Last time Arizona made the Final Four: Revisiting 2001 March Madness run led by Gilbert Arenas, Lute Olson

Last time Arizona made the Final Four: Revisiting 2001 March Madness run led by Gilbert Arenas, Lute Olson originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . When the Arizona Wildcats continued their outstanding 2025-26 season by taking down Purdue in the NCAA Tournament, it was a win 25 years in the making.

The Wildcats advanced to the Final Four, their first appearance at that stage of March Madness in a quarter-century; despite having plenty of competitive rosters in the years since then, no Arizona squad had reached the penultimate round of the NCAA Tournament since 2001. The 2001 Arizona roster was full of recognizable names, from the program's beloved longtime head coach, to multiple future NBA players. Here's a look at Arizona's last Final Four squad in 2001.

MARCH MADNESS HQ: Live NCAA bracket | TV schedule | Latest news and more Last time Arizona made Final Four Prior to 2026, with a team led by freshmen Brayden Burries and Koa Peat, the last time Arizona reached the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament was in 2001. It was also the team's last championship game appearance. The Wildcats had star-studded squad, including three All-Americans and some future star NBA talent.

But perhaps most notably for the fanbase, it was the last Final Four run in the career of Lute Olson, Arizona's longtime head coach. Early in the 2000-01 season, Arizona was in a tough spot despite being a preseason favorite to win it all. Just one year prior, former Wildcat Jason Terry said he received money from an agent during his junior season, resulting in NCAA punishment for the program.