The NCAA Basketball Tournament creeps every closer as we enter March. Basketball fans look forward to this time of year more than anything because, in a lot of ways, March Madness is more exciting than the NBA Playoffs. Underdogs rising up to slay Goliath, Blue Bloods falling from grace, and established powers throwing their weight around all make March Madness a drama-filled affair from beginning to end.
Before any of that happens, though, the matchups need to be finalized first. While ESPN's Bracketology with Joe Lunardi tends to have a finger on the pulse, mystery always swirls around the exact seeding of the middle tier. Selection Sunday dissipates that mystery and locks matchups in stone.
The biggest question for Arizona fans is how the team performs the rest of the season and if they'll earn one of the four coveted No. 1 seeds.
Men's bracket:
Date: Sunday, March 17, 2024
Start time: 4 p.m. MST (6 p.m. ET)
Network: CBS
Stream available: Yes, on FuboTV
Arizona's outlook
Arizona's men's basketball team is a lock for March, and it's a question of who they'll play rather than if they'll play. Despite a slip at home against No. 21 Washington State, Arizona quickly regained the lead in the Pac-12 and has held steady since. The worst-case scenario for Arizona is losing out in the regular season and not making it to the final of the Pac-12 Tournament, but even that would likely spell out a No. 6 seed at worst.
However, even if the Wildcats stay hot and earn one of the top seeds, they still need to play well in the Round of 64. No. 15-seeded Princeton stunned the No. 2-seeded 'Cats with a 59-55 upset. In his two tournament appearances, third-year head coach Tommy Lloyd has never led Arizona past the Sweet Sixteen. This is despite Arizona winning back-to-back Pac-12 Tournaments and a No. 1 seed in 2022 and a No. 2 seed in 2023.
Women's bracket:
Date: Sunday, March 17, 2024
Start time: 6 p.m. MST (8 p.m. ET)
Network: ESPN
Stream available: Yes, on FuboTV
Arizona's outlook
Arizona's women's basketball team, though, is a different story this season. A roster decimated by the transfer portal and eligibility was further hampered by injuries and player departure, leaving head coach Adia Barnes with only seven players available to suit up — eight counting brand-new walk on Brooklyn Rhodes.
Although the 'Cats are looking good and have pulled off four straight wins including a stunning road upset over No. 3 Stanford, don't expect lightning to strike twice. Unless the team pulls off a miracle and wins the Pac-12 tournament over heavyweights like Stanford, Colorado, and Oregon State, don't expect to see the ladies on the court come March. Maybe their February efforts will earn them an NIT invite, but that seems to be the best-case scenario right now.
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