Unusual Way Arizona Declared NCAA Tournament Favorite Revealed

The Arizona Wildcats are amongst the favorites to win the NCAA Tournament, and some pundits in the college basketball realm are showing supreme confidence in the team.

Ahead of Arizona’s first NCAA Tournament game — where the 1-seed Wildcats will take on the 16-seed Long Island Sharks — Charles Barkley shared a rather up-front way of saying he believes the Wildcats will win the national title.

Barkley Going With Arizona

Mar 14, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd cuts the net after a win over the Houston Cougars during the men's Big 12 Conference Tournament Championship at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

“This isn’t March Madness, this is an Arizona a**-kicking invitational,” Barkley said.

Barkley's comments reflect his confidence in the Wildcats to emerge as the champions this year. Arizona boasts quite an impressive resume entering the tournament, making Chuck’s bold prediction seem less hyperbolic.

Mar 14, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Jaden Bradley (0) drives to the hoop past Houston Cougars guard Milos Uzan (7) during the first half during the men's Big 12 Conference Tournament Championship at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Arizona’s Resume

The Wildcats currently hold a 31-2 record overall, with both losses coming in the same week during the regular season after a 23-0 start. They won the Big 12 Tournament with ease, taking down UCF, Iowa State, and Houston in the process. Additionally, the Wildcats have 12 wins over ranked opponents, and have 16 quad 1 victories, and 8 quad 2 wins.

Mar 14, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) drives to the hoop past Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings (4) during the first half during the men's Big 12 Conference Tournament Championship at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Arizona has been ranked inside the top five in the AP Poll for a vast majority of the season, including spending nine-straight weeks holding the No. 1 spot. They’ve also been one of the top teams in the KenPom and NET rankings as well.

Some notable teams that they’ve beaten include: Florida, UConn, Alabama, UCLA, UCF twice, Kansas, BYU twice, Iowa State twice, and Houston twice, one of which Arizona was without Koa Peat. They’ve shown they can beat just about anyone this season, and as such have consistently been ranked as one of the favorites to win it all for quite some time.

Mar 12, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Tobe Awaka (30) drives around UCF Knights center Jeremy Foumena (0) during the first half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

They tote one of the most unique rosters in the entire sport as well, being led by a mix of veteran talent such as Jaden Bradley — who also won Big 12 Player of the Year — as well as standout freshmen such as Brayden Burries and Peat, both of whom could be first-round picks in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Mar 14, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona Wildcats center Motiejus Krivas (13) and forward Koa Peat (10) high-five during the second half against the Houston Cougars during the men's Big 12 Conference Tournament Championship at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

They’ll be looking to take care of business against Long Island on Friday and advance to the Round of 32, where they’ll face off with the winner of Villanova vs. Utah State.

The Wildcats have proven all season that they are one of the most dangerous teams in the country, and they’ll look to continue to show everyone that throughout the NCAA Tournament as they go for their second national title in program history.