What channel is Selection Sunday on? How to watch Arizona Basketball in March Madness
The biggest questions looming for Arizona Basketball fans are who the men will be playing against and if the women will even be given one of the at-large bids.
By Mason Duhon
March Madness is in full swing, and eight of the Top 10 teams in the AP Poll left their conference tournaments empty-handed. The 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. The big dance tips off on Selection Sunday and matchups are locked in stone. The biggest questions looming for Arizona Basketball are who the men will be slated against and if the women will earn an at-large bid.
Men's bracket:
Date: Sunday, March 17, 2024
Start time: 3 p.m. MST (6 p.m. ET)
Network: CBS
Stream available: Yes, on FuboTV
Arizona's outlook
Arizona's men's basketball team will benefit from No. 1 Houston, No. 3 Purdue, No. 5 Tennessee, No. 6 North Carolina, and No. 9 Kentucky all losing in their conference tournaments. This means that Arizona won't be punished so heavily for slipping and, even though a No. 1 seed has sailed, should still sit pat on the No. 2 seed line.
Third-year head coach Tommy Lloyd will have his work cut out for him, considering he hasn't ever led Arizona past the Sweet Sixteen. With both the team, coaches, and fans having National Championship aspirations, anything less than an Elite Eight berth feels like a shortfall on the season. However, Arizona is 18-0 after losses in the Lloyd era and are poised to make right the early slip in last year's big dance.
Women's bracket:
Date: Sunday, March 17, 2024
Start time: 7 p.m. MST (8 p.m. ET)
Network: ESPN
Stream available: Yes, on FuboTV
Arizona's outlook
Arizona's women's basketball team 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. Despite running with the skeleton crew, Barnes led her team into Palo Alto and took down No. 3-ranked Stanford on the road. Barnes' team is currently slotted the very last spot in the NCAA Tournament according to Charlie Creme's Women's Bracketology.
The 'Cats played with a different level of energy and ferocity over the last nine games of the regular season, going 5-4 in those matchups and falling just 2 points short in a 93-95 game against then-No. 7 USC that went to double overtime. Arizona took care of business against No. 10 seed Washington in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament before they had to face No. 2 seed and eventual tournament champion USC again. The 'Cats fell just 3 points short this time around and capped off a potentially bid-winning resume.
Arizona currently sits at No. 35 in the NET rankings, placing them above single-digit loss teams like No. 7 seed Ole Miss, No. 10 seed Middle Tennessee, and No. 5 seed Syracuse. The 'Cats also ranked 37th in Division I with their strength of schedule, ahead of Ole Miss, Syracuse, No. 5 seed Oklahoma, and No. 11 seed Auburn. Arizona deserves an opportunity to test itself, and it's becoming more likely that the selection committee will afford the Wildcats that opportunity.
dark. History. UAMM. Arizona Basketball's March Madness resume following early Pac-12 Tournament exits
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