SB Nation Reacts: Arizona men’s basketball expected to go deep in NCAA Tournament

The people have spoken, and they expect a lot from Arizona in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

SB Nation polled readers and college basketball fans about a variety of March Madness topics, and when it comes to Arizona the vast majority see the Wildcats making it at least to the second weekend in San Antonio.

If you’re one of those 12 percent that think the UA will lose this weekend, just one question:

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Arizona is -500 to reach the Sweet 16, the second-best odds of any team in the field and nearly twice as good as South No. 2 Villanova (-295). The Wildcats are -140 to reach the Elite Eight and +150 to reach the Final Four.

Only once have all four No. 1 seeds made the Final Four, and Baylor is considered the most likely to be the first of those top teams to get knocked off. Arizona is third on that list.

The Wildcats open the 2022 NCAA tourney at 4:27 p.m. PT Friday against No. 16 Wright State, which beat Bryant on Wednesday in the First Four. The UA is listed as a 22.5-point favorite, while KenPom.com gives the Wildcats a 97 percent chance of winning their first round game.

Check out DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.