Early Tournament action gives Arizona Basketball a warning

Following day one of the NCAA Tournament action, Arizona Basketball receives an early wake-up call as several high seeds fall in the first round. 

It is that time of year again where thrilling upsets happen in college basketball, and Cinderella teams see their dreams come true during the NCAA Tournament. For Arizona Basketball, the Wildcats are looking to avoid making history.

The first day of the 2022 Tournament action is in the books, and so far, there were at least four major upsets, perhaps none bigger than 15-seeded St. Peter’s knocking off heavy tournament favorite, the Kentucky Wildcats.

I imagine that on day two, much will be the same as there will be a few key upsets, and hopefully, one of those will not be Arizona.

Luckily, with Arizona Basketball playing on day two of the Tournament, the Cats should have received an early wake-up call as several high seeds fell yesterday.

Coming into the NCAA Tournament, the Wildcats are considered by many to be the team to beat. Arizona has an NCAA-leading 31 wins, they are No. 2 in the country for a reason, and they rolled through the regular-season and Pac-12 Tournament, becoming conference champions of both.

However, come March, it is virtually a brand new season, and the success from the regular season seldom means anything as it is a new ball game at that point.

Arizona is a very talented team, and against Wright State, that doesn’t change, especially as the Cats open Friday’s action as a 20-plus point favorite over the Raiders.

However, that doesn’t mean that the Wildcats cannot be beaten either. If anything, it means the target on their back is larger, and the pressure to perform is even greater.

Luckily, with the first day of games over, the extra time gives Arizona more time to prepare and the opportunity to focus more.

Listen to head coach Tommy Lloyd as he addresses the media just ahead of the Wildcats’ weekend action!