SB Nation Arizona - Bracketology: Arizona Looking For Pac-10 Title To Improve Seeding For Big Dancehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46593/arizona-fave.png2011-03-10T19:13:29-07:00http://arizona.sbnation.com/rss/stream/17449312011-03-10T19:13:29-07:002011-03-10T19:13:29-07:00Arizona Wildcats Bracketology 2011 (Update)
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<p>As the Pac-10 Tournament gets underway, the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/arizona-wildcats">Arizona Wildcats</a> are looking to win the title in order to improve their seeding for the upcoming NCAA Tournament. They are currently ranked as a five seed in the Southeast region by ESPN's Joe Lunardi, whose <a href="http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology">latest bracket</a> has Arizona paired up with <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/boston-college-eagles">Boston College</a> in the opening round. A win in this game would likely set up an all-Wildcat battle in round 2 against four-seed <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/kentucky-wildcats">Kentucky</a>. Arizona could play one-seed <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/pittsburgh-panthers">Pittsburgh</a>, who suffered a disappointing 76-74 loss to Connecticut on Thursday in the Big East Tournament, in the Sweet 16.</p>
<p>SB Nation's Chris Dobbertean also has the Wildcats ranked as a five seed for the NCAA Tournament in his <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/2011/3/10/2041161/bracketology-2011-bubble-watch-march-madness">latest edition of bracketology</a>. Dobbertean, though, has the Wildcats placed in the Southwest region instead of the Southeast region. Dobbertean's bracket pits the Wildcats against either <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/michigan-st-spartans">Michigan State</a> or <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/virginia-tech-hokies">Viriginia Tech</a> in the first round, and Big East power<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/louisville-cardinals"> Louisville</a> looms in round two as the four-seed. Two-seed <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/purdue-boilermakers">Purdue</a> or three-seed <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/north-carolina-tar-heels">North Carolina</a> could await the Wildcats in the Sweet 16 should Arizona advance that far.</p>
<p>Right now, the Wildcats will focus on winning the Pac-10 Tournament in order to give themselves a chance to improve their seeding for the Big Dance. Arizona took the first step toward achieving this goal by beating <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/oregon-st-beavers">Oregon State</a> 78-69 in the quarterfinals on Thursday. They play <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/usc-trojans">USC</a> in semifinal match-up on Friday.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-wildcats/2011/3/10/2043327/arizona-wildcats-bracketology-2011-updateNikil Selvam2011-03-07T19:47:49-07:002011-03-07T19:47:49-07:00Bracketology: Arizona Basketball Projected To Be Fifth Seed In NCAA Tournament
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<p>The Arizona Wildcats (25-6, 14-4 Pac-10) are the regular season champions of the Pac-10, and with that comes a few guarantees: a seat at the table of March Madness, and a fairly high seeding at that.</p>
<p>Joe Lunardi, <a href="http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology" target="_blank">ESPN's bracketologist</a>, has seeded the Wildcats as the fifth seed in the West region, taking on the winner of Michigan State and Virginia Tech.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/2011/3/7/2032959/bracketology-2011-ncaa-tournament-march-madness-notre-dame-duke" target="_blank">SB Nation's Chris Dobbertean</a> also has placed Arizona as a fifth seed, but in the Southwest region playing the winner of Marquette and Virginia Tech.</p>
<p>We've discussed in depth the reasons for the<a href="http://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-wildcats/2011/2/21/2006088/ncaa-basketball-rankings-arizona-wildcats-now-ranked-10th-overall-do" target="_blank"> low ranking of this particular Wildcats team</a>, but the fact of the matter is the following: Arizona has not defeated a currently ranked team this entire season, going 0-3 against teams ranked in the top 25. </p>
<p>The Wildcats are only 2-2 in their last four games, another factor in the decision making process of Selection Sunday. Finally, the Pac-10 has been given such a bad reputation over the past few years, and it's mostly deserved. That doesn't mean it's all bad, though. Arizona should take a low seeding as a personal affront and use as motivation to handily defeat their competition in the first two rounds of the tournament.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-wildcats/2011/3/7/2036820/bracketology-arizona-basketball-projected-to-be-fifth-seed-in-ncaaCory Williams2011-03-05T16:04:38-07:002011-03-05T16:04:38-07:00Arizona Wildcats Capture Pac-10 Title With Victory Over Oregon
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<p>NCAA basketball in Tucson has officially been revived by coach Sean Miller. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/arizona-wildcats">Arizona Wildcats</a> (25-6, 14-4) locked up the Pac-10 regular season conference championship today after defeating the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/oregon-ducks">Oregon Ducks</a> 90-82. This was their first conference title since 2004-05, and is a sweet moment for a school that had fallen so far in the past few seasons.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/53333/kyle-fogg">Kyle Fogg</a> led the team with 20 points, and Derrick Williams added 14 in the winning effort. Arizona will return to the NCAA Tournament in 2011 after their 25-season streak ended in 2010. With the win, the Wildcats secured the No. 1 seed in the Pac-10 Tournament this week, and have greatly improved their profile for Selection Sunday.</p>
<p>Arizona has now won 12 Pac-10 titles, moving into third place on the all-time list (UCLA leads the league with 30 titles, and California has achieved the top mark 15 times). Both Stanford and Oregon State have won the conference 11 times.</p>
<p>In the end, it was consistency that won out for the Wildcats in 2010-11. While most of the Pac-10 conference failed to win on a regular basis, Arizona defeated the inferior teams and didn't let pesky squads like ASU, California or Stanford get in their way. That's how you win a conference, by executing against the teams that can't match up to your talent.</p>
<p>For more coverage on this exciting moment in Arizona basketball history, check out <a href="http://www.azdesertswarm.com">AZ Desert Swarm</a> for all your Wildcat needs.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-wildcats/2011/3/5/2032219/arizona-wildcats-capture-pac-10-title-with-victory-over-oregonCory Williams2011-03-05T12:29:40-07:002011-03-05T12:29:40-07:00Arizona Wildcats Bracketology 2011
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<p>The Arizona Wildcats are 24-6 overall and 13-4 in the Pac-10 heading into tonight's season finale against the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/oregon-ducks">Oregon Ducks</a>, and a victory in tonight's game would give the Wildcats their first regular-season Pac-10 championship since 2004-05. This team, however, aims to do much more than just win the regular-season title. Led by star forward Derrick Williams, Arizona will be looking to make a deep run in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. Let's take a look at how the Wildcats are positioned for the Big Dance.</p>
<p>ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi's <a href="http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology">most recent piece</a> (updated Friday) has the Wildcats holding the fifth seed in the East region, with a match-up against either <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/boston-college-eagles">Boston College</a> (18-11 overall, 8-7 in ACC play) or <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/michigan-wolverines">Michigan </a>(18-12 overall, 8-9 in Big Ten play) set for the first round. A further look at this bracket reveals that the Wildcats could take on four-seed <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/st-john-s-red-storm">St. John's</a> in the second round; if the Wildcats can best the Red Storm, then they would most likely take on Lunardi's projected top overall seed <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/ohio-st-buckeyes">Ohio State</a> in the Sweet 16.</p>
<p>Of course, bracketolgists have different views on teams. In his <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/2011/3/4/2028834/bracketology-2011-tournament-march-madness-duke-byu#">latest bracket</a> (also updated Friday), SB Nation's Chris Dobbertean ranks Arizona slightly lower than Lunardi, placing the Wildcats as the sixth seed in the West region. Dobbertean's bracket features the Wildcats against last year's runner-up <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/michigan-st-spartans">Michigan State</a> in the first round, with a match-up against third seed <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/syracuse-orange">Syracuse</a> possibly looming in round two. The Wildcats could see second-seeded <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/san-diego-st-aztecs">San Diego State</a> in the Sweet 16 if they manage to advance that far.</p>
<p>Only this month's NCAA Tournament will tell which, if either, of these two brackets correctly predicts Arizona's postseason path. One thing remains constant between these two brackets though: the Wildcats will have to play well to advance far in the always unpredictable NCAA Tournament.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-wildcats/2011/3/5/2031873/arizona-wildcats-bracketology-2011Nikil Selvam2011-03-01T12:57:44-07:002011-03-01T12:57:44-07:00Arizona Wildcats Slotted As 6 Seed In Recent Bracketology
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<p>SB Nation's resident Bracketology expert, Chris Dobbertean, has released his latest version of his projected seeding for the NCAA March Madness Tournament. The Arizona Wildcats have understandably slipped a bit after losing to both USC and UCLA and are now slotted as Six Seed in the East and would take on Michigan State (11) in the opening round.</p>
<p>The Cats face Oregon State and Oregon at home on Thursday and Saturday with a chance to finish strong before heading into the PAC-10 Tournament the following week. A strong showing there would boost Arizona's NCAA Tournament seeding and give Derrick Williams even more exposure on that national stage leading up to the NBA Draft in June.</p>
<p>All of these projections are just early tea leaf reading of course, but it's fun to keep on eye on where everyone is currently slotted. For the full details, read <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/2011/3/1/2021680/bracketology-march-madness-2011-bracket-ncaa-tournament-bids" target="_blank">this report </a>or visit <a href="http://www.bloggingthebracket.com/" target="_blank">Blogging the Bracket</a>.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-wildcats/2011/3/1/2023212/arizona-wildcats-slotted-as-6-seed-in-recent-bracketologySeth Pollack2011-02-28T18:41:16-07:002011-02-28T18:41:16-07:00NCAA Basketball Rankings: Arizona Wildcats Drop To 18th After Winless Weekend
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<p>After discussing whether or not the Arizona Wildcats deserved to be ranked 10th in the nation, UA proved us right and lost both of their road games in Los Angeles this past weekend.</p>
<p>Both the AP and the ESPN/USA Today polls dropped Arizona down to 18th overall, giving the program a reality check late in the season. Losing two games in a row is a bad sign for any program, but the Wildcats really need to find consistency soon if they want to make a postseason push.</p>
<p>The bracketologists, however, didn't flinch when it came to taking Arizona's winless weekend into consideration. SB Nation's Chris Dobbertean keeps Arizona up in the rankings, <a href="http://www.bloggingthebracket.com/2011/2/28/2019411/ncaa-basketball-bracketology-s-curve-02-28" target="_blank">dropping them only one seed</a> down to a six seed. ESPN's Joe Lunardi <a href="http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology" target="_blank">keeps Arizona as a fifth seed</a>, having them play Missouri State.</p>
<p>The Arizona Wildcats have two games remaining in the regular season, both home games against Oregon State on Thursday and Oregon on Saturday. Then, UA is slated to play in the Pac-10 Tournament in Los Angeles on March 10th. After that weekend, we will know for sure if this team is ready for a long run in March Madness, or if they are going to continue their downward spiral.</p>
<p>Full AP rankings can be <a href="http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/rankings/ap" target="_blank">found here</a>.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-wildcats/2011/2/28/2021632/ncaa-basketball-rankings-arizona-wildcats-drop-to-18th-after-winlessCory Williams2011-02-21T12:45:04-07:002011-02-21T12:45:04-07:00NCAA Basketball Rankings: Arizona Wildcats Now Ranked 10th Overall, Do They Deserve It?
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<p>The Arizona Wildcats, after sweeping the Washington schools this past weekend, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/2011/2/21/2005960/college-basketball-rankings-duke-espn-usa-today-coaches-poll">have moved to tenth overall in the ESPN/USA Today rankings</a> with a 23-4 record. This ranking is at odds with what the bracketologists have been saying recently, with Chris Dobbertean slotting them at a 5 seed despite their gaudy record. ESPN and Joe Lunardi <a target="_blank" href="http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology">echo this ranking</a>, slotting them against 12th-seeded Minnesota in the West region.</p>
<p>What is the cause of this? Have the bracketologists been blinded by their "East Coast Bias"? Does a legendary program like Arizona get a little extra love from the pollsters? After a quick review of their schedule this season, the latter seems to be correct.</p>
<p>According to ESPN, the Arizona Wildcats <a target="_blank" href="http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/12/arizona-wildcats">haven't defeated a currently ranked basketball team</a> this year. Three of their four losses have come against ranked teams (Kansas, BYU, Washington) and their out-of-conference schedule was fairly lackluster this season.</p>
<p>It should come as no surprise that <a target="_blank" href="http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_Men.html">Arizona's Strength of Schedule</a> is 48, which is mediocre at best. Arizona State's SoS is 51, which should give you a good comparison of schedule quality.</p>
<p>In the end, the rankings encompass a multitude of factors, one being whether or not your team wins. Arizona has passed this test with flying colors, and their record of 23-4 (12-2 in Pac-10 play) is nothing to scoff at. But there is credence to the fact that bracketologists are hesitant to rank them too highly - they just haven't proven anything against the top tier in 2010-2011. That's why they play the games, right?</p>
<p><i>Check out the full rankings at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/2011/2/21/2005960/college-basketball-rankings-duke-espn-usa-today-coaches-poll">SBNation.com</a>.</i></p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-wildcats/2011/2/21/2006088/ncaa-basketball-rankings-arizona-wildcats-now-ranked-10th-overall-doCory Williams2011-02-21T12:04:16-07:002011-02-21T12:04:16-07:00NCAA Basketball Rankings: Arizona Wildcats Rise To 15th In AP Top 25 Poll
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<p>The <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/arizona-wildcats" class="sbn-auto-link">Arizona Wildcats</a> are back.</p>
<p>After a few years of rebuilding, Arizona has made a glorious comeback on the national stage, with Derrick Williams leading the Wildcats to a 20-4 record and the 15th overall ranking in <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/2011/2/7/1980146/ncaa-basketball-rankings-ap-top-25-ohio-state">this week's AP Top 25 Poll.</a> After being ranked 21st last week, UA passed Louisville, Kentucky, Missouri, Texas A&M, and Washington to make a precipitious jump in the rankings.</p>
<p>The Wildcats have had a very solid 2010-2011 campaign with only two losses in 11 Pac-10 contests. Two of their losses, Kansas and BYU, are ranked second and seventh overall in the AP Poll.</p>
<p>Williams leads his team in scoring (19.5 ppg), rebounding (8.1 per game), and also leads his team with 15 blocks on the season. He has been aggressive, ferocious, and tough to stop for any team. His lowest point total of the season was 12 in a road victory over Oregon, and Williams appears to be a near-lock for the NBA Draft lottery at this point in the season.</p>
<p>The Arizona Wildcats take on the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/arizona-st-sun-devils" class="sbn-auto-link">Arizona St. Sun Devils</a> in Tempe this Sunday evening at 7:00 p.m. Arizona time in what should be an exciting contest. Despite ASU's poor record, the rivalry game brings out the best in both teams, and a large crowd should be on hand to cheer for the maroon and gold. Get your tickets now - this is definitely going to be the "Phoenix area game of the week."</p>
<p>Full AP Top 25 Poll below:</p>
<p>1 Ohio State (65) <br>2 Kansas <br>3 Texas <br>4 Pittsburgh <br>5 Duke <br>6 San Diego State <br>7 BYU <br>8 Notre Dame <br>9 Villanova <br>10 Connecticut <br>11 Georgetown <br>12 Syracuse <br>13 Wisconsin <br>14 Purdue <br>15 Arizona <br>16 Louisville <br>17 Florida <br>18 Kentucky <br>19 Missouri <br>20 North Carolina <br>21 Utah State <br>22 Texas A&M <br>23 Vanderbilt <br>24 Temple <br>25 West Virginia</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/2011/2/7/2329382/ncaa-basketball-rankings-arizona-wildcats-rise-to-15th-in-ap-top-25Cory Williams