Anthony Dell'Orso Displays Impact Player Potential With Big 12 Title Run
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No. 2 Arizona needed everything it could to get past Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals, struggling to compete early in the game. Yet, as it went on, one player stepped up to carry the load.
That player was senior guard Anthony Dell'Orso, who struggled mightily most of the season before coming on with strong performances down the stretch to help Arizona claim the Big 12 championship and continue its season toward bigger goals.
What. A. Game. pic.twitter.com/yciVHbSRh1
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) March 14, 2026
"I'm proud of Delly," senior point guard and Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley said during the postgame press conference."He had his ups and downs this season, but we all believe in him [and] his shot-making ability. ... We've got so many guys that can get it going on any night, and tonight was Delly's night. I'm proud of the way he's going, and he's going to keep flowing from here."
Dell'Orso Becomes the X-Factor
Dell'Orso is becoming more and more important as the Big 12 Tournament Championship Game and the NCAA Tournament loom. We often see the depth of teams make a difference in March, and Arizona can beat anybody with the way it plays. But it becomes even stronger when Dell'Orso contributes at this level.
It hasn't happened often this season, but as head coach Tommy Lloyd kept preaching his confidence in the struggling senior, Dell'Orso slowly proved his coach right with back-to-back 22-point games against BYU and Houston. Friday was his first 20-point game since then, but his efficiency has been great in most games, particularly from beyond the arc.
He led all scorers with 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting, including six-of-nine from three-point range -- a massively clutch performance from a veteran player who averages just over eight points per game while shooting under 40% on the year. And it wasn't just the efficiency of his play but the timing of that efficiency.
DELLY 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/s06RecuyvY
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) March 14, 2026
He almost single-handedly got Arizona back in the game after falling behind 14-2 in the first half, and the Wildcats do not hold on for the win without his late-game execution, going back and forth with Iowa State star Milan Momcilovic.
With just under four minutes to go, Momcilovic hit a shot from beyond the arc to cut the deficit to two points, but Dell'Orso quickly answered with one of his own. Momcilovic did it again at the 2:45 mark, and it took Dell'Orso 22 seconds to knock down another clutch shot.
Iowa State eventually tied the game in the final minutes, but without Dell'Orso, especially with star freshman Brayden Burries struggling, Arizona was staring at a loss. If that happens in the NCAA Tournament, Arizona will be in trouble if it can't find a solution, and the first person it'll turn to will be Anthony Dell'Orso.
_(1)-718df543ba5564ea141c31c2d86089eb.jpg "Travis Tyler")
Travis Tyler joined On SI as a writer in January 2026. He has experience contributing to FanSided’s NFL, college football, and college basketball coverage, in addition to freelance work throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth area, including high school, college, and professional sports for the Dallas Express and contributions to the College Football Dawgs, Last Word on Sports/Hockey, and The Dallas Morning News. In addition to his writing, Travis contributes video and podcasting content to Fanatics View and regularly appears as a guest analyst. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and SMU and is an avid Detroit sports fan with a deep knowledge and appreciation of sports history. Follow Travis Tyler on Twitter at @TTyler_Sports.