Selection Committee Reveals Level of Respect for Wildcats
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Arizona's recent losing streak may have knocked the Wildcats from the No.1 ranking and the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament for now, but the team is still in a great position as February winds down.
Until now, most bracket updates have just been expert predictions and educated guesses, but on Saturday, the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee provided its annual peek at the current top-16 teams in the field, revealing exactly where Arizona and other teams stand.
Arizona's Current NCAA Tournament Standing
Entering play on Saturday, the Wildcats were revealed as the No. 3 overall team in the Committee's current field of 68, claiming one of four regional No. 1 seeds along with Michigan (Midwest), Duke (East), and Iowa State (South). As it stands, Arizona would be the top seed in the West region, traveling to San Diego for the first weekend and playing potential Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games in San Jose.
The Committee revealed its top four seeds in each region and grouped Arizona with No. 2-seed Purdue (No. 8 overall), No. 3-seed Gonzaga (No. 12 overall), and No. 4-seed Michigan State (No. 14 overall). That's a combination of four great basketball programs, including the Wildcats in one region.
The Top 16 seeds in bracket form 👀
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Arizona has not played any of those three teams this season, but it sets up some interesting matchups. Head coach Tommy Lloyd came from Gonzaga and was an assistant there the last time they met in 2019. Taking down the Zags would add to a bit of a redemption arc as the Wildcats aim to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2001.
Those teams fared well against Michigan State and Purdue, knocking out the Spartans in the 2001 national semifinal and taking down the Boilermakers later that fall. Arizona has not beaten Purdue since, but it has faced Michigan State three times since then, winning the two most recent meetings.
Not a Done Deal
This is, of course, just a preview of where things stand from the Committee and is subject to change as the remainder of the season unfolds. There are still over three weeks until Selection Sunday, and Arizona and the others could move up and down the seed lines until then.
Arizona reaffirmed its grip on a No. 1 seed and the top spot in the Big East with a huge win over No. 2 Houston on Saturday, but its schedule remains difficult, with two of the top-16 seeds left to play. The door to the No. 1 overall seed is still open after Duke's win over Michigan this weekend, and wins for the Wildcats in those games would make a strong case, especially if either the Wolverines or the Blue Devils lose again.
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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.