Arizona to Final Four
Arizona stormed past Purdue 79-64 to reach its first Final Four in 25 years — the Wildcats are 36-2 and have won every tournament game by double digits this March Madness run (cbssports.com) (espn.com) (x.com). Coach Tommy Lloyd now has 148 wins in five seasons — the most for any Division I coach in his first five years — and freshman Koa Pete scored 20+ in both the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, sending his NBA draft stock soaring (cbssports.com) (x.com).
The men’s Final Four will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, with national semifinal games scheduled for April 4 and the championship set for April 6, 2026. (lucasoilstadium.com) Against Arkansas in the Sweet 16, Arizona became the first team in NCAA tournament history to have six players score at least 14 points in a single tournament game, a balance driven by Brayden Burries’ 23 points and a 21-point effort from freshman Koa Peat. (espn.com) Peat, a consensus five‑star recruit listed at 6‑foot‑8 and 235 pounds from Chandler, Arizona, has averaged roughly 14–15 points and 5.5 rebounds this season and is scoring 17.5 points per game in Arizona’s NCAA Tournament run so far. (espn.com) The Sweet 16 contest produced 197 combined points and featured the ejection of Arkansas forward Billy Richmond III, underscoring how physical and open the matchup was at SAP Center. (foxsports.com) Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd signed a reported five‑year extension in 2025 that included a $4.4 million base salary for the 2025‑26 and 2026‑27 seasons, a contract that carried heightened expectations heading into Indianapolis. (sportingnews.com) Illinois punched the other confirmed Final Four ticket by beating Iowa 71‑59 in the South regional final, marking the Fighting Illini’s first trip to the national semifinals since 2005. (espn.com)
