The Arizona Wildcats weren't without preseason respect.
They opened the year ranked No. 13 in the AP Poll.
In reality, though, that might have undersold them.
In a new article on ESPN, Jeff Borzello writes that this isn't just a top-15 team. This is a final four team.
Here's how Borzello explains it:
Arizona is squarely in the Final Four conversation. Given that Lloyd returned three starters from a team that won 24 games and reached the Sweet 16 before adding a top-five recruiting class that featured a pair of top-12 recruits, we admittedly should have taken the Wildcats' potential more seriously entering the campaign.
(Koa) Peat looks capable of carrying the offense with his combination of size and skill. (Jaden) Bradley was already a steady distributor and defender, but has added an element of offensive aggression. Freshman guard Brayden Burries is a high-level scorer. Anthony Dell'Orso and Dwayne Aristode provide shooting. Tobe Awaka and Motiejus Krivas form a big man tandem that many teams can't match. And German forward Ivan Kharchenkov, who played professionally for Bayern Munich, brings toughness and a little bit of everything on offense.
This team has inside-outside balance, the right mix of talented youth and battle-tested veterans, and plenty of depth. The Wildcats look primed to win in a variety of ways.
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There are a couple keys to this whole operation.
The first is Peat, who was a highly regarded freshman but early on looks like he wants to challenge for the title of best first-year player in the country.
The next is the backcourt, which features the veteran Bradley and the freshman Burries. If they combine in the way they're capable, almost no one will come close to matching Arizona's guard combination.
The Wildcats have a lot of shooting around these guys, and they've got lots of length inside, too.
The recipe is all there, and while certainly the season is long, there's reason to look at this team and believe they can go the distance.
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