Isaac Trotter of 247Sports picked Arizona as the team to beat in the Big 12 Tournament after his co-host Adam Finkelstein picked Houston to emerge with the title in Kansas City this weekend. Trotter said "I'm mixing it up still let me look at Arizona too. This is a group where if I'm looking at trying to win multiple games in different ways..."
Arizona has won games this season scoring over 100 four times and as low as 72. The Wildcats are 0-6 when scoring less than 72 points and 20-5 and when eclipsing that number. Arizona will play the winner of sixth-seeded Kansas and 14th-seed Utah in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday.
Arizona needs to shoot the three better. The Wildcats are 15-3 when they make at least 33.3 percent of their three-point attempts. That is the percentage same as making 50.0 percent of their two-point field goals. Arizona is 5-8 when they make less than 33.3 percent of its three-point field goals.
There are two clear paths for Arizona to win this season. Arizona needs to score 72 points or more or make at least 33.3 percent of its three-point shots. The Wildcats are 23rd nationally averaging 82.0 points per game and 302nd making 31.8 percent of its three-point attempts. Trotter gave his reasons why he thinks Arizona can win the Big 12 Tournament.
"Arizona's roster does...a great job of tweaking their lineups and just kind of mismatch hunting depending on who they're playing night-to-night...It is not the Caleb Love show...Jaden Bradley has taken on a bigger role...KJ Lewis times to...get in transition a little bit...Trey Townsend has emerged for them lately as a guy that they can find against different mismatches... I love the front court that they have Henry Veesaar has been terrific as a stretch five. Tobe Awaka adds...physicality. Carter Bryant..the ball comes off his hand so clean as a shooter....This group is extremely good defensively...Some...small ball teams have given them some issues...They have Championship level upside I think they could get hot here in Kansas City"Isaac Trotter, 247Sports
Arizona primarily plays an eight man rotation. Bradley, Anthony Dell'Orso and Love start in the backcourt with Awaka and Veesaar in the post. Bryant, Lewis and Townsend provide Tommy Lloyd with versatility off the Arizona bench as Trotter mentions in his comments.
Love, Bradley and Lewis are the only Arizona players averaging double-figures, but the eight rotation players all average over 6.0 points per game. Bradley, Lewis and Love provide Arizona with three players who can get to the basket and are good perimeter defenders.
Awaka provides physicality inside as stated by Trotter. Veesaar is a player who can stretch the floor, making 33.3 percent of his three-point attempts and has length defensively while blocking 1.2 shots per game. Townsend had his best game in over six weeks with 13 points and seven rebounds in the loss at Kansas on Saturday.
Per Torvik, From 12/18-2/18, Arizona had the 9th best defensive efficiency in the country.
— Matthew Rein (@ReinOnWildcats) March 11, 2025
Even in losses to KSU and UH, Arizona put up very respectable efficiency scores (especially against UH).
From 2/18-3/10, Arizona had the 263rd best defensive efficiency.
Not ideal.
Arizona needs to regain its defensive prowess it had when they won 13 times in 14 games in the middle of the season. The Wildcats shot 48.4 percent from the field and made 34.6 percent of its three-point attempts while holding opponents to 39.6 percent from the floor and 31.4 on threes during that 14-game stretch.
Arizona proved it can play consistently for a long stretch during their 14-game run through most of January and halfway through February. The Wildcats have to win three games in a row in the Big 12 Tournament to earn the title and six for the NCAA Championship. They know their formula for success.