The Arizona Wildcats have been on an unreal run so far in the NCAA Tournament. Thoroughly dominating the competition, they’ve made it to the Final Four stages with relative ease. Their latest victim came in the form of the Purdue Boilermakers, who were handily beaten in the Elite Eight.
The victory marked their first appearance in the penultimate round of March Madness in 25 years. It also made a very happy customer in NBA legend LeBron James, whose younger son, Bryce James, is on the Wildcats’ roster.
LeBron James Closely Following Arizona’s Success
Arizona has been one of the most dominant teams in college basketball all year long. A spectacular start saw them go 23-0, before losing back-to-back thrillers. Since then, they haven’t lost again, as their new winning streak has reached 13 games.
Defeating Arkansas 109-88, they were a force to be reckoned with on the court. A second-seeded Purdue squad that had been through the wringer seemed like a good choice to give them some competition in the Elite Eight.
But it was all for naught, as they once again took care of business, beating the Boilermakers 79-64. It’s brought them to the Final Four, behind a 20-point outburst from Koa Peat, who won Most Outstanding Player for the West Region.
This time around, though, defense played a huge part in Arizona’s success, as they held Purdue to just 38% shooting from the field. After trailing by seven entering halftime, they broke the game open on a 16-3 run. From there, it was no looking back.
On the sidelines for the Wildcats was the son of a four-time NBA MVP and one of the greatest basketball players ever. LeBron, in the midst of a history-making 23rd NBA season, took the time out to celebrate Arizona’s victory on social media.
Bryce, after a solid high school career at Sierra Canyon, boiled down his decision to Ohio State, Duquesne, or Arizona.
Ultimately, he chose the Wildcats, and it’s already flipped the program’s fortunes. While he’s redshirting his freshman year, he could become a bigger part of their game plan next year. But for now, he and his family are enjoying every moment of this magical run.
During the NCAA Tournament, though, they’ve flexed their muscles to great effect. Behind a lineup that had five players average double-digit points, including Peat and Brayden Burries, they have become an impossible team to slow down.
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Starting with a 92-58 domination in the first round, they faced their toughest battle in the Round of 32 against Utah State, a game that still ended in a 12-point decision. However, their arrival on a grand stage came in the Sweet 16 when they gave John Calipari his worst loss in NCAA tournament.
Now, just two games separate them from winning their second NCAA Division I tournament championship, and the 41-year-old will have a close eye on them.
