Leif Thulin, college basketball guru, makes his boldest prediction yet: the Arizona Wildcats will start Big 12 play 7-0 and finish as a top-two team in conference play, positioning Tommy Lloyd's squad for a potential #1 seed in March Madness. This is Lloyd's most talented roster in Tucson, and the path to a Final Four banner runs through one of college basketball's toughest schedules.
The breakdown covers Arizona's brutal non-conference slate featuring Florida, UCLA, UConn, Auburn, and Alabama, with detailed game-by-game predictions and win probabilities. Thulin identifies three critical success indicators: Jaden Bradley emerging as an All-Big 12 point guard, maintaining top-20 offensive efficiency while playing at elite tempo, and improving defensively from 38th to top-25 nationally. He projects 85 points per game for the Wildcats, with Koa Peat leading at 16 points and 8 rebounds, while emphasizing that improved three-point shooting from 32% to 35% could transform this team into a legitimate championship contender. The Big 12 features six top-15 teams, making Arizona's projected 14-4 or 15-3 conference record worthy of elite seeding.
Hear why Arizona's schedule actually works in their favor and how a 26-5 overall record becomes realistic for a team built to dominate in transition and at the rim.
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