Arizona Clinches Big 12 Regular Season Title with Win Over Iowa State

Wildcats secure conference championship in second year in new league

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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The No. 2 Arizona Wildcats defeated the No. 6 Iowa State Cyclones 73-57 on Monday night at McKale Center to clinch the Big 12 regular season title. Senior Jaden Bradley led the way for Arizona with 17 points and 6 rebounds in his final home game. The win caps off an impressive regular season for the Wildcats, who were picked to finish fourth in the conference preseason poll.

Why it matters

Arizona's Big 12 title is a significant accomplishment, as the conference is widely considered the best in college basketball. The Wildcats' success in their second year in the new league demonstrates the strength of the program under head coach Tommy Lloyd and its ability to quickly adapt to a higher level of competition.

The details

Arizona jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, dominating Iowa State throughout the game. The Wildcats' stifling defense held the Cyclones to just 57 points, well below their season average. Jaden Bradley was the star of the night, delivering a strong performance in his final home game. The win gives Arizona the Big 12 regular season title, the program's 41st conference championship and third in the last five years under Lloyd.

  • Arizona clinched the Big 12 regular season title on Monday, March 4, 2026.
  • The game was played at McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona.

The players

Jaden Bradley

A senior guard for the Arizona Wildcats who scored 17 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in the win over Iowa State.

Tommy Lloyd

The head coach of the Arizona Wildcats, who has led the team to three Big 12 regular season titles in the last five years.

T.J. Otzelberger

The head coach of the Iowa State Cyclones, who acknowledged that facing Arizona at McKale Center was a daunting challenge for his team.

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What they’re saying

“Just blessed to be in this position. Grateful for the coaches, the staff, everybody that's been a part of the journey that helped to get me here and excited that we did what we did today, Big 12 regular champions. Just grateful for the opportunity.”

— Jaden Bradley, Senior Guard, Arizona Wildcats

“We talk about vision a lot. What's our vision, what's our purpose? Vision, its imagery. We want to envision ourselves cutting down the nets. We want to envision hoisting that trophy. Don't get ahead of yourself, then you got to dig into like, what do we got to do to get that, what's the most important thing today? Let's lock into our process, but to be able to do it at home and celebrate with our fans is really cool.”

— Tommy Lloyd, Head Coach, Arizona Wildcats

“When you draw up the schedule and you draw senior night at McKale Center that's not one you are real excited about. We know the home court and how tough it is to play … We knew it was going to be a really tough environment and it proved to be one.”

— T.J. Otzelberger, Head Coach, Iowa State Cyclones

What’s next

Arizona will face Colorado on Saturday before competing in the Big 12 Conference tournament. The Wildcats will then turn their attention to the NCAA Tournament, where they will look to make a deep run and potentially win the national championship.

The takeaway

Arizona's Big 12 regular season title is a testament to the program's sustained excellence under Tommy Lloyd. The Wildcats' ability to quickly adapt and thrive in a new, highly competitive conference demonstrates their status as one of the premier college basketball programs in the country.