NCAA Tournament: Arizona men’s basketball holds off No. 9 Utah State, advances to 3rd straight Sweet 16

Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) celebrates after defeating the Utah State Aggies during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images SAN DIEGO—There’s no such thing as an bad postseason win. Top-seeded Arizona had one of its most uneven offensive performances of the season yet never trailed in a 78-66 win over No.

9 Utah State on Sunday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats (34-2) advance to their third consecutive Sweet 16 and fourth in five seasons under Tommy Lloyd and will face No. 4 Arkansas (28-8) in the West Region semifinals on Thursday in San Jose, Calif.

Arizona shot just 39. 3 percent, tied for its 2 nd -worst field goal percentage of the season, including 15 of 39 on 2-point shots with 13 missed layups. It also missed 12 foul shots but made 27, outscoring the Aggies (29-7) by 19 points at the line.

But the UA shot 52 percent in the second half, when Jaden Bradley had 12 of his game-high 18 points and Brayden Burries 11 of his 16. The Wildcats also dominated the boards, finishing plus-28 and collecting 22 offensive rebounds that resulted in 21 second-chance points. Koa Peat added 14 points and 10 rebounds, the second UA freshman in as many games to record a postseason double-double, and Motiejus Krivas went for 11 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks.