Watch Guide for Arizona's Big 12 Tournament Semifinal Matchup
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No. 2 Arizona emerged victorious in its first game of the 2026 Big 12 Tournament, taking down No.8-seed UCF 81-59 for its second win over the Knights this season.
As a reward, the Wildcats will face Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals on Friday, setting up the second meeting in the last 10 days between the two top-10 opponents.
See you tomorrow 🐻⬇️ pic.twitter.com/yEwbxuzDho
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) March 12, 2026
How To Watch
Matchup: Arizona (30-2) vs. Iowa State (27-6)
Round: Big 12 Tournament Semifinals
Date: Friday, March 13
Estimated Tip: 5 p.m. MST
Location: T-Mobile Center (Kansas City, MO)
TV: ESPN
Keys to the Game
Defense, defense, defense. As I've mentioned throughout the season, Arizona is at its best when it is excelling in the pillars of its DNA, and that's exactly how the Wildcats have used to have success so far this year and get to where they are. Defense is chief among those pillars, as Arizona has proven to be a juggernaut in that area at times this year.
It will be especially paramount against the Cyclones, who average over 82 points per game and have won each of their last three games by at least 21 points, including a blowout of No. 16 Texas Tech on Thursday. Arizona came through on the defensive end of the floor in their only previous meeting, holding Iowa State to a season-low 57 points.
For the seniors 🐻⬇️ pic.twitter.com/yfd9yZTq49
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) March 3, 2026
However, that game was at home in Tucson, where Arizona had a bit of an advantage from the crowd. This time around, Iowa State has the advantage. The Cyclones are the closer team to Kansas City, and the venue's location lends more to the traditional Big 12 schools than those added via recent expansion. Overcoming that is no easy task.
"These early round games can be kind of a sterile environment unless you're playing in your backyard and have your entire fanbase there," head coach Tommy Lloyd said after Thursday's win. "...It just didn't feel like we had a great presence in the arena today. When that happens, it needs to become all about us. We need to internalize and band together and become a much stronger unit. We need to create energy for each other and draw energy off each other in these situations."
Again, great defense is something that can help Arizona achieve that, and there may be no greater challenge than attempting to keep Iowa State's leading scorer Milan Momcilovic at bay. In their first meeting, the Wildcats did exactly that, keeping him to just five points while shooting 25% from the field.
Neither team has great three-point shooting numbers, but Momcilovic shoots 50% from beyond the arc, making him priority No. 1 for the defense.
It's also important that Arizona get off to a faster start than it did Thursday. It was able to overcome that against UCF, but Iowa State will smother you quickly, and that's been extremely evident in their two Big 12 Tournament games so far.
_(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.