Arizona beats Purdue, reaches first Final Four since 2001
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- Arizona beat No. 2 Purdue 79-64 in the Elite Eight at San Jose's SAP Center, reaching its first Final Four since 2001, setting a school record with 36 wins, and extending a 13-game winning streak heading to Indianapolis.
- Tommy Lloyd addressed the crowd about the late Lute Olson — who died in 2020 — saying a 'good-looking guy with white hair' is looking down happy; Lloyd's 148 wins in his first five seasons broke the NCAA record previously held by Brad Stevens at Butler.
- Arizona's three freshman starters — Brayden Burries (14), Ivan Kharchenkov (18), and Koa Peat (20) — combined for 52 points, unfazed by the stage, while senior guard Jaden Bradley added 14 points.
- Purdue's Braden Smith closed his career with 13 points on 4-of-15 shooting, finishing with 1,103 career assists to hold the all-time NCAA record he had broken from Bobby Hurley earlier this season.
- Lloyd told his team at halftime he and the coaching staff were leaving the locker room so the players could talk among themselves; Arizona reclaimed the lead within five minutes of the second half, after which Lloyd said he felt 'like a spectator.'
Why it matters: Arizona's first Final Four in 25 years puts Tommy Lloyd — already the fastest coach to 148 career wins in NCAA history — one win from surpassing the program's previous best teams, while Purdue's exit ends Braden Smith's record-setting career without a second Final Four appearance in three seasons.
