Arizona to Final Four
Arizona stormed into the Final Four with a 79–64 win over Purdue — they opened the second half on a 16–3 run and, remarkably, committed zero turnovers in the entire second half. (cbssports.com) Arizona is being framed as the tournament’s most complete team and the only remaining squad ranked top‑4 in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency. (cbssports.com)
Freshman Koa Peat paced Arizona with 20 points and was named the West Region’s Most Outstanding Player after the Elite Eight win. (cbssports.com) The Wildcats improved to 36–2 this season and reached the program’s first Final Four appearance since 2001, ending a 25‑year drought. (sports.yahoo.com) Arizona’s defense held Purdue to 38 percent shooting and stifled top assist man Braden Smith, limiting Purdue’s offense to one of its lowest outputs of the season. (cbssports.com) KenPom’s ratings show Arizona ranked among the nation’s elite on both ends — listed with an adjusted offensive rank of 4 and an adjusted defensive rank of 3 in the latest Pomeroy snapshot. (kenpom.com) Senior point guard Jaden Bradley entered the tournament as the Big 12 Player of the Year after a regular season in which he averaged about 13.4 points and 4.6 assists, league voters confirmed. (big12sports.com) Head coach Tommy Lloyd was the Big 12 Coach of the Year this season, and after the West final he climbed the ladder to cut the net in celebration as the Wildcats extended a season-high winning streak. (big12sports.com) The Elite Eight at SAP Center drew an announced crowd of 15,854, and Arizona arrives in Indianapolis on a 13-game winning streak that includes the regular-season Big 12 title and back-to-back dominant tournament wins. (espn.com)
