By all accounts, Arizona had a warm welcome to the Big 12, finishing third its first year in the league. After advancing to the conference tournament title game against Houston, the Wildcats now turn their sights to the Big Dance. Arizona has earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, getting the No. 4 seed in the East Region.
The No. 4 seed Arizona Wildcats (22-12) will open play on Friday against No. 13 Akron in the East Region in Seattle, Washington. The game tips at 4:35 PM MST/PDT, and will be televised on TRUTV. It is the fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance for Arizona under head coach Tommy Lloyd.
The Zips (28-6) took home the MAC regular season title, and followed it up with their second-straight MAC Tournament Championship.
The other side of Arizona’s pod in Seattle features former Pac-12 rival and No. 5 Oregon against No. 12 Liberty. If the Wildcats can advance out of the first weekend, they will play in the East Regional in Newark, NJ, likely against No. 1 Duke and freshman phenom Cooper Flagg. The Wildcats hosted Duke at the McKale Center in the non-conference schedule, falling 69-55 against the Blue Devils.
As far as Tommy Lloyd is concerned heading into the tournament, he says his squad is ready to go:
“The moment we shower, leave this locker room, it’s onto the next thing. We’re excited to be participating in the NCAA Tournament. It’s an honor, it’s something you should never take for granted.”
Lloyd added on Saturday in Kansas City, “Put us at a 13-seed, we’ll be fine. We can’t wait until Thursday, let’s go!”