Arizona earned the number one seed in the NCAA Tournament West Regional for the eighth time in program history. The Wildcats have previously been the West Regional number one seed in 1988, 1989,1998, 2000, 2003, 2014 and 2022. Only the 1988 team advanced to the Final Four.
The 1988 Arizona team is the one that set the foundation for the direction and development of what the Wildcats' basketball program has become. Arizona won the 1988 Pac-10 regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the Final Four, finishing the season with a 35-3 overall record.
Arizona repeated as the Pac-12 regular season and tournament champion in 1989. The Wildcats earned the number one seed in the West for the second consecutive season, for the only time in program history. Arizona ended the season two games short of the Final Four.
It was another nine years before Arizona earned a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. Arizona won the Pac-10 with a 17-1 record as the defending national champions. All five starters and most of the bench returned for Arizona before they lost in the West Regional Final.
Season | Final Record | Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1987-88 | 35-3 | First | Cornell | 90-50 |
Second | Seton Hall | 84-55 | ||
Regional Semifinal | Iowa | 99-79 | ||
Regional Final | North Carolina | 70-52 | ||
National Semifinal | Oklahoma | L 86-78 | ||
1988-89 | 29-4 | First Round | Robert Morris | 94-60 |
Second Round | Clemson | 94-68 | ||
Regional Semifinal | UNLV | L 68-67 | ||
1997-98 | 30-5 | First Round | Nicholls State | 99-60 |
Second Round | Illinois State | 82-49 | ||
Regional Semifinal | Maryland | 87-79 | ||
Regional Final | Utah | L 76-51 | ||
1999-2000 | 27-7 | First Round | Jackson State | 71-47 |
Second Round | Wisconsin | L 66-59 | ||
2002-03 | First Round | Vermont | 80-51 | |
Second Round | Gonzaga | 96-95 2OT | ||
Regional Semifinal | Notre Dame | 88-71 | ||
Regional Final | Kansas | L 78-75 | ||
2013-14 | 28-4 | First Round | Weber State | 68-59 |
Second Round | Gonzaga | 84-61 | ||
Regional Semifinal | San Diego State | 70-64 | ||
Regional Final | Wisconsin | L 64-63 | ||
2021-22 | 33-4 | First Round | Wright State | 87-70 |
Second Round | TCU | 85-80 OT | ||
Regional Semifinal | Houston | L 72-60 |
Arizona record as a one seed
Arizona is 17-7 in the NCAA Tournament as a one seed. The Wildcats have advanced to the Regional Final four times as a one seed. Arizona has advanced to the regional semifinals every time that they have been a one seed, with the exception of the 2000 NCAA Tournament.
Arizona lost to Wisconsin in 2000 with starting center Loren Woods out with a back injury. The corps of the 2000 team returned in 2001 and Arizona advanced to the NCAA Championship game, where they lost to Duke. That was the last Final Four game Arizona played in.
Arizona has its best record entering the 2026 NCAA Tournament at 32-2 since the 1988 team was 31-2 after winning the Pac-10 Tournament. Being a number one seed significantly increases expectations. Arizona is tied with Duke for the best odds to at least advance to the Final Four.