3 Ways Arizona Can Beat Utah State in NCAA Tournament

The No. 1-seeded Arizona Wildcats are now carrying a ton of momentum to the second round of the NCAA National tournament after routing the No. 16-seeded LIU Sharks by a convincing score of 92-58 in San Diego behind Brayden Burries' 18 points, Koa Peat's 15, and Ivan Kharchenkov's 14.

This upcoming Sunday, Arizona will now look to continue its streak of dominance when it plays the No. 9-seeded Utah State Aggies at 4:50 p.m. (MST) after it defeated No. 8 Villanova by a score of 86-76.

Utah State will be coming in with a lot of momentum on its side as well, riding a five-game winning streak and a Mountain West Tournament trophy added to its case for the season. Before Arizona meets with the Aggies, let's take a look at key ways the Wildcats can leave the second round with another dominant win.

Perimeter Shooting

While the Wildcats have been especially dominant in scoring on teams in the paint, they have tormented the Sharks in perimeter shooting. Against the Sharks, Arizona went 6-for-13 from beyond 3-point range.

Utah State is ranked 214th in three-point defense, allowing teams to shoot 34.4%, according to KenPom. Both Brayden Burries and Anthony Dell'Orso have continued to progress in their shooting throughout the season, which may be a bad omen for opposing teams in the 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

Should Arizona keep its hot hand at 3-point shooting, the Wildcats will handle the Aggies fairly quickly, much like they did LIU.

Keep the Game Clean

Mar 20, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; LIU Sharks forward Jamal Fuller (33) controls the ball against Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The Wildcats got through their game with the Sharks committing a minimal amount of fouls, allowing LIU to shoot just 10 shots from the charity stripe. Of those 10 shots, the Wildcats made just six shots while Arizona went 22-for-33 from the line.

Against Villanova, the Aggies went 28-for-36 from the free-throw line, which is what helped propel them past Villanova. If Arizona can play yet another mostly clean game, the Aggies will be in for a long game en route to a potential loss.

Lockdown Defense

Mar 13, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) collides with Arizona Wildcats forward Tobe Awaka (30) during the second half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

While Utah State had a decent day from the field, going 28-for-51, it was abysmal from beyond 3-point range.

The Wildcats thrive off of defending teams from both parts of the court, making them a dangerous squad to try to score against. It is what made them the 14th-best defense in the NCAA this season.

Feb 28, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Ivan Kharchenkov (8) fouls Kansas Jayhawks guard Tre White (3) during the second half of the game at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

If Utah State stays cold from there, Arizona should have no trouble locking them down and ensuring they have no chance at scoring near the rim.