Arizona Has Rich History as No. 2 Seed In NCAA Tournament

The Arizona Wildcats officially qualified for their 37th berth in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday, thanks to capturing the Pac-12 Tournament title over UCLA on Saturday night.

The Wildcats (28-6, 14-6) will be the second seed in the South Region, facing off against Ivy League champion Princeton in the first round Thursday afternoon.

Bet $10, Get $150 If You Win

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (Available in the US) Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY) Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-981-0023 (PR) 21+ only. Please Gamble Responsibly. See BetMGM.com for Terms. Subject to eligibility requirements. Bonus bets are non-withdrawable. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. This promotional offer is not available in DC, Mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico.

When the Wildcats and Tigers meet in Sacramento in the Round of 64, it’ll represent the 25th game Arizona’s played as a second seed since the Big Dance expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

Arizona sportsbook oddsmakers are riding high on the Tommy Lloyd-coached squad, listing the Wildcats at -1200 and -14.5 against the Tigers.

As for overall odds, Arizona currently is listed in a tie with UCLA for fifth on the BetMGM Sportsbook Arizona odds board at +1200, behind Houston (+550), Kansas (+800), Alabama (+800) and Purdue (+1100).

BetArizona.com, your home for the best coverage of Arizona sports betting apps, wanted to take a trip down memory lane to see how the Wildcats have done as a No. 2 seed in recent history.

Bet Match Up to $250

Must be 21+ and physically present in AZ, CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MO, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY or Washington, DC. New users only. Must register using eligible promo code. First wager after registration must qualify. Min. Odds: -500. Max. Bonus Bet: $250. Awarded as non-withdrawable Bonus Bet that expires 14 days after receipt. Bonus Bet amount not returned for winning bets. Void where prohibited. See http://Caesars.com/promos for full terms. Know When To Stop Before You Start®. Gambling Problem? CO, IL, KY, MD, MI, MO, NJ, OH, TN, VA, WV, WY, KS (Affiliated with Kansas Crossing Casino), ME (Licensed through the Mi’kmaq Nation, Penobscot Nation, and Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, federally recognized tribes located in the State of Maine), NC (Licensed through Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise), PA (Affiliated with Harrah's Philadelphia): If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) or MD: visit http://mdgamblinghelp.org or WV: visit http://1800gambler.net ; AZ: Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP; IN: Call 1-800-9-WITH-IT; IA: Call 1-800-BETSOFF; LA (Licensed through Horseshoe Bossier City and Caesars New Orleans), Washington, DC (OLG Class A licensed Operator): Call 1-800-522-4700. ©2025, Caesars Entertainment Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER DC, LA: Call 1-800-522-4700 MA: Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit http://gamblinghelplinema.org NY: Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369)

Wildcats Record as No. 2 Seed Since 1985

2023

vs. 15 seed Princeton in Sacramento on Thursday

2017: 2-1 overall

Beat 15 seed N. Dakota (100-82) in Round of 64
Beat 7 seed St. Mary’s (69-60) in Round of 32
Lost to 11 seed Xavier (73-71) in Sweet 16

2015: 3-1 overall

Beat 15 seed Texas Southern (93-72) in Round of 64
Beat 10 seed Ohio State (73-58) in Round of 32
Beat 6 seed Xavier (68-60) in Sweet 16
Lost to 1 seed Wisconsin (78-65) in Elite 8

2001: 5-1 overall

Beat 15 seed E. Illinois (101-76) in Round of 64
Beat 10 seed Butler (73-52) in Round of 32
Beat 3 seed Ole Miss (66-56) in Sweet 16
Beat 1 seed Illinois (87-81) in Elite 8
Beat 1 seed Michigan State (80-61) in Final Four
Lost to 1 seed Duke (82-72) in NCAA Championship

1994: 4-1 overall

Beat 15 seed Loyola MD (81-55) in Round of 64
Beat 7 seed UVA (71-58) in Round of 32
Beat 3 seed Louisville (82-70) in Sweet 16
Beat 1 seed Missouri (92-72) in Elite 8
Lost to 1 seed Arkansas (91-82) in Final 4

1993: 0-1 overall

Lost to 15 seed Santa Clara (64-61) in Round of 64

1991: 2-1 overall

Beat 15 seed St. Francis PA (93-80) in Round of 64
Beat 10 seed BYU (76-61) in Round of 32
Lost to 3 seed Seton Hall (84-69) in Sweet 16

1990: 1-1 overall

Beat 15 seed South Florida (79-67) in Round of 64
Lost to 7 seed Alabama (77-55) in Round of 32

Overall W-L record

17-7 (eighth time in 2023)

BetArizona.com features the best Arizona sports betting promos to use as you place wagers on this year’s NCAA basketball tournament.

Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets If Your Bet Wins!

Must be 21+ to participate. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, KY, MI, NJ, OH, PA, IL, TN, VA, VT), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1-800-522-4700 (WY), or visit www.1800gambler.net (WV). GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support (MA). Call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY).

How Wildcats Compare To Their Predecessors

Being No. 2 hasn’t usually been an issue for Arizona in past tournaments, with the Wildcats making it to the Sweet 16 in five of their previous seven trips in such a position.

Aside from Arizona’s infamous loss to Steve Nash and the Santa Clara Broncos in the 1993 tournament and a second-round defeat to Alabama in 1990, each of the teams made it to the second weekend of the Big Dance.

Two such teams (1994 and 2001) made it all the way to the Final Four and national championship game, respectively, with the ’01 squad pushing Duke to the limit, before falling, 82-72.

That 2001 team also happens to be the last in school history to reach the Final Four, becoming the fourth Wildcats squad to reach the national semifinal.