ESPN has Arizona on the rise in latest NCAA Tournament predictions

The Wildcats are one of the teams on the move
Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd talks with guard KJ Lewis (5).
Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd talks with guard KJ Lewis (5). / Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

A month ago, the Arizona men's basketball team was firmly out of the 2025 NCAA Tournament picture. The Wildcats had just blown a 13-point second-half lead vs. UCLA to fall to 4-5 on the season.

Six games later, the Wildcats are in a much different spot. Tommy Lloyd's team has not lost a game since that collapse vs. the Bruins, and they've climbed as high as No. 14 in the NCAA NET Rankings.

Arizona (10-5, 4-0) enters Tuesday night's game vs. Baylor in first place in the Big 12 and ranked No. 16 in the NET. There is a ton of basketball left to play, but the Wildcats have put themselves in position to earn a high seed in March Madness.

Arizona Moves Up To No. 7 Seed

In ESPN's latest NCAA Tournament predictions, the Wildcats are projected to be a No. 7 seed in the West Region.

ESPN's Joe Lunardi has Arizona slotted to play No. 10 Ohio State in the first round in Cleveland. The winner of that game is projected to play No. 2 Florida in the second round.

Being placed in the West Region is a big deal for Arizona. It means if the Wildcats advance to the Sweet 16 they'll be headed to San Francisco instead of Atlanta (South), Newark (East) or Indianapolis (Midwest).

If the Wildcats continue to win they'll have a chance to move into the top-four seed line, which would potentially mean a first-round game in Seattle or Denver.

Baylor is ranked No. 20 in the NET, which means Arizona can pick up another Quad 1 victory on Tuesday night — and jump even higher in the rankings. A Quad 1 game is a home matchup against a top 30 team in the NET Rankings, or a road game against a top 50 team in the NET.

The Big 12 is currently projected to have eight teams in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, with predicted No. 1 seed Iowa State leading the way. Kansas is projected to be a No. 2 seed and Houston a No. 3 seed.

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