Arizona began the 2024-25 season as a Top 10 team, its highest preseason ranking in seven years. The Wildcats didn’t get much higher than that, and actually spent almost as much time outside of the rankings as in it.
But in the end, after a third Sweet 16 appearance in the last four seasons, the UA ended about where it normally does.
Arizona (24-13) comes in at No. 15 in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll, its best ranking since being 13th in mid-February and the fourth time in as many seasons under Tommy Lloyd its appeared in the final rankings. The UA was 11th in last year’s final poll, also after a Sweet 16 appearance.
The Wildcats were No. 21 at the end of the regular season but earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They lost to Final Four qualifier Duke in the East Region semifinals on March 27.
Arizona is one of five Big 12 schools in the final poll led by Houston, which lost to Florida in Monday’s NCAA title game, at No. 2. Also ranked from the league are No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 13 BYU and No. 17 Iowa State, with Kansas—which was the preseason No. 1 team—receiving votes.
This is Arizona’s 32nd time appearing in the final AP poll, seventh-most in Division I history. Kentucky is No. 1, at 56, with Duke in second at 52.