The Arizona Wildcats can make their first-ever Elite Eight by beating Texas A&M in Saturday's round-of-16 game in San Antonio.
Here's everything you need to know about today's game:
The basics
• What: NCAA Tournament, second round: No. 3 seed Arizona vs. No. 2 seed Texas A&M
• When: 5 p.m.
• TV: ESPN2
• Radio: 1400-AM
How they got here
• Arizona: Outlasted BYU 52-46 in Wednesday's second-round game. Before that, the Wildcats dismantled Stony Brook in Monday's NCAA Tournament opener after making the Big Dance as an at-large team.
• Texas A&M: Beat Iowa State 84-82 in overtime on Wednesday, two days after beating Troy 84-80 in the tournament opener. The regular-season Southeastern Conference champions made the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team.
Who to watch
• Arizona is led by All-American guard Aari McDonald, the reigning Pac-12 player of the year and a finalist for multiple national awards. She doesn't act alone: Forward Cate Reese might be the key for the Wildcats in the tournament. And Sam Thomas is a stat-sheet-filling senior and the team's most versatile defender.
• Texas A&M is led by point guard Jordan Nixon, who hit the game-tying — and game-winning — shots against Iowa State.
Coach's corner
Arizona women's basketball coach Adia Barnes spoke during Thursday's media session in San Antonio about UA's preparation for its Sweet 16 matchup against Texas A&M
Read up on the Wildcats
• Here's Saturday's game preview, focusing on Sam Thomas.
• Cate Reese grew up in Texas and attended camps at Texas A&M, but fell in love with Arizona as a recruit.
• Greg Hansen says Saturday's game will be a match between Adia Barnes and Gary Blair, two college basketball renovation specialists.
• These numbers explain how Arizona's advanced to the Sweet 16 …
• And these numbers explain Texas A&M's run.
• We rank Aari McDonald's 10 best offensive performances.
• See what makes McDonald the "perfect leader."
• Meet the Arizona Wildcats' roster here.
• Arizona's return to the tournament fulfills a vision shared by Trinity Baptiste.
• Former UA coach Joan Bonvicini says the Wildcats will be judged by how they play in March.
• We rank Barnes' best wins here.
More in our special section
Check out today's NCAA Extra section for more on the Wildcats and Aggies as they head into Saturday night's game.
