3 Things To Watch When Arizona Plays LIU
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The 2025-2026 basketball season for the Arizona Wildcats was an impressive one to say the least, losing just two games in a physical Big 12 conference, capturing the regular season title, and taking home the tournament trophy.
All that is left to do for the season to be a complete and total success is for the Wildcats to make a run through the NCAA National Championship and win it to be crowned as the best team in all the land, something they have not done since the 1997 season.
Arizona is already on pace to do that, as it is the No. 1 seed in the West Region and will be playing in San Diego, close enough for fans to make the trip from Tucson to cheer on their hometown heroes.
Arizona will be playing the LIU Sharks, a team that, despite being ranked as the No. 16 seed, should not be overlooked by any means. LIU is coming off a season where it went 24-10, 15-3 in conference play, and won the NEC Tournament.
The Wildcats and the Sharks are set to take the floor in the morning with an early tip-off of 10:35 a.m. (MST). Before that game begins, let's take a look at what we can expect from Arizona's first-round game.
Elite Play Between Both Guards
All season long, the duo of guards Jaden Bradley and Brayden Burries has been a potent one for teams to gameplan and play against. Burries' 15.9 points per game led the team, while Bradley led in assists with 4.5 per game.
Bradley's exceptional skills at spacing the floor and imposing his will on defense have made him perhaps one of the better guards in the NCAA. Anthony Dell'Orso's shooting prowess has made him an excellent option coming off the bench for the Wildcats.
The Sharks have run a very guard-heavy scheme that has been successful all season, at times even having four on the floor. That scheme has made LIU successful at spreading the floor and creating mismatches when defending the perimeter.
It will be an interesting matchup to see whose guards will come out on top in what may be a slugfest in the backcourt.
Arizona Dominating on the Glass and Paint
Although the Sharks have been successful in running a guard-heavy system to create quick points in small ball, it can create problems in rebounding and driving to the paint.
Arizona's success during its season has come from being a stellar rebounding team that can break teams down by scoring in the paint. Players such as Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka have thrived in these situations by protecting the rim and bullying opposing defenders near the basket.
The Wildcats should have an easy time cleaning up the glass and dominating the Sharks in the paint to get to a big lead.
Physical Defense
The Sharks' guard-heavy scheme has created a lot of success for them on offense by creating mismatches around the perimeter, but the Wildcats have played much more imposing teams with the ball in their hands.
Even if LIU can get the mismatches that they want, Arizona is more than prepared to lock down on defense and not let one easy bucket get through. Krivas, who was the Big 12's defensive player of the year, can guard both the front and back courts.
Bradley has been a force against any defender he is across from. Ivan Kharchenkov has been the workhorse on defense all season and should continue that streak in the first round.
Nathaniel Martinez and a set of shoulder pads at 7 years old. He later graduated from Pima Community College in 2023, where he began writing for the Pima Post. He is working to achieve a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and Media Studies.