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Here are my top five takeaways from Arizona’s 81-59 victory over UCF in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals Thursday afternoon in Kansas City, Missouri:

1. The start and the slop

The matchup was between the 1-seed and the 8-seed. For a while, it looked like a 1-16 matchup in the NCAA Tournament.

The Wildcats raced to a 35-8 lead. Everything was going their way. They couldn't miss. The Knights couldn’t hit a shot.

But over the last five minutes of the first half, something changed. And it lingered into the second.

Up a gazillion, Arizona lost its focus. The Wildcats got sloppy. They didn’t box out. They couldn’t hit their foul shots.

Human nature is a powerful force. Arizona succumbed to it. The Wildcats played as if the game was over — which it clearly was not.

It’s a good lesson to learn as Arizona’s postseason journey continues: Never ease your foot off the gas.

Now, the lead never dropped to single digits, so it’s not as if Arizona ever was in danger of losing. But the Wildcats certainly weren’t sharp, especially on the offensive end, over the final 25-plus minutes.

UCF is the type of team Arizona will run into in the second round of the NCAAs. The latest has the Knights as a 10-seed.

They surely would argue that they didn’t play their best game. Leading scorer Riley Kugel was plagued by foul trouble. Big man John Bol got hurt. UCF missed open 3-pointers that could have changed the complexion of the contest.

Stronger foes loom. Starting Friday. We’ll get to that in a minute.

2. Jaden or Brayden?

UA senior point guard Jaden Bradley was named Big 12 Player of the Year, a result that has generated a ton of debate on social media and elsewhere. It was an unconventional choice in that Bradley doesn’t have any eye-popping stats. It was more of a “most valuable� pick than a “best player� pick.

Brayden Burries already is stating the case to be Arizona’s Postseason Player of the Year.

Not only did Burries lead all scorers with 21 points Thursday, he assumed the role of closer that Bradley often has occupied. Burries put the game on ice.

The pesky Knights were hanging around, down 12 with 4:48 to play. Burries then took over.

He drove to the bucket, drew a foul and hit both free throws. (This was a significant problem for others Thursday; see next item.) Burries then swiped a pass from Themus Fulks and went the other way for a breakaway dunk. Finally, he sank a 3-pointer from the left wing.

Seven straight points in a span of 36 seconds. Game over.

This wasn’t out of the ordinary at all for Burries, who scored a career-high 31 points — including the final nine and 11 of the last 13 — in the regular-season finale at Colorado. (The one non-Burries basket in that sequence was a Koa Peat dunk ... on a pass from Burries.)

The Wildcats haven’t been a team that relies on one guy to carry them. But if anyone seems poised to do that, it’s Burries.

Bradley, meanwhile, is in a bit of a funk. He had an OK game vs. UCF — eight points, five rebounds, three assists — but his plus/minus of plus-6 was easily the lowest among Arizona’s starters. He didn’t score at all vs. Colorado. Odd to say the least.

But Bradley has been Mr. Clutch all year. He’s earned the benefit of the doubt.

3. Truly foul shooting

You know that oft-cited stat about Arizona making more free throws than its opponents take? Well, for a while Thursday, the Wildcats had missed more than they had made.

Arizona ended up shooting 17 of 31 from the stripe. That’s usually not how you win basketball games in March.

Most of the misses came from Arizona’s big men, who get fouled a lot. Motiejus Krivas, a 79.7% foul shooter entering Thursday, was just 3 of 7. Tobe Awaka, who was at 69.4%, went 2 of 9.

Strangest of all, Anthony Dell’Orso — the best free-throw shooter on the team at 83.3% — was just 1 of 3.

Was this just a one-off? Or indicative of a problem that’s been festering for a while?

Arizona entered Thursday at 73.9%, which ranked 132nd nationally — one spot ahead of the NCAA-bound Queens Royals of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Peat, who was 2 of 3 vs. UCF, isn’t a good foul shooter; his 60.2% success rate entering the Big 12 Tournament was the worst among UA regulars with at least 50 attempts.

Krivas has been very good. Awaka is just so-so. The guys who will have the ball in their hands the most — Bradley and Burries — are both above 78%. No worries there.

Keep in mind that Arizona will be playing in unfamiliar arenas, sometimes with disorienting shooting backgrounds, the rest of the way. If Thursday’s struggles prompt the Wildcats to spend a little more time practicing their foul shots, consider it a blessing in disguise.

4. Defense wins championships

While Arizona struggled at the line and missed some very makeable shots in the paint — Krivas and Peat were a combined 7 of 21 from the floor — the Wildcats’ defense was generally sound.

It’s been that way all season — and isn’t talked about nearly enough.

Krivas is among the best rim protectors in the country. He couldn’t put the ball in the basket Thursday yet was still a plus-16. How? Ten rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

Awaka missed seven foul shots in nine attempts yet was a plus-15 in just 20 minutes. How? Twelve rebounds and two blocks. Per StatBroadcast, Awaka had a defensive rating — points allowed per 100 possessions — of 58.8. No other Wildcat was below 90.

Burries also had a pair of swipes. If you’re at all casual with the ball, Burries will turn defense into offense in the blink of an eye.

UCF shot 36.5% from the field, becoming the 13th UA opponent to shoot under 40%.

Defense carried the day when the Wildcats were missing on the other end and briefly flummoxed by UCF’s zone. As long as it remains a constant, it’ll help Arizona endure the rough patches that are bound to happen during the postseason.

5. Cyclone warning

I said before the Arizona-UCF game tipped that Iowa State would be a real threat in the next round.

An upset wouldn’t surprise me in the least.

The Cyclones are experienced, talented, deep and difficult to play against. They frequently blitz and trap the ball in the half court, making opponents uncomfortable.

Iowa State will have the home-court advantage in Friday’s semifinals. That isn’t something Arizona is used to in conference tournaments. Welcome to the Big 12.

The Wildcats rode their home crowd and out-physical-ed the Cyclones in the previous meeting this season, winning 73-57 on March 2. As good as Arizona’s defense is, I doubt Iowa State will shoot 29.2% again.

The circumstances, the stakes and the opponent undoubtedly will get the Wildcats’ attention. They’ll be locked in for this one from start to finish. That wasn’t the case vs. UCF.

One final thought on the Cyclones: It’s hilarious that they’re a 5-seed in this tournament. They were No. 7 in the final AP regular-season poll. They’re No. 7 in .

Consider this another side effect — or perhaps a perk? — of being in the Big 12. Brett Yormark calls it the second-best basketball league in the world behind the NBA. No argument here.