Arizona Wildcats' Blueprint to Win 2015 NCAA Tournament

The Arizona Wildcats snared a prime seed in the NCAA tourney's West Region for the second year in a row, reeling off 11 straight wins to finish things—an average margin of victory of 79-57 in those—taking the Pac-12 regular-season and tourney titles.

This year's crew didn't stay unblemished for nearly as long as the 2013-14 model, losing its first game two days before Christmas rather than February. And the three losses it suffered were of a worse quality of any of their defeats last winter.

But similarities abound between the versions:

- An All-Pac-12 upperclassman in the backcourt: Last year, Arizona's best playmaker was 2014 Pac-12 Player of the Year Nick Johnson. This year, it is the conference's elite point guard, senior T.J. McConnell.

- An NBA lottery-bound freshman forward: It was Aaron Gordon in 2014, who ended up as the fourth overall pick by the Orlando Magic. That role is now filled by Stanley Johnson, who, according to NBADraft.net, is expected to land inside the top five if/when he declares this spring.

- A smothering defense that stays in games even when struggling to score: Arizona only allowed two teams to score more than 70 points and held its opponents cumulatively to under 40 percent from field-goal range, per NCAA.com. And it owned the No. 1 defense in the country, per KenPom.com, entering the tourney in 2014.

The difference between them is about one foot. Specifically, the right foot belonging to star power forward Brandon Ashley, who tore a ligament in that wheel on the first day of February last winter at Cal. 

Arizona was a clean 21-0 when Ashley—the program's most skilled inside presence of the Miller era—went down, harshing the mellow of a team that appeared destined for the school's first Final Four berth since 2001.

The Wildcats still managed to claim the top seed in the West despite missing their top offensive threat in the post last season. And they parlayed that into an Elite Eight showing, where Frank Kaminsky and Wisconsin ended their season in crushing fashion.

Kaminsky controlled that contest, outplaying Arizona center Kaleb Tarczewski en route to 28 points and 11 rebounds. If Ashley was available, there's a chance he would've drawn that assignment, as he is more capable of matching the agility of the Badgers' big.

Perhaps a rematch is in the works deep into the tourney. Here is Arizona's blueprint for making that a legit possibility.

Sic Rondae Hollis-Jefferson on the Opposition's Top Threat

Although the bulk of the bitterness about the Pac-12 awards went to T.J. McConnell's snub in the Player of the Year race, it was Rondae Hollis-Jefferson's failure to claim the conference's Defensive PoY honors that should've stirred the wrath of Arizona types.

Hollis-Jefferson certainly noticed. According to Anthony Gimino of Fox Sports Arizona, here was what the Cats forward said following a blowout of Cal in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tourney:

"I'm sure all of you know I didn't get defensive player of the year. That's just motivation for me to play harder, play smarter, and just have fun out there."

The sophomore from Chester, Pennsylvania, took the slight personally, and the statistics justify his ill feelings.

Check out this line from the Arizona Daily Star's Zack Rosenblatt regarding Hollis-Jefferson's regular season:

"The Rondae Hollis-Jefferson effect: Opposing Pac-12 team’s leading scorers average 11.9 points, 2.7 turnovers and shoot 34.5% against UA."

The 6'7", 220-pound Hollis-Jefferson has a 7'0" wingspan, according to Rivals.com, supreme lateral movement and a hyper-aggressive temperament. It's a combination that allows him to guard anyone on the court. And he's done just that in several games this season.

In terms of his body type, the most apt comparison is to former Wildcat and current Golden State Warrior Andre Iguodala, whose reputation as an all-everything defender has been solidified in the world's premier hoops league.

Like Iguodala, Jefferson is also a highlight reel-in-waiting, adding to his reputation for ferocity. Just ask 7'6" Cal-Irvine center Mamadou Ndiaye.

Do Not Underestimate the Power of the Undermanned

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UNLV's takedown of Arizona on Dec. 23 was the Rebels' peak of the season, as they failed to make the NCAA tourney.

Arizona wrecked the No. 2, 3 and 4 teams in the Pac-12 this year, going a combined 7-0 against Oregon, Utah and UCLA, respectively, winning those games by a total of 509-389.

It offed every ranked opponent it faced, including then-No. 9 Gonzaga at McKale Center in early December.

So the Wildcats displayed no problems in rising for the elite. 

Instead, it was the non-threatening-on-paper types who had no business hanging with Arizona that managed to off the Cats. Their three losses were:

- 71-67 at UNLV, a barely above-.500 Rebels crew (18-15) that finished well below its expectations entering the year. This was Arizona's first loss, and the worst beating it sustained, as UNLV big man Christian Wood pounded the Wildcats inside to the tune of 24 points and 10 boards.

- 58-56 at Oregon State, another team far from NCAA tourney contention (17-14)—and seventh in the Pac-12—on a night when a defensive meltdown at the end of the game allowed Langston Morris-Walker a nearly uncontested coast to the basket for the game-winner.

- 81-78 at Arizona State, when the Sun Devils (17-15) tied their third-largest offensive showing all year. They finished 121st in the country in scoring but hit 7 of 15 three-pointers on this day to pull off the stunner in Tempe.

That loss to ASU was Arizona's last, as it seemed to result in a whole new approach to the talent deficient. Arizona didn't allow another non-NCAA contender to finish within 20 points the rest of the way.

Besides the opener of the tourney, Arizona is unlikely to face another opponent with less powerful lineups than the three listed above.

Miller and Co. must remember the court-storm-inducing pain of all three of those letdowns when they take on their early-round opponents. If not, there will be no Indy, and perhaps not even a Los Angeles, accorind to the NCAA tournament schedule on ESPN.com.

Maintain Renowned Defensive Intensity

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Arizona's 6'7", 245-pound phenom, Stanley Johnson, was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.

Arizona keeps itself in the public consciousness with its nightly offensive aerial displays.

But the reason the Cats are considered a legitimate menace to the rest of the country's national title hopes resides at the opposing hoop.

According to Ken Pomeroy's adjusted defensive efficiency statistic, Arizona owns the third-best defense in all the land.

The two teams ahead of Sean Miller's squad? Try No. 1-ranked Kentucky and No. 3 Virginia.

Last year, the Wildcats entered the tourney in the top spot in this category and rode that defensive tenacity to the West Regional Final, even despite the absence of the aforementioned Ashley.

Even when Arizona struggles to score, it never allows opponents to be out of reach, as it never goes into a slump defensively.

Case in point, during an ESPN Saturday night contest against longtime rival UCLA—a team that desperately needed a signature win for its tourney hopes—Arizona suffered lengthy scoring droughts of over six minutes to start the game and 6:31 to begin the second half, according to Steve Rivera of FoxSports.com.

And despite scoring just 57 points—and having Ashley, Johnson and Hollis-Jefferson combine to go 4-of-25 from the floor—they still managed to claim a double-digit victory.

Said Miller after that game: "Can you win on that night when the ball isn't going in? Or when it just doesn't' feel right?" Miller asked. "Tonight was product of our dominant defense and our bench."

The Wildcats slipped in overall rebounding numbers from the top 20 in 2014 to a tie for 45th this season. But that dip can be attributed overwhelmingly to the offensive side, as Arizona is tied for eighth best in the country on the defensive glass, according to ESPN.com, which is critical to keeping the opponents away from easy ones near the hoop.

While not the most daring team in terms of seeking steals—they're averaging 7.18, per ESPN.com, which falls outside the top 50 in the nation—the Wildcats defense forces opponents into difficult looks and rarely sees an off night.

It is the prevailing reason Arizona is in the championship hunt.

Kaleb Tarczewski Must Rediscover His Inner Zeus

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Kaleb Tarczewski's presence in the paint will be critical against large front lines, which all of the top seeds possess.

At a chiseled 7'0", 245 pounds, with above-average explosion for a player of that stature, Kaleb "Zeus" Tarczewski's presence on the court was supposed to be mountainous, a looming fixture in the paint making it extremely difficult for the opposition to penetrate.

Unfortunately for Arizona followers, the New Hampshire native was more Appalachians than Rockies for much of 2015.

During long swaths of the season, the highly touted center out of St. Mark's School in Massachusetts was not the factor many pundits projected coming into the year.

Tarczewski's numbers fell substantially in 2015, falling from 9.9 points and 6.3 rebounds in 2014 to 9.1 and 5.1, respectively. And there was a painful dip in his free-throw percentage, from 75.6 percent all the way down to 66.7.

Following the Arizona State debacle, much was made of Tarczewski's lack of production in the post, particularly his woeful output against a weakling of a front line for the Sun Devils.

According to Steve Rivera of FoxSports.com, from Dec. 23 to Feb. 13, Tarczewski hit double digits in scoring just twice and averaged under eight points and five boards over that stretch.

And Rosenblatt noted that "When he doesn't score 10 or more points specifically in Pac-12 or NCAA Tournament games, Arizona is 22-10. The Wildcats only have 15 losses TOTAL in his career, so that's significant."

Tarczewski appeared to get on track after a two-point weakling of an outing at ASU on Feb. 7. He then went off for 13 or more points in six of the next eight games, with at least six boards in half of those.

Turns out, those were anomalies in an otherwise disappointing campaign for the 7-footer, who came into the season with NBA draft nods from several of the major authorities on the matter.

Although Arizona was able to snare the Pac-12 conference tourney title, Tarczewski averaged only six points and four rebounds over those three games.

The Wildcats were able to overcome that slump against the relatively thin frontcourts that dotted the Pac-12, but against the mammoth posts that several of the tourney's best teams flaunt, Tarczewski's output must increase substantially. And it wouldn't hurt his pro stock, either.

Exhibit the Requisite Nastiness

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Brandon Ashley is widely known for the deft touch on his long-range jumper for a man his size. But he's added much-needed physicality to his repertoire in 2015.

During the most surprising tourney run of Sean Miller's tenure at Arizona, back in 2011, the Arizona maestro produced one of his signature lines following a dramatic win over Texas to advance into the Elite Eight.

He espoused a vital character trait to keeping a tournament run alive, simply telling reporters during his postgame press conference: "Nastiness is required."

Arizona came into this year as the No. 2-ranked team in the nation in 2014-15 and managed to stay in the Top 10 for the duration.

But there were times when that mean streak seemed to soften, perhaps a sign of absorbing too much love from fans and pundits, not coming out with adequate heat against the heavy underdogs and then failing to impose itself on teams it should've left in agony.

That was most noticeable on the road, where it lost to a trio of inferior rosters, appearing to back down when faced with adversity and hostile surroundings.

But that does not appear to be an issue any longer. Arizona's physical tenacity was on display throughout the stretch run of the conference's regular season and postseason.

Although three out of the starting five players—Ashley, Hollis-Jefferson and Johnson—are likely to become NBA draftees in just a few months, there are no diva attitudes anywhere on the roster.

There were an increasing volume of skirmishes and technicals as the year progressed, including a shoving matched-turned-standoff between Ashley and Cal's David Kravish in the opening round of the Pac-12 tourney.

There were also dustups against Stanford and Arizona State that specifically involved Stanley Johnson and Kaleb Tarczewski, respectively, with the Wildcats responding immediately. That's not to advocate for scuffles or tech-inducing behavior; rather, it's a glimpse at the edginess Miller's team is capable of displaying heading into the tourney.

It is one of the most physically imposing lineups in the college game, and the inability to intimidate its stars will be a vital asset given the various styles it will face if it is to make serious run at the national title.