One Key Trait Has Arizona Primed for Sweet 16 Run
March is a chaotic month for college basketball teams. The players are juggling tournament games with their class schedules, film studies, practices, and the overall demands of being a student-athlete, while the coaching staff prepares the team to play games and puts a successful product on the floor.
Much of that can be overwhelming, but there's a certain calmness that emanates from championship contenders at this time of year, and it oozed out of Arizona as it clinched a spot in the West Region's Sweet 16.
Sweet 16 🔜 pic.twitter.com/1F6y8QFe4S
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) March 23, 2026
Arizona's Calmness
It's not exactly what you'd expect from a team with such a young playing rotation, but those within the program have raved about the maturity its players have shown all season. Now, the three freshmen who play regular roles in said rotation are going through the NCAA Tournament for the first time, leaning on their experienced teammates. But they've hardly missed a beat, especially guard Brayden Burries.
Burries has had a phenomenal season, leading the Wildcats in scoring as a freshman. He's continued to make a difference in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 17 points and seven rebounds through his first two games.
BRAYDEN BURRIES, ARE YOU SERIOUS?
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 23, 2026
Big time clutch jumper from the freshman! @ArizonaMBB pic.twitter.com/A2YGqiwGoB
"He's very mature for his age and for a freshman," senior backcourt mate Jaden Bradley told the media after Sunday's win over Utah State. "You look at him, you'll never know the score, if he's having a great game, or if he's having a rough game."
"Kudos to him. He's having a great season. Offensively, he's a team's worst nightmare. He can shoot it from all three levels, and he can defend, so he's defininitely a great piece to have."
Playing alongside someone like Bradley probably makes it easier for the freshman to adjust, but that cold-blooded yet calm attitude is really just a common trait they share.
"I think Brayden's a winner, and he has ultimate confidence," head coach Tommy Lloyd added. "It's been a joy to coach him. He's a laid-back kind of unassuming guy, but he has a killer in him, and that's a beautiful attribute. There's nothing wrong with being a great human being off the court and a killer on it. He definitely has that combination."
Bradley is a great example for Burries and the rest of the team to emulate during the tournament. He's turned in a great season as the Big 12's Player of the Year, which surprised some people, and he goes about his business with about as calm a demeanor as possible for a player of that caliber.
He's playing in his fourth NCAA Tournament, and, after reaching the Sweet 16 all four years, he's all in on getting the job done with his final chance.
JADEN BRADLEY WINS IT AT THE BUZZER FOR ARIZONA 🤯🤯🔥pic.twitter.com/EDGj00Fcyb
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 14, 2026
"I'm just trusting in my work," Bradley said. "I know my teammates believe in me. I've got great bigs that can get me open with ball screens and duck-ins and all that stuff. My teammates give me great space. [I'm] Just trusting in my work, trying to get to my spots and make plays."
Straight From the Source
Where does this sudden calmness in these chaotic times come from? Look no further than head coach Tommy Lloyd, who has set out to build his version of the Arizona program with a blend of the program's historic pillars and the additional principles he learned from 22 years as an assistant to Mark Few at Gonzaga, another coach with a very calm demeanor who has been extremely successful in March.
"When you're with a guy for 22 years, you learn a lot by osmosis, just how he handles himself," Lloyd said. "I think what's really cool about coaching basketball is there's so many different styles, and I think the most important thing is to be your authentic self. I don't want to be a guy who's constantly yelling and screaming and nagging. It's just not who I am."
Isn't that exactly what you want with the game on the line? The arenas are already loud, and any additional chaos can just lead to mistakes. Sure, many of the successful coaches in the sport have reputations for screaming, but when you really look at it, there's still a certain level of calmness when the game is on the line that comes from being there before.
Four Sweet 16’s in five years for Arizona under Tommy Lloyd.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 23, 2026
Wildcats get Arkansas next week in San Jose. https://t.co/FzTeY7rknY
Not only does Lloyd have it, but many of his players do, too, and it's spreading throughout the program. With so many formidable opponents remaining on the quest for a national championship, Arizona's calm demeanor may end up being the key difference.
_(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.