Between a dominant non-conference gauntlet and an impressive run through the Big 12 regular season and tournament, the prospect of Tommy Lloyd’s squad earning a top seed in the NCAA Tournament felt more and more like a when, not an if, over the past few weeks. On Sunday, that feeling became a reality. The Arizona Wildcats are the No. 1 seed in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament.
Arizona will face Long Island University (LIU) in the first round in San Diego. The game tips off on Friday, March 20 at 10:35 AM PT/MST at Viejas Arena. The Wildcats have opened as 29.5-point favorites over the Sharks.
Arizona (32-2) enter the Big Dance having won its last nine games, which include ranked wins over BYU and Kansas, as well as two pairs of top 10 wins over Iowa State and Houston, including one over the Cougars for the Big 12 Tournament Championship in Kansas City.
Long Island (24-10) swept the Northeast Conference regular season and tournament titles and is coached by former NBA star Rod Strickland, who spent 17 years in the league. The Sharks last appearance in the NCAA Tourney came in 2018.
The Wildcats and Sharks have met once before, back in 1951, with Arizona winning 62-61 at Bear Down Gym.
If the Wildcats win on Friday, they will face the winner of No. 8 Villanova and No. 9 Utah State on Sunday. A win would clinch the UA’s third straight Sweet 16 appearance and fourth in five seasons. The West Regional will be held in San Jose, where Arizona could face No. 4 Arkansas, No. 5 Wisconsin, No. 12 High Point (and former UA guard Conrad Martinez), or No. 13 Hawaii.
If the Wildcats make it to the Elite 8, it could mean Tommy Lloyd would have to face his longtime mentor and friend Mark Few and the No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs, or No. 2 Purdue, which defeated 1-seed Michigan in the Big 10 Tournament on Sunday. Other possible Elite 8 matchups include a third meeting with potential No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa and No. 6 BYU, or No. 11 Texas, which is in the First Four and led by former Arizona head coach Sean Miller.
Arizona has now been the NCAA Tournament in all five seasons under Tommy Lloyd. It’s also second No. 1 seed the Arizona Wildcats have earned under head coach Lloyd, which also began with a trip to San Diego and Viejas Arena.
The rest of the West Region quadrant includes the following:
- No. 1 – Arizona
- No. 2 – Purdue
- No. 3 – Gonzaga
- No. 4 – Arkansas
- No. 5 – Wisconsin
- No. 6 – BYU
- No. 7 – Miami (FL)
- No. 8 – Villanova
- No. 9 – Utah State
- No. 10 – Missouri
- No. 11 – Texas/NC State
- No. 12 – High Point
- No. 13 – Hawaii
- No. 14 – Kennesaw State
- No. 15 – Queens (N.C.)
- No. 16 – Long Island