Watch Now
Sports

A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16

The Arizona Wildcats secured their 18th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 with their victory over St. Mary's on Saturday. Arizona is 11-6 all-time in the Round of 16, including 3-1 under current head coach Sean Miller. Here's a look back at all 17 of Arizona's Sweet 16 games to date.

A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16 1988: Arizona 99, Iowa 79: The Wildcats' first trip to the Final Four included a win over Lute Olson's former team in the Sweet 16. Sean Elliott scored a team-high 25 points and Steve Kerr added 17, as Arizona scored a ridiculous 61 points in the second half. Arizona went on to lose to Oklahoma in the national semifinals. (Getty Images)Photo by: Mike Powell A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16 1994: Arizona 82, Louisville 70: The Wildcats upended Louisville on their way to their second-ever Final Four appearance. Khalid Reeves scored 32 points, tied for the most points scored by an Arizona player in NCAA Tournament history. (That number was matched in another Sweet 16 game 17 years later.) The Wildcats went on to lose to eventual champion Arkansas in the national semifinals. (Getty Images)Photo by: Al Bello A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16 1996: Kansas 83, Arizona 80: 21 points apiece from Miles Simon and Michael Dickerson weren't enough for the Wildcats to upend the favored Jayhawks. Paul Pierce led Kansas with 20 points. (Getty Images)Photo by: Stephen Dunn A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16 1997: Arizona 85, Kansas 82: The Wildcats earned some payback against the top-seeded Jayhawks, the first of three No. 1 seeds Arizona defeated en route to its first and only NCAA men's basketball championship. Mike Bibby led UA with 21 points, while Miles Simon added 17 and A.J. Bramlett (pictured) contributed 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Arizona defeated Providence in overtime in the regional finals before beating two more No. 1 seeds (North Carolina and Kentucky) to win the title. (Getty Images)Photo by: Doug Pensinger A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16 1998: Arizona 87, Maryland 79: The top-seeded Wildcats cruised to the Elite Eight behind 26 points from Mike Bibby and 18 from Miles Simon (pictured). But UA's bid to repeat as champs was derailed two days later in a blowout loss to Utah. (Getty Images)Photo by: Todd Warshaw A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16 2001: Arizona 66, Mississippi 56: Loren Woods and Richard Jefferson both recorded double-doubles and Jason Gardner (pictured) scored 10 points to help the Wildcats advance to their third Elite Eight in five years. UA beat Illinois in the regional final and blew out Michigan State in the national semifinal before falling to Duke in the 2001 national championship game. (Getty Images)Photo by: Tom Hauck A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16 2002: Oklahoma 88, Arizona 67: Despite losing four starters from the previous season, Lute Olson led the Wildcats to another Sweet 16 appearance. But the Sooners were too much for Luke Walton (pictured) and Arizona, which led by four points at halftime but shot just 29.4% from the field in the second half. (Getty Images)Photo by: Jed Jacobsohn A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16 2003: Arizona 88, Notre Dame 71: After surviving a double-overtime game with Gonzaga in the previous round, the Wildcats had no problems dispatching the Fighting Irish. Channing Frye (pictured) recorded a double-double (14 points, 12 rebounds) for Arizona, which came just short of a Final Four bid with a 3-point loss to Kansas in the Elite Eight. (Getty Images)Photo by: Stephen Dunn A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16 2005: Arizona 79, Oklahoma State 78: One of the greatest moments in Arizona tournament history would soon be followed by one of the worst. A last-second jumper by Salim Stoudamire (pictured) lifted UA past the favored Cowboys -- but two days later, Arizona would blow a late 15-point lead to top-seeded Illinois, costing the Wildcats what would have been their fifth Final Four appearance. (Getty Images)Photo by: Doug Benc A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16 2009: Louisville 103, Arizona 64: Many experts believed the Wildcats should not have been invited to the 2009 tourney, but interim coach Russ Pennell and Arizona made the best of it with an improbable Sweet Sixteen run -- until top-seeded Louisville was happy to squash the Wildcats' Cinderella dreams. Chase Budinger led UA with a game-high 22 points, but the 39-point loss remains by far the worst in Arizona tournament history. (Getty Images)Photo by: Andy Lyons A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16 2011: Arizona 93, Duke 77: The Wildcats came one basket away from reaching the Final Four in Sean Miller's second season in Tucson, thanks in part to a stunning upset of the top-seeded Blue Devils in the Sweet 16. Derrick Williams' 32 points (pictured) are tied for the most in UA tournament history. The Wildcats fell 65-63 to eventual national champ UConn two days later. (Getty Images)Photo by: Kevork Djansezian A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16 2013: Ohio State 73, Arizona 70: The Wildcats made a furious last-minute comeback to pull even with the higher-seeded Buckeyes before LaQuinton Ross broke UA's hearts with the late 3-pointer pictured above. Arizona's Mark Lyons led all scorers with 23 points. (Getty Images)Photo by: Jeff Gross A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16 2014: Arizona 70, San Diego State 64: The Wildcats advanced to their second Elite Eight in four seasons under Sean Miller thanks to 15 points apiece from Aaron Gordon, Nick Johnson and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. UA trailed by four points at halftime but outscored the Aztecs 42-32 in the second half. The Wildcats went on to lose to Wisconsin by a single point in overtime in the Elite Eight. (Getty Images)Photo by: Harry How A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16 2015: Arizona 68, Xavier 60: Sean Miller upended his former team behind 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists from T.J. McConnell. But for the second straight season, UA would be ousted by Wisconsin in the Elite Eight. (Getty Images)Photo by: Harry How

A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16

close-gallery
  • A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16
  • A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16
  • A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16
  • A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16
  • A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16
  • A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16
  • A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16
  • A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16
  • A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16
  • A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16
  • A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16
  • A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16
  • A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16
  • A history of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16

Share

1988: Arizona 99, Iowa 79: The Wildcats' first trip to the Final Four included a win over Lute Olson's former team in the Sweet 16. Sean Elliott scored a team-high 25 points and Steve Kerr added 17, as Arizona scored a ridiculous 61 points in the second half. Arizona went on to lose to Oklahoma in the national semifinals. (Getty Images)Mike Powell
1994: Arizona 82, Louisville 70: The Wildcats upended Louisville on their way to their second-ever Final Four appearance. Khalid Reeves scored 32 points, tied for the most points scored by an Arizona player in NCAA Tournament history. (That number was matched in another Sweet 16 game 17 years later.) The Wildcats went on to lose to eventual champion Arkansas in the national semifinals. (Getty Images)Al Bello
1996: Kansas 83, Arizona 80: 21 points apiece from Miles Simon and Michael Dickerson weren't enough for the Wildcats to upend the favored Jayhawks. Paul Pierce led Kansas with 20 points. (Getty Images)Stephen Dunn
1997: Arizona 85, Kansas 82: The Wildcats earned some payback against the top-seeded Jayhawks, the first of three No. 1 seeds Arizona defeated en route to its first and only NCAA men's basketball championship. Mike Bibby led UA with 21 points, while Miles Simon added 17 and A.J. Bramlett (pictured) contributed 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Arizona defeated Providence in overtime in the regional finals before beating two more No. 1 seeds (North Carolina and Kentucky) to win the title. (Getty Images)Doug Pensinger
1998: Arizona 87, Maryland 79: The top-seeded Wildcats cruised to the Elite Eight behind 26 points from Mike Bibby and 18 from Miles Simon (pictured). But UA's bid to repeat as champs was derailed two days later in a blowout loss to Utah. (Getty Images)Todd Warshaw
2001: Arizona 66, Mississippi 56: Loren Woods and Richard Jefferson both recorded double-doubles and Jason Gardner (pictured) scored 10 points to help the Wildcats advance to their third Elite Eight in five years. UA beat Illinois in the regional final and blew out Michigan State in the national semifinal before falling to Duke in the 2001 national championship game. (Getty Images)Tom Hauck
2002: Oklahoma 88, Arizona 67: Despite losing four starters from the previous season, Lute Olson led the Wildcats to another Sweet 16 appearance. But the Sooners were too much for Luke Walton (pictured) and Arizona, which led by four points at halftime but shot just 29.4% from the field in the second half. (Getty Images)Jed Jacobsohn
2003: Arizona 88, Notre Dame 71: After surviving a double-overtime game with Gonzaga in the previous round, the Wildcats had no problems dispatching the Fighting Irish. Channing Frye (pictured) recorded a double-double (14 points, 12 rebounds) for Arizona, which came just short of a Final Four bid with a 3-point loss to Kansas in the Elite Eight. (Getty Images)Stephen Dunn
2005: Arizona 79, Oklahoma State 78: One of the greatest moments in Arizona tournament history would soon be followed by one of the worst. A last-second jumper by Salim Stoudamire (pictured) lifted UA past the favored Cowboys -- but two days later, Arizona would blow a late 15-point lead to top-seeded Illinois, costing the Wildcats what would have been their fifth Final Four appearance. (Getty Images)Doug Benc
2009: Louisville 103, Arizona 64: Many experts believed the Wildcats should not have been invited to the 2009 tourney, but interim coach Russ Pennell and Arizona made the best of it with an improbable Sweet Sixteen run -- until top-seeded Louisville was happy to squash the Wildcats' Cinderella dreams. Chase Budinger led UA with a game-high 22 points, but the 39-point loss remains by far the worst in Arizona tournament history. (Getty Images)Andy Lyons
2011: Arizona 93, Duke 77: The Wildcats came one basket away from reaching the Final Four in Sean Miller's second season in Tucson, thanks in part to a stunning upset of the top-seeded Blue Devils in the Sweet 16. Derrick Williams' 32 points (pictured) are tied for the most in UA tournament history. The Wildcats fell 65-63 to eventual national champ UConn two days later. (Getty Images)Kevork Djansezian
2013: Ohio State 73, Arizona 70: The Wildcats made a furious last-minute comeback to pull even with the higher-seeded Buckeyes before LaQuinton Ross broke UA's hearts with the late 3-pointer pictured above. Arizona's Mark Lyons led all scorers with 23 points. (Getty Images)Jeff Gross
2014: Arizona 70, San Diego State 64: The Wildcats advanced to their second Elite Eight in four seasons under Sean Miller thanks to 15 points apiece from Aaron Gordon, Nick Johnson and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. UA trailed by four points at halftime but outscored the Aztecs 42-32 in the second half. The Wildcats went on to lose to Wisconsin by a single point in overtime in the Elite Eight. (Getty Images)Harry How
2015: Arizona 68, Xavier 60: Sean Miller upended his former team behind 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists from T.J. McConnell. But for the second straight season, UA would be ousted by Wisconsin in the Elite Eight. (Getty Images)Harry How
Prev
1 / Ad
Next
Prev
1 / Ad
Next