3 reasons why Arizona men’s basketball will or won’t make the Final Four

A new year is upon us, bringing hope, anticipation and … anxiety about how the Arizona men’s basketball season will unravel.

November and December couldn’t have gone any better for Tommy Lloyd’s Wildcats, who are 13-0 and off to the program’s best start in more than a decade. It’s been nothing short of a dream season up to this point.

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With January here and the start of Big 12 play is days away, attention turns to what this uber talented group can achieve come the postseason.

Arizona has already proven it belongs in the top tier of college basketball by beating the likes of Florida, UCLA, UConn, Alabama and Auburn in non-conference play. Human rankings and computer metrics agree that this is one of, if not the best team in the country through the first two months.

As nice as it is to see a No. 1 ranking next to Arizona’s name in early January, what matters most around here is what the Wildcats accomplish come March. The calendar flipping to 2026 is a reminder that it’s now been 25 years since Arizona last made the Final Four.

Forty-four other programs have made a Final Four appearance in that span. Arizona, the sixth-winningest program in the 21st century, is a whole generation removed from reaching that achievement.

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Here are three reasons why Arizona will or won’t break through and make the Final Four in 2026.

Why Arizona will make the Final Four

Battle tested

It’s hard to imagine any team in the country will be better prepared for the level of competition in the NCAA Tournament than Arizona given the UA’s non-conference schedule and the matchups that lie ahead in Big 12 play. No team in modern college basketball history has won five of its first nine games against ranked opponents until Arizona did it this year. Four of those wins were away from home, including three on neutral courts.

Lloyd intentionally goes for an aggressive out-of-conference schedule to give his team a feel for what they’ll encounter in March Madness. Even if…

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Publish date : 2026-01-01 10:00:00

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