Arizona basketball outlasts Houston surge to win Big 12 Tournament

If both Duke and Michigan win their respective conference championship games, the selection committee could find itself locked in a tense debate over who should be the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. But Arizona basketball deserves respect as well. The Wildcats have a strong claim as the top team in the country, and it just got stronger following a 79-74 Big 12 title victory versus Houston.

Tommy Lloyd’s squad could not be denied in Kansas city, Missouri’s T-mobile Center. The Cougars made a late push, but Arizona’s star freshmen propelled the program to its ninth straight win.

Brayden Burries and Koa Peat each scored 21 points and did an excellent job of getting to the free throw line. Defensively, the Wildcats held potential top-five NBA Draft pick Kingston Flemings to just 3-of-12 shooting. Fans witnessed a well-executed game plan that typifies the maturity and physicality this group has exemplified throughout the season.

In just its second year in the league, Arizona is a Big 12 regular season and Tournament champion. The Wildcats check off nearly all the boxes. They have a plethora of natural talent, a creative offensive mind as head coach, an elite defense and a crafty guard in Jaden Bradley who can lift the more inexperienced players on the team with his superb instincts

If Arizona basketball can post adequate production from behind the 3-point line (shooting 35.8 percent this season), then it will have a golden opportunity to compete for a national championship inside Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium. One step at a time, though.

The Wildcats will celebrate their latest triumph before quickly entering preparation mode for the NCAA Tournament.

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