Arizona fell in the ESPN Basketball Power Index, Ken Pom and NCAA Net Ratings following its loss at Kansas on Saturday. Those metrics, plus Bart Torvik will have varying influences when the NCAA Tournament committee meets this week to determine the bracket that will be released on Selection Sunday on March 16.
Arizona is 10th in the BPI which is where they were entering the weekend, but two spots lower than where the Wildcats were a week ago before they beat Arizona State and lost at Kansas to end the regular season. The Wildcats finished the regular season seventh in the BPI strength of schedule.
Arizona is 26th in the BPI strength of record, finished 7-10 versus the BPI top 50 and has a 57.0 percent chance to reach the Sweet 16. The BPI projects Arizona with a 1.7 percent chance to swin the national championship, 12.0 percent to reach the title game, 24.2 percent for the Elite Eight and 89.7 percent to win its first game.
Arizona was 14th in Ken Pom entering the weekend and is 16th after the loss to Kansas. KenPom grades Arizona with the 11th toughest schedule nationally. Arizona opponents are 14th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 10th in adjusted defensive efficiency at the end of the regular season.
Arizona's defense on Torvik is ranked 31st in the country on the year.
— Connor Hope (@HoopsHopeCBB) March 9, 2025
In the last three weeks, it ranks 181st.
Arizona is currently 15th in ADjoe, but 29th in DJoe. The Arizona defense falling off has been a major reason the Wildcats enter the Big 12 Tournament with five losses in their last eight games. Arizona is fourth among Big 12 teams in KenPom. Houston is third, Texas Tech seventh and Iowa State 10th in the KenPom ratings.
Arizona fell from 13th to tenth in the NCAA NetRatings after the loss to Kansas. The Wildcats are now 6-5 on the road, were 1-3 early in the season at neutral sites, are 22nd in Wins Above Bubble and 7-11 versus quad-one. 4-0 versus quad two, 5-0 against quad three and 4-0 in games played versus quadrant four opponents.
Not sure what to think about Arizona basketball entering the postseason.
— Justin Spears (@JustinESports) March 9, 2025
Defensively, they’ve shown that they can compete with anyone in college basketball, which hasn’t been the case lately.
Caleb Love has evolved into an all-around and more aggressive player — great leader…
Bart Torvik will be considered with the BPI, KenPom and the NetRatings as part of the metrics the selection committee uses this year. Torvik ranks Arizona 13th in ADJoe and 31st in DJoe. Other numbers that stick out for Arizona in Bart Torvik are the Wildcats rank 14th in offensive rebound percentage and 24th in WAB.
Arizona's three-point shooting numbers rank low across the board. Arizona is ranked in the top 100 in 13 Bart Torvik metrics, seven in the top 50 and top 25 in four. The Wildcats need to improve defensively. Arizona opponents have been over 55.0 in their effective field goal percentage in four of the past five games.
Arizona has its longest stretch off a nine day break in late December. Tommy Lloyd and his staff have an opportunity to watch film and see why the defense that was elite when Arizona won 13 out of 14 games in late December through the middle of February has failed them in the last eight games.