Arizona’s brutal blueprint
Arizona cruised into the Final Four with a 79-64 win over Purdue and sits at 36-2 — analysts are calling them the tournament favorite. They rank top‑4 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, take just 26.4% of shots from three, had zero turnovers in the entire second half vs. Purdue, and coach Tommy Lloyd has 148 wins in his first five seasons. (sports.yahoo.com) (podcasts.apple.com)
Freshman Koa Peat paced Arizona with 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists. (sports.yahoo.com) (sports.yahoo.com) Ivan Kharchenkov added 18 points while Oscar Cluff delivered a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double and four Arizona starters finished in double figures. (sports.yahoo.com) (sports.yahoo.com) The West Regional final was played at the SAP Center in San Jose on March 28, 2026. (apnews.com) (apnews.com) After the victory coach Tommy Lloyd climbed the ladder to cut down the net as Arizona fans chanted “Tommy.” (espn.com) (espn.com) Purdue’s season ended at 30-9, and its senior class closed with a school-record 117 wins. (purduesports.com) (purduesports.com) Senior guard Braden Smith finished his Purdue career as the NCAA’s all-time assists leader, a milestone he reached earlier in the tournament, and he posted 13 points and seven assists in the Elite Eight loss. (espn.com) (espn.com) Arizona will advance to the Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, with national semifinals set for April 4 and the championship game on April 6, 2026. (lucasoilstadium.com) (lucasoilstadium.com) Arizona’s starters logged heavy minutes—Oscar Cluff 39, Jaden Bradley 38 and Ivan Kharchenkov 38—highlighting the rotation Tommy Lloyd leaned on in the win. (sports.yahoo.com) (sports.yahoo.com)
