The second-ranked Arizona Wildcats face No. 4 Iowa State on Monday night at McKale Center, with a victory securing their first outright Big 12 regular-season title. The game marks Senior Night for five players and continues Arizona's strong conference debut in their second season. Coach Tommy Lloyd emphasized the challenge of earning the championship in a tough league.
Arizona's men's basketball team, with a 27-2 overall record and 14-2 in Big 12 play, has already clinched a share of the conference title but can claim it outright against Iowa State, who stand at 24-5 overall and 11-5 in the league. The matchup at McKale Center at ALKEME Arena in Tucson serves as the Wildcats' home finale, featuring a White Out atmosphere similar to last season's event where Arizona defeated then-No. 2 Iowa State on a buzzer-beater by Caleb Love to force overtime.
Coach Tommy Lloyd, reaching his 139th career win to tie Brad Stevens for the most by a Division I head coach in his first five seasons, highlighted the opportunity after Saturday's victory. "We’ve got a couple games down the stretch here to give ourselves an opportunity to do that," Lloyd said. "The Big 12 is a monster... We want to earn everything we get."
Injury updates include forward Koa Peat's return from a three-game absence due to a muscle strain in his lower right leg. Peat started against Kansas, playing 23 minutes and contributing 12 points, seven rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a plus/minus of 29. "It felt great to be out there again with my brothers," Peat said. Guard Dwayne Aristode also returned after missing four games with an illness, playing the final 2:59 with a steal.
Defensively, Arizona leads the Big 12 in three-point percentage allowed at 30.3%. Iowa State, however, ranks eighth nationally at 39% from beyond the arc and second in the conference at 37.5%, with five games of at least 10 made threes in league play. Guard Milan Momcilovic leads the nation in three-point accuracy at 50.9%, having made 109. The Cyclones struggle at the free-throw line, shooting 67.1% overall (339th nationally) and 65.5% in Big 12 games.
Five seniors will be honored: Tobe Awaka, Jaden Bradley, Anthony Dell’Orso, Jackson Francois, and Evan Nelson. Bradley, in his 103rd game for Arizona, has 1,096 points, 343 assists, and 147 steals under Lloyd. Awaka leads in rebounds with 563 and three-point percentage at .467. Dell’Orso recently scored 22 points twice with 12 threes. "It’s time to take on the real challenge, the Big 12 Tournament, March Madness," Bradley said.
