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Inside The Wildcats

Bradley Reflects on Arizona Making NCAA Tournament History

Wildcats advance to Elite Eight with a historic performance.
Caleb Meadows|
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Arizona Wildcats

Arizona is moving on to the Elite Eight after a dominant win over Arkansas. It was a 109-88 beatdown by the Wildcats, and the game was never in doubt. The Wildcats keep getting better, and Tommy Lloyd has done a fantastic job this season as head coach.

Jaden Bradley once again had another solid game, which seems like it is normal for him now. He had 14 points, five assists, and four rebounds, while shooting 50% from the field. Bradley also had the tall task of defending Darius Acuff Jr.

Bradley did a great job of guarding Acuff, as he held him to 8-19 from the field, and just 1-5 from downtown. Acuff had to do most of his damage in garbage time, as Bradley had him contained while the game was close.

Elite Big Men Trio Shines

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The Wildcats have some of the best big men in the country with Koa Peat, Motiejus Krivas, and Tobe Awaka. They once again all had a terrific performance. Bradley spoke on how important they are for this Wildcat team.

“We always talk about taking advantage of our big fellas down there. I feel like we’ve got some of the best bigs in the country, with Koa, Big Mo, and Tobe.”

“So we really put a big emphasis on passing in the post, getting the ball in the post, kind of just taking a breath, kind of reset our offense,” Bradley said. “Big Mo did a great job with double-teaming and scoring. Koa did a great job, and Tobe is just a force down there, and it makes it easier for the guards to get open shots as well.”

Wildcats Set NCAA Tournament Record

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The Wildcats were on a roll offensively, scoring 109 points. They had six players with 14 or more points. It is the first time in NCAA Tournament history that a team has had six players score at least 14 points.

Bradley was asked how this team is so unselfish and why they are so willing to spread the wealth on offense.

“Yeah, I didn’t notice that, but it’s always good when you share the wealth, and you’re not worried about scoring and who gets to shine. I feel like this group of guys really don’t care.”

“We just care about when it says 0:00, and winning at the end of the day. Off the court, we love each other,” Bradley said. “We’re supporting each other, whether it’s basketball, off-the-court stuff, always playing games and doing stuff to build our culture. We did a great job at the beginning of the season, setting the foundation with culture, and it’s really showing and carrying on right now.”

Arizona Fans Showed Out in San Jose

It was a loud environment in San Jose, and the crowd had the Wildcats back. Bradley talked about how the fanbase fueled the Wildcats' win.

“We got the best fans in the nation. At times, it felt like a home game. You know, the fans getting rowdy, getting the energy up. That’s always big playing in environments like that, you get to get the home fans going. You get energy momentum from the crowd. So we really appreciate that, and ready for the next game and the support. So, thank you for that.”

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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."