The Big 12 didn’t leave Arizona guessing when it came to their first conference schedule. The Wildcats not only knew their slate early, but they also got a heads-up from the league office-and even an apology.
“We got our schedule and they apologized,” head coach Tommy Lloyd revealed. “They said, ‘we know this is hard, we know this is a gauntlet, but there’s a reason.
Arizona brings a ton of value to this conference. We want you guys to be a marquee piece of this conference, basketball-wise.’”
So far, Arizona is living up to that billing-and then some.
The Wildcats are off to the best start in school history and the best by any Big 12 team ever, surpassing Kansas’ legendary 22-0 run from the 1996-97 season. When Monday’s AP poll drops, Arizona will be No. 1 for the ninth consecutive week, tying for the second-longest streak by a Big 12 program.
They’re not just winning-they’re drawing national attention and packing arenas. But with the spotlight comes the challenge: a brutal stretch of ranked opponents that’s about to test every ounce of this team’s resolve. And make no mistake, that’s by design.
Arizona’s perfect record is on the line Monday night in Lawrence, where they’ll face No. 11 Kansas in one of the most anticipated matchups of the season.
That kicks off a stretch of four straight games against ranked opponents: No. 13 Texas Tech comes to Tucson on Saturday with ESPN’s College GameDay in the building, followed by No.
16 BYU on Feb. 18.
Then it’s a trip to No. 8 Houston on Feb.
- And the hits keep coming-Arizona visits Baylor on Feb. 24 before hosting Kansas and No.
7 Iowa State in a three-day span.
This isn’t just a tough schedule-it’s a gauntlet. But Lloyd isn’t backing down.
“I’m excited for the opportunities coming down the pipe,” he said after Arizona’s dominant 84-47 win over Oklahoma State. “We’re not mad at anybody or feel like it’s unfair.
If you want to be a great program in a great conference, you’ve got to be willing to walk the walk. For us, that means playing a lot of high-level games in February and leading into March.
So let’s do it.”
Arizona isn’t alone in this uphill climb. All six of the Big 12’s currently ranked teams are caught in the same web. The Wildcats have the most remaining games against ranked opponents-six-but every team in that top tier still has at least three more matchups against the others.
Houston still has to visit Iowa State and Kansas, and will host Arizona. Iowa State faces each of the other five top-ranked teams in the final four weeks.
Kansas has four games left against the group, including two against the Wildcats. Texas Tech?
Three of its final four road games are against ranked opponents.
In total, there are 12 games remaining between these six ranked squads. There’s one every Monday and at least one every Saturday through the end of the regular season. That’s not just a scheduling quirk-that’s a showcase.
“The Big 12 is a powerhouse basketball conference, and Brett Yormark is a basketball guy. He’s embraced that narrative,” Lloyd said.
“And part of that is creating value for the schools. One way you do that?
Put big-time games in big-time viewing windows.”
That strategy is already paying off. College GameDay will be at McKale Center this Saturday, marking the show’s third visit to a Big 12 site in four weeks. It opened in Lubbock on Jan. 24, hit Lawrence on Jan. 31, and don’t be surprised if it lands in Houston on Feb. 21 when Arizona visits the Fertitta Center for the first time as a conference member.
Arizona’s résumé is already strong enough to make them a consensus No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament projections. The remaining schedule could lock that in-or expose them to some bumps along the way. Either way, Lloyd is embracing the challenge.
“We know it’s going to be tough, and we know we’re probably going to take a few on the chin,” he said. “But hopefully it’ll make us better.
We know we’re the new kids on the block. We’re not walking in with hubris or thinking we’re owed anything.
We know we’ve got to earn it.”
And that’s exactly what February is about: earning it. Not just for Arizona, but for every contender in the Big 12. Buckle up-this conference race is about to hit another gear.