During Inside the NBA on ESPN, Charles Barkley called the 2026 NCAA Tournament the "Arizona Invitational." Arizona is the unanimous number one team in the Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll.
Arizona is also the top team in KenPom and the NCAA Net Ratings. As a result of all the top rankings, Arizona is the projected number-one overall seed in ESPN Bracketology. Arizona has one game between now and February 7 before beginning a gauntlet of four consecutive games against ranked teams on February 9 at Kansas.
Barkley has resided in Scottsdale since he was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Phoenix Suns in 1992. Philadelphia selected Barkley with the fifth pick of the 1984 NBA Draft. The 1983-84 season was the first for Lute Olson at Arizona.
Barkley has frequently picked Arizona to win the NCAA Tournament Championship. Inside the NBA has been one of the studio shows for the NCAA Tournament since 2011. Arizona has advanced to eight NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinals and three Regional Finals since 2011.
Charles Barkley calls this years tournament the “Arizona invitational” 👀 pic.twitter.com/EndcM683XO
— PHNX Wildcats (@PHNX_Wildcats) January 29, 2026
"I've been watching games very closely...It's starting to get serious...I've been watching more college basketball and as I call March Madness, it's the Arizona Invitational. Just for the record, it's going to be the Arizona Invitational. "Charles Barkley on Inside the NBA
Barkley picked Arizona to make deep NCAA Tournament runs in 2015, 2017 and 2022. Arizona lost to top-seeded Wisconsin as the second seed in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Eleventh seeded Xavier upset second-seeded Arizona in the 2017 West Regional Semifinal.
In 2022, top seeded Arizona was upset by fifth-seeded Houston in the South Regional Semifinals. Barkley has discussed the scandal involving Deandre Ayton reportedly being paid and that Arizona leaving the Pac-12 for the Big 12 as "sad and unfortunate."
NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday is on March 15. The Inside the NBA cast of host Ernie Johnson Jr. with Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith will begin their analysis of the NCAA Tournament beginning with the first round on Thursday, March 19.