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Arizona Basketball all-time round-by-round record in NCAA Tournament

Arizona Basketball is heading to the NCAA Tournament for the 38th time in program history. A vocal minority of Arizona fans claim this will be a one-and-done team, but history shows that's not the case. Let's look at Arizona's round-by-round record.

By Mason Duhon

Dec 2, 1988; Charlotte, NC, USA, FILE PHOTO; Arizona Wildcats guard Sean Elliott (32) in action
Dec 2, 1988; Charlotte, NC, USA, FILE PHOTO; Arizona Wildcats guard Sean Elliott (32) in action / Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
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Final Four: 2-2

First:

The first time Arizona appeared in a Final Four was in the 1988 season. After rolling through every opponent on the slate by a minimum of 20 points, West Region No. 1 seed Arizona was set up for a clash with Oklahoma, the No. 1 seed from the Southeast Region. Arizona was fresh off of a 28-point shellacking of No. 2 seed North Carolina, but the magic ended when Oklahoma escaped with an 86-78 win.

Best/Last:

In the 2001 tournament, No. 2 seed Arizona looked unstoppable. The 'Cats rolled through the Rounds of 64 and 32 with a pair of wins by over 20 points. In the Sweet Sixteen, Arizona beat No. 3 seed Mississippi State by 10 points, and this was when the fireworks started. In the Elite Eight, Arizona knocked off No. 1 seed Illinois by 6 points in the 87-81 victory to set up a dynamite Final Four matchup.

Arizona was tasked with South Region No. 1 seed Michigan State, who was ranked No. 2 in the nation and held a record of 28-4 to that point. The 'Cats stunned the Spartans when they won by an astonishing 19 points in an 80-61 decision to set up Arizona's second National Championship appearance in four seasons.

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