Arizona, Iowa State to Meet in Marquee Big 12 Semifinal

Top-seeded Wildcats and fifth-seeded Cyclones clash with a spot in the conference title game on the line

Mar. 13, 2026 at 10:06am

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Arizona and Iowa State, two of the top teams in the nation, will face off in the semifinals of the Big 12 Conference tournament on Friday night. The top-seeded Wildcats and fifth-seeded Cyclones both won their quarterfinal matchups convincingly, setting up a highly anticipated showdown between the two powerhouses. Arizona is projected to be a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, while Iowa State has been one of the surprise teams in the country this season.

Why it matters

This matchup between Arizona and Iowa State is a potential preview of a Final Four game, as both teams are among the best in the country. The winner will advance to the Big 12 championship game, which could have major implications for their NCAA Tournament seeding. The game also features a clash of two of the top coaches in the sport in Arizona's Tommy Lloyd and Iowa State's T.J. Otzelberger.

The details

Arizona cruised to an 81-59 victory over UCF in the quarterfinals, while Iowa State routed Texas Tech 75-53. The Wildcats won the regular season meeting between the two teams 73-57 on March 2, with Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley scoring 17 points for Arizona. The Cyclones struggled mightily in that game, shooting just 29.2% from the field and 7-of-30 from 3-point range.

  • The semifinal matchup between Arizona and Iowa State will take place on Friday, March 13, 2026.
  • Arizona defeated Iowa State 73-57 in their regular season meeting on March 2, 2026.

The players

Jaden Bradley

The Big 12 Player of the Year, Bradley scored 17 points for Arizona in the teams' regular season matchup.

Tommy Lloyd

The head coach of the Arizona Wildcats, who are projected to be a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

T.J. Otzelberger

The head coach of the Iowa State Cyclones, who have been one of the surprise teams in the country this season.

Joshua Jefferson

The Iowa State forward who posted double-doubles in the Cyclones' first two tournament games.

Tamin Lipsey

The Iowa State guard who scored 20 points and made four 3-pointers in the Cyclones' quarterfinal win over Texas Tech.

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What they’re saying

“It's a monster. It's a monster. We've been in it two years. Every game's tough. There's no easy games.”

— Tommy Lloyd, Head Coach, Arizona Wildcats (yournews.com)

“(It's) not too long ago that we went down to Tucson. And you know that was a game that, truthfully, we weren't within striking distance for certainly the majority of the second half. We know what a great team they are. I mean, they've had one of the best regular seasons of any team in the country.”

— T.J. Otzelberger, Head Coach, Iowa State Cyclones (yournews.com)

“The rebounding battle is the most important thing on the court. I think when we do that to the highest level, we're going to come out victorious.”

— Joshua Jefferson, Forward, Iowa State Cyclones (yournews.com)

“Just knowing it's a long game, it's a 40-minute game. They came out right away and made some shots. But we knew we would hit some shots down the road. Just kept playing defense and hit some shots.”

— Tamin Lipsey, Guard, Iowa State Cyclones (yournews.com)

What’s next

The winner of the Arizona-Iowa State semifinal will advance to the Big 12 championship game on Sunday, March 15, 2026.

The takeaway

This matchup between two of the top teams in the country is a potential preview of a Final Four game. The winner will have a chance to claim the Big 12 tournament title and potentially secure a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, while the loser will still be in strong position to make a deep run in the Big Dance.