How Return of 'Winning Things' Can Spur Arizona Forward
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It appears No. 4 Arizona is back to its winning ways after back-to-back impressive wins over ranked opponents following a brief two-game losing streak. The latest triumph was a huge road victory over No. 2 Houston, allowing the Wildcats to establish control of the Big 12 entering the final two weeks of conference play.
It would've been easy to fold at the first sign of struggle. Many programs do. But that's never been the case for Arizona, and that's helped drive the current group through the rough patch.
"The message was simple: winning things," head coach Tommy Lloyd said postgame. "Get back to winning things and the things that drive winning. Don't be result-oriented. Lock into a process."
Arizona's Winning Ways
The Wildcats have displayed their winning formula throughout the season, rattling off 23 straight wins before suffering a single defeat. In that time, they collected six wins over top-25 teams (at game time) rather dominantly. They relied on a small group of veterans like Tobe Awaka, Jaden Bradley, and Anthony Dell'Orso, mixed with breakout young stars like Brayden Burries and Koa Peat, as well as a blend of athleticism, toughness, and high-level execution.
But once the gauntlet produced its biggest tests with teams that had similar personnel and styles that clashed, Arizona wasn't quite up for the task. They got bullied inside by Kansas and Texas Tech and took some critical hits in the personnel department, losing Peat and fellow freshman Dwayne Aristode for multiple games.
"We wanted to get back into our habits and what drives winning," Lloyd added. "We've kind of had to change how we play a little bit over the last couple of games, not just because we're playing Houston, but we're a little banged up. We have a couple of really good players who aren't playing right now. Those guys that are playing are doing a great job making adjustments and just finding a way to win. It can get really out of control in this conference, and for us to steady the ship, it really says a lot about the guys within our program."
NO QUIT. ALL GRIT. pic.twitter.com/hIVl1UWswP
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) February 21, 2026
Arizona has definitely gotten back to that in its recent wins over BYU and Houston, competitively rebounding against both teams, defending at an exceptional level, winning the turnover battles, and executing the offense in all phases. The Wildcats even controlled the paint without Peat on Saturday, outscoring Houston 38-20.
"There's a lot of ways a game like this gives you a boost. Number one is just confidence and belief and the will to find a way. It keeps you in the hunt for a conference championship, which is obviously important, and I'm sure this win doesn't look bad when you're looking at our resume, and it comes down to seeding and matchups in the Tournament. "
Selection Committee Speaks
The Wildcats are almost guaranteed a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, coming in at No. 3 overall when the Selection Committee revealed its current top 16 seeds on Saturday morning. That's another nice confidence boost, but the seeding won't matter unless it keeps winning. The Wildcats haven't been to the Final Four in 25 years, so while a conference title would be nice, the ultimate goal is much greater.
"Obviously, we want to win the Big 12, but what's really cool about being in the Big 12 is you can finish second or third and still win a national championship," Lloyd said. "The conference is that strong. We've put ourselves in a position to be in position. Now, you've got to go take advantage of it."
Arizona's continued execution in its "winning things" will determing how well it can take advantage of its opportunities, and if it stays at the level of the last two games, the Wildcats will be hard to stop.
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_(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.