Head coach: Sean Miller, ninth year at Arizona (340-112 overall, 220-65 at UA)
Brass tacks: 32-4 overall, 16-2 in Pac-12
Bona fides: Pac-12 regular season co-champion, Pac-12 Tournament champion
Signature wins: Nov. 11 vs. Michigan State, 65-63; Jan. 21 at UCLA, 96-85; March 10 vs. UCLA, 86-75; March 11 vs. Oregon, 83-80
Lamentable losses: Nov. 25 vs. Butler, 69-65; Dec. 3 vs. Gonzaga, 69-62; Feb. 4 at Oregon, 85-58; Feb. 25 vs. UCLA, 77-72
Key players: G Allonzo Trier (16.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.5 apg); G Kadeem Allen (9.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.1 apg); G Rawle Alkins (11.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.0 apg); F Lauri Markkanen (15.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg); C Dusan Ristic (10.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg)
Strengths: Impressive inside-outside balance, with three capable backcourt scorers, and one of the country’s best down-low duos. … Trier’s return gave the Wildcats’ offense an instant boost and turned them into a contender. … Best seasoned depth in Miller’s Arizona tenure, nine-deep, with Chance Comanche, Keanu Pinder, Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Kobi Simmons appearing ready to contribute when called upon.
Weaknesses: The Wildcats are prone to offensive lapses for extended periods, particularly when tempo gets dictated by the opponent. … Miller has struggled in tournament play with rotations and trusting his bench. … Can they get over the Elite 8 psychological humps?
The way to San Jose: The Wildcats had arguably the best opening-round win with a 100-82 smashing of North Dakota, but things were a little tougher in the Round of 32. Saint Mary’s was a formidable foe, but Arizona finally pulled away late in the 69-60 victory.
