Arizona uses inside game instead of 3-point shooting to reach Elite Eight meeting with Purdue

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Arizona has thrived under coach Tommy Lloyd with a style of offense that goes against modern trends. The strategy of spreading it out and launching 3-pointers that has dominated all levels of basketball in recent years hasn't quite made it to the Wildcats, who have gotten to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament as a throwback team that relies on pounding the ball inside and getting to the foul line.

While that may be different from how so many other teams play these days, it sure does work with top-seeded Arizona (35-2) headed into the West Region final on Saturday night against second-seeded Purdue (30-8) with a chance to make the Final Four for the first time in 25 years. In a season that set records for 3-pointers attempted and made across college basketball, Arizona ranks 360th out of 365 Division I teams with 16 attempts per game from long range — more than seven fewer per game than the average team. The Wildcats attempted just eight 3s — making five — in 109-88 win over Arkansas in the Sweet 16 for the fewest attempts in any tournament game since a Purdue team led by big man Zach Edey had seven in a title-game loss to Connecticut in 2024.

“I’m playing a brand of basketball that I think is effective for how our team’s built,” Lloyd said. “What’s cool about coaching and cool about the game of basketball is there are so many different ways to play. I have no disrespect — I don’t look down on any style of play.

We just play a style of basketball that’s really effective for how we’re built. ” That style was on display in the Sweet 16, when the Wildcats became the first team in 15 years to make at least 30 2-point shots and 30 free throws in an NCAA Tournament game as they overpowered Arkansas and tied for the third-most points scored in a Sweet 16 game. Arizona shot 64% from the floor, averaged a staggering 1.