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Where Arizona ranks ranks in Bilas Index Top 68

ESPN lead College Basketball analyst Jay Bilas ranked Arizona as one of his top teams in his eponymous Bilas Index ranking the best 68 teams nationally.

By Alan Rubenstein

Dec 5, 2015; Spokane, WA, USA; ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas (center) poses for selfie prior to a Arizona Wildcats at Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball game at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images
Dec 5, 2015; Spokane, WA, USA; ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas (center) poses for selfie prior to a Arizona Wildcats at Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball game at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images / James Snook-Imagn Images
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Via Sam Gillenwater of On3 ESPN top analyst Jay Bilas released his "The Bilas Index: The 68 best teams in men's college basketball" on Thursday. Bilas stated the only thing missing from the Tommy Lloyd tenure at Arizona is a Final Four appearance. Arizona has not made a Final Four since 2001.

Bilas highlighted the players Arizona lost to the NBA and transfer portal as well the returnees and new additions. Foward Trey Townsend was praised as an experience bucket getter with versatility and hunger, wing Anthony Dell'Orso as an elite shooter and expects Tobe Awaka to bring toughness.

Bilas expects Arizona to be formidable by the end of the season. Bilas ranking Arizona ninth equals where they are in the coaches poll. The Associated Press Top 25 ranks Arizona 10th in the preseason poll. Arizona is sixth in the ESPN Basketball Power Index and the Wildcats are ninth in Ken Pom.

Gillenwater points out Lloyd's .817 winning percentage and that despite the losses Arizona "retained multiple key guards in their backcourt." Arizona returns preseason All-American Caleb Love as well as Jaden Bradley and K.J. Lewis in the backcourt. Awaka and Townsend are key frontcourt additons.

"Arizona, which comes in at No. 9, is one of the first teams in this rating that may have lost more than they may have necessarily added from last season to this one...With that said, the Wildcats retained multiple key guards in their backcourt while brining in new additions to the frontcourt."

- Sam Gillenwater On3

Arizona started their season off strong with a convincing 93-64 victory over Canisius. Love, Bradley, and Lewis led the Wildcats with 17, 15, and 14 points. Awaka had four points and nine rebounds, while Motiejus Krivas and Henri Veesaar added nine and eight points. Arizona should have a deeper team and specifically frontcourt in 2024-25.

Arizona hosts Old Dominion on Saturday. The Wildcats first major test should be on November 15 at Wisconsin. Expect Bilas to be on the call with Dan Shulman when Duke plays at Arizona on November 22. Bilas and Shulman were on the call when Arizona won 78-73 at Duke in the second game of the 2023-24 season.

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