ARIZONA BASKETBALL

ESPN analyst: Arizona ‘must be taken seriously’ as title contender

Dec 16, 2012, 6:03 PM | Updated: 6:24 pm

Down 64-58 with just over a minute to play against No. 5 Florida on their home floor Saturday night, Sean Miller and the UA men’s basketball team looked headed for their first loss in 2012-13.

But basketball is a game of bounces, as the Wildcats so convincingly proved over the final 61 seconds of play. UA closed the game on a 7-0 run, thanks to three forced turnovers, a missed free throw by Gators guard Kenny Boynton (a 90-percent shooter from the charity stripe this season) and a nifty game-winning bucket with seven ticks remaining by transfer Mark Lyons.

The Wildcats shocked the Gators 65-64 at the McKale Center — in the first matchup of top 10 teams in Tucson since 2004 — to remain unbeaten, and in doing so received some well-deserved national attention.

While ESPN analyst Andy Katz named Butler his team of the week, after the Bulldogs upset No. 1 Indiana in overtime Saturday afternoon, he still had plenty of nice things to say about UA.

The Wildcats had to claw back to beat previously undefeated Florida in the final seven seconds Saturday night, and the win caps off a tremendous week for the Wildcats after they won a week ago at Clemson. Arizona is the clear favorite in the Pac-12 and now must be taken seriously as a national title contender.

There are plenty of flaws with this squad, but one of the most pressing is youth inside. That will improve over time. Arizona showed plenty of grit in its win over Florida. The Wildcats head to Hawaii for the Diamond Head Classic, and wins there over San Diego State, Ole Miss or Miami would continue to prove this team’s growth.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Saturday’s win was the first by a Pac-12 team over a non-conference opponent ranked in the top 5, since Arizona beat No. 4 Gonzaga back in December 2008.

UA is off to its best start (8-0) since Lute Olsen’s squad began the 1998-99 season with eight straight victories.

Arizona Basketball

Keshad Johnson #16 and Pelle Larsson #3 of the Arizona Wildcats speak at a press conference before ...

Damon Allred

Grind of final Pac-12 season prepared Arizona basketball for March

No. 2 Arizona men's basketball will look to make it past the Sweet 16 for the first time in Tommy Lloyd's tenure.

11 hours ago

Caitlin Clark celebrates...

Associated Press

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is inspiring a younger generation of players

Caitlin Clark's deep range has expanded the scope of possibilities for up-and-coming women's basketball players.

12 hours ago

Chase Hunter #1 and PJ Hall #24 of the Clemson Tigers high five during the first half against the B...

Vincent DeAngelis

Clemson basketball looks to continue ‘underdog’ run against Arizona in Sweet 16

No. 6 seed Clemson takes on Arizona on Thursday after upsetting No. 3 seed Baylor in the 2024 NCAA Tournament round of 32

17 hours ago

(L-R) Caleb Love #2, Keshad Johnson #16, Oumar Ballo #11, and Jaden Bradley #0 of the Arizona Wildc...

Vincent DeAngelis

Re-ranking Arizona basketball among Sweet 16 teams in the NCAA Tournament

Multiple publications rank the Arizona Wildcats around the middle of the pack among the Sweet 16 team still in the NCAA Tournament.

3 days ago

Darian DeVries...

Associated Press

West Virginia basketball hires Darian DeVries to be new coach after 6 years at Drake

West Virginia tapped Drake coach Darian DeVries on Sunday to move the Mountaineers past one of the ugliest years in school history.

3 days ago

Tommy Lloyd...

Arizona Sports

How to watch: Arizona vs. Clemson in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

What time and how to watch the No. 2 seed Arizona Wildcats take on No. 6 Clemson Tigers in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

3 days ago

ESPN analyst: Arizona ‘must be taken seriously’ as title contender