NCAA Basketball: UConn, Iowa State, Auburn rise in latest top 25 power rankings
By Joey Loose
7. Arizona (25-8)
Tommy Lloyd has been very successful since taking over this Arizona program back in 2021. The Wildcats have been the best program in the Pac-12 during that time, something that’s certainly continued into this season. At the same time, the Wildcats have had some head scratching performances this season during league play, dropping five games against their Pac-12 foes. Still, they did enough to win another regular season title in the final year of the Pac-12.
The top-seed in the Pac-12 Tournament, Arizona got their week started in style on Thursday with a 70-49 win over USC in the quarterfinals. Avenging a wild upset from last weekend, the Wildcats got 15 points from KJ Lewis and another double-double from Oumar Ballo. Unfortunately, their quest for another tournament title ended with a 67-59 loss to Oregon in the semifinals. Ballo had 14 points and 12 rebounds, though Arizona struggled shooting and with turnovers in the upset.
The Wildcats put up some nice numbers this season and played well against tough competition throughout the year. At the same time, they had some disappointing outings that cannot be forgotten. After all, this program did get upset by a 15-seed in the opening round last season. Lloyd and company can’t play flat next week or history may repeat itself, though this is a behemoth when they’re on their game.