Preview: Arizona Set to Face UCF in NCAA Tournament Showdown

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Interstat) — The second-seeded Arizona Wildcats, one of the nation’s most dominant teams, begin their national title pursuit Thursday against a familiar foe in the 10th-seeded UCF Knights in a men’s NCAA Tournament first-round game at T-Mobile Center.

Arizona (29-2) enters as a heavy favorite, boasting a national ranking and a resume filled with Quadrant 1 victories. The Wildcats’ only losses this season came in overtime against Texas Tech and on the road at Kansas. They have won 10 of their last 11 games, including a commanding 84-61 victory over Kansas and an 87-80 win at Baylor.

UCF (21-10) earned its spot with a dramatic 66-65 overtime win over Cincinnati in its conference tournament. The Knights have shown resilience, with five of their last nine games decided by three points or fewer, though they are just 3-3 in that stretch.

This is a rematch from Jan. 17, when Arizona secured an 84-77 road win at UCF. The Knights will aim for a different result on a neutral floor.

A player to watch for Arizona is standout guard Brayden Burries, who is coming off a 31-point, 7-rebound performance in a win at Colorado. Over his last five games, Burries is averaging 20.6 points.

UCF will rely on forward Jordan Burks, who has scored in double figures in seven consecutive games. He poured in 24 points in a road win at BYU last month and averages 14.4 points per game during that hot streak.

According to analytics site Interstat, Arizona holds a 91.3% probability to win. The Wildcats have been installed as a 15.5-point favorite. The over/under is set at 158 points.

The winner will advance to face the victor of the game between seventh-seeded St. Mary’s and 10th-seeded Drake on Saturday.