In which seed is Arizona placed in the NCAA Tournament?
The Arizona Wildcats are back in March Madness as a second seed in the 68-team field. Led by Tommy Lloyd, they have clinched the No. 2 seed in the West region and will play against Long Beach State, the Big West champion, in the first round on Thursday afternoon in Salt Lake City. Fans can bet on Arizona sports for this highly anticipated game.
The Wildcats finished the season with a 25-8 record, falling to Oregon 67-59 in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals. On the other hand, The Beach performed well in their conference tournament, beating UC Riverside (86-67), UC Irvine (83-79), and UC Davis (74-70) to clinch their first NCAA Tournament berth in 12 years.
The Beach will be competing in the tournament soon following the school’s announcement of the departure of longtime head coach Don Monson. Monson, a veteran of CBB, had been with the program since 2006 and was granted the opportunity to complete the year before stepping down from his position.
After a five-year gap, LBSU will face off against Arizona once again. The Wildcats have emerged victorious in all seven prior meetings with The Beach, boasting their largest victory in 2019 (104-67) and their narrowest in 2015 (85-70).
yengols.com has been monitoring the Wildcats’ NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament seeding odds all year. With Arizona’s season now over, this week’s update focuses on their upcoming opening game in the Big Dance.
Will Arizona reach the Final Four for the first time since 2001?
Since the mid-1980s when the NCAA Tournament field expanded to 64 teams, the Wildcats have been a No. 2 seed on eight occasions. Arizona has advanced to the Sweet 16 or further in five of those instances, but has also suffered early exits in the first round twice (against Santa Clara in 1993 and Princeton in 2023) and in the second round to Alabama in 1990.
Arizona has been knocked out in the Sweet 16 on two occasions, losing to Seton Hall in 1991 and Xavier in 2017. They have also experienced defeats in the Elite Eight as a 2nd seed against Wisconsin in 2015 and in the Final Four to Arkansas in 1994.
In 2001, Arizona suffered their lone loss in the championship game as a 2nd seed, falling to Duke. Coach Lute Olson’s team was defeated by Coach K and the Blue Devils with a final score of 82-72, concluding a remarkable March Madness journey on a disappointing note for the Wildcats.
This year, Lloyd and Arizona are hoping to begin their March Madness journey with a strong start on Thursday. Arizona is heavily favored, with a 20.5-point spread on bet365 and a -3500 moneyline in favor of the Wildcats, compared to +1800 for The Beach.
If Arizona wins against LBSU, they will move on to play either Dayton or Nevada in the next round. The Wildcats’ bracket also features Baylor, Clemson, New Mexico, and possibly the underdog team Colgate as the 14th seed.
Lloyd and the Wildcats are determined to avenge their first round loss as a 2nd seed last year. The Princeton Tigers shocked everyone with a 59-55 upset over Arizona, leaving the season on a disappointing note in the Old Pueblo.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Arizona Wildcats NCAA Tournament Seedings
Author
With over seven years of experience in sports and sports betting in Arizona, Peterson Christopher is now the lead writer at yengols.com. He has also contributed to ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly, and the Green Valley News.
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