Arizona Wildcats and GCU look to make a splash in March Madness
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Caleb Love and the Arizona Wildcats face Akron in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Arizona's March Madness hopes rest on UofA and Grand Canyon University.
The big picture: The Wildcats are the No. 4 seed in the East region and face No. 13 seed Akron in the first round of the NCAA men's tournament on Friday night. Expect a high-octane game. UofA (81.7 points per game) and Akron (84.6) are two of the top-scoring teams in the tournament.
- No. 13-seeded GCU faces No. 4-seed Maryland in the West on Friday afternoon.
- ASU and Northern Arizona University didn't make the cut this year.
Catch up quick: UofA's first season in the Big 12 didn't quite meet its preseason expectations, but the Wildcats have a chance to make a splash going into the tournament.
- The Cats were ranked No. 10 nationwide in the preseason but had a rough start and tough finish to the regular season.
- Yes, but: They had a midseason stretch when they went 13-1, notched against ranked Big 12 opponents like Iowa State and Texas Tech.
- They finished third in the Big 12, reaching the conference tournament championship game where they lost to No. 1 seed Houston.
The intrigue: The Cats live and die by star guard Caleb Love.
- Love was a preseason All-American and leads the team with 16.6 points per game.
- But he's also known to be streaky, and when Love's shooting goes cold, UofA struggles on offense.
Zoom in: Seven-foot sophomore Henri Veesaar had some big games this year and could be a difference-maker against undersized Akron.
- After the Cats' tough start, guard KJ Lewis asked head coach Tommy Lloyd to take him out of the starting lineup, and since he's provided a spark off the bench.
The other side: Akron has never won a tournament game, going 0-6 in March Madness, and it's a "no brainer" that this is the best Zips team yet, Arizona Daily Star columnist Greg Hansen writes.
- The Zips are a hot upset pick with some college basketball analysts.
What we're watching: If UofA beats Akron, it could set up a second-round matchup with former Pac-12 rival Oregon.
- And if the Cats reach the Sweet 16, chances are they'll get a rematch with No. 1 seed Duke, which beat UofA in November.
Context: UofA hasn't made it to the Elite Eight since 2015, and the Cats haven't been to the Final Four since 2001.
Meanwhile, GCU is making its third consecutive tournament appearance and its fourth in the past five years after winning the Western Athletic Conference.
- The Lopes won their first NCAA tournament game last year when they upset No. 5 seed Saint Mary's in the first round.
- Star player Tyon Grant-Foster has struggled with injuries throughout the season, but the Lopes have tournament experience and some analysts are eyeing them as a possible upset pick in the first round.
1 big milestone: For the first time in school history, GCU made it to the women's tournament, where the Lopes are Arizona's sole representative in the brackets.
- As in the men's tourney, the GCU women pulled a No. 13 seed. The Lopes will play Baylor in their first-round game on Friday.