Arizona Wildcats Crush Purdue to Reach Final Four

Fans hype Arizona as unbeatable after dominant March Madness run

Mar. 29, 2026 at 3:11am

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No. 1 seed Arizona overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to defeat No. 2 seed Purdue 79-64 on Saturday in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in San Jose. Arizona forward Koa Peat had 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists, leading the Wildcats to their first Final Four since 2001.

Why it matters

Arizona has been a dominant force in this year's NCAA tournament, winning their games by an average of over 20 points. Their impressive run has fans and analysts believing the Wildcats are unbeatable heading into the Final Four.

The details

Arizona used a 24-7 second-half run to turn a 42-35 deficit into a 59-49 lead and outscored Purdue 48-26 in the second half overall. Purdue led 38-31 at halftime thanks to 7-of-14 shooting from three-point range, but the Wildcats quickly erased that progress. Arizona features several potential NBA talents, including Brayden Burries, Koa Peat, and Motiejus Krivas.

  • Arizona overcame a seven-point halftime deficit on Saturday in the Elite Eight.
  • The Wildcats are heading to their first Final Four since 2001.

The players

Koa Peat

An Arizona forward who had 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the win over Purdue.

Ivan Kharchenkov

An Arizona player who added 18 points and eight rebounds in the victory.

Jaden Bradley

An Arizona guard who scored 14 points in the game.

Brayden Burries

An Arizona guard who also scored 14 points and is projected as a first-round NBA draft pick.

Braden Smith

A Purdue player who led the Boilermakers with 13 points, seven assists and five rebounds.

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What’s next

Arizona, the West region winner, will now advance to the Final Four, where the Wildcats will either play No. 1 seed Michigan or No. 6 seed Tennessee. The Wolverines and Volunteers will play Sunday at 2:15 p.m. ET in Chicago to determine the Midwest region winner. That team will then play Arizona in the Final Four on Saturday in Indianapolis.

The takeaway

Arizona's dominant run through the NCAA tournament has fans and analysts believing the Wildcats are unbeatable heading into the Final Four. Their combination of talent, depth, and recent success has made them the team to beat as they pursue their first national championship since 2001.