Jerry Palm of CBS Sports and Joe Lunardi of ESPN both moved Arizona up one spot on the seed line in their latest bracketology that was updated on Friday. Palm has Arizona as a five seed which is up from six on Tuesday. Lunardi has Arizona as a four, which is one spot up from his projection of the Wildcats as a five seed on Tuesday.
Palm projects Arizona to play 12th-seeded McNeese State in the first round of the South Regional to play in Seattle. If Arizona beats McNeese State they would play the winner of fourth-seeded Memphis and 13th seed Grand Canyon in the second round. That is the same match-up Lunardi had on Tuesday.
Palm projects Auburn as the number one seed in the South. If Arizona advanced out of Seattle they would be projected to play Auburn in the South Regional Semifinal in Atlanta. Auburn is projected to play the winner of New Mexico and West Virginia (who Arizona is 1-1 against this season) in the second round in Lexington, Kentucky.
Lunardi projects Arizona to play 13th-seeded Akron in the first round of the Midwest Regional in Seattle. The winner of Arizona and Akron would play the victor between fifth seed Mississippi and 12th seed California-Irvine. If Arizona emerges out of those two games they would advance to the Midwest Regional in Indianapolis.
— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) February 8, 2025
Alabama is the projected one seed by Lunardi in the Midwest Regional. Lunardi projects Alabama to play Southern in the first round and the winner of eighth-seed St. Mary's and ninth-seed New Mexico in the second round if they advance. Lunardi projects Texas Tech as the third seed in the Midwest Regional.
Arizona has a huge opportunity to earn another big win on Saturday night. Palm projects Texas Tech as a fourth seed in the West Regional opening in Cleveland. Arizona is currently 10th in the NCAA Net Ratings and has a 6-6 record versus quadrant one opponents. Texas Tech is seventh in the Net Ratings and 5-2 versus quad one opponents.