Main Factor That Led Arizona to Round of 64 Victory

Not only did the Arizona Wildcats cruise to a dominant win over Long Island to advance to the Round of 32, but they dispelled one of their biggest narratives in the process

Many critics of Arizona have pointed to the team’s lack of three-point shooting. All season long, the Wildcats have dominated opponents down low, and haven’t been known to be a team that will light you up from beyond the arc, a rarity in today’s game where the three-point shot is prioritized so heavily.

Mar 19, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd during a press conference ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

On the season, Arizona attempts just 16.3 three-pointers per game as a team. That mark is by far the lowest in the Big 12 and is 358th in the entire country.

That ultimately hasn’t mattered so far this season, as Arizona holds a 33-2 record after their first round win over Long Island, with 16 Quad 1 wins, and a sweep of the Big 12 regular season and conference tournament titles.

Mar 13, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Anthony Dell'orso (3) shoots the ball over Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey (3) during the first half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The team does have shooters. Brayden Burries, Anthony Dell’Orso, and Jaden Bradley are all very capable three-point shooters. Nonetheless, Arizona has made its mark by dominating opponents on the interior, and besides, why go away from what got you to this point?

Arizona’s first-round opponent also fell for the three-point shooting narrative. Ahead of the game, Long Island head coach Rod Strickland noted the Wildcats’ lack of three-point shooting.

Mar 20, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; LIU Sharks head coach Rod Strickland reacts in the first half against the Arizona Wildcats during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

“Watching those guys, they're going to be physical. Not a great 3-point shooting team. So they kind of compensate by doing a lot of other things. They offensive rebound. They get out in transition. They're going to play a lot of high-low, a lot of duck-ins,” Strickland said.

Mar 20, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) shoots against LIU Sharks forward Mason Porter-Brown (6) in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Strickland found out really quickly just how wrong his statement was. Arizona shot 6 for 10 from three-point territory in the first half to give themselves a 53-29 lead going into the halftime break. They would go just 0-2 from downtown in the second half, but the damage was already done, and the Wildcats proved they can shoot the ball when they need to.

Arizona will take on Utah State in the Round of 32 this weekend. The Wildcats are already considered one of the favorites to hoist the trophy at the end of the tournament, but if they continue to shoot it as they did in the first half against Long Island, it makes their quest towards their second national title in program history that much easier.