Is Jaden Bradley the Key to Arizona’s NCAA Tournament Success?

Arizona Wildcats will take its first step toward a championship on Friday against LIU as the top seed in the West Region. The Wildcats enter the Big Dance with a 32-2 record, winning both the regular-season and tournament titles in the Big 12.

Unfortunately, Lloyd’s tenure with the Wildcats has been plagued by disappointing results in March. In his first season at Arizona, Lloyd and the Wildcats lost in the Sweet 16 despite being a No. 1 seed. The following year, Arizona was a No. 2 seed but was upset by No. 15 seed Princeton in the first round.

The last two seasons, the Wildcats went no further than the Sweet 16 despite having Final Four aspirations. How can Arizona prevent another premature tournament exit this year? The answer could be senior point guard Jaden Bradley.

Currently, the Arizona Wildcats are among the top favorites to win the NCAA Tournament this year.

Not the Most Talented Player

Bradley is by no means Arizona’s best player. Rather, he’s merely one of five Wildcats who average at least 10 points per game. He’s also not the player pro scouts will be watching during March Madness. With Brayden Burries, Koa Peat, and Motiejus Krivas, Arizona has three players who have a serious chance of being a first-round NBA pick later this year. Meanwhile, Bradley might be lucky to be drafted in the second round.

But just because he’s not Arizona’s best player doesn't mean that he isn’t the team’s most important player. Bradley leads the Wildcats in minutes played, meaning Lloyd believes he’s the player Arizona needs to be on the court more than anyone else. As the starting point guard, the ball is in Bradley’s hands on every possession when he’s on the floor, making him Arizona’s most impactful player.

Senior Leader

By modern standards, Bradley looks as if he’s had a rather disappointing career. He’s one of a small group of former McDonald’s All-Americans who have actually played four seasons of college basketball. He had an up-and-down freshman season at Alabama and came off the bench at Arizona after transferring there before his sophomore year. However, he’s come into his own as Arizona’s starting point guard the last two seasons, fulfilling the promise he had coming out of high school.

The Wildcats are now poised to benefit from Bradley’s slow and steady progression because they are one of the few championship contenders with a senior starting at point guard. With guard play being critical to March success and tournament experience being at a premium, Bradley helps Arizona check both of those boxes. That could give the Wildcats a much-needed edge that can help them avoid another premature exit from the NCAA Tournament.

Bradley’s experience, in particular, could be a key factor for Arizona. With 31 points in the regular-season finale and 21 points in the Big 12 championship game, Burries enters the tournament as Arizona’s top scorer and go-to player. But pairing him with a senior like Bradley in the backcourt will help take some of the pressure off Burries as he navigates the NCAA Tournament for the first time. 

Ready for the Moment

Of course, Bradley is more than just a role player who will step into the background while Arizona’s freshmen shine. He’s ready to step up when called upon. In the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament, it was Bradley who led the way with 15 points and seven assists. More importantly, he hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer to send the Wildcats to the championship game.

Bradley isn’t Arizona’s top scorer, but he did pour in over 20 points five times this season. Three of his 20-plus-point games came against Florida and UConn, two teams that are also among the leading favorites to win the national title. While part of his job is to spread the ball around to Arizona’s deep collection of scorers, if the time comes when the Wildcats need Bradley to step up and carry them to victory, he’ll be ready.

One Step at a Time

As Arizona has learned from its recent losses in the NCAA Tournament to lower seeds, it’s important to take the Big Dance one game at a time. The Wildcats opened as heavy 31.5-point favorites (-106 odds at FanDuel) for Friday’s first-round game against the LIU Sharks.

With their loss to Princeton three years ago still fresh in Lloyd’s memory and veteran leadership like Bradley, Arizona won’t overlook a team like LIU. Look for the Wildcats to win this game by at least 30 points and cover the spread.

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