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On UA’s visit to Orlando, Big 12 battles and Cincy’s bubble

Suhas Bhokare07 mins
On UA’s visit to Orlando, Big 12 battles and Cincy’s bubble

No. 1 seed Arizona (29-2) vs No. 8 seed UCF (21-10)

• Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals * T-Mobile Center, Kansas City * Noon, Thursday • ESPN • 1290-AM

0 Jaden Bradley G 6-3 senior

5 Brayden Burries G 6-4 freshman

18 Ivan Kharchenkov F 6-7 freshman

10 Koa Peat F 6-8 freshman

13 Motiejus Krivas C 7-2 junior

30 Tobe Awaka F 6-8 senior

People are additionally studying…

3 Anthony Dell’Orso F 6-6 senior

2 Dwayne Aristode F 6-8 freshman

2 Riley Kugel G 6-5 senior

1 Themus Fulks G 6-2 senior

4 Jamichael Stillwell F 6-8 senior

99 Jordan Burks F 6-9 junior

7 John Bol C 7-2 sophomore

11 Carmelo Pacheco F 6-5 junior

22 Chris Johnson F 6-5 junior

35 Devan Cambridge F 6-6 senior

How they acquired right here: Arizona went 16-2 to win the Big 12 regular-season title and earn the No. 1 Big 12 Tournament seed. UCF went 9-9 to end in a four-way tie for seventh place and earned the No. 8 seed based mostly on tiebreakers, then beat Cincinnati 66-65 in extra time throughout a second-round sport Wednesday.

This season: Center Motiejus Krivas had 17 factors and 12 rebounds whereas Jaden Bradley scored 23 factors and hit 9 of 10 free throws he took over the ultimate 77 seconds to lead Arizona to an 84-77 win over UCF on Jan., 17 in Orlando. Forward Koa Peat was restricted to 4 factors whereas battling foul hassle, however freshman guard Brayden Burries added 18 factors on 8-for-14 taking pictures and huge man Tobe Awaka collected 10 factors and 9 rebounds.

Series historical past: Arizona by no means performed UCF earlier than the Wildcats joined the Big 12 final season however is now 2-0 in opposition to the Knighrts after beating them in Florida this season and final season at McKale, when the Wildcats had 5 gamers rating in double figures in an 88-80 win. UCF didn’t change into a Division I program till 1985.

What’s new with the Knights: After a 6-3 begin in Big 12 play that included a win over Kansas and a detailed name with Arizona, the Knights dropped six of 9 to finish the common season on a tough be aware, practically shedding a first-round bye within the convention event and placing themselves on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

They misplaced to Baylor and Oklahoma State at dwelling, then at West Virginia on March 9 to finish the common season, however skidded into the No. 8 Big 12 seed thanks to tiebreakers. Their win over Cincinnati is predicted to earn them an NCAA Tournament bid no matter Thursday’s sport.

UCF nonetheless has a balanced offensive assault with 4 gamers averaging in double figures and begins the identical 5 gamers that began in opposition to Arizona. Guards Themus Fulks and Riley Kugel entered the Big 12 Tournament on a scorching be aware, with Kugel averaging 20.0 factors over his earlier 5 video games whereas hitting 9 of 18 3-pointers, and Kugel averaged 18.8 factors over the identical 5 video games. Kugel had 15 in opposition to Cincinnati on Wednesday.

Fulks entered the Big 12 event averaging 6.8 assists, rating second within the Big 12 and tenth nationally. Stillwell posted his eighth double double when he had 17 factors and 15 rebounds in opposition to Cincinnati.

For the season, UCF ranks thirty ninth in total offensive effectivity however simply 105 in defensive effectivity. They shoot a good 36.8% from 3-point vary however 3s make up solely 34.4% of their subject objectives.

A fifth-year level guard now enjoying for his fourth college, Fulks is ending his school profession on a excessive particular person be aware. While he solely scored 4 factors in opposition to Cincinnati on Wednesday, when he had seven assists, he has confirmed he can rating — with 30 factors on 9-for-14 taking pictures in opposition to Arizona and three video games of twenty-two or extra factors in his final six.

(*12*)






UCF’s Themus Fulks (1) and Cincinnati’s Sencire Harris (5) battle for the ball in the course of the first half of an NCAA school basketball sport within the second spherical of the Big 12 Conference event Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)




Arizona – Jaden Bradley

UA’s regular ground chief has stuffed in offensive holes wherever wanted all season, as when he helped the Wildcats maintain off UCF in Orlando by getting to the road and hitting clutch free throws. Or he can take a again seat as he did at Colorado on March 7, when Brayden Burries had 31 factors and Bradley had no factors – however six assists and 4 rebounds.

(*12*)






Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) drives to the basket as Central Florida guard Riley Kugel (2) defends in the course of the first half, Jan. 17, in Orlando, Fla. 




The solely time Arizona performed UCF was practically two months in the past, and Knights coach Johnny Dawkins mentioned he didn’t bear in mind a lot about that sport.

“It was a long time ago,” Dawkins mentioned. “I know they’re a terrific team. Wery talented and well coached.”

To be honest, Dawkins had simply completed teaching his staff to an extra time win over Cincinnati and mentioned he would quickly zero in on scouting the Wildcats. What he possible discovered was that whereas the Wildcats led by up to 15 factors within the first half and 13 within the second half of that sport, his Knights saved the Wildcats from operating away with it.

UCF minimize it to 79-73 with 34 seconds left after UCF’s Chris Johnson hit a 3-pointer and Anthony Dell’Orso turned the ball over. But Bradley’s free throws down the stretch protected a lead UA by no means totally misplaced after the primary three minutes of the sport.

“Tough game,” UA coach Tommy Lloyd mentioned upon arriving in Kansas City. “They’re tough to play there. I thought our guys went in and played really well and kind of weathered a few comeback storms. It was a great Road victory.

The Knights were briefly ranked at No. 25 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll after beating Kansas on Jan. 3 and were still 14-2 heading into that first matchup with Arizona.

Since then, they have gone 7-8. But, when asked what has changed, or what he has learned over that period, Dawkins said nothing, really.

“I didn’t learn anything because I know the league is great,” Dawkins mentioned. “Think about the teams in our league, most of the teams went through different stretches, patches where they were winning a lot, then of all a sudden they’re losing a lot. We definitely were nowhere near the only team that went through something like that. And it’s because of the level of competition.”

Cincinnati’s probabilities of making the NCAA Tournament subject dipped significantly after its loss to UCF, however Bearcats coach Wes Miller tried to make a case.

Cincinnati fell to 18-15, is ranked forty third in Kenpom, and 46 within the NET, with a “wins above bubble” score of destructive 0.91. In ESPN’s up to date Bracketology report Wednesday, Cincinnati was listed as a “next four out” staff.

“I’m not in the room with the selection committee, so I don’t understand all the guidelines of it,” Miller mentioned. “But if it’s about the best teams at this point, we’re one of the best teams in the country. We’re an NCAA Tournament team.

“If it’s about overall resumé, I’m sure that you can make some arguments that we’re not. But we’ve won seven out of our last 10 Big 12 games…. When’s the last time somebody won seven out of 10 in the Big 12 and didn’t play in the NCAA Tournament? Honestly?

“Again, I don’t know what goes on. I certainly feel that we belong. … certainly we’ll hold out hope, but I realize (losing to UCF) was difficult. I think everybody in our locker room understands that.”

9- Arizona convention event wins in 11 video games beneath fifth-year coach Tommy Lloyd, counting three Pac-12 Tournaments and final season’s Big 12 Tournament.

38 –UCF’s nationwide rating getting into Wednesday in “wins above bubble” (1.84), a metric of what number of extra wins a staff has in contrast to what a median bubble staff would have in opposition to the identical schedule. No staff final season with over a 1.25 WAB on the similar level missed the event.

74.3 – Free throw taking pictures proportion of 7-foot-2 UCF middle John Bol.

Contact sports activities reporter Bruce Pascoe at bpascoe@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @brucepascoe

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