Arizona Wildcats First Bracketology Breakdown of the 2015-16 Season
By Brad Malone
Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
The only non-conference game the Cats will be playing against the projected NCAA field is at rowdy Gonzaga on December 5th.
Lunardi has the Bulldogs listed as a No. 3 seed in the West.
The Zags will be out for revenge after last season’s overtime loss at McKale. Gonzaga will be a great early season challenge for Kaleb Tarzewski, Ryan Anderson and Mark Tollefsen against one of the best front lines in the nation.
The Cats are playing in the DIRECTV Wooden Legacy Tournament in late November in Southern California. If the Cats can reach the championship game November 29th they might be matched-up against a one of a couple of Lunardi’s picks.
One possibility is the Cats could be matched up against UC-Irvine in the championship game. Lunardi has the Anteaters listed as No. 14 seed in the Midwest Region.
What Arizona fans really want is a championship game against the Michigan State Spartans.
Lunardi has the Spartans as a No. 4 seed in the East Region.
It’s been a decade since these teams last met.
A Sean Miller/Tom Izzo matchup would be must watch TV. If this game happens look for the best Spartan ever, Magic Johnson, to be sitting in the crowd cheering on his alma mater in Southern California.
Another opponent possibility for the Cats could be Providence in the second round of the Wooden Legacy. Lunardi doesn’t have Providence in his field but the Friars are in his second four out list.
With not many non-conference games against the probable tournament field, the Cats might have to rely on it’s Pac-12 schedule to get the committee’s attention. According to Lunardi it looks like the Pac-12 could have a strong year. He has six Pac-12 teams in his projected field.
Let’s first take a look at the Civil War rivals, Oregon and Oregon State.
Next: Civil War Rivals