Arizona Didn’t Play Perfect, Identity Won It Game

Arizona dominated the glass and controlled the paint, proving their identity and rebounding will carry them through March Madness.

Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) celebrates after defeating the Utah State Aggies during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The biggest takeaway from Arizona’s win over Utah State isn’t that the game got close. It’s that Arizona stayed true to who they are and still won by double digits. In March Madness, that’s what good teams do.

The Arizona Wildcats built an 18-point lead and controlled most of the game, but Utah State made a run and cut the lead to four. That’s when a lot of teams panic. Arizona didn’t. They stayed composed, kept attacking the paint, and relied on rebounding and defense the same formula they’ve used all season.

Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) celebrates with guard Brayden Burries (5) after defeating the Utah State Aggies during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The Real Story: Rebounding Dominance

The most important stat in this game wasn’t turnovers or three-point shooting.  It was rebounding.

Arizona completely dominated the glass, finishing with 54 rebounds compared to Utah State’s 26. That is a massive difference and likely the main reason Arizona won the game.

Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Utah State Aggies forward Adlan Elamin (35) defends against Arizona Wildcats forward Ivan Kharchenkov (8) in the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

They had 22 offensive rebounds, which means they kept getting second chances over and over again. Even when they missed easy shots, they got the ball back. That wears teams down and wins games in March Madness.

This is Arizona’s identity. They don’t have to shoot amazing shots to win because they create more possessions than their opponent.

Motiejus Krivas Doesn’t Need Big Stats to Be the MVP

One niche part of this game that really stood out was how important Motiejus Krivas was, even though his stat line didn’t look crazy. He altered shots, grabbed rebounds, tipped balls out, and created second-chance points all night.

He was basically the reason Utah State couldn’t score inside consistently. Players like that don’t always show up in the box score, but they win tournament games. Arizona doesn’t need him to score 20 points. They need him to control the paint, and that’s exactly what he did.

Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Utah State Aggies forward Garry Clark (11) shoots against Arizona Wildcats center Motiejus Krivas (13) in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Arizona Looked Like a One Seed

A lot of people will say Arizona didn’t look dominant because the game got close. I actually disagree. I think they looked exactly like a one-seed team that didn’t play its best game, but still controlled most of it and won comfortably in the end.

Good teams don’t have to be perfect. They just have to survive and advance. And that’s exactly what Arizona did. If they keep rebounding like this and playing in the paint, they will be very hard to beat moving forward.

Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd reacts in the first half against the Utah State Aggies during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Arizona may not have played perfectly, but they played like themselves, and that’s why they’re going to the Sweet Sixteen.