The Arizona Wildcats will open NCAA Tournament play at 6:20 p.m. tonight, when they take on Wichita State at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The UA is a No. 6 seed, while the Shockers are seeded 11th.Β
Tonight's game will be televised on TNT, which is Ch. 29 on Cox, 36 on Comcast, 245 on DirecTV and 138 on Dish Network. Away from the TV? Brian Jeffries will call the game on 1290-AM and 107.5-FM.Β
Click on the attached links for the Star's coverage from Providence.Β
Scouting report: No. 6 seed Arizona vs. No. 11 seed Wichita State
Prepare for Thursday's game against Wichita State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament with Bruce Pascoe's in-depth scouting report.Β
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Probable starters for ArizonaΒ
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Probable starters for Wichita StateΒ
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Arizona's key player: Gabe YorkΒ
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Wichita State's key player: Fred VanVleetΒ
Suddenly, Arizona is the uptempo team facing the dogged defenders.
Arizona guard is the latest in line of star UA freshmen. Will he stay to be a sophomore?
Two reasons to worry about every opposing NCAA coachΒ
1. Fifteenth-seeded Santa Clara stunned No. 2 Arizona in a 1993 first-round game in Salt Lake City. The Broncos were coached by Dick Davey, who was in his first year as a head coach. He previously served 20 years as an assistant at Cal and Santa Clara. Career highlight: the Pacific alumnus was a .172-hitting minor league catcher in the San Francisco Giants system. He retired from coaching in 2013 after serving as a Stanford assistant.Β
Two reasons to worry about every opposing NCAA coachΒ
2. Fourteenth-seeded East Tennessee State rocked No. 3 Arizona in a 1992 first-round game in Atlanta. The Buccaneers were coached by Alan LeForce, whose name was often misspelled (LaForce), including in the game program that day. A graduate of Cumberland College, LeForce had been an assistant coach at Furman and head coach at College of Charleston. Four years after beating Arizona, he was fired by ETSU and for 16 years was the womenβs basketball coach at Coastal Carolina. He retired in 2013.Β
Arizona's most distant first-round NCAA venuesΒ
1. At Washington D.C., as a No. 10 seed in 2008. Whipped by a better West Virginia club, 75-65. End of the Kevin OβNeill experiment.Β
Arizona's most distant first-round NCAA venuesΒ
2. Philadelphia, as a No. 8 seed in 2006. The Wildcats bumped off a bad Wisconsin team in the opener but then faced the moment of truth, losing to hometown Villanova, the No. 1 seed, in an 82-78 classic.Β
Arizona's most distant first-round NCAA venuesΒ
3. Atlanta, as the No. 3 seed in 1992. Hard to imagine a No. 3 seed from the Pac-12 getting shipped to Georgia now, but 24 years ago the Wildcats hit the road and the road β and much-too-athletic East Tennessee State β smacked them in the first round, 87-80.Β
Arizona's most distant first-round NCAA venuesΒ
4. Memphis, as a No. 4 seed in 1997. Playing in the Pyramid in a first-round game against 13th-seeded South Alabama, the Wildcats trailed by eight with six minutes to go, then followed Miles Simon all the way to the national championship.Β
Two Wisconsin players who badgered Arizona in NCAAsΒ
1. Frank Kaminsky. In two Elite Eight games against Arizona, the 7-foot Wisconsin center scored 57 points and had 23 rebounds. He is probably the top UA opponent in NCAA Tournament history. Now Kaminsky is a backup center for the Charlotte Hornets; he started one of the clubβs first 63 games and is averaging 7.4 points per game.Β
Two Wisconsin players who badgered Arizona in NCAAsΒ
2. Sam Dekker. In a shooting performance to remember (or forget), Dekker hit seven 3-pointers and scored 28 points in the 2015 Elite Eight win over Arizona. Dekker required back surgery in November and has played in just three games for the Houston Rockets. Ironically, he has played in seven games for the D-Leagueβs Rio Grande Valley Vipers, whose head coach, Matt Brase, is Lute Olsonβs grandson and a former UA reserve forward from Catalina Foothills High School.Β
Five coaches Lute Olson met on the way to the big danceΒ
1.Β Bruce Pearl. The current head coach at Auburn was an assistant coach at Stanford in 1984-85.Β
Five coaches Lute Olson met on the way to the big danceΒ
2. Mike Dunlap. In Olsonβs first tournament season at Arizona, β84-85, Dunlap was an assistant at Loyola Marymount. Olson hired Dunlap in 2007, but never worked a season with him. Dunlap is now the head coach at LMU, which went 14-17 this year.Β
Five coaches Lute Olson met on the way to the big danceΒ
3. Henry Bibby. The father of Olsonβs future point guard All-American, Mike Bibby, was an assistant coach at Arizona State in the β84-85 season.Β
Five coaches Lute Olson met on the way to the big danceΒ
4. Lon Kruger. Arizona had a home-and-home series with Texas-Pan American in Olsonβs first two UA seasons. The Pan American coach and athletic director was Kruger, now the head coach at Oklahoma.Β
Five coaches Lute Olson met on the way to the big danceΒ
5. Nolan Richardson. In 1985 was head coach at Tulsa, which Olson beat in the yearβs second game. They later met in the 1994 Final Four, with Richardsonβs Arkansas Razorbacks winning 91-82.Β
Arizona's four best NCAA Tournament performancesΒ
1. Derrick Williams scored 32 points in the 2011 Sweet 16 to help chop down No. 1-seeded Duke 93-77. Williams had a career high five three-pointers and grabbed 13 rebounds.Β
Arizona's four best NCAA Tournament performancesΒ
2. Miles Simon scored 30 points in the 1997 championship game against Kentucky. Simon also scored 30 in an Elite Eight victory over Providence. In the win over Kentucky, Simon made 14 of 17 free throws.Β
Arizona's four best NCAA Tournament performancesΒ
3. Nic Wise. In an upset over No. 5-seeded Utah in a 2009 first-round game, the 5-foot, 10-inch UA point guard scored 29 points to help beat the Utes. Two days later, when Arizona qualified for the Sweet 16 with a win over Cleveland State, Wise scored 21 more.Β
Arizona's four best NCAA Tournament performancesΒ
4. Sean Elliott. Elliott scored 31 points in the 1988 Final Four loss to Oklahoma. He also had 11 rebounds. Elliott shot 13 for 23, while the rest of his teammates combined to shoot just 19 for 50.Β
Three Arizona NCAA performances that were almost forgottenΒ
1. Aaron Gordon notched a career-high 18 rebounds in a 2014 Elite Eight overtime loss to Wisconsin.Β
Three Arizona NCAA performances that were almost forgottenΒ
2. Guard Reggie Geary had 13 assists in a 1996 win over Iowa, moving Arizona to the Sweet 16. It is the highest assist total in the schoolβs postseason history. Geary also scored 16 points that day in Tempe.Β
Three Arizona NCAA performances that were almost forgottenΒ
3. In Arizonaβs first NCAA appearance under Olson in 1985, Arizona scored just 41 points in a 50-41 loss to Alabama. The Wildcats shot a woeful 29 percent, the lowest in their 85-game NCAA history.Β
Two Arizona NCAA records that are likely unbreakableΒ
1. Miles Simon scored 260 points. Only Sean Elliott, at 236, also exceeded 200. Now to get 200 points, any college player would likely need four years and at least 14 or 15 tournament games to challenge Simonβs total. What prolific scorer is going to stay in school that long?Β
Two Arizona NCAA records that are likely unbreakableΒ
2. Luke Walton β surprise β is Arizonaβs career assists leader in NCAA Tournament games. Walton had 67. In his two UA seasons, point guard T.J. McConnell had 35 assists.Β
Three biggest upsets in Pac-12 tournament history (not including Arizona)Β
1. No. 13 Princeton def. No. 4 UCLA, 1996. The Bruins were defending NCAA champions but lost 43-41.Β
Three biggest upsets in Pac-12 tournament history (not including Arizona)Β
2. No. 14 Siena def. No. 3 Stanford, 1989. In Mike Montgomeryβs rise to power at Stanford, the No. 3-seeded Cardinal were shocked by lowly Siena 80-78 in a first-round game.Β
Three biggest upsets in Pac-12 tournament history (not including Arizona)Β
3. No. 10 Lamar def. No. 2 Oregon State, 1980. It was the first of four first-round shockers for Ralph Millerβs Beaver teams, losing 81-77 to Lamar. Later, OSU lost to No. 12-seeded Ball State in 1990 and No. 11 Evansville in 1989. Worse, the No. 1-seeded Beavers were knocked out in the second round in 1981 by Kansas State. OSU had a bye in the first round that year.Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
1. UCLA: 143 games. Wins: 103Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
2. Arizona: 85 games. Wins: 54Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
3. Utah: 68 games. Wins: 37Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
4. Stanford: 39 games. Wins: 23Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
5. California: 38 games. Wins: 20Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
6. Washington: 35 games. Wins: 18Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
7. Oregon State: 31 games. Wins: 12Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
8. USC: 30 games. Wins: 11Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
9. Oregon: 28 games. Wins: 16Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
10. Arizona State: 28 games. Wins: 13Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
11. Colorado: 25 games. Wins: 10Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
12. Washington State: 12 games. Wins: 6Β
One reason the NCAA Tournament won't be played at McKale Center soonΒ
1. Sean Miller and Greg Byrne believe that by playing host to first- and second-round games, the UA will be sent further away from Tucson and fewer fans will travel. Tucson played host to NCAA games in a dozen seasons β 1974, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2005 and 2011. Many of the gameβs ranking names coached tournament games in Tucson, including John Wooden, Bobby Knight, Jerry Tarkanian and John Thompson. Tucson has been an NCAA host more times (12) than Phoenix (10). The NCAA has designated Western host sites for 2017 in Salt Lake City, Sacramento and San Jose, with Phoenix as the Final Four headquarters. In 2018, Western venues will be in Boise, San Diego and Los Angeles.Β
Four ways the tournament has changed since 1951
1. Arizonaβs first tournament appearance was 1951, in Kansas City. There were only two regions, the West and East.Β
Four ways the tournament has changed since 1951
2. It was single elimination. Arizona lost to Kansas State 61-59 in the opener.Β
Four ways the tournament has changed since 1951
3. Eight days earlier, Arizona played Dayton in the NIT in New York City, and also lost, 74-68.Β
Four ways the tournament has changed since 1951
4. San Jose State and Montana State were among the eight teams chosen to play in the West Region. Neither school played in a conference.Β
The common themes in UA's seven NCAA upset lossesΒ
1. 1989, UNLV. The one-guy-gets-hot factor. Guard Anderson Hunt scored a season-high 21 points, including five 3-pointers. In the next round, an Elite Eight loss to Seton Hall, Hunt shot 1 for 12.Β
The common themes in UA's seven NCAA upset lossesΒ
2. 1990, Alabama. The one-guy-disappears factor. Brian Williams did not score and had just two rebounds. A game earlier, in a first-round win over South Florida, Williams scored a team-high 27 points.Β
The common themes in UA's seven NCAA upset lossesΒ
3. 1992, East Tennessee State. Bad shooting. The Wildcats shot 36 percent. Matt Othick and Khalid Reeves combined to shoot 2 for 14.Β
The common themes in UA's seven NCAA upset lossesΒ
4. 1993, Santa Clara. Bad shooting, part II: Guards Reeves and Damon Stoudamire were 2 for 16 from the field. Arizona shot 31 percent.Β
The common themes in UA's seven NCAA upset lossesΒ
5. 1995, Miami (Ohio). Missing persons. Arizonaβs All-Pac-10 power forward Ben Davis was prohibited from playing for breaking NCAA rules, and center Joseph Blair was limited to three points in 14 minutes with an ankle injury.Β
The common themes in UA's seven NCAA upset lossesΒ
6. 1999, Oklahoma. Playing the other teamβs style. The go-fast Wildcats, who averaged almost 85 points a game, crawled in a 61-60 loss to the Sooners. Senior All-American Jason Terry had a sorry exit, shooting 4 for 17.Β
The common themes in UA's seven NCAA upset lossesΒ
7. 2000, Wisconsin. Being overrated. The Wildcats got a No. 1 seed even though 7-foot center Loren Woods missed the last six games with a back injury. Arizona started 6-6 Justin Wessel at center.Β
One man's picks for the Final FourΒ
1. Kansas. The Jayhawksβ four leading players are juniors and seniors. Their only bad loss was at Oklahoma State, but that was Jan. 19. Will be favored all the way.Β
One man's picks for the Final FourΒ
2. Virginia. Not a believer in Tony Bennettβs crawl-the-ball system, but all of the Cavaliersβ seven losses were away from home β close games β and their three double-figure scorers are juniors or seniors. Probably the toughest team to put away, and Virginia is due.Β
One man's picks for the Final FourΒ
3. Oregon. If all goes well for the Ducks, analysts like Jay Bilas and even Dick Vitale will βdiscoverβ just how potent UOβs offense is and that the Ducks are probably Americaβs most athletic team. Β
One man's picks for the Final FourΒ
4. Kentucky. Putting the March money on John Calipari until further notice.Β
Greg Hansen's Guide to the 2016 NCAA Tournament
Hansen tells you what to watch for during the 2016 NCAA Tournament.Β
Two reasons to worry about every opposing NCAA coachΒ
1. Fifteenth-seeded Santa Clara stunned No. 2 Arizona in a 1993 first-round game in Salt Lake City. The Broncos were coached by Dick Davey, who was in his first year as a head coach. He previously served 20 years as an assistant at Cal and Santa Clara. Career highlight: the Pacific alumnus was a .172-hitting minor league catcher in the San Francisco Giants system. He retired from coaching in 2013 after serving as a Stanford assistant.Β
Two reasons to worry about every opposing NCAA coachΒ
2. Fourteenth-seeded East Tennessee State rocked No. 3 Arizona in a 1992 first-round game in Atlanta. The Buccaneers were coached by Alan LeForce, whose name was often misspelled (LaForce), including in the game program that day. A graduate of Cumberland College, LeForce had been an assistant coach at Furman and head coach at College of Charleston. Four years after beating Arizona, he was fired by ETSU and for 16 years was the womenβs basketball coach at Coastal Carolina. He retired in 2013.Β
Arizona's most distant first-round NCAA venuesΒ
1. At Washington D.C., as a No. 10 seed in 2008. Whipped by a better West Virginia club, 75-65. End of the Kevin OβNeill experiment.Β
Arizona's most distant first-round NCAA venuesΒ
2. Philadelphia, as a No. 8 seed in 2006. The Wildcats bumped off a bad Wisconsin team in the opener but then faced the moment of truth, losing to hometown Villanova, the No. 1 seed, in an 82-78 classic.Β
Arizona's most distant first-round NCAA venuesΒ
3. Atlanta, as the No. 3 seed in 1992. Hard to imagine a No. 3 seed from the Pac-12 getting shipped to Georgia now, but 24 years ago the Wildcats hit the road and the road β and much-too-athletic East Tennessee State β smacked them in the first round, 87-80.Β
Arizona's most distant first-round NCAA venuesΒ
4. Memphis, as a No. 4 seed in 1997. Playing in the Pyramid in a first-round game against 13th-seeded South Alabama, the Wildcats trailed by eight with six minutes to go, then followed Miles Simon all the way to the national championship.Β
Two Wisconsin players who badgered Arizona in NCAAsΒ
1. Frank Kaminsky. In two Elite Eight games against Arizona, the 7-foot Wisconsin center scored 57 points and had 23 rebounds. He is probably the top UA opponent in NCAA Tournament history. Now Kaminsky is a backup center for the Charlotte Hornets; he started one of the clubβs first 63 games and is averaging 7.4 points per game.Β
Two Wisconsin players who badgered Arizona in NCAAsΒ
2. Sam Dekker. In a shooting performance to remember (or forget), Dekker hit seven 3-pointers and scored 28 points in the 2015 Elite Eight win over Arizona. Dekker required back surgery in November and has played in just three games for the Houston Rockets. Ironically, he has played in seven games for the D-Leagueβs Rio Grande Valley Vipers, whose head coach, Matt Brase, is Lute Olsonβs grandson and a former UA reserve forward from Catalina Foothills High School.Β
Five coaches Lute Olson met on the way to the big danceΒ
1.Β Bruce Pearl. The current head coach at Auburn was an assistant coach at Stanford in 1984-85.Β
Five coaches Lute Olson met on the way to the big danceΒ
2. Mike Dunlap. In Olsonβs first tournament season at Arizona, β84-85, Dunlap was an assistant at Loyola Marymount. Olson hired Dunlap in 2007, but never worked a season with him. Dunlap is now the head coach at LMU, which went 14-17 this year.Β
Five coaches Lute Olson met on the way to the big danceΒ
3. Henry Bibby. The father of Olsonβs future point guard All-American, Mike Bibby, was an assistant coach at Arizona State in the β84-85 season.Β
Five coaches Lute Olson met on the way to the big danceΒ
4. Lon Kruger. Arizona had a home-and-home series with Texas-Pan American in Olsonβs first two UA seasons. The Pan American coach and athletic director was Kruger, now the head coach at Oklahoma.Β
Five coaches Lute Olson met on the way to the big danceΒ
5. Nolan Richardson. In 1985 was head coach at Tulsa, which Olson beat in the yearβs second game. They later met in the 1994 Final Four, with Richardsonβs Arkansas Razorbacks winning 91-82.Β
Arizona's four best NCAA Tournament performancesΒ
1. Derrick Williams scored 32 points in the 2011 Sweet 16 to help chop down No. 1-seeded Duke 93-77. Williams had a career high five three-pointers and grabbed 13 rebounds.Β
Arizona's four best NCAA Tournament performancesΒ
2. Miles Simon scored 30 points in the 1997 championship game against Kentucky. Simon also scored 30 in an Elite Eight victory over Providence. In the win over Kentucky, Simon made 14 of 17 free throws.Β
Arizona's four best NCAA Tournament performancesΒ
3. Nic Wise. In an upset over No. 5-seeded Utah in a 2009 first-round game, the 5-foot, 10-inch UA point guard scored 29 points to help beat the Utes. Two days later, when Arizona qualified for the Sweet 16 with a win over Cleveland State, Wise scored 21 more.Β
Arizona's four best NCAA Tournament performancesΒ
4. Sean Elliott. Elliott scored 31 points in the 1988 Final Four loss to Oklahoma. He also had 11 rebounds. Elliott shot 13 for 23, while the rest of his teammates combined to shoot just 19 for 50.Β
Three Arizona NCAA performances that were almost forgottenΒ
1. Aaron Gordon notched a career-high 18 rebounds in a 2014 Elite Eight overtime loss to Wisconsin.Β
Three Arizona NCAA performances that were almost forgottenΒ
2. Guard Reggie Geary had 13 assists in a 1996 win over Iowa, moving Arizona to the Sweet 16. It is the highest assist total in the schoolβs postseason history. Geary also scored 16 points that day in Tempe.Β
Three Arizona NCAA performances that were almost forgottenΒ
3. In Arizonaβs first NCAA appearance under Olson in 1985, Arizona scored just 41 points in a 50-41 loss to Alabama. The Wildcats shot a woeful 29 percent, the lowest in their 85-game NCAA history.Β
Two Arizona NCAA records that are likely unbreakableΒ
1. Miles Simon scored 260 points. Only Sean Elliott, at 236, also exceeded 200. Now to get 200 points, any college player would likely need four years and at least 14 or 15 tournament games to challenge Simonβs total. What prolific scorer is going to stay in school that long?Β
Two Arizona NCAA records that are likely unbreakableΒ
2. Luke Walton β surprise β is Arizonaβs career assists leader in NCAA Tournament games. Walton had 67. In his two UA seasons, point guard T.J. McConnell had 35 assists.Β
Three biggest upsets in Pac-12 tournament history (not including Arizona)Β
1. No. 13 Princeton def. No. 4 UCLA, 1996. The Bruins were defending NCAA champions but lost 43-41.Β
Three biggest upsets in Pac-12 tournament history (not including Arizona)Β
2. No. 14 Siena def. No. 3 Stanford, 1989. In Mike Montgomeryβs rise to power at Stanford, the No. 3-seeded Cardinal were shocked by lowly Siena 80-78 in a first-round game.Β
Three biggest upsets in Pac-12 tournament history (not including Arizona)Β
3. No. 10 Lamar def. No. 2 Oregon State, 1980. It was the first of four first-round shockers for Ralph Millerβs Beaver teams, losing 81-77 to Lamar. Later, OSU lost to No. 12-seeded Ball State in 1990 and No. 11 Evansville in 1989. Worse, the No. 1-seeded Beavers were knocked out in the second round in 1981 by Kansas State. OSU had a bye in the first round that year.Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
1. UCLA: 143 games. Wins: 103Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
2. Arizona: 85 games. Wins: 54Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
3. Utah: 68 games. Wins: 37Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
4. Stanford: 39 games. Wins: 23Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
5. California: 38 games. Wins: 20Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
6. Washington: 35 games. Wins: 18Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
7. Oregon State: 31 games. Wins: 12Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
8. USC: 30 games. Wins: 11Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
9. Oregon: 28 games. Wins: 16Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
10. Arizona State: 28 games. Wins: 13Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
11. Colorado: 25 games. Wins: 10Β
How many times the Pac-12 teams have danced on the NCAA floorΒ
12. Washington State: 12 games. Wins: 6Β
One reason the NCAA Tournament won't be played at McKale Center soonΒ
1. Sean Miller and Greg Byrne believe that by playing host to first- and second-round games, the UA will be sent further away from Tucson and fewer fans will travel. Tucson played host to NCAA games in a dozen seasons β 1974, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2005 and 2011. Many of the gameβs ranking names coached tournament games in Tucson, including John Wooden, Bobby Knight, Jerry Tarkanian and John Thompson. Tucson has been an NCAA host more times (12) than Phoenix (10). The NCAA has designated Western host sites for 2017 in Salt Lake City, Sacramento and San Jose, with Phoenix as the Final Four headquarters. In 2018, Western venues will be in Boise, San Diego and Los Angeles.Β
Four ways the tournament has changed since 1951
1. Arizonaβs first tournament appearance was 1951, in Kansas City. There were only two regions, the West and East.Β
Four ways the tournament has changed since 1951
2. It was single elimination. Arizona lost to Kansas State 61-59 in the opener.Β
Four ways the tournament has changed since 1951
3. Eight days earlier, Arizona played Dayton in the NIT in New York City, and also lost, 74-68.Β
Four ways the tournament has changed since 1951
4. San Jose State and Montana State were among the eight teams chosen to play in the West Region. Neither school played in a conference.Β
The common themes in UA's seven NCAA upset lossesΒ
1. 1989, UNLV. The one-guy-gets-hot factor. Guard Anderson Hunt scored a season-high 21 points, including five 3-pointers. In the next round, an Elite Eight loss to Seton Hall, Hunt shot 1 for 12.Β
The common themes in UA's seven NCAA upset lossesΒ
2. 1990, Alabama. The one-guy-disappears factor. Brian Williams did not score and had just two rebounds. A game earlier, in a first-round win over South Florida, Williams scored a team-high 27 points.Β
The common themes in UA's seven NCAA upset lossesΒ
3. 1992, East Tennessee State. Bad shooting. The Wildcats shot 36 percent. Matt Othick and Khalid Reeves combined to shoot 2 for 14.Β
The common themes in UA's seven NCAA upset lossesΒ
4. 1993, Santa Clara. Bad shooting, part II: Guards Reeves and Damon Stoudamire were 2 for 16 from the field. Arizona shot 31 percent.Β
The common themes in UA's seven NCAA upset lossesΒ
5. 1995, Miami (Ohio). Missing persons. Arizonaβs All-Pac-10 power forward Ben Davis was prohibited from playing for breaking NCAA rules, and center Joseph Blair was limited to three points in 14 minutes with an ankle injury.Β
The common themes in UA's seven NCAA upset lossesΒ
6. 1999, Oklahoma. Playing the other teamβs style. The go-fast Wildcats, who averaged almost 85 points a game, crawled in a 61-60 loss to the Sooners. Senior All-American Jason Terry had a sorry exit, shooting 4 for 17.Β
The common themes in UA's seven NCAA upset lossesΒ
7. 2000, Wisconsin. Being overrated. The Wildcats got a No. 1 seed even though 7-foot center Loren Woods missed the last six games with a back injury. Arizona started 6-6 Justin Wessel at center.Β
One man's picks for the Final FourΒ
1. Kansas. The Jayhawksβ four leading players are juniors and seniors. Their only bad loss was at Oklahoma State, but that was Jan. 19. Will be favored all the way.Β
One man's picks for the Final FourΒ
2. Virginia. Not a believer in Tony Bennettβs crawl-the-ball system, but all of the Cavaliersβ seven losses were away from home β close games β and their three double-figure scorers are juniors or seniors. Probably the toughest team to put away, and Virginia is due.Β
One man's picks for the Final FourΒ
3. Oregon. If all goes well for the Ducks, analysts like Jay Bilas and even Dick Vitale will βdiscoverβ just how potent UOβs offense is and that the Ducks are probably Americaβs most athletic team. Β
One man's picks for the Final FourΒ
4. Kentucky. Putting the March money on John Calipari until further notice.Β
It's only a matter of time, coaches say, before he's a star.Β
Arizona center Kaleb Tarczewski (35) is surrounded by reporters in the team's locker room just before the Wildcats open shootaround at the NCAA Regional, Dunkin' Donuts Center, Wednesday, March 16, 2016, Providence, R.I. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Arizona center Chance Comanche (21) works on his left-handed hook shot during open shootaround at the NCAA Regional, at the Dunkin' Donuts Center, Wednesday, March 16, 2016, Providence, R.I. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Arizona forward Ryan Anderson (12) gives an interview even while getting some pre-practice physical therapy in the team locker room just before the Wildcats go out for their open shootaround at the NCAA Regional, Dunkin' Donuts Center, Wednesday, March 16, 2016, Providence, R.I. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
While Arizona guard Kadeem Allen (5), left, gets surrounded by reporters asking questions, guard Trey Mason (44) and guard Jacob Hazzard (50) use their cell phones to keep amused before the team goes out for their open shootaround at the NCAA Regional, Dunkin' Donuts Center, Wednesday, March 16, 2016, Providence, R.I. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Arizona forward Ray Smith (2) aims at the bucket as he gets to work out with his teammates during open shootaround at the NCAA Regional, Dunkin' Donuts Center, Wednesday, March 16, 2016, Providence, R.I. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Arizona center Kaleb Tarczewski (35) works on his left-handed shots as he and the Wildcats run through shooting drills during open shootaround at the NCAA Regional, Dunkin' Donuts Center, Wednesday, March 16, 2016, Providence, R.I. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Wichita State guard Ron Baker (31) dribbles between a row of cups as the Shockers work out during open shootaround at the NCAA Regional, Dunkin' Donuts Center, Wednesday, March 16, 2016, Providence, R.I. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Wichita State guard Fred VanVleet (23), with a gash near his eyebrow from Tuesday's play-in game taped up, takes a jumper while working out with the Shockers during open shootaround at the NCAA Regional, Dunkin' Donuts Center, Wednesday, March 16, 2016, Providence, R.I. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Arizona head coach Sean Miller has a laugh with a few of his players during open shootaround at the NCAA Regional, Dunkin' Donuts Center, Wednesday, March 16, 2016, Providence, R.I. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Arizona prepares for Thursday's NCAA Tournament opener
Here's a look at the Arizona Wildcats' open practice on Wednesday.Β
Arizona center Kaleb Tarczewski (35) is surrounded by reporters in the team's locker room just before the Wildcats open shootaround at the NCAA Regional, Dunkin' Donuts Center, Wednesday, March 16, 2016, Providence, R.I. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Arizona center Chance Comanche (21) works on his left-handed hook shot during open shootaround at the NCAA Regional, at the Dunkin' Donuts Center, Wednesday, March 16, 2016, Providence, R.I. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Arizona head coach Sean Miller huddles with his squad before the team's open shootaround at the NCAA Regional, Dunkin' Donuts Center, Wednesday, March 16, 2016, Providence, R.I. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Arizona forward Ryan Anderson (12) gives an interview even while getting some pre-practice physical therapy in the team locker room just before the Wildcats go out for their open shootaround at the NCAA Regional, Dunkin' Donuts Center, Wednesday, March 16, 2016, Providence, R.I. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
While Arizona guard Kadeem Allen (5), left, gets surrounded by reporters asking questions, guard Trey Mason (44) and guard Jacob Hazzard (50) use their cell phones to keep amused before the team goes out for their open shootaround at the NCAA Regional, Dunkin' Donuts Center, Wednesday, March 16, 2016, Providence, R.I. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Arizona forward Ray Smith (2) aims at the bucket as he gets to work out with his teammates during open shootaround at the NCAA Regional, Dunkin' Donuts Center, Wednesday, March 16, 2016, Providence, R.I. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Arizona center Kaleb Tarczewski (35) works on his left-handed shots as he and the Wildcats run through shooting drills during open shootaround at the NCAA Regional, Dunkin' Donuts Center, Wednesday, March 16, 2016, Providence, R.I. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Wichita State guard Ron Baker (31) dribbles between a row of cups as the Shockers work out during open shootaround at the NCAA Regional, Dunkin' Donuts Center, Wednesday, March 16, 2016, Providence, R.I. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Wichita State guard Fred VanVleet (23), with a gash near his eyebrow from Tuesday's play-in game taped up, takes a jumper while working out with the Shockers during open shootaround at the NCAA Regional, Dunkin' Donuts Center, Wednesday, March 16, 2016, Providence, R.I. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Arizona head coach Sean Miller has a laugh with a few of his players during open shootaround at the NCAA Regional, Dunkin' Donuts Center, Wednesday, March 16, 2016, Providence, R.I. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Boston College transfer relishing return to old stomping grounds.Β
Duo have helped UA to a 8-3 record in NCAA Tournament over past three seasons.
Arizona basketball: On Zeus' reunion, wild Wednesday, Trier's praise
Seen and heard at the NCAA Tournament's media day on Wednesday.Β
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Zeus, Baker, VanVleet to meetΒ
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