Arizona Clinches Big 12 Title
No. 2 Arizona Wildcats secured the Big 12 regular-season title outright with an impressive victory over Iowa State. Head coach Tommy Lloyd addressed critics, challenging the narrative that his team is "soft" as Arizona notched a statement win heading into March.
This marks the Wildcats' first-ever Big 12 regular-season title, accomplished in just their second year in the highly competitive conference. The championship is the third regular-season conference title in five years under head coach Tommy Lloyd. Arizona's defense was a key factor in their title-clinching 73-57 victory over Iowa State. The Wildcats held the Cyclones to a season-low 29.2% shooting from the field and just 23.3% from three-point range. The defensive effort was part of a dominant performance where Arizona led for nearly 35 minutes of the game. Head coach Tommy Lloyd directly challenged the "lazy" narrative that his team is "soft." He pointed to his team's consistent performance in key statistical areas, noting they have "always been a great rebounding team" and have "always pounded the paint." Against Iowa State, Arizona backed this up by out-rebounding them 40-33 and scoring 24 points in the paint to their 16. The Wildcats finished the regular season with a stellar 28-2 overall record and a 15-2 mark in the Big 12. This dominant performance has secured them the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament in Kansas City. With the conference title secured, Arizona now sets its sights on the NCAA Tournament. Projections from bracketologists like ESPN's Joe Lunardi have the Wildcats positioned as a No. 1 seed, with some analysts arguing they could even be the top overall seed.
