Arizona Basketball Ranks Among the Nation’s Best After One Month
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The Arizona Wildcats have stormed through the opening month of the 2025-26 season unbeaten, stacking high-profile wins and dominant numbers at both ends of the floor. Their 7-0 start has propelled them from a dangerous outsider to a clear-cut national title threat.
CBS Sports bump to Tier 1
In Isaac Trotter’s updated “national championship tiers” at CBS Sports, Arizona jumps from preseason Tier 2 into Tier 1, alongside the true blue-blood contenders. The piece labels the Wildcats as “no-brainer” title threats after just one month, backing that up with both results and underlying metrics.
Trotter points first to Arizona’s physical edge. The Wildcats are “pillaging teams on the glass,” winning the rebounding battle 41-39 against Florida, 35-28 against UCLA, and a staggering 43-23 against a shorthanded UConn front line.
That board dominance, paired with top-end talent and scheme balance, is what convinces CBS that Arizona’s ceiling matches anyone in the country.
Why Arizona feels “no brainer”
The frontcourt trio of Tobe Awaka, freshman star Koa Peat, and 7-foot-2 center Motiejus Krivas has turned Arizona into a paint bully. Their work on the glass and at the rim means Arizona rarely loses the physical battle, even against veteran, high-major frontcourts.
On the perimeter, senior guard Jaden Bradley has given Tommy Lloyd a calm closer. Per CBB Analytics, cited in the CBS piece, Bradley is 7-of-8 from the field in clutch time and has yet to commit a turnover in those situations.
That combination of inside dominance and mistake-free guard play late in games is exactly what coaches crave in March.
A November packed with statements
Arizona’s 7-0 record is built on more than empty calories. They became just the third team in AP Poll history to record multiple wins over top-three opponents within their first five games, beating then-No. 3 Florida and then-No. 3 UConn. The Wildcats also added a grind-it-out win over UCLA, giving them one of the strongest résumés in the sport through November.
Peat’s debut set the tone. The five-star freshman dropped 30 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in a 93-87 win over Florida, becoming the first Big 12 Arizona freshman ever to hit at least 20 points, five boards, and five assists in his debut. Bradley added 27 in that game, attacking downhill and living at the line.
The road win at UConn may be the early turning point. Arizona out-rebounded the Huskies by 20 and survived a late push in a hostile environment, a performance that had national voices calling them the best team in college basketball right now.
Put it all together, and it’s easy to see why Arizona is already being treated not just as a fun story, but as a no-brainer national championship contender.
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