Star players from the Arizona Men's and Women's Basketball March Madness wins

No. 2 Arizona MBB vs. No. 15 Long Beach State

Boswell has had a rough go of things lately, and the three games before the March Madness tilt saw him post a combined 11 points, six turnovers, and four fouls. He was capped at 28 minutes in two of the previous three, but likely should have seen more time on the bench. All this is to say that he needed the standout performance in a big spot more than anybody else.

The sophomore point guard saw a remarkable return to form with a career-high 20 points, and his eight assists tied for the second-most in his career. He also nailed four shots from range. He even "hammered" home one of the strangest — yet funniest — dunks in recent memory for the first of his career. Boswell looked confident the whole game, and he had some well-earned fun while he was at it.

Ballo continues to be an imposing presence roaming the post on both ends of the court. He tallied his 19th double-double of the season and the 33rd of his career with the 11-point, 13-rebound outing. Something the announcers brought up — and proceeded to beat to death — was the improvement in his physical fitness, and it is something worth noting. The best ability is availability, and good things happen for Arizona when Ballo can be left on the court to wreak havoc for 28 minutes.

Ballo was a perfect 4-4 from the field and knocked down all of his next three free throws after missing the first one. He was also a menace on the defensive end with four blocks — more than the entire Long Beach State team. One of my favorite plays was one where he didn't even touch the ball, and instead laid down a monster screen for Love to lay down an opposing guard as a sacrifice.