NCAA Previews: Recognize the Arizona Wildcats

Conference: Pac-10
Record: 18-14, 9-11 Pac-10
RPI: 40
How They Got In: At-Large Bid
Seed/Bracket: #10 in the West

Mascot: Wildcats. The name caught on in 1914 when a Los Angeles Times article stated that the team "showed the fight of Wildcats" in a football game against Occidental College.

Big Wins: Texas A&M, at USC, Washington State (home/away)

Notable Losses: at Kansas, at Memphis, Arizona State (home/away), Oregon (home/away)

Player You Should Know: Jerryd Bayless is one of the most dynamic guards in the country and a sure-fire lottery pick in June's NBA Draft. He's fantastic off the dribble and has one of the best pull-up jumpers in the game. Some people are surprised that the Wildcats got into the tournament, but it'll be worth it just to see Bayless on the game's biggest stage.

Outlook: Arizona lost both games to Arizona State this season, but this team legitimately deserves to be in the field. They had some horrible injury luck with both Bayless and Nic Wise going down for significant stretches of the season. Having the highest strength of schedule in the country doesn't hurt either. The Wildcats look very impressive at full strength and can be a handful when their stars are at their best. Arizona's not tremendously deep, but they have enough talent to win in the first round and give someone a serious scare in Round Two.