NCAA Final Four: What each player on Arizona must do to reach championship game

In reaching its first Final Four since 2001, Arizona has regularly used eight players who have each made significant contributions to this historic season. All eight have led the Wildcats in scoring at least once, and seven have topped the 20-point mark.

On any given night, one of those eight could be the key to victory for the UA. But as the games get harder, it’s also necessary for each to play their part if surviving and advancing.

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Here’s what each mention of Arizona’s 8-man rotation must do in Saturday’s national semifinal against Michigan in order to reach the NCAA title game:

Jaden Bradley

Be the floor leader

The Big 12 Player of the Year is averaging 13.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists during the NCAA tourney, more or less on part with his regular season numbers. But raw stats weren’t what got him the conference POY award and a spot on both the Big 12 All-Tournament Team and West All-Region Team.

It’s Bradley’s ability to control how Arizona’s offense is run, not make mistakes on defense and, when the Wildcats need a big shot, drain it. Whether it’s the buzzer beater to knock off Iowa State in the Big 12 semifinals or a late bucket to hold off a surging opponent, Bradley always manages to come up in the clutch and he made need to do so again.

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Brayden Burries

Score at all 3 levels

Burries is averaging 17.8 points per game in the tourney, his 23 against Arkansas in the Sweet 16 one off the school freshman record for an NCAA game (24 by Marcus Williams in 2006). He’s shooting 57.9 percent overall but making 68.4 percent of his 3s and is 14 of 17 from the foul line.

There were some rushed shots in the first half against Purdue, reminiscent of the start of his college career when Burries shot 33.3 percent overall and 29.4 percent from 3 in his first five games. But no one has had more 20-point games than Burries, with 14, and that’s due to his ability to hit from outside, get to the rim and finish and make his foul…

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Publish date : 2026-03-31 19:00:00

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