A look back at Arizona men’s basketball’s previous Final Four trips

Reaching college basketball’s Promised Land is the goal for any program. Winning at the Final Four is what cements a team in the annals of basketball history.

Arizona men’s basketball is in the Final Four for the fifth time in program history and the first since 2001. Arizona will be playing in its eight all-time Final Four game Saturday when it faces Michigan in Indianapolis.

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The UA is 3-3 at the Final Four, having made the national championship game three times and winning the title once in 1997. Here is a look back at Arizona’s previous trips to the Final Four.

2001

Arizona’s previous appearance in the Final Four came 25 years ago.

The Wildcats began the 2000-2001 NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest. The UA beat top seed Illinois in the Elite Eight to advance to the Final Four in Minneapolis.

In the semifinal game, Arizona faced reigning national champion and Michigan State, the No. 1 seed from the Southeast region. Despite entering the matchup as an underdog, Arizona blew the roofs off the Spartans, winning 80-61.

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Arizona, which never trailed the entire game, was led by sophomore Jason Gardner’s 21 points. Four other Wildcats scored double figures, including Richard Jefferson, who had 17 points.

Arizona faced Duke in the national title game. The Blue Devils, led by Shane Battier, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Jay Williams were the top seed in the East region.

A critical play came in the first half, when Williams collided with Jason Gardner. Williams, who had two fouls at the time of the play, got off with no-call to the ire of Arizona fans everywhere.

Arizona trailed by two at halftime kept the game close for most of the second half. However, each time the Wildcats got the score within one possession, the Blue Devils responded. Duke pulled away for an 80-72 win, handing Arizona a heartbreaking defeat.

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The 2001 Final Four marked the capstone of an emotionally exhausting season for head coach Lute Olson, who lost his wife to…

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Publish date : 2026-04-01 12:00:00

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