SAN JOSE, CA — The harshArizonadeserts are no stranger to droughts. One has lasted quite a while in Tucson, except it has nothing to do with rainfall.
It's that Final Four drought.
For more than two decades, Tucson residents have been trying to turn on the faucet of basketball success, and while enough falls out to keep the grass from turning brown, it's waiting for a steady stream to end the dehydration and nourish the garden of winning.
Arizonahasn't been to the Final Four since 2001, and the city is very aware of the crisis.
"You hear rumblings of it all the time," Wildcats forward Tobe Awaka told USA TODAY Sports.
Iowa State Cyclones fans cheer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Nebraska's Berke Buyuktuncel celebrates with fans following a second-round game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament between Nebraska Cornhuskers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on March 21, 2026." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Arkansas Razorbacks cheerleaders in the second half against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Ore." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
A Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleader practices before the game during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
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Iowa State Cyclones fans cheer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournamentat Enterprise Center on March 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri.
Luckily, the forecast is showing a possible end to the dry spell. A chance of heavy showers of victory could be raining down Saturday, March 28 with Arizona facing Purdue in the Elite Eight. But the Wildcats have been here several times before. An opportunity to break the spell turns into more heat.
"The collective joy it would give our community, it would be more special than just the win by itself," saidWildcats coach Tommy Lloyd.
No coach has stacked up wins in their first five seasons like Lloyd, with 147 victories already on his resume. It's been an impressive start to his tenure, bringing Arizona back into the national picture and perfectly weaving into a stacked Big 12.
All of that, yet this will be the first time Lloyd has the Wildcats in the Elite Eight, a microcosm of all of the March struggles this program has had since 2001.
Since 2010, Arizona has the fourth-most wins in Division I, in the top five with Gonzaga, Duke, Kansas and Kentucky. However, the Wildcats are the only one from that group to have not made the Final Four in that time span. Even worse, the all in that group have mademultipleFinal Four trips.
This year will be the sixth Elite Eight appearance for the Wildcats since their last Final Four appearance. Two of those times, it was a No. 1 seed, and it lost to the No. 2 seed, including the 2014 overtime thriller against Wisconsin. In 2026, it's a No. 1 seed again facing the No. 2 seed.
Arizona has had all the right pieces to have multiple Final Four trips, with NBA talent on all of those Elite Eight squads, but it just can't get over that hump.
"These games from here on out are not guaranteed," said guard Jaden Bradley.
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Unlucky? A curse? There really isn't an answer for why Arizona can't get the job done. If history is any indication, the Wildcats won't be able to take down Purdue, and the Boilermakers will be the ones going to Indianapolis.
But this isn't the same Arizona.
At 35-2, the Wildcats have a case to be the best team in the country. It's a talented, deep roster with so many players that can end opponents, and they've proven so.
Arizona knows how to score and prevent you from doing so. It's why they're in the top five of scoring margin. What's impressive is that includes 12 ranked victories this season, showing it handles even elite squads.
"One of the best teams in the country, if not the best team in the country," said Purdue coach Matt Painter.
The last thing standing in the way of Arizona breaking through is a contrasting Purdue team. While Arizona is led by freshmen with a mix of veteran presence, the Boilermakers are as experienced as it comes, with three players that have played in a national championship game and a starting unit with a combined 559 career starts.
On paper, Arizona has more talent than Purdue. But it knows better than anyone these games are played on the court, where all of that gets thrown out the window, and anything can happen in 40 minutes.
In fact, Painter knows all about the burden of being at a premier program with a long Final Four drought, with the Boilermakers making the 2024 edition after last appearing in 1980. While Lloyd said Arizona's recent struggles in the NCAA Tournament don't bother him, Painter acknowledges the burden.
"There's relief there. It gets talked about a lot," he said. "You don't have to wait for the morning paper to hear what people say about you anymore. You hear it all day long."
Lloyd and Arizona have a chance to finally silence all the talk about it in the Elite Eight. The Wildcats have shown they were on a warpath to this destination ever since it beat defending champion Florida in the season opener.
Now it's time to put all of the past behind, and officially declare Arizona basketball drought-free.
"I'm not surprised we're sitting here. Not at all," Lloyd said. "We're exactly where we should be. Now we've got to go put in the work – and probably have some good fortune on our side as well – to hopefully take the next step.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:When was Arizona last in Final Four? It's been a while. Like 25 years
(Salaries in present-day value calculated by MLB Labor Relations Department, impacted by deferrals and signing bonuses)
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