Both of Arizona's basketball programs are in the Big Dance for a second consecutive year with both NCAA Tournaments beginning this week. March Madness is the pinnacle of college athletics, and it is a privilege for our men's and women's teams to compete in this marquee event with the eyes of the entire nation watching. This time of the year becomes special as the whole state of Arizona rallies behind our student-athletes, coaches and staff with alumni and fans supporting the Wildcats from across the country and around the globe as well. Whether you're traveling to California or Maryland to cheer on the Cats in person, attending a watch party or tuning in from home, let's Bear Down with pride as we root for our Wildcats!
 
Coach Lloyd and Arizona Men's Basketball are the No. 2 seed in the South Region after a thrilling trio of victories to win the Pac-12 Tournament for a second straight year. They will spend the opening weekend in Sacramento, California, and the Cats will face 15th seed Princeton at 1:10 p.m. (MST) on Thursday, March 16 in the Golden 1 Center on TNT and Wildcats Radio 1290. We can't wait to see the SacTown Cats chapter of UArizona alumni helping the Wildcat Family take over Sacramento.
 
Arizona Women's Basketball will head to Maryland for their postseason after making the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive year. Coach Barnes and the Wildcats are the 7th seed in College Park and will take on 10th seed West Virginia. Tip-off between the Cats and Mountaineers is set for 9 a.m. (MST) on Friday, March 17 on ESPN from the XFINITY Center. Blue and Red will be out in full force on the campus of the University of Maryland. Bear Down and Go Cats!
For all your Wildcat information during March Madness, including brackets, ticket information, live stats and broadcast details, please utilize ArizonaWildcats.com. We will bring you other terrific content from our programs' postseason runs on the official home of the Arizona Wildcats.
 
NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPION
We want to recognize star thrower Jordan Geist who won the NCAA Indoor Championship in the shotput over the weekend. Jordan won the national title in Albuquerque on Saturday with a heave of 69 feet and 4.75 inches and became Arizona's first individual national champion since Sage Watson won the outdoor 400-meter hurdles in 2017.
Jordan has had a tremendous career at Arizona that include Pac-12 titles and numerous All-America accolades with a spring season of competition still remaining. Arizona Athletics' mission is to develop student-athletes into academic, athletic and life champions, and Jordan is a shining example of a Wildcat Way success story.
Congratulations again Jordan and Bear Down!
 
TIP OF THE CAP TO UARIZONA ADAPTIVE ATHLETICS
We would like to congratulate Arizona's Adaptive Athletics teams on terrific seasons by the women's and men's wheelchair basketball teams. The women's team finished fourth in the nation while the men's side is ranked first in the nation after an undefeated season and are off to postseason competition in Wisconsin. Adaptive Athletics is a point of pride for the University of Arizona, and Arizona Athletics is proud to support and cheer on our campus partners. Bear Down and Go Cats!
SWIMMING AND DIVING HEADING TO NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Arizona Swimming and Diving is two weeks away from closing out their season as the first week of the 2023 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships begins today in Knoxville.
The Wildcats have a team of two swimmers, Julia Heimstead and Maddy Burt, alongside two divers, Delaney Schnell and Quinn Gariepy-Regan, representing the women in Knoxville this week. The competitions begin today, March 15, and run through Saturday, March 18. Schnell and Gariepy are set to compete in all three championship events: the 1-meter, 3-meter and platform dives. Schnell is coming off two 2023 Pac-12 Champion titles in the 1m and 3m, and just last week she topped the podium in all three events at NCAA Diving Zones, setting an Arizona program record in the platform dive. On the swimming side, Heimstead is set to race in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle and the 200-yard butterfly, with Burt racing in the 50-free, 100-free and 100-fly competitions.
Arizona Men's Swimming and Diving is sending five swimmers and one diver to the NCAA Men's Championships the following week, taking place from March 22-25 in Minneapolis. Freshmen Ralph Daleiden and Tommy Palmer are two of the five swimmers making an appearance at the championships. Daleiden is the only swimmer to be invited to compete in an individual race: the 200-yard freestyle. Wildcats Marin Ercegovic, Seth Miller, Ryan Perham and Palmer will make up Arizona's relay teams for the 200 and 400-freestyle relays, this is the same relay team that broke a 14-year program record in the 200-free at this year's Pac-12 Championships.
UPCOMING EVENTS
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Softball is facing off against New Mexico State today at 6:00 PM! They also play Utah in a three game series starting on Friday, March 17th, Saturday, March 18th, and Sunday, March 19th. Click here to purchase tickets!
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Beach Volleyball is hosting the Arizona Invitational this Friday, March 17th, and Saturday, March 18th at Bear Down Beach. They will be competing against Southern Mississippi, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Arizona Christian University, and Cal Poly. Admission is free and there will be a trading card giveaway!
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Men's Golf is participating in N.I.T this Friday and Saturday at Omni Tucson National G.C. Admission is free!
CATS' WINSÂ
WILDCAT HEADLINESÂ
SHOW YOUR COLORSÂ
Teague (class of 2041) hanging out with Frosty the Wildcat. Teague is the son of Tyson Bickford '11.Â
Former Wildcat Elizabeth Pepper (2015) representing the University of Arizona to the equestrian community in Maryland!Â
Send us your photos of you wearing the colors!Â
Thank you for wearing the colors and sharing your Arizona pride! Make sure to take a picture the next time you are wearing the colors and send it to us, we just might include it in next week's Wildcat Wednesday! And even if your photo submission doesn't make next week's edition, please check our "Wear the Colors" album at facebook.com/ArizonaAthletics on Fridays.Â
NOTE: Please submit photos for Wildcat Wednesday with an original email to uofaad@arizona.edu using the subject line 'Wildcat Wednesday photo.' Also, please ensure all submissions are clear and properly lit. We also ask that you identify everyone in the photo so we can highlight them accordingly.Â
Bear Down and Go Cats!Â
Dave HeekeÂ
Vice President and Director of AthleticsÂ
University of ArizonaÂ
uofaad@arizona.eduÂ
