the No. 1-seeded Wildcats opening against No. 16 Long Island (24-10). Tipoff time is to be determined.
In a bizarre twist, LIU secured the Northeast Conference’s automatic bid before even playing the conference championship game. Their opponent, Mercyhurst, is transitioning from Division II and is ineligible for the NCAA tournament. Since LIU was the highest-seeded eligible team to reach the final, they punched their ticket early.
The Sharks’ head coach is former NBA guard Rod Strickland.
The journey to a No. 1 seed was a masterclass in roster construction by Tommy Lloyd, who, in his fifth season, became the winningest coach in NCAA history through a five-year span (boasting 144 wins).
After a “rebuilding” 2024-25 season that still saw them reach the Sweet 16, the 2025-26 Wildcats transformed into a juggernaut that blended veteran poise with one of the most heralded recruiting classes in the nation.
The identity of this team was forged in the fire of the Big 12, the toughest gauntlet in the country. Arizona didn’t just survive it; the Wildcats conquered it.
The resume of the 2026 Wildcats is a checklist of dominance:
- The Big 12 Double: Arizona swept both the Big 12 regular-season title and the conference tournament, punctuated by a gritty 79–74 victory over Houston in the championship game.
- Elite Personnel: The backcourt was anchored by senior Jaden Bradley, whose evolution into a premiere floor general (13.3 points per game and 4.6 assists per game) provided the belief necessary in his younger teammates for March. Alongside him, freshman phenom Brayden Burries emerged as a scoring machine, averaging nearly 16 points per game.
- The “Koa” Factor: Five-star freshman Koa Peat lived up to the hype, providing a versatile 6’8″ frame that could defend all five positions while adding 13.4 points and 5.3 rebounds.
- Interior Dominance: The duo of Tobe Awaka (Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year) and 7’2″ Motiejus Krivas (All-Big 12 selection) ensured that Arizona owned the glass, making the Wildcats one of the most physically imposing teams in the field.
Beyond the stats, there was a narrative of redemption. For years, critics pointed to Arizona’s early-round stumbles in previous tournaments. In 2026, Tommy Lloyd addressed the “soft” narrative head-on, scheduling a non-conference gauntlet that included UConn, Alabama, Auburn, and UCLA in addition to playing in the toughest conference.
Recommended for you
