When they cut down the nets back in 1997, Arizona secured their place in college basketball history with their first national championship. The Wildcats have been long-standing members of the Pac-12 and have certainly been one of the very best programs in that power league.
The Wildcats have been a great program in recent memory and have a long history of basketball success, going back over 100 hundred years.
During that long stretch of history, the Wildcats have played a lot of basketball games against a lot of different schools. Some of those schools don’t exist today or are no longer Division 1 programs, but many other current D1 schools have found their way onto Arizona’s schedule.
Nearly 250 different D1 programs have played Arizona at some point in that stretch of history, including just under two-thirds of the current collection of basketball schools. Clearly, Arizona has played some schools, including conference rivals, many times, while others they’ve only played a few times.
With 362 current D1 programs and more than half of their schedule being Pac-12 conference games, Arizona doesn’t get the chance to match up with everybody, certainly not on a regular basis. This also means that they haven’t necessarily gotten a chance for revenge against some of their previous opponents.
In today’s piece, we’re going to be listing off and looking back at all of the schools that Arizona has played but never beaten in its basketball history. We’re only considering the current D1 programs, though that still gives us 13 schools to work with, including a few surprises on the list.
Arizona basketball has never beaten the Minnesota Golden Gophers
- Overall series record: 0-4
- First matchup: December 31, 1951
- Last matchup: November 24, 1994
- Last Score: Minnesota 72, Arizona 70
As crazy as it sounds, Arizona has played the Golden Gophers four times in their history and Minnesota won each of those games. We’ll give a brief rundown on each Arizona loss here, though none of the games have been in the last 29 years.
The first-ever matchup between these two schools actually came way back on New Year’s Eve in 1951 in a neutral-site game in Milwaukee. Back when the big stars for Arizona were Bill Kemmeries and Roger Johnson, they went down 73-61 against the Golden Gophers.
These two programs wouldn’t play again for thirty years, but the next game would come in a more traditional setting. A home game for Minnesota on December 29, 1981, turned into a 91-62 blowout win in a season where the Wildcats really struggled while the Golden Gophers finished 23-6.
Three seasons later, the two programs met again in Arizona with a similar result. This was Lute Olson’s second season leading the Wildcats, but an 88-79 home loss to the Golden Gophers on December 17, 1984, gave them their first loss of that season, spoiling a 6-0 start during Steve Kerr’s sophomore season.
The most recent matchup between the two schools came during the 1994 Great Alaska Shootout. Minnesota would win that tournament and hand the Wildcats a close 72-70 loss in their first contest of the season, with the game played up in Anchorage.
Minnesota hasn’t played Arizona since that November 1994 date but has beaten the Wildcats in four different cities in four different states across their history.
Arizona basketball has never beaten the Auburn Tigers
- Overall series record: 0-2
- First matchup: March 14, 1986
- Last matchup: November 21, 2018
- Last Score: Auburn 73, Arizona 57
There are a collection of teams that have beaten Arizona twice and Auburn is the first alphabetically on the list, beating the Wildcats in two somewhat significant games.
The two teams matched up in the 1986 NCAA Tournament, with Auburn getting a 73-63 win as the slight favorite in an 8-seed vs. 9-seed matchup. Chuck Person led the way with 20 points for the Tigers while Sean Elliott had the same amount in a season-ending loss for Arizona.
These two programs would not play again until November 21, 2018, matching up in the Third Place Game of the 2018 Maui Invitational. Bryce Brown led Auburn with his 19-point effort to secure a 73-57 win over the Wildcats just a few months before Auburn would make their first trip to the Final Four.
Arizona basketball has never beaten the DePaul Blue Demons
- Overall series record: 0-2
- First matchup: February 10, 1930
- Last matchup: January 3, 1934
- Last Score: DePaul 37, Arizona 24
Not much information is known about these two matchups, but Arizona fell twice to DePaul nearly an entire century ago, with both games played during the 1930s, long before advanced metrics or any of the fancier technology we’re used to today.
On February 10, 1930, the two teams met up in Tucson and played to the tune of a 29-16 DePaul victory. According to available records, Arizona finished 15-6 as an independent that season while DePaul was in a prosperous era under head coach Jim Kelly.
The return matchup came four seasons later, as they’d beat up in Chicago on January 3, 1934. The Blue Demons pulled out a 37-24 victory in a season where they finished undefeated,17-0.
Arizona basketball has never beaten the Miami Redhawks
- Overall series record: 0-2
- First matchup: December 28, 1946
- Last matchup: March 16, 1995
- Last Score: Miami OH 71, Arizona 62
Believe it or not, the Wildcats have played a pair of games against the Redhawks, a MAC team from Ohio, and lost both games.
Very little information is available about the first game, but it was a neutral site game played on December 28, 1946, in Cincinnati. Miami came away with a 60-57 victory in what certainly must’ve been an upset, considering Arizona finished 21-3 in that season under head coach Fred Enke.
The second meeting was significantly more prominent, as Miami upset 5-seed Arizona in the first round of the 1995 NCAA Tournament. In a game played in Dayton, the Redhawks got 24 points and 15 rebounds from Devin Davis and outplayed a Wildcats squad led by Damon Stoudamire in a 71-62 upset win.
Arizona basketball has never beaten the North Texas Mean Green
- Overall series record: 0-2
- First matchup: December 23, 1967
- Last matchup: December 18, 1969
- Last Score: North Texas 98, Arizona 83
We don’t have details box scores or all of the statistics, but we can confirm that North Texas beat Arizona in a pair of games that happened back in the late 1960s, apparently a home-and-home between the Wildcats and Mean Green.
Game one was in Tucson and took place on December 23, 1967, with the Wildcats falling 65-62 against a North Texas team that finished near the bottom of the MVC standings. What’s interesting is that Arizona hosted #2 Houston the day before and played a close game against them.
Arizona headed to Denton, Texas two years later, losing 98-83 in the return game against the Mean Green. The roles were a bit reversed this time, as North Texas won 18 games that season while the Wildcats really struggled, with that loss the second a seven-game losing streak during nonconference play.
Arizona basketball has never beaten the Vanderbilt Commodores
- Overall series record: 0-2
- First matchup: December 29, 1956
- Last matchup: November 25, 2009
- Last Score: Vanderbilt 84, Arizona 72
Vanderbilt is the final team today that has claimed a pair of wins over Arizona, though these two games came at wildly different times in these program’s histories.
The first matchup between the two programs came way back in Nashville on December 29, 1956. We don’t know much about this game, but Vanderbilt handily won, claiming a 107-76 victory. The Commodores were ranked #12 in the nation at the time and the Wildcats finished the season 9-13, so it’s not a surprising result.
It would be over half a century before these two programs would face off again, with the next matchup coming in the Fifth Place game of the 2009 Maui Invitational. A ranked Vanderbilt squad took care of business in an 84-72 win against the Wildcats, shooting 53% from the field and getting 20 points from A. J. Ogilvy.
Arizona basketball has never beaten the Bowling Green Falcons
- Overall series record: 0-1
- First matchup: December 29, 1955
- Last matchup: December 29, 1955
- Last Score: Bowling Green 92, Arizona 75
Matchups between MAC and Pac-12 schools aren’t exactly regular affairs, so it’s not shocking to hear that Arizona has only played one game against Bowling Green. What may be surprising is that they aren’t the only MAC team on today’s list.
That lone matchup came nearly seven decades ago, as the two schools met in Arizona on December 29, 1955. Bowling Green came away with a 92-75 win and delivered an eighth straight loss to open up the Wildcats’ season. Things weren’t much better for the Falcons, who’d finish that season just 4-19.
Arizona basketball has never beaten the Bucknell Bison
- Overall series record: 0-1
- First matchup: March 14, 2012
- Last matchup: March 14, 2012
- Last Score: Bucknell 65, Arizona 54
Sometimes referred to as the “not invited tournament”, the NIT can produce some interesting results, depending on which teams are really bringing it after missing out on the NCAA Tournament. The lone game between Arizona and the Bison of Bucknell took place during that postseason event.
The two schools met in the opening round of the 2012 NIT, with the Bison coming to Tucson and delivering a 65-54 win. Bucknell legend Mike Muscala had 20 points as the Bison outworked and outshot the Wildcats, ending a disappointing 2011-12 season.
Arizona basketball has never beaten the Buffalo Bulls
- Overall series record: 0-1
- First matchup: March 15, 2018
- Last matchup: March 15, 2018
- Last Score: Buffalo 89, Arizona 68
Arizona fans want to forget about this one, but it remains their only matchup in program history against Buffalo, another MAC team that finds its way onto the list. This one was a devastating upset just five years ago in the Big Dance that looked more like a slaughter for the Bulls.
After winning the Pac-12 regular season and tournament titles, Arizona earned a 4-seed in the 2018 NCAA Tournament just to fall 89-68 to 13-seed Buffalo in the first round. The Bulls shot 50% from outside the arc compared to just 11% for Arizona, who got 14 points and 13 rebounds from Deandre Ayton in a shocking defeat.
Arizona basketball has never beaten the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
- Overall series record: 0-1
- First matchup: February 17, 1991
- Last matchup: February 17, 1991
- Last Score: Georgia Tech 62, Arizona 56
Georgia Tech’s lone appearance on Arizona’s schedule came just over three decades ago in a neutral-site game in East Rutherford, New Jersey that was played to benefit the homeless. Despite Arizona having a massive size advantage, it was the Yellow Jackets who reigned on that day.
The game took place on February 17, 1991, with Georgia Tech snapping a losing streak with an impressive performance, getting a 62-56 win over the #6 team in the nation. Brian Williams had 20 points for Arizona, but they were outworked on the boards in a surprising upset.
Arizona basketball has never beaten the Jacksonville Dolphins
- Overall series record: 0-1
- First matchup: December 26, 1969
- Last matchup: December 26, 1969
- Last Score: Jacksonville 104, Arizona 72
There’s only one matchup between Arizona and Jacksonville on record, and that’s not a huge surprise, considering they’re a mid-major from north Florida across the country from Tucson. It’s not even too surprising to see the Wildcats lose the game, but just how they lost it.
The teams met up in Evansville on December 26, 1969, and Jacksonville took control, pulling away for a 104-72 victory and handing Arizona a fourth straight loss. You may not think much about the Dolphins, but they were actually ranked #13 in the nation at the time and advanced all the way to the national title game three months later, losing to UCLA.
Arizona basketball has never beaten the Niagara Purple Eagles
- Overall series record: 0-1
- First matchup: January 2, 1954
- Last matchup: January 2, 1954
- Last Score: Niagara 79, Arizona 46
Many of these one-off matchups are way back before advanced metrics, and their duel with Niagara is another example. This game was played almost 70 years ago and it came on Niagara’s home court and it was another extreme disappointment for the Wildcats.
The game happened in New York on January 2, 1954, and ended in a slaughter, with Niagara winning 79-46, handing Arizona one of their biggest losses of the season. Niagara would finish the season ranked in the national polls, so it wasn’t a big surprise that they won at home, though Arizona has never had a chance for revenge.
Arizona basketball has never beaten the Ohio Bobcats
- Overall series record: 0-1
- First matchup: December 28, 1955
- Last matchup: December 28, 1955
- Last Score: Ohio 91, Arizona 76
We’ve previously talked about MAC teams and this is another unique example. Arizona and Ohio’s only matchup actually came just one day before the Wildcats played Bowling Green way back in 1955 and it was another disappointing performance.
Arizona fell 91-76 to the Bobcats on December 28, 1955, which at the time gave them an 0-7 record on the year. It was actually a neutral-site game in Louisville and Ohio prevailed. It wasn’t even a particularly special season for the Bobcats, it was just a bad year in Tucson.
All series stats and matchup information via mcubed.net
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