Last time Arizona made the Final Four: Revisiting 2001 March Madness run led by Gilbert Arenas, Lute Olson

When the Arizona Wildcats continued their outstanding 2025-26 season by taking down Purdue in the NCAA Tournament, it was a win 25 years in the making.

The Wildcats advanced to the Final Four, their first appearance at that stage of March Madness in a quarter-century; despite having plenty of competitive rosters in the years since then, no Arizona squad had reached the penultimate round of the NCAA Tournament since 2001.

The 2001 Arizona roster was full of recognizable names, from the program's beloved longtime head coach, to multiple future NBA players.

Here's a look at Arizona's last Final Four squad in 2001.

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Last time Arizona made Final Four

Prior to 2026, with a team led by freshmen Brayden Burries and Koa Peat, the last time Arizona reached the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament was in 2001. It was also the team's last championship game appearance.

The Wildcats had star-studded squad, including three All-Americans and some future star NBA talent. But perhaps most notably for the fanbase, it was the last Final Four run in the career of Lute Olson, Arizona's longtime head coach.

Early in the 2000-01 season, Arizona was in a tough spot despite being a preseason favorite to win it all. Just one year prior, former Wildcat Jason Terry said he received money from an agent during his junior season, resulting in NCAA punishment for the program. Additionally, Olson’s wife, Bobbi, died of cancer, resulting in him spending time away from the team on bereavement leave.

Olson did not coach for five games in 2000-01. But Arizona still found a way to live up to its high expectations, claiming a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and going on a run to the championship game, the team's fourth Final Four appearance under Olson.

Ultimately, Arizona fell to Duke in the championship, 82-72, to wrap up a 28-8 season. The Blue Devils won it all with a team headlined by Shane Battier, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Jay Williams.

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2001 Arizona basketball roster

The Wildcats had star-studded squad, including three All-Americans in Jason Gardner, Loren Woods and forward Michael Wright, plus future star NBA talent in Gilbert Arenas and Richard Jefferson.

2001 Arizona Wildcats 🔥 pic.twitter.com/gW81U6EPWC

Arenas was the team's leading scorer, but Wright wasn't far behind; five different Wildcats averaged double-digit points.

Here's a look at Arizona's 2001 Final Four roster:

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Who coached Arizona in 2001?

The head coach at Arizona in 2000-01 was Lute Olson, who spent a total of 24 years guiding the Wildcats in the most successful era in program history.

Olson, an inductee into both the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, had previously coached at Long Beach State and Iowa, including a Final Four appearance with the Hawkeyes. But from 1983-2007, he was the leader of the team in Tucson.

During that span, Arizona won the 1997 national championship, reached three additional Final Fours, captured 11 Pac-10 regular-season titles and four Pac-10 Tournament championships. Olson compiled a 781-280 career record, including 589 wins with the Wildcats, before retiring in 2008.

Olson died at age 85 in August 2020. When Arizona reached the Final Four in 2026, head coach Tommy Lloyd said, "There's a good-looking guy with white hair looking down on us right now that's happy."

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Arizona 2001 March Madness run

First round: No. 2 Arizona 101, No. 15 Eastern Illinois 76

The Wildcats opened the NCAA Tournament as the Midwest Region's No. 2 seed, and they handled their opponent with ease.

Arizona beat Eastern Illinois by 25 points, with Arenas dropping 21 points, four assists and three steals.

Second round: No. 2 Arizona 73, No. 10 Butler 52

After Butler upset Wake Forest in the first round, Arizona took on the 10th-seeded Bulldogs in the second round.

The Wildcats ran away with the matchup in the second half, though. Four of Arizona's five starters finished in double-digit scoring in a blowout win, led by Arenas' 15 points.

Sweet 16: No. 2 Arizona 66, No. 3 Ole Miss 56

Arizona got a matchup against the Midwest Region's No. 3 seed in the Sweet 16, as Mississippi advanced past Round 2.

Once again, a strong second half led to the Wildcats advancing. Despite Arenas having an off night, Jefferson's 15 points and Woods' 16 points led Arizona to the Elite Eight.

Elite Eight: No. 2 Arizona 87, No. 1 Illinois 81

The Wildcats' first NCAA Tournament wins of single-digits came against the highest-seeded team yet, Illinois, which was the region's top seed.

Arizona and Illinois remained neck-and-neck throughout the matchup, but in the end, 21 points from Arenas and 18 each for Gardner and Woods led Olson's unit to a win. While the Illini got 25 points off the bench from Robert Archibald, they couldn't reach the Final Four.

Final Four: No. 2 Arizona 80, No. 1 Michigan State 61

The Wildcats, in their second-straight matchup against a No. 1 seed, didn't find as much trouble against Tom Izzo's squad, which was the defending national champion at the time.

Arizona advanced to the title game by beating Michigan State by 19 points, holding Jason Richardson to 2-of-11 shooting, while every Wildcats starter reached double-digit scoring. Gardner led the way with 21 points as Arizona kept its title dreams alive.

Championship: No. 1 Duke 82, No. 2 Arizona 72

Arizona's run met its end in the final game of the 2000-01 season. The Wildcats couldn't quite take down a third No. 1 seed, falling to Duke.

Gardner played all 40 minutes and Woods put up 22 points against the Blue Devils, but Duke also held Arenas to 4-of-17 shooting. Duke ended the night celebrating, while Arizona's terrific season ended one win shy.