Can Arizona win March Madness 2024? Analyzing the Wildcats' chances and key factors for success

Arizona made it to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed in the West Region, behind North Carolina. The Selection Committee classified the Wildcats (25-9) as the sixth-best team in the league after they topped the Pac-12 Conference regular season.

With standouts like Caleb Love, Oumar Ballo and Pelle Larsson, the Tommy Lloyd-coached squad has become one of the most exciting offenses in the league, averaging a third-best 87.9 points.

Arizona is the second-best team in assists, with 18.6 per game, and third-best in rebounds, at 42.6 rpg. The Wildcats' point differential of +15.6 is fifth-best in the nation.

The team's high-octane offense has placed them consistently in the AP and Coaches' Poll this season, peaking at No. 1 for two weeks.

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Can Arizona win March Madness 2024?

Caleb Love is Arizona's leading scorer this season.

This season, Tommy Lloyd's offensive schemes have transformed Arizona into a scoring machine capable of dropping 100 points a night.

However, there were instances when their guns failed to fire; one of these moments was in the Pac-12 semifinal game against Oregon. The Ducks limited the Wildcats to a season-low 59 points and 38.3% shooting.

The Wildcats' offense will be challenged more frequently in the NCAA Tournament, as their rivals would employ a defensive scheme that seeks to shackle Arizona's best guard (Love) and top center (Ballo).

If Arizona can pick apart tough defenses in the tournament regionals and the Final Four, it will have a great chance of securing its second NCAA title, first since 1997.

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Arizona March Madness odds

Despite being the No. 2 seed in the West Region, ESPN reported that Arizona has the fourth-best chance of topping the 2024 March Madness. The Wildcats have an 11-1 odds of winning the Big Dance, behind Purdue's 7-1, Houston's (6-1) and UConn (+375).

In terms of moneyline, BetMGM gave Arizona a +1200 bet, which is fourth, behind Purdue's +650, Houston's +600 and UConn's +400.

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Teams that could win March Madness 2024

Team	Championship Odds (as per BETMGM)
1. UConn	+400
2. Houston	+600
3. Purdue	+650
4. Arizona	+1200
5. North Carolina	+1300
6. Tennessee	+1500
7. Auburn	+1800
8. Iowa State	+1800
9. Kentucky	+2500
10. Marquette	+2500

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Arizona March Madness History

Arizona has appeared in 38 (officially 34) NCAA Tournaments. The Wildcats reached the Sweet Sixteen 19 times and have had 11 Elite Eight appearances.

They have been into four Final Fours and championship games in 1997 and 2001. They won their only title in 1997 when they beat Kentucky 84-79 in overtime.

Lloyd will depend on the Arizona Big 3 of Love, Ballo and Larsson to go deep into the tournament and capture the team's second NCAA men's basketball title.