Arizona’s path to the Final Four was never going to be easy.

Utah State is underseeded and presents a tough challenge.

The Aggies won the Mountain West Regular Season and Tournament Championships. They are well-coached and have capable players.

To advance to the Sweet 16, the Wildcats must bring their “A” game from the opening tip.

Here’s my preview of the Round of 32 matchup.

There are just too many weapons for Utah State to slow down. Too many variables to account for.

The only way that Arizona loses is if it beats itself. And how does it do that?

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Missing free throws and giving up offensive rebounds.

At times, the Wildcats have been slacking on the defensive glass and gone cold from the line. There aren’t many flaws to the team, but those two categories are noteworthy issues.

So, how do the Aggies match up? Well, frankly, not very well.

Jerrod Calhoun’s team is 222nd nationally in rebounds per game. That would put USU 11th in the Big 12.

In other words, in the bottom half of the league, around the other teams that missed the Tournament.

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Utah State’s offensive rebounding is marginally better, slotting in at No. 179 nationally. But that would also put them at just 11th in the Big 12.

As a comparison, Arizona is No. 2 nationally in rebounds per game and No. 33 overall in offensive rebounds per game.

That’s not a good analytical matchup for the Aggies and is arguably the reason why the spread is so wide.

This isn’t Villanova.

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The quality in competition USU is about to face is exponentially better than what Nova trotted out onto the floor. You aren’t lining up against Duke Brennan and Devin Askew.

This is an Arizona team that won the toughest conference in the nation by multiple games and won the Big 12 Tournament by beating two Final Four contenders.

The Cats are coming off their largest margin of victory in the NCAA Tournament since 1998, and they didn’t even play that great.

Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.

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For a nation steeped in football history, the prospect of missing the FIFA World Cup 2026 is creating unprecedented pressure. Italy, four-time world champions, are confronting the possibility of failing to qualify for a third consecutive tournament, a scenario that seemed unimaginable just a few years ago.

Italy’s playoff draw pits them against Northern Ireland, a team with youthful energy and defensive discipline. While Northern Ireland is considered the underdog, coach Michael O’Neill stressed his team’s focus: 

“Every time you step on the pitch as an international player, you never know when it will be your last opportunity. So make sure that you embrace it.” he said

For Italy, the stakes are enormous. Failing to overcome Northern Ireland would mean yet another disappointing playoff round, echoing the heartbreaks of 2018 (eliminated by Sweden) and 2022 (denied by North Macedonia).

  With the squad assembled by the coach looking positive with the likes of Chiesa also brought in for the must win clash after a long time, things are looking up for the Azzuri this time.

A frustrating qualifying campaign

Italy’s qualification journey has been marked by both resilience and missed opportunities. A 3-0 defeat to Norway at the start of the campaign set the tone for a group where goal difference would prove critical.

Even a late 2-0 victory over Moldova in Chișinău offered little comfort. As defender Federico Dimarco exited the pitch quickly, frustration was clear: Italy needed a near-impossible swing in goals against Norway to qualify directly.

Coach Gennaro Gattuso acknowledged the pressure, stating: “Honestly, I don’t accept the fans’ jeering. Now we all need to stay united.”

Squad challenges and key players

Italy’s squad has been hampered by absences and cautious player choices. Federico Chiesa opted out of the crucial Moldova and Norway matches, while Michael Kayode, whose long throws could have been decisive, was also left out.

Gattuso remains confident in his core group, which includes Serie A and Premier League talent, but admits the team must improve. 

“With Moise Kean returning from injury and Chiesa back in the fold, we will be stronger,” he said.

Despite creating 28 chances against Moldova, Italy scored only two goals, highlighting the offensive challenges that could define the playoff tie.

Historical context: Italy’s World Cup legacy

Italy has qualified for the previous 14 World Cups, yet the current system’s emphasis on goal difference makes their situation precarious. Gattuso compared European rules to South America and wasn’t very diplomatic in his opinion too. 

“If we look at South America, where six out of 10 teams go directly to the World Cup and the seventh heads into a playoff with a team from Oceania, that does give you regrets.” he said.

Norway’s exceptional run in Group I, including an 11-1 win against Moldova and a 5-0 victory over the same team in Chișinău, has made Italy’s direct qualification almost impossible.

Northern Ireland: underdogs with opportunity

Northern Ireland enters the playoff confident despite the daunting task. O’Neill emphasized preparation and defensive solidity:

“This game is probably not going to be a high-scoring game for us, so we need to be as good as perfect at the back and obviously find an opportunity that we can score ourselves.”

The team blends youthful talent like Shea Charles, Trai Hume, and Conor Bradley with experienced guidance from O’Neill, who previously led Northern Ireland to Euro 2016.

It appears Eddie Hearn would have been game to make Tom Aspinall vs. Jon Jones, were they not under contract with the UFC. Not only that, the Matchroom Boxing chairman says he’d have happily paid both fighters double what the UFC would’ve offered them.

While Jones never entertained a title unification with Aspinall, during his tenure as the heavyweight champion, a prominent narrative was that the bout never materialized because Dana White and the UFC failed to match the New Yorker’s financial demands.

Hearn’s Matchroom Talent Agency now represents Aspinall and recently slammed the world’s premier MMA promotion over the Brit’s contract, which he deems unfair.

Speaking with ProBoxingFans following this weekend’s Matchroom Boxing card, Hearn said:

“They [Jones and Aspinall] are under contract. If they weren’t under contract, I could do Aspinall against Jon Jones, and I’ll pay them double what the UFC offered them, probably.”

Hearn then went on to insist that the headliners around whom the cards are built deserve a bigger share of the revenue in general:

“If you do Tom Aspinall against [Alex] Pereira for the world heavyweight championship, respect the guy, will you? If there is $100 million in the pot, don’t give me a million. He is the defending champion. It’s a joke. They are going to have to do something. They are in a bad, bad situation at the moment.”

Check out Eddie Hearn’s comments on Tom Aspinall vs. Jon Jones below:

Aspinall was forced into a hiatus from MMA after suffering debilitating eye pokes from Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in October. After multiple surgical procedures, the UFC heavyweight champion finally returned to training earlier this week.

Gane is scheduled to face Alex Pereira for the interim heavyweight title at UFC Freedom 250 in June. The winner of the fight is expected to be Aspinall’s comeback opponent.