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Inside The Wildcats

Best & Worst Case Scenarios for Arizona on Selection Sunday

Bracket projections reveal one matchup that plays into Arizona’s strengths and another that could push the Wildcats to the limit.
Caleb Meadows|
William Purnell-Imagn Images

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Arizona Wildcats

Arizona is officially the champion of the Big 12 after knocking off Houston last night in a tight-knit championship game. Each team threw its best punch, but the Wildcats were the ones who came out standing on top.

Now, head coach Tommy Lloyd and his team have the NCAA Tournament facing them next. They have had a great regular season, but this is why you play: to become NCAA champions, and the Wildcats are in a prime position to do so.

Joe Lunardi currently has the Wildcats projected as a No. 1 seed in the West region of the bracket. The one seed is a lock for the Wildcats, as they have been projected there since December.

The question is who the Wildcats will draw in their bracket, and try to prevent them from achieving their goal of being on top of the college basketball world. Let’s take a look at the best and worst case scenario for Selection Sunday.

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William Purnell-Imagn Images

Best: Michigan State Spartans

It is always scary to go up against an all-time great coach in the tournament, and that is what the Wildcats would do if they were on the same side of the bracket as Michigan State. Lunardi has the Spartans as the second seed on the West side of the bracket. The Wildcats will be a one seed, so we have to look ahead at potential challenges further on in the tournament.

With that said, Tom Izzo and the program have historically faced struggles once March rolls around. In the last 10 years, the Spartans have only gotten out of the second round four times and reached the Final Four once. That is historically, but they are also struggling right now.

They are coming off back-to-back losses, including a quarterfinal loss in the Big Ten Tournament to UCLA without its star, Tyler Bilodeau.

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Mar 14, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) dribbles downcourt during the first half against the Houston Cougars during the men's Big 12 Conference Tournament Championship at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Wildcats match up well with the Spartans with their size and athleticism. Guard Jeremy Fears Jr. leads the Spartans in scoring with 15.7 points a game. He is a good player, but Jaden Bradley and Brayden Burries would give Fears trouble, as they are one of the best defensive backcourts in the nation.

The Spartans have a 6-foot-11 center, Carson Cooper, but the Wildcats have a 7-foot-2 center, Motiejus Krivas. The theme is that everything good the Spartans have, the Wildcats have better. If it plays out like this, these two would meet in the Elite Eight. This would be the best-case scenario long-term for Lloyd and the Wildcats.

Worst: Houston Cougars

The Wildcats and the Cougars have faced off twice this season, and each time it was a battle. Lloyd and company squeaked out a win on the road back in February and knocked them off in the Big 12 championship game last night.

Although the Wildcats are 2-0 against the Cougars this season, it would be very challenging to defeat them again. Both teams know each other well, and it would be a battle between two great coaches.

There is no easy win when it comes to the Cougars, as they made it all the way to the NCAA championship game last season, but fell to Florida by two points. Head coach Kelvin Sampson would most certainly want to see revenge on Lloyd and the Wildcats.

The Cougars are a two seed according to Lunardi, and that will most likely remain. The question is what side of the bracket they will end up on. They are currently in the South region of the bracket.

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William Purnell-Imagn Images

That means it would be the Wildcats versus the Cougars in the Final Four. That would be the worst-case scenario for the Wildcats.

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Caleb Meadows
CALEB MEADOWS

Caleb Meadows is a contributor to the UNC Tar Heels. He previously covered Louisville sports and WWE for FanSided. Meadows also covered local sports in Oklahoma while attending Oklahoma State, where he earned a degree in sports communications. Follow him on X, at @CalebMeadows25."