Arizona is a No. 1 seed after being a wildcard last season. The Wildcats put together an excellent season in the Pac-12 and will now begin their tournament run as one of the favorites to win the championship. Their matchup against Weber State appears to be a David-vs-Goliath face off, but the Wildcats can light up the 3-point line which could keep them in this game.
A No. 16 seed has never beaten a No. 1 seed in the history of the tournament, but Weber State is hopeful they are the team to break the streak. Arizona is nearly a 20 point favorite over the Big Sky team. The Wildcats strength is their shooting from beyond the arc. Weber State puts up an average of 18.3 shots from the 3-point line per game. They finished the year ranked 20th nationally for their accuracy at 39.2 percent.
Arizona has the athleticism and height to defend against the sharp shooting Weber State. The wildcats have put up one of the best defenses in the nation, allowing an average of 58.1 points per game. Kaleb Tarczewski, Nick Johnson and TJ McConnell will man the perimeter shooting. The Wildcats want to force Weber State to shoot inside since their perimeter defense ranks seventh at 38.1 percent.
Aaron Gordon will be a man on a mission in the tournament. This will likely be the forward's first and only NCAA tournament with Arizona. Gordon is expected to enter the NBA draft at the end of the season and be taken high in the first round. The talented forward has put together a solid rookie season, averaging 12.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.
While Weber State will ride their 3-point shooting in this game, inexperience could play a part in how they do. Not one player on the Wildcat roster has made an appearance in the tournament. The last time the Wildcats were in the big dance was 2007 when they lost to UCLA in the first round.
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