Arizona and Xavier are very familiar with one another, not because they play each other often, but because their head coaches certainly have a great deal of history together. Old friends Sean Miller and Chris Mack are preparing to meet up in the Sweet 16. The Wildcats were expected to reach this stage as a No. 2 seed, but the Musketeers are entering as big underdogs at the No. 6 seed as both aim to reach the Elite 8.
Arizona continues with business as usual after taking care of Ohio State in the Round of 32. The game was a blowout as the Wildcats aim to avenge previous tournament losses. Arizona advanced to the Sweet 16 for the third straight season as they reached a 15-point lead over the Buckeyes and never looked back. It was redemption after Arizona lost to Ohio State in 2013 on a last-second shot.
Arizona will continue to dominate on defense, giving up just 59 points or less per game. However, they have players like Stanley Johnson and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson who are ready for the NBA and leading the Wildcats on offense. The team is currently on a 13-game win streak that started back in February and they certainly are not ready for that to end.
Xavier reached the Sweet 16 after upsetting the tournament darlings, Georgia State. The Panthers were certainly the fan favorites in the Round of 32, but fell 67-75 as the Musketeers were simply too much for the small school. Xavier managed to shoot 81 percent in the second half and were never truly challenged throughout the entire game. They will aim to try and repeat that success against Arizona after making 13 of 16 shots in the second half. They will need it facing Arizona's offense.
The Musketeers will be led by center Matt Stainbrook who is the anchor of the team. The team shot 67.6 percent from the field against Georgia State which was the third-highest field goal percentage by any team in the last 15 NCAA tournaments. They certainly have the offensive momentum heading into the game. The question is whether Arizona will be too much for them to handle