At 15-0, Arizona is off to the third-best start in school history, best since 2013-14 when it won the first 21 games of the season. But at some point, the Wildcats are going to lose.
There hasn’t been an undefeated national champion in men’s college basketball since Indiana in 1975-76. A handful have made it to the NCAA Tournament without a loss, most recently Gonzaga in 2020-21, Kentucky in 2014-15 and Wichita State in 2013-14.
With the amount of parity there is in the game, it’s almost impossible
to run the table, which means the UA is going to be on the losing end sooner or later. But when?
We asked our readers when to expect that first loss, and the results indicate the Wildcats will make it until February before suffering a setback. That seems like the most likely time based on the opponents on the schedule that month, as the UA plays at Kansas, Houston and Baylor while hosting BYU and Texas Tech.
There are potential pitfalls in January, too. Saturday the Wildcats visit TCU, which has beaten Baylor, Florida and Wisconsin this season and was up 15 late at Kansas before blowing it. UCF, where the UA goes on Jan. 21, also has wins over Kansas and Texas A&M, while there’s the Big Monday showdown at BYU on Jan. 26 to contend with.
Making it to February would mean being at least 22-0, which would be the school record. Which would be great, but we all know the real goal is to win the final six games of the season which is what is required to claim another national title.
