Arizona Wildcats
Record: 25-8 (12-6 Pac-12)
Head Coach: Sean Miller (7th season)
Season Recap: After being stymied by Wisconsin in the Elite Eight the last two years, head coach Sean Miller's Wildcats faced an uphill battle in the Pac-12 after losing star starters Stanley Johnson, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Brandon Ashley to the NBA. The team made do with five-star shooting guard Allonzo Trier and Boston College transfer Ryan Anderson, and finished third in the conference. Arizona never dropped out of the AP top-25 after being ranked No. 12 to start the year.
The Wildcats are buoyed by a trio of scorers who all average at least 15 points per game in Anderson, Trier and Gabe York. Arizona is 17th in basketball statistician Ken Pomeroy's offensive efficiency metric, and did not lose a game by more than eight points during the season.
How they make a run: Hot shooting from behind the arc—especially from York and his 42.5 percent mark from downtown—and a well-coached defense leads Arizona to the tournament's second weekend.
How they falter: Frontcourt size beats the Wildcats on the boards, and Arizona falls in a tightly-contested battle to 7-foot center Tonye Jekiri and Miami in the Round of 32.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.