3 Players Who Will Decide Arizona’s March Madness Tournament Run

As expected, the Arizona Wildcats have claimed a No. 1 seed in the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, solidifying themselves as a national title contender.

They got a pretty good draw for their region, but there's work to be done, and, as we see every March, nothing is set in stone. If the Wildcats are to make their first Final Four in 25 years and compete for a title, these players will need to have big performances.

It all starts Friday morning!!! pic.twitter.com/TUdif4fBxT
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) March 16, 2026

Jaden Bradley

The Big 12 Player of the Year and Bob Cousy Award finalist will undoubtedly have an impact on Arizona's Tournament run. He's the one who controls the pace of the game and has emerged as a senior leader on a relatively young team that doesn't go very deep into its bench and really doesn't have a true backup point guard.

That means Bradley will be playing plenty of minutes against some of the best guards in the country. The Wildcats could see either Wisconsin's Nick Boyd and John Blackwell or Arkansas's Darius Acuff Jr. in the Sweet 16, plus Big Ten career-assists leader Braden Smith (Purdue), and high-scorers Mark Mitchell (Missouri) and Rob Wright III (BYU) are also in the West Region.

ncaa tournamen — Mar 13, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Jaden Bradley (0) brings the ball up court around Iowa State Cyclones guard Killyan Toure (27) during the first half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Arizona will obviously need Bradley's offense, but his defense becomes increasingly important the deeper Arizona gets in the Tournament, and the extent of a recent injury in the Big 12 Tournament championship has been kept under wraps.

Anthony Dell'Orso

The season Dell'Orso has had has led to this point. It's been the worst of his career, statistically, but he's also had some big moments with a couple of awakenings coming late in the season. He's improved his defense this season, and his usually reliable three-point shooting has become incredibly efficient late in the season.

ncaa tournament — Mar 13, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Anthony Dell'orso (3) shoots the ball over Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey (3) during the first half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

He's scored more than 20 points three times in the last three weeks, shooting over 40% from beyond the arc five times. We've seen performances like that lead teams through March Madness in the past, and his presence and role on a thin bench make him an x-factor for the Wildcats going forward. Arizona has the talent to get to the Final Four, and the case gets stronger when the senior Aussie plays up to his potential.

Arizona Bigs

This last one is a collective. As we've already established, this region is loaded with guards, but there aren't as many dominant bigs. That's where Arizona can thrive, through junior center Motiejus Krivas, star freshman Koa Peat, and Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year Tobe Awaka.

Peat is another key player who recently missed games because of injury, but he's had an impressive freshman season -- averaging the second-most points (13.6) on the team with 5.3 rebounds. Awaka provides a spark off the bench and embodies everything the Arizona program is about. He was especially important when Peat missed games, but

Krivas may be the biggest x-factor among the bigs. He's been good this year but possibly overlooked with the way everyone else around him plays. Still, he's capable of being a big offensive force when needed, and he's an exceptional defender, leading Arizona in blocks. All three of these guys can make it difficult for opponents in the paint, but it's even more of a challenge when Krivas is in the game.

Plus, if the Wildcats make it to the Final Four, they'll face teams that have bigs that play a similar style, forcing Krivas, Peat, and Awaka to step up.