10. Arizona Wildcats (17-13, 8-9 Pac-12) LW: 10
A top-ranked recruiting class featuring Nico Mannion and Josh Green awaits in the fall, but can Sean Miller still make this year’s Arizona squad a success?
The Wildcats provided mixed answers in last week’s Oregon trip. Boosted by a putback buzzer-beater from Devonaire Doutrive, Arizona extended a three-game win streak Thursday, taking down Oregon State in Corvallis, 74-72.
Two days later, the Wildcats attempted for their second straight sweep against Oregon. With the halftime score knotted at 31, it appeared Miller had his players geared for top play in March.
However, the second half told a familiar story.
Taken aback by a 13-0 Duck run, Arizona incurred a result similar to its seven-game losing streak, falling 73-47. In light of recent success, Saturday’s loss served as a reminder that the talent isn’t as fruitful in Tucson.
With one game remaining, Arizona will be unable to capture a first-round bye in next week’s Pac-12 Tournament. By mathematical purposes, the Wildcats can finish as high as sixth, but it seems more likely they’ll finish in the 8-10 range.
Considering T-Mobile Arena is set to become McKale North – full of Arizona fans – at the conference tournament, there’s a chance the Wildcats could pull off four wins in four days. After all, stranger things have played out in this league.
That would require Chase Jeter to play like the tournament’s MVP and Brandon Randolph to be a consistent outside threat. Until they can, it seems unlikely that Arizona will make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.