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Arizona
Road to the Final Four.............................................................................................
Adversity has defined the team most ranked No. 1 to begin the season, and yet few would argue Arizona is certainly still capable of winning a national championship. Just ask Stanford, which lost at home to the Wildcats last week. The late victory over the Cardinal proved it isn't too late for all the promise and potential to surface at the most critical time. Players spoke of an undefeated run, a notion that ended quickly in the season's fourth game against Purdue. Suspensions and shoddy play led to a 7-4 start, including consecutive road losses to Connecticut and Illinois. But nothing could prepare the team for coach Lute Olson taking a leave of absence to care for his dying wife. Suddenly, basketball was an afterthought. Still, the Wildcats remained in the conference race and actually seemed to take off when Olson returned Jan. 15. Some down points can be explained: The Purdue loss (72-69) was after an all-night flight from Maui and the UConn setback (71-69) included a controversial call and the UCLA defeat (79-77) was in overtime on the road. Losing at Oregon (79-67) might be a tougher sell. In other words, a solid record is quite close to being great. The Maui Invitational title went to Arizona. Olson's team also answered its loss at UCLA with a 44-point rout of USC two days later. The NCAA Tournament has gotten off to a better start than the regular season for the Wildcats, as second-seeded Arizona has beaten both Eatern Illinois and Butler handily to advance to the Sweet 16. Player to Watch Focus is a big key for sophomore wing Gilbert Arenas. When he has it, he is tremendous. When he doesn't, he offers little. He took better shots in the season's final weeks, which led to more opponents extending to defend, which led to Arenas penetrating with ease. He averages 16.6 points on a team with five starters in double figures. Arenas continues to mature as a player and person, and a hot shooting hand like his could mean the difference between advancing and going home in March. But he needs to approach each game, each possession, each second with a purpose. With the Ball The emphasis changed somewhat in the second half of conference play, when Arenas began torching opponents. The Wildcats have so many weapons -- Jason Gardner, Michael Wright, Richard Jefferson, Loren Woods -- that it becomes difficult to gimmick a defense against Arenas. Arizona likes to run Arenas off high screens and get the scorer several looks via hard basket cuts. If those are covered, you have an excellent inside scorer in Wright, who can split a double-team or find open shooters like Gardner floating outside. The athletic Jefferson also offers a threat by following misses. Defending the Ball A misconception about center Loren Woods: His blocked shots are down, so he must not be playing as hard. Truth is, just the presence of Woods inside has forced most opposing players to either alter shots or lack aggression when reaching the key. Arizona's defense can at times be stifling, a cohesive group with size, strength and mobility. Athleticism allows the Wildcats to get consistent rotation and solid movement to stop penetration. If they give up points, it's usually because of bad shot selection at the other end resulting in transition baskets. Seed Analysis Exceeding the Seed Playing to Expectations Falling Short BRACKETOLOGY SCORE: .755 (1.000 is playing exactly to a team's historical seeding) Bracketology Report 1985-2000:The number 755 is very good if you are chasing Hank Aaron, but it is a lousy Bracketology Score. Yet the number applies to Arizona, meaning the Wildcats have played only 75.5 percent of the NCAA games they have been seeded to play since 1985. Arizona's early "outs" are numerous and legendary (1999, 1995, 1993, 1992). All four times the Wildcats lost to a double-digit seed, including No. 15 Santa Clara in 1993. Roster
 NCAA Basketball Championship Week It's March, which means the madness has started and invitations are being reserved throughout Championship Week.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories |  |
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Back home, coach Lute Olson and Loren Woods address the Arizona faithful.
Coach Lute Olson felt the Wildcats couldn't have played a better second half (Courtesy: NCAA Productions).
