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Arizona's dominant win over Arkansas proves they're the team to beat in March Madness

Arizona has quietl rolled through this year's NCAA Tournament, showing they have the DNA to win March Madness.
ByWynston Wilcox|
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Brayden Burries, Arizona Wildcats
Brayden Burries, Arizona Wildcats | Ben Solomon/GettyImages

Arizona entered the NCAA Tournament as one of the teams to beat and they validated that with a resounding, 21-point win over Arkansas. Other than taking down John Calipari in the Sweet 16, Arizona confirmed just how good of a team it is. Duke might be the No. 1 overall seed, but Arizona is the best team in the field. The good thing about their tournament run isn’t the fact that they’re winning, but they’re winning efficiently. 

They’re one of the most efficient shooting teams in the NCAA Tournament and that’s been the key to their dominance. They might be the most consistent No. 1 seed in the tournament. They could very well solidify that with a national championship this season. 

Why Arizona is the new team to beat in the NCAA Tournament

Entering the NCAA Tournament, it’s easy to say that Duke was the team to beat. They took down Michigan in a late-season top-four clash and finished the year as the No. 1 team. But Arizona was always a team to watch this year in March Madness. Arizona had the easiest path of any No. 1 seed in the field. They were always going to have a target on their back in the NCAA Tournament. 

The fact that they made the game against Arkansas not competitive just goes to show how good they truly are. Arkansas could have put Arizona on upset alert and the game wasn’t even close. John Calipari and his recipe of one-and-done guards was starting to catch fire and Arizona made it look easy. 

In this year's tournament, Arizona is averaging 70.6 points against. They entered the NCAA Tournament with a 90.3 defensive rating, top five in college basketball, per KenPom. While they didn’t have the toughest first two opponents, they held Arkansas to 88 points. Defense is key to winning championships and Arizona is proving just that. 

Why Arizona can win a championship this season

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr., Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries
Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr., Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Experience is everything in college basketball. Yes, one-and-done players have dominated the modern age of college basketball. With the transfer portal now, coaches can land players looking for a bigger school and bigger role and have a better balance of younger and older players. Nearly half of Arizona’s starting lineup is seniors. That’s what it takes to win a national championship. 

Along with that, their defense is too good. They suffocate the paint and force teams into uncomfortable half-court offenses. You have to have experience to hang with Arizona. As good as their defense is, they know how to score too. Arizona is averaging 93 points per game in three NCAA Tournament games. They’re averaging more than 20-point win margins. Arizona can do it all, which is what makes them the perfect national champion. 

Even during Florida’s championship run last year, they didn’t dominate as easily as Arizona has already. That’s a sign if the Wildcats can keep this up, they’ll be the team to beat. 

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