What Akron Zips basketball fans should know about the University of Arizona Wildcats
After winning the Mid-American Conference Tournament for the second consecutive year in dramatic fashion and earning an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, the Akron Zips are poised to play against the University of Arizona in the opening round of 2025 March Madness.
It'll be UA vs. UA in a showdown of programs separated by roughly 2,000 geographical miles. These two basketball programs have yet to face each other, and now each squad will get an intro to the other on college basketball's biggest stage.
So, what should Zips fans know about the other UA?
The Wildcats no doubt have a storied basketball program and enter the tournament as favorites over the Zips, but Akron fans can perhaps point to Arizona's recent March Madness performances as a sign they could be on upset watch.
Arizona Wildcats no strangers to tough losses in NCAA Tournament play
As Wildcats fans can attest, Arizona has made a habit of letting them down when the NCAA Tournament rolls around.
Since the turn of the century, Arizona has taken a loss in the first round of March Madness six times in 20 trips (excluding this year).
Of those six losses, Arizona was the higher seed in four of them.
The most egregious of those L's was also the most recent. Arizona entered the 2023 tournament as the No. 2 seed in their region, but fell to No. 15 seed Princeton in a huge upset that busted brackets and left Wildcats fans shaking their heads.
In 2018, the No. 4 seed Wildcats were booted from the tourney in a first-round loss to No. 13 seed Buffalo.
In 2016, the No. 6 seed Wildcats fell to No. 11 seed Wichita State in the opening round.
While the rosters obviously differ year to year, Arizona has had a hard time in recent years avoiding first-round upsets. Perhaps Akron will be the next squad adding to that tally.
2025 marks 40 NCAA Tournament appearances for Arizona Wildcats, with 1 championship
With another berth into March Madness in 2025, the Arizona Wildcats mark their 40th appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Of course, championship success has been mostly elusive for the Wildcats in that time, winning just one title back in 1997.
That team, guided by legendary head coach Lute Olson, beat the Kentucky Wildcats in the championship game thanks largely to their backcourt of Miles Simon (30 points in the title game) and Mike Bibby.
Future NBA champion and Sixth Man of the Year award winner Jason Terry came off the bench for that Wildcats team in the title game, sinking two 3-pointers, dishing out five assists and adding three steals to the box score.
The story of the 'Bear Down' Arizona Athletics battle cry
As the Arizona Wildcats website describes, “University of Arizona Athletics’ most enduring tradition is the slogan and battle cry, ‘Bear Down.’”
To summarize, John Byrd “Button” Salmon was installed as the new student body president at UA in the fall of 1926. He was a promising student as a member of “several of the school’s honor societies," a popular student-athlete and campus figure.
In October of that year, Salmon and several friends were returning to Tucson from a visit to Phoenix when an automobile crash left Salmon critically injured.
Salmon, just 22 years old at the time, died the morning of Oct. 18. A memorial service was held on campus that reportedly drew thousands of mourners.
As UA’s website tells it: “The coach at the time, J.F. ‘Pop’ McKale, had visited Salmon in the hospital regularly before his death, and later told the squad the young athlete’s last message to his teammates was, ‘Tell them … tell the team to bear down.’”
Word spread quickly as the student body adopted the phrase as an enduring rally cry.
Longtime Arizona band director Jack K. Lee wrote the song, “Bear Down, Arizona” during his application for the UA band job, a song that still plays throughout University of Arizona sporting events to this day.
Arizona's Tommy Lloyd coaching era marked by regular season success, playing with pace
Since taking over for Sean Miller starting with the 2021-22 season, Tommy Lloyd has amassed a 110-32 record at the helm of the Wildcats (a winning percentage of 77.5%). His teams have claimed a March Madness berth in all four of his seasons thus far.
The first Arizona hoops team under Lloyd earned a No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed, but lost to No. 5 seed Houston in the regional semifinal.
The aforementioned 2023 team entered as the No. 2 seed but fell in the first round to Princeton.
Last year’s team was also a No. 2 seed, but also lost in the regional semifinal to No. 6 seed Clemson.
Lloyd’s Wildcats are hoping for a deeper tournament run this year, but they’ll need to simply (or not so simply) avoid another upset first.
According to reporting from Javier Morales of All Sports Tucson, Akron Zips hoops coach John Groce praised Lloyd’s Wildcats for the pace they play with.
“We know they’re good, obviously, and I know Tommy Lloyd does a great job of coaching them,” Groce said. “I’ve actually studied them a little bit in the past because I was fascinated with how fast they play and their pace. I know he does a good job.”
Caleb Love is the catalyst for the 2024-25 Arizona Wildcats
Caleb Love, a 6-foot-4 guard, is the Wildcats leading scorer this season at 16.6 points per game. His success on the court generally leads to team success for Arizona in terms of wins, but Love’s streaky shooting could make the Wildcats vulnerable in postseason play.
Love launches nearly eight 3-pointers per game, but sinks just 32.3% of those attempts. When he catches fire, he’s among the most dangerous scoring guards in the country — but Arizona becomes a middling team when he’s not making shots.
In games this season where Love made fewer than two 3-pointers, UA was 5-6 overall.
If the Zips can keep Love in check, they have to like their odds of becoming the next team to upset Arizona in tourney play.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: An Akron Zips fan primer for Arizona basketball ahead of March Madness
Topics
-
Akron vs Arizona Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends and Stats for 2025 March Madness
Akron Zips vs. Arizona Wildcats Game PreviewYahoo Sports - 1h -
Who does Michigan play in March Madness? What to know about dangerous UC San Diego
Michigan basketball is set to play in the always-dangerous No. 5 vs. No. 12 matchup vs. UC San Diego. Here's what Michigan fans need to know:Yahoo Sports - 3d -
What is a Zip, and why is Akron's mascot a kangaroo? | Just Asking
For a school in the Midwest, a kangaroo is a unique mascot. What's the story behind Akron being the Zips, and the history of its female mascot Zippy?Yahoo Sports - 3d -
Arizona Wildcats open 2025 NCAA Tournament as No. 4 seed, will face Akron Friday in Seattle
After spending their first season playing regularly in the nation’s heartland, the Arizona Wildcats and coach Tommy Lloyd will return to their roots.Yahoo Sports - 3d -
What to know about March Madness if you don’t follow college basketball
The college basketball season is winding down, which means March Madness is upon us. The annual men's and women's National Collegiate Athletic Association tournaments are among the most closely ...Yahoo Sports - 4d -
What to know about March Madness if you don’t follow college basketball
The college basketball season is winding down, which means March Madness is upon usABC News - 4d -
Purdue basketball's Fletcher Loyer had an injury against Michigan. What we know about his status
Junior sharpshooter Fletcher Loyer struggled against Michigan, and twice left in the second half with an injury. Here's what we know about his status.Yahoo Sports - 5d -
Arizona Wildcats avenge loss at Kansas, beat Jayhawks to reach Big 12 semis
The Arizona men's basketball team beat the Kansas Jayhawks in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament. The Wildcats will face Texas Tech next.Yahoo Sports - 6d -
Akron men's basketball | MAC Player of the Year Nate Johnson comes up big in semifinal win
Mid-American Conference Player of the Year Nate Johnson of Akron scores a career-high to lead Zips basketball into the MAC Tournament title game.Yahoo Sports - 5d
More from Yahoo Sports
-
Bill Self vs. John Calipari: Head-to-head record as coaches meet again in NCAA tournament
The two Hall of Fame coaches have met 13 times before Thursday's March Madness showdown.Yahoo Sports - 12m -
How short-handed will the Lakers be on Thursday versus the Bucks?
The Lakers will be without several key players when they host the Bucks on Thursday.Yahoo Sports - 14m -
Omaha trash can celebration, explained: How Mavericks' quirky waste bashing was born
Omaha has perhaps the most distinct celebration in college basketball: banging trash cans. Here's why the Mavericks do it, and how it started:Yahoo Sports - 15m -
New Eagles pass-rusher Azeez Ojulari excited to reunite with former Georgia teammates
After four seasons with the Giants, Azeez Ojulari joins his former Georgia teammates in PhiladelphiaYahoo Sports - 15m -
Marquette coach Shaka Smart has good story about working with a teenage LeBron James
Shaka Smart's first NCAA Division I assistant job was at Akron for Keith Dambrot, who coached LeBron James in high school.Yahoo Sports - 16m
More in Sports
-
Men's NCAA tournament: Live updates, highlights, analysis from Day 1
nullESPN - 8m -
Bill Self vs. John Calipari: Head-to-head record as coaches meet again in NCAA tournament
The two Hall of Fame coaches have met 13 times before Thursday's March Madness showdown.Yahoo Sports - 12m -
NCAA bracket 2025: Printable March Madness bracket, NCAA Tournament predictions, picks, scores, seeds
The 2025 NCAA Tournament is underway so get your printable 2025 March Madness bracket hereCBS Sports - 12m -
2025 NCAA Tournament scores, schedule: March Madness bracket, game dates, locations, tip times, TV channels
Check out the master schedule for the NCAA Tournament so you can watch all the March Madness 2025 actionCBS Sports - 12m -
Lakers' Bronny James says criticism fuels him 'a little bit' and he's not a 'f---ing robot'
After averaging just 4.8 points per game in college, James is averaging 1.6 points in limited minutes with the LakersCBS Sports - 14m