When Arizona started the season 4-5, head coach Tommy Lloyd never wavered. He knew his process was sound and his team would respond.

And they have. After Saturday’s impressive 82-73 win over Texas Tech the Wildcats have won 13 of their last 14 games and are tied for first place in the Big 12.

“This is what we expected,” Lloyd said after beating Texas Tech. “I didn’t expect to be (4-5), but I didn’t panic. That doesn’t mean there wasn’t a sense of urgency. We rolled up our sleeves and figured it out. … We’ve never acted like we’re perfect or we’re above losses. We’re just like anybody else. We’ve got a bunch of great dudes. We’ve got a great coaching staff that’s all in and we rolled up our sleeves and we fought.”

In the span of six weeks, Arizona (17-6, 11-1) has gone from an NIT team to a projected No. 4 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. And the Wildcats have a chance to climb even higher.

Arizona Jumps In NET Rankings

Arizona’s win over Texas Tech was its seventh Quadrant 1 victory of the season — tied for the third-most in the country — and it vaulted the Wildcats to No. 7 in the country. A Quad 1 victory is a home win against a top 30 team in the NCAA NET Rankings, or a road win against a top 50 team in the NET.

The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee uses the NET Rankings as the primary sorting tool for selection and seeding for the NCAA tournament — and they put a lot of weight on Quad 1 wins. Despite losing on Saturday, Auburn is still the No. 1 team in the NET Rankings, in large part because the Tigers are 12-2 in Quad 1 games.

Arizona is 7-6 in Quad 1 games, which means every one of its losses has been a “good loss.” And Saturday’s win was a huge one. Texas Tech was ranked No. 7 in the NET coming into the game, which is where Arizona now finds itself. The six teams ranked in front of the Wildcats? No. 1 Auburn, No. 2 Duke, No. 3 Houston, No. 4 Tennessee, No. 5 Florida and No. 6 Alabama.

A No. 7 ranking in the NET has historically translated to a No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. Last season the Wildcats finished No. 4 in the NET and received a No. 2 seed.

Can Arizona Earn No. 1 seed?

Because of the strength of the Big 12, the Wildcats have a chance to move into the top 4 in the country and potentially earn a No. 1 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Four of Arizona’s final eight games are Quad 1 opportunities — and that does not include the Big 12 tournament.

The biggest game for the Wildcats will be next Saturday’s home matchup vs. No. 3 Houston (19-4, 11-1). The winner will be in a great position to capture the Big 12 championship, something that not many people thought Arizona would be in a position to accomplish just six weeks ago.

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