Arizona Wildcats men's basketball
Encyclopedia
The Arizona Wildcats basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball
program representing the University of Arizona
in Tucson, Arizona
, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference (Pac-12) of NCAA Division I. They are currently coached by Sean Miller
.
Arizona has a long and rich basketball history. The program came to national prominence under the tutelage of former head coach Lute Olson
, who since 1983 has established the program as among America's elite in college basketball. One writer referred to UA as "Point Guard U" because the school has produced successful guards like Steve Kerr
, Damon Stoudamire
, Khalid Reeves
, Jason Terry
, Gilbert Arenas
, Mike Bibby
and others.
From 1985 to 2009, the Arizona basketball team reached the NCAA Tournament
for 25 consecutive years, two years shy of North Carolina
's record of 27. Despite a 1999 appearance later vacated by the NCAA, the media still cites Arizona's streak, and simply note the change. The Wildcats have reached the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament on four occasions (1988
, 1994
, 1997
, and 2001
). In 1997, Arizona defeated the University of Kentucky
, the defending national champions, to win the NCAA National Championship. In Pac-10 play, former head coach Lute Olson currently holds the record for most wins as a Pac-10 coach at 327. In addition, the team has won 12 Pac-10 regular season titles and 4 Pac-10 tournament titles. Arizona also holds the distinction of recording 5 out of the 7 17–1 Pac-10 seasons (one-loss seasons). No team has gone undefeated since the formation of the Pac-10. Arizona has spent 110 weeks in the top 5 which is 10th all-time, 226 weeks in the top 10 which is 8th all-time and 423 weeks in the top 25 which is 10th all-time. Arizona has intense rivalries with the in-state Arizona State Sun Devils, and the out-of-state UCLA Bruins
and Kansas Jayhawks.
In 1914, Arizona's first famous coach, James Fred "Pop" McKale
was lured away from a teaching and coaching job at Tucson High School to take over as Athletic Director
and coach basketball
, football
, baseball
and track
. McKale took things to a new level, posting a 9–0 record his first season as a basketball coach. Moreover, McKale elevated the program to intercollegiate play. While basketball was his least favorite of the many sports he coached while at UA, He chalked up three undefeated seasons and a career-winning average of .803, which has never been bested by a UA coach who has held the post for at least three years. The McKale Memorial Center
, the main arena for Arizona basketball, is named in his honor.
From 1925 to 1961, the program was under the stewardship of Fred Enke
, UA's longest tenured coach. Coach Fred A. Enke was responsible for the early successes of Wildcat basketball. Enke amassed 509 wins in his tenure on the UA sidelines and still ranks as the second-winningest coach in school history, winning more than 60 percent of his games. Enke also led the Cats to the first four postseason appearances (3 N.I.T./1 NCAA) in school history and in 1950-51 competed in both the N.I.T. and NCAA postseason tournaments. Finally, he was the first coach to lead Arizona to a national ranking. Two of his teams (1950, 1951) finished the season ranked in the top 15.
Under Enke, UA competed in the now defunct Border Conference
. Under Enke's direction, Arizona won 12 conference championships, including a span in which the Cats won or shared seven consecutive Border
Conference titles (1942–51). No Border Conference team won as many league games (231) or overall contests (398) during its membership. In 1962, Arizona joined the Western Athletic Conference
as a founding member after the Border Conference disbanded.
In 1972, Fred Snowden
was hired as the head basketball coach, making Arizona the second Division I school and the first major program to hire an African American
head coach. Known as "The Fox," Snowden brought the excitement back to Wildcat basketball during his 10 years on the Arizona sideline, averaging more than 80 points per game in six of his 10 years and topping the 100-point barrier 27 times. Snowden led Arizona to the NCAA tournament twice, in 1976
and 1977
, getting as far as the Elite Eight in 1976 before losing to UCLA
82–66, a game after defeating UNLV in a Sweet Sixteen matchup. During the 1976 tournament he also logged Arizona's first and only tournament wins until Lute Olson's hiring, beating John Thompson's
Georgetown team 83–76. Snowden's 1976 team also won the school's only WAC championship title on a buzzer-beater by Gilbert Myles
verses New Mexico, with the help of the spectacular play of Bob Elliott
, Jim Rappis, and Al Fleming. In 1978, Coach Snowden helped transition the basketball program over to the newly formed Pac-10. Snowden could not sustain success in the Pac-10, however, finishing no higher than 4th place in the conference. His 9–18 final season led UA to look for a replacement.
Athletic Director Dave Strack brought in Ben Lindsey
to replace Fred Snowden in 1983, and on the surface, it seemed like a reasonable move. Lindsey had junior college expertise, having had a successful career at Grand Canyon University
, where he won two national titles. What resulted, however, was nothing short of disaster. The 1983 team went 4–24, with only one Pac-10 win.
hired Lute Olson from the University of Iowa
to take over the program. UA needed a coach with a history of quickly turning around programs, which Olson had done previously at Iowa. “I knew we had a tremendous amount of work to do,” Olson recalled in a recent interview with Tucson Lifestyle. “The program was in shambles at that point, after the terrible year before..."
Under Olson, Arizona quickly rose to national prominence. Arizona won its first Pac-10 title in 1986, only three years after his arrival. That season set up an amazing 1987–88 season, which included taking the Great Alaska Shootout
championship, the Valley Bank Fiesta Bowl Classic championship and the Pac-10 championship. Under players Steve Kerr
, Kenny Lofton
and Sean Elliott
, Arizona spent much of the season ranked #1 and made their first (and Olson's second) Final Four. While Arizona lost in the Final Four round, their play put the program on the map and launched Arizona's reign as a perennial Pac-10 and NCAA tournament contender. Sean Elliott was awarded the John R. Wooden Award on the season and would set the PAC-10 scoring record.
In 1997, Arizona defeated the University of Kentucky
, the defending national champions, to win the NCAA National Championship. Prior to winning the championship in 1997, Arizona stormed back from 10-point deficits in the Southeast Regional First Round and Second Round against #13 South Alabama
and #12 College of Charleston
, respectively winning 65–57 and 73–69. The Southeast Regional Semifinal pitted against overall #1 Kansas (34–1) which had defeated Arizona the year before in the 1996 West Regional Semifinal. However, Arizona came out fast and stunned the Jayhawks 85–82, then prevailed in overtime against Providence
96–92 in the Elite Eight to clinch a berth in the Final Four. Arizona then beat #1 seed North Carolina
66–58 in the Final Four, which turned out to be Dean Smith
's last game as a coach. Arizona also accomplished the unprecedented feat of beating three number one seeds in the 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. This feat has never been done before or since up to this date 2011.
The year following the Championship season, 1998, Arizona returned all 5 starters (Mike Bibby
, Michael Dickerson, Miles Simon
, Bennett Davison, and AJ Bramlett) and were poised to make another run after receiving the #1 overall seed in the West, but were upset by Utah in the Elite 8
.
In 1999, all 5 starters were lost to graduation or early entry to the NBA draft and Arizona's hopes of continuing its streak of consecutives trip to the NCAA tournament was in jeopardy until senior point guard Jason Terry
(the 6th man the previous two seasons) elevated his game (receiving National Player of the Year honors) and continued the school's amazing streak.
2001 was one of the most challenging and rewarding years for the program. Lute Olson’s wife Bobbi, well known to players and fans alike as a steadfast presence on the sidelines, lost her battle with cancer. The team, which had been a preseason pick by many to win the national title had to play without Olson for three weeks while Olson was on bereavement leave. The Cats vowed to dedicate their season to Bobbi. With guard Jason Gardner
, center Loren Woods
and forward Michael Wright
— each an All-American — leading the way, the Cats trounced their opponents, beating Oregon 104–65, devastating USC 105–61, and charging through the Final Four
. They took down Eastern Illinois, Butler, Mississippi, Illinois
, and Michigan State
, only to be stopped by Duke
in the title game.
In his later years at UA, Olson fielded competitive teams with extremely talented point guards. Continuing the reputation and nickname "Point Guard U," recent standouts include Jason Gardner
, Salim Stoudamire
, Mustafa Shakur
, Jerryd Bayless
and Nic Wise
. Arizona would win Lute's last Pac-10 title during the 2004–2005 season under the spectacular play of seniors Salim Stoudamire and center Channing Frye
. That team also made it to the Elite 8 and the verge of the Final Four before blowing a 15-point lead with four minutes to play and losing in overtime, 90–89, to the No. 1 seed and eventual national runner-up, University of Illinois
.
Olson took an unexplained leave of absence at the beginning of the 2007–2008 season. Assistant coach Kevin O'Neill took over interim head coaching duties for the Arizona Wildcats. At that time, Olson announced that he intended to be back for the 2008–09 season and finish out his contract, which was scheduled to end in 2011. His departure was criticized by some members of the media. They also questioned how he and the UA athletic department handled his return and the verbal succession agreement with coach O'Neill. However, on October 23, 2008, he unexpectedly announced his retirement from the program (by way of an announcement from Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood). A few days later, Olson's personal physician held a press conference and explained that the retirement was strongly advised due to health concerns.
as the interim head coach for the 2008–2009 season
23 days before the start of the season. The appointment came after Mike Dunlap, the associate head coach brought in to replace Kevin O'Neill, turned down the job. Under Pennell, the Cats finished 19-13 in the regular season, including a non-conference win over Kansas and a 7-game win streak with wins over UCLA and Washington. Despite a 19–13 finish to the season, Arizona was controversially selected as one of the last teams into the field of 65 as a 12th seed in the Midwest region, extending its NCAA consecutive tournament appearances to 25 years. The Cats made it to the Sweet 16 (regional semi-finals) with wins over 5-seed Utah
and 13-seed Cleveland State
, before falling to overall 1-seed, Louisville
. Despite Pennell's post-season success, he was not retained, as Arizona announced before his hiring they would hold a national coaching search after the season ended. (On April 9, 2009, Pennell was hired as head coach of the men's basketball team at Division II Grand Canyon University
, a member of the Pacific West Conference
.)
After the end of the season, various coaching names were considered to succeed Lute Olson on a permanent basis. Arizona contacted Gonzaga
's Mark Few
, Pittsburgh
's Jamie Dixon
and then-Memphis
coach John Calipari
(before he accepted the vacant position at Kentucky
) to take the job. Arizona even brought USC
's Tim Floyd
on campus for an interview and made an offer, which he ultimately turned down.
from Xavier University
to fill the head coaching position. He initially turned the job down before changing his mind and accepting the job on Apr. 6, 2009 despite having never visited the Arizona campus. Miller was formally introduced as the 13th head men's basketball coach at Arizona at a press conference on April 7, 2009 at McKale Center. At the press conference, Miller acknowledged Lute Olson's impact on the Arizona program by addressing Olson personally: "One of the reasons I sit here today is because of the great legacy you built." Miller also promised U of A fans that they would enjoy the style of both offense and defense he would bring to Wildcat basketball. Miller's salary is $1.6 million per year; he will receive an additional $400,000 per season from Nike
and media contracts during a five-year deal, as well as a $1 million signing bonus and other amenities such as season tickets to other Wildcat sporting events and the use of a private jet.
Within three months of joining the program, Miller compiled a strong five-player recruiting class that ranked 13th nationally in 2009.
After going 16-15 and missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in 25 years during Miller's initial 2009-10 campaign, the Cats would return to form by winning the regular season Pac-10 title in his second year as coach behind the play of sophomore Pac-10 Player of the Year
Derrick Williams. It would be the Wildcats' first outright Pac-10 regular season title (its 12th overall), 30-win season (4th overall) and Elite Eight appearance (9th overall) since the 2004-2005 season. In addition, Miller led the Wildcats to their first unbeaten home record (17-0) in 14 years and was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year. This was the first time an Arizona coach received this honor since Lute Olson
in 2003. The 17 wins without a loss at home is tied for the second most in school history. Miller would add to the season's success by guiding the Cats to their first Elite Eight appearance since the 2004-2005 Season as a 5-seed. In the second round, Arizona secured a 2-point victory over 12th seeded Memphis (coached by former Wildcat (and member of the 1997 national title team) Josh Pastner
) with a blocked shot in the final seconds by Derrick Williams. Arizona would follow with another close game -- a controversial one-point win against 4-seed Texas.
In the Sweet-16 match-up, Arizona found itself pitted against top-seeded Duke, the first time since the 2001 title game that the two schools had met. Duke would extend an early lead, but 25 points from Derrick Williams kept the Cats in the game and down by 6 points at the half. In the second half, Williams' teammates picked up the slack, dominating the Blue Devils by scoring 55 second-half points and routing the defending champs 93-77. Arizona's run at the Final Four would fall 2 points short, losing to 3-seed (and eventual national champion) Connecticut 65-63.
+ Due to travel restrictions during World War II
, no official Border Conference championship was awarded in 1943-44 or 1944-45.
2000-2001 Note: during Olson's leave of absence, the team went 3–2, 3–1 in Pac-10 Play. These totals are not reflected in Olson's final numbers, only in the yearly record. (Olson's numbers are 25–6, 12–2 Pac-10 play)
* Appearance vacated by the NCAA after it was discovered that point guard Jason Terry
accepted money from agents his junior and senior year.
* Only intrasquad games were played in 1905-06.
^ Rosborough served as head coach for five games during the 2000-01 campaign while Olson took a leave of absence. Arizona was 28-8 overall and 15-3 in Pac-10 play that season.
+ O’Neill served as interim head coach while Olson missed the season due to a leave of absence.
Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award
Pac-10 Coach of the Year
! colspan="15" style="text-align: center; background:#000080" | Retired Basketball Jerseys
|-
{| class="wikitable" style="font-style:Bold; font-size:100%; border:8px" cellpadding="8"
|-align="center" bgcolor="#C41E3A"
|
Sean
Elliott
32
1986-1989
|
Steve
Kerr
25
1984-1988
|
Mike
Bibby
10
1997-1998
|
Jason
Gardner
22
1999-2003
|}
National Players of the Year
The following players were named player of the year by at least one major publication:
Pac-10 Player of the Year
Pac-10 Freshman of the Year
Frank Hessler Award Pac-10 All-Newcomer of the Year
Men's NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player
All-Americans
First team All-American
and Chase Budinger
were selected in the 2009 NBA Draft
.
{| class="sortable wikitable"
! Name
! Round
! Overall Pick
! Year
! Team
|-
| Morris Udall
| …
| …
| 1948
| Denver Nuggets (NBL)
|-
| Lincoln Richmond
| …
| …
| 1948
| Ft. Wayne Pistons
|-
| Leon Blevins
| 7
| 79
| 1950
| Indianapolis Olympians
|-
| Leo Johnson
| 5
| 44
| 1951
| Ft. Wayne Pistons
|-
| Roger Johnson
| …
| …
| 1952
| Milwaukee Hawks
|-
| Ernie McCray
| 17
| 95
| 1960
| Cincinnati Royals
|-
| Warren Rustand
| 4
| 31
| 1965
| San Francisco Warriors
|-
| Bill Davis
| 12
| 160
| 1968
| Phoenix Suns
|-
| Michael Foster
| …
| …
| 1970
| Indiana Pacers (ABA)
|-
| Tom Lee
| 9
| 147
| 1971
| Philadelphia 76ers
|-
| Eddie Myers
| 10
| 160
| 1971
| Baltimore Bullets (Miami Floridians (ABA))
|-
| Bill Warner
| 11
| 170
| 1971
| Buffalo Braves (New York Nets (ABA))
|-
| Bruce Anderson
| 7
| 101
| 1972
| Detroit Pistons
|-
| Eric Money
| 2
| 33
| 1974
| Detroit Pistons (Denver Nuggets (ABA))
|-
| Coniel Norman
| 3
| 37
| 1974
| Philadelphia 76ers (Denver Nuggets (ABA))
|-
| Al Fleming
| 2
| 30
| 1976
| Phoenix Suns
|-
| James Rappis
| 5
| 77
| 1976
| Milwaukee Bucks
|-
| Bob Elliott
| 2
| 42
| 1977
| Philadelphia 76ers
|-
| Herman Harris
| 2
| 43
| 1977
| Philadelphia 76ers
|-
| Jerome Gladney
| 8
| 164
| 1977
| San Antonio Spurs
|-
| Phil Taylor
| 10
| 198
| 1978
| Denver Nuggets
|-
| Larry Demic
| 1
| 9
| 1979
| New York Knicks
|-
| Joe Nehls
| 7
| 152
| 1980
| Houston Rockets
|-
| Ron Davis
| 4
| 79
| 1981
| Washington Bullets
|-
| Robbie Dosty
| 6
| 148
| 1981
| Golden State Warriors
|-
| Frank Smith
| 8
| 177
| 1983
| Portland Trail Blazers
|-
| Leon Wood
| 1
| 10
| 1984
| Philadelphia 76ers
|-
| Pete Williams
| 4
| 89
| 1985
| Denver Nuggets
|-
| Eddie Smith
| 7
| 158
| 1985
| Denver Nuggets
|-
| Tom Tolbert
| 2
| 34
| 1988
| Charlotte Hornets
|-
| Steve Kerr
| 2
| 50
| 1988
| Phoenix Suns
|-
| Sean Elliott
| 1
| 3
| 1989
| San Antonio Spurs
|-
| Anthony Cook
| 1
| 24
| 1989
| Phoenix Suns
|-
| Jud Buechler
| 2
| 38
| 1990
| Seattle SuperSonics
|-
| Brian Williams
| 1
| 10
| 1991
| Orlando Magic
|-
| Sean Rooks
| 2
| 30
| 1992
| Dallas Mavericks
|-
| Chris Mills
| 1
| 22
| 1993
| Cleveland Cavaliers
|-
| Ed Stokes
| 2
| 35
| 1993
| Miami Heat
|-
| Khalid Reeves
| 1
| 12
| 1994
| Miami Heat
|-
| Damon Stoudamire
| 1
| 7
| 1995
| Toronto Raptors
|-
| Joseph Blair
| 2
| 35
| 1996
| Seattle SuperSonics
|-
| Ben Davis
| 2
| 43
| 1996
| Phoenix Suns
|-
| Reggie Geary
| 2
| 56
| 1996
| Cleveland Cavaliers
|-
| Mike Bibby
| 1
| 2
| 1998
| Vancouver Grizzlies
|-
| Michael Dickerson
| 1
| 14
| 1998
| Houston Rockets
|-
| Miles Simon
| 2
| 42
| 1998
| Orlando Magic
|-
| Jason Terry
| 1
| 10
| 1999
| Atlanta Hawks
|-
| A. J. Bramlett
| 2
| 39
| 1999
| Cleveland Cavaliers
|-
| Richard Jefferson
| 1
| 13
| 2001
| Houston Rockets
|-
| Gilbert Arenas
| 2
| 31
| 2001
| Golden State Warriors
|-
| Michael Wright
| 2
| 39
| 2001
| New York Knicks
|-
| Loren Woods
| 2
| 46
| 2001
| Minnesota Timberwolves
|-
| Robertas Javtokas
| 2
| 56
| 2001
| San Antonio Spurs
|-
| Luke Walton
| 2
| 32
| 2003
| Los Angeles Lakers
|-
| Andre Iguodala
| 1
| 9
| 2004
| Philadelphia 76ers
|-
| Channing Frye
| 1
| 8
| 2005
| New York Knicks
|-
| Salim Stoudamire
| 2
| 31
| 2005
| Atlanta Hawks
|-
| Hassan Adams
| 2
| 54
| 2006
| New Jersey Nets
|-
| Marcus Williams
| 2
| 33
| 2007
| San Antonio Spurs
|-
| Jerryd Bayless
| 1
| 11
| 2008
| Indiana Pacers
|-
| Jordan Hill
| 1
| 8
| 2009
| New York Knicks
|-
| Chase Budinger
| 2
| 44
| 2009
| Detroit Pistons
|-
| Derrick Williams
| 1
| 2
| 2011
| Minnesota Timberwolves
|-
|}
Source: Arizona 2008-09 Media Guide
! Name
! Seasons as Wildcat
! Post-Wildcat accomplishment
|-
| Gilbert Arenas
| 1999-01
| NBA All-star (3), Currently with Orlando Magic
|-
| Mike Bibby
| 1996-98
| NBA All-Rookie first team, currently with Miami Heat
|-
| Jud Buechler
| 1986-90
| NBA Champion (3), 11 NBA seasons
|-
| Bison Dele
(Brian Williams)
| 1989-90
| NBA Champion, 7 NBA seasons
|-
| Sean Elliott
| 1985-89
| NBA All-star (2), NBA Champion (1), 12 NBA seasons
|-
| Channing Frye
| 2001-05
| NBA All-Rookie Team, currently with Phoenix Suns
|-
| Andre Iguodala
| 2002-04
| NBA All-star (1), NBA All-Rookie Team, Currently with Philadelphia 76ers
|-
| Richard Jefferson
| 1998-01
| United States - 2004 Summer Olympics – Bronze medal, Currently with San Antonio Spurs
|-
| Steve Kerr
| 1983-88
| NBA All-star (2), NBA Champion (5), 17 NBA seasons, TNT NBA Analyst
|-
| Kenny Lofton
| 1985-89
| MLB All-star (6), Gold Glove Award (4), 17 MLB seasons
|-
| Josh Pastner
| 1996-00
| Head Coach, University of Memphis men's basketball
|-
| Damon Stoudamire
| 1991-95
| NBA Rookie of the Year, 16 NBA Seasons
|-
| Jason Terry
| 1995-99
| NBA Sixth-man award, NBA Champion, currently with Dallas Mavericks
|-
| Mo Udall
| 1941-42, 46-48
| Former member U.S. Congress (30 years)
|-
| Luke Walton
| 1998-03
| NBA Champion (2), currently with Los Angeles Lakers
|-
| Leon Wood
| 1979-80
| United States - 1984 Summer Olympics – Gold medal, 7 NBA seasons
|-
|}
Source: Arizona 2008-09 Media Guide
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Champion
!Score
!Runner-Up
!Arena
!City
!Tournament MVP
|-
|1988
|Arizona
|93-67
|Oregon State
|McKale Center
|Tucson, Arizona
|Sean Elliott
, Arizona
|-
|1989
|Arizona
|73-51
|Stanford
|Great Western Forum
|Inglewood, California
|Sean Elliott
, Arizona
|-
|1990
|Arizona
|94-78
|UCLA
|University Activity Center
|Tempe, Arizona
|Jud Buechler
, Arizona
|-
|2002
|Arizona
|81-71
|USC
|Staples Center
|Los Angeles, California
|Luke Walton
, Arizona
|-
|2005
|Washington
|81-72
|Arizona
|Staples Center
|Los Angeles, California
|Salim Stoudamire
, Arizona
|-
|2011
|Washington
|77-75(OT)
|Arizona
|Staples Center
|Los Angeles, California
|Isaiah Thomas
, Washington
|}
Source: 2007-08 Pac-10 Men's Basketball Media Guide pages 50–60 (PDF copy available at 2007-08 Pac-10 Men's Basketball Media Guide)
, 1994
, 1997
, 2001
)
. Arizona is also one of only four #2 seeds to ever lose a first round game, losing 64-61 to #15 seed Santa Clara
, led by future NBA star Steve Nash
in 1993
. In addition, the 1997 Arizona team is the only team to date to beat three #1 seeds to win the national championship.
NCAA Tournament Seeding History (seeding began in 1979
)
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
!Year
!Tournament
Seed
!Tournament
Result
|-
| 1985
| 10
| 1st Round (0-1)
|-
| 1986
| 9
| 1st Round (0-1)
|-
| 1987
| 10
| 1st Round (0-1)
|-
| 1988
| 1
| Final Four (4-1)
|-
| 1989
| 1
| Sweet 16 (2-1)
|-
| 1990
| 2
| 2nd Round (1-1)
|-
| 1991
| 2
| Sweet 16 (2-1)
|-
| 1992
| 3
| 1st Round (0-1)
|-
| 1993
| 2
| 1st Round (0-1)
|-
| 1994
| 2
| Final Four (4-1)
|-
| 1995
| 5
| 1st Round (0-1)
|-
| 1996
| 3
| Sweet 16 (2-1)
|-
| 1997
| 4
| Champions (6-0)
|-
| 1998
| 1
| Elite Eight (3-1)
|-
| 1999
| 4
| 1st Round (0-1)
|-
| 2000
| 1
| 2nd Round (1-1)
|-
| 2001
| 2
| Runner-Up (5-1)
|-
| 2002
| 3
| Sweet 16 (2-1)
|-
| 2003
| 1
| Elite Eight (3-1)
|-
| 2004
| 9
| 1st Round (0-1)
|-
| 2005
| 3
| Elite Eight (3-1)
|-
| 2006
| 8
| 2nd Round (1-1)
|-
| 2007
| 8
| 1st Round (0-1)
|-
| 2008
| 10
| 1st Round (0-1)
|-
| 2009
| 12
| Sweet 16 (2-1)
|-
| 2011
| 5
| Elite Eight (3-1)
|-
|}
pep band and the Zona Zoo
.
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
program representing the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
in Tucson, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference (Pac-12) of NCAA Division I. They are currently coached by Sean Miller
Sean Miller
Sean Miller is an American college basketball coach, and currently the head men's basketball coach at the University of Arizona.-Early years:...
.
Arizona has a long and rich basketball history. The program came to national prominence under the tutelage of former head coach Lute Olson
Lute Olson
Robert Luther "Lute" Olson is a retired American men's basketball coach. He was most recently head coach at the University of Arizona for a period of 25 years. He was also head coach at the University of Iowa for 9 years and California State University, Long Beach for one season...
, who since 1983 has established the program as among America's elite in college basketball. One writer referred to UA as "Point Guard U" because the school has produced successful guards like Steve Kerr
Steve Kerr
Stephen Douglas "Steve" Kerr is a retired American professional basketball player. He shot .454 from three point range over his career and currently holds the record as the most accurate three-point shooter in NBA history...
, Damon Stoudamire
Damon Stoudamire
Damon Lamon Stoudamire is a retired American professional basketball player who is currently an assistant coach for the Memphis Tigers men's basketball team. The , point guard was selected with the 7th overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in the 1995 NBA Draft and won the 1995–96 NBA Rookie of the...
, Khalid Reeves
Khalid Reeves
Khalid Reeves was an American professional basketball player, selected by the Miami Heat in the first round of the 1994 NBA Draft....
, Jason Terry
Jason Terry
Jason Eugene Terry is an American professional basketball player playing with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. He plays shooting guard, although he also can play point guard. His nickname, "JET," derives from his initials...
, Gilbert Arenas
Gilbert Arenas
Gilbert Jay Arenas, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . He plays as a point guard and shooting guard....
, Mike Bibby
Mike Bibby
Michael "Mike" Bibby is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association. He is a 6'2" point guard, and he attended Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix, Arizona and played collegiately at the University of Arizona. In...
and others.
From 1985 to 2009, the Arizona basketball team reached the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
for 25 consecutive years, two years shy of North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
's record of 27. Despite a 1999 appearance later vacated by the NCAA, the media still cites Arizona's streak, and simply note the change. The Wildcats have reached the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament on four occasions (1988
1988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 17, 1988, and ended with the championship game on April 4 returning to Kansas City, Missouri...
, 1994
1994 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1994 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 17, 1994, and ended with the championship game on April 4 in Charlotte, North Carolina...
, 1997
1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1997, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, and 2001
2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 2001 with the play-in game, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in...
). In 1997, Arizona defeated the University of Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...
, the defending national champions, to win the NCAA National Championship. In Pac-10 play, former head coach Lute Olson currently holds the record for most wins as a Pac-10 coach at 327. In addition, the team has won 12 Pac-10 regular season titles and 4 Pac-10 tournament titles. Arizona also holds the distinction of recording 5 out of the 7 17–1 Pac-10 seasons (one-loss seasons). No team has gone undefeated since the formation of the Pac-10. Arizona has spent 110 weeks in the top 5 which is 10th all-time, 226 weeks in the top 10 which is 8th all-time and 423 weeks in the top 25 which is 10th all-time. Arizona has intense rivalries with the in-state Arizona State Sun Devils, and the out-of-state UCLA Bruins
UCLA Bruins men's basketball
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...
and Kansas Jayhawks.
Early years
University of Arizona fielded its first men's basketball team in 1904–05. Orin Albert Cates coached the team and drew opponents from local YMCAs. The first game Arizona played ended in a 40–32 victory over the Morenci YMCA.In 1914, Arizona's first famous coach, James Fred "Pop" McKale
Pop McKale
James Fred "Pop" McKale was an American football and baseball player, coach of football, basketball, baseball, and track, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at the University of Arizona from 1914 to 1930, compiling a record of 81–32–6...
was lured away from a teaching and coaching job at Tucson High School to take over as Athletic Director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
and coach basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. McKale took things to a new level, posting a 9–0 record his first season as a basketball coach. Moreover, McKale elevated the program to intercollegiate play. While basketball was his least favorite of the many sports he coached while at UA, He chalked up three undefeated seasons and a career-winning average of .803, which has never been bested by a UA coach who has held the post for at least three years. The McKale Memorial Center
McKale Center
McKale Memorial Center is an athletic arena located at 1756 E University Blvd on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. It is primarily used for basketball, but also features state-of-the-art physical training and therapy facilities. Its construction is marked with a large...
, the main arena for Arizona basketball, is named in his honor.
From 1925 to 1961, the program was under the stewardship of Fred Enke
Fred Enke
-External links:...
, UA's longest tenured coach. Coach Fred A. Enke was responsible for the early successes of Wildcat basketball. Enke amassed 509 wins in his tenure on the UA sidelines and still ranks as the second-winningest coach in school history, winning more than 60 percent of his games. Enke also led the Cats to the first four postseason appearances (3 N.I.T./1 NCAA) in school history and in 1950-51 competed in both the N.I.T. and NCAA postseason tournaments. Finally, he was the first coach to lead Arizona to a national ranking. Two of his teams (1950, 1951) finished the season ranked in the top 15.
Under Enke, UA competed in the now defunct Border Conference
Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Border Conference , was an NCAA-affiliated college athletic conference founded in 1931 that disbanded following the 1961-1962 season...
. Under Enke's direction, Arizona won 12 conference championships, including a span in which the Cats won or shared seven consecutive Border
Conference titles (1942–51). No Border Conference team won as many league games (231) or overall contests (398) during its membership. In 1962, Arizona joined the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
as a founding member after the Border Conference disbanded.
In 1972, Fred Snowden
Fred Snowden
Frederick Snowden was an American businessman and men's basketball coach at the University of Arizona. Nicknamed "The Fox" for his cool demeanor, he was the first African-American head coach at a major university...
was hired as the head basketball coach, making Arizona the second Division I school and the first major program to hire an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
head coach. Known as "The Fox," Snowden brought the excitement back to Wildcat basketball during his 10 years on the Arizona sideline, averaging more than 80 points per game in six of his 10 years and topping the 100-point barrier 27 times. Snowden led Arizona to the NCAA tournament twice, in 1976
1976 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1976 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 32 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1976, and ended with the championship game on March 29 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
and 1977
1977 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1977 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 32 American schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the National Champion of Men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1977, and ended with the championship game on March 28 in Atlanta, Georgia. A...
, getting as far as the Elite Eight in 1976 before losing to UCLA
UCLA Bruins men's basketball
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...
82–66, a game after defeating UNLV in a Sweet Sixteen matchup. During the 1976 tournament he also logged Arizona's first and only tournament wins until Lute Olson's hiring, beating John Thompson's
John Thompson (basketball)
John R. Thompson, Jr. is an American former basketball coach for the Georgetown University Hoyas. He is now a professional radio and TV sports commentator...
Georgetown team 83–76. Snowden's 1976 team also won the school's only WAC championship title on a buzzer-beater by Gilbert Myles
Gilbert Myles
Gilbert Myles, JP, is a former New Zealand politician.- Member of Parliament :He was elected to Parliament for the seat of Roskill in the 1990 elections as part of the New Zealand National Party, a previously safe-seat of the previously ruling Labour Party, largely on a platform of opposition to...
verses New Mexico, with the help of the spectacular play of Bob Elliott
Bob Elliott (basketball)
Robert Alan Elliott is a former University of Arizona basketball player and multiple record holder, current business professional and entrepreneur, American television sportscaster, former NBA professional basketball player and current Head-Chairmen of the Retired NBA Players Association...
, Jim Rappis, and Al Fleming. In 1978, Coach Snowden helped transition the basketball program over to the newly formed Pac-10. Snowden could not sustain success in the Pac-10, however, finishing no higher than 4th place in the conference. His 9–18 final season led UA to look for a replacement.
Athletic Director Dave Strack brought in Ben Lindsey
Ben Lindsey (basketball)
Ben Lindsey is a former collegiate basketball coach. During his 16 years as coach of Grand Canyon College he accumulated a 317-137 record and won two NAIA championships. Lindsey then coached the Arizona Wildcats to a 4-24 record during a single season...
to replace Fred Snowden in 1983, and on the surface, it seemed like a reasonable move. Lindsey had junior college expertise, having had a successful career at Grand Canyon University
Grand Canyon University
Grand Canyon University is a for-profit Christian university located in Phoenix, Arizona. It is owned by Grand Canyon Education . GCU was founded in 1949 as a non-profit liberal arts college. Grand Canyon Education, Inc. purchased Grand Canyon University in February 2004...
, where he won two national titles. What resulted, however, was nothing short of disaster. The 1983 team went 4–24, with only one Pac-10 win.
Lute Olson era
Coming off a previous season record of 4–24 with only a single Pac-10 win, UA Athletic director Cedric DempseyCedric Dempsey
Cedric Dempsey is a sports administrator who became the third executive director of the National Collegiate Athletic Association from 1994 to 2003...
hired Lute Olson from the University of Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball
The Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team represents the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, as a member of the Big Ten Conference and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. They currently play in 15,500-seat Carver-Hawkeye Arena, along with the school's women's basketball, wrestling, and...
to take over the program. UA needed a coach with a history of quickly turning around programs, which Olson had done previously at Iowa. “I knew we had a tremendous amount of work to do,” Olson recalled in a recent interview with Tucson Lifestyle. “The program was in shambles at that point, after the terrible year before..."
Under Olson, Arizona quickly rose to national prominence. Arizona won its first Pac-10 title in 1986, only three years after his arrival. That season set up an amazing 1987–88 season, which included taking the Great Alaska Shootout
Great Alaska Shootout
The Great Alaska Shootout is an annual college basketball tournament in Anchorage, Alaska that features colleges from all over the United States. The University of Alaska Anchorage hosts the tournament every Thanksgiving. Tournament games are played at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage...
championship, the Valley Bank Fiesta Bowl Classic championship and the Pac-10 championship. Under players Steve Kerr
Steve Kerr
Stephen Douglas "Steve" Kerr is a retired American professional basketball player. He shot .454 from three point range over his career and currently holds the record as the most accurate three-point shooter in NBA history...
, Kenny Lofton
Kenny Lofton
Kenneth Lofton is a former Major League Baseball outfielder known for his great speed on the base paths as well as in the field, award-winning defensive play , timely hitting, and playful spirit. He batted and threw left-handed...
and Sean Elliott
Sean Elliott
Sean Michael Elliott is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.-Early life:Elliott was born in Tucson, Arizona and was youngest of three boys. He was a very intelligent boy growing up and attended the G.A.T.E. program at Toleson Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona...
, Arizona spent much of the season ranked #1 and made their first (and Olson's second) Final Four. While Arizona lost in the Final Four round, their play put the program on the map and launched Arizona's reign as a perennial Pac-10 and NCAA tournament contender. Sean Elliott was awarded the John R. Wooden Award on the season and would set the PAC-10 scoring record.
In 1997, Arizona defeated the University of Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...
, the defending national champions, to win the NCAA National Championship. Prior to winning the championship in 1997, Arizona stormed back from 10-point deficits in the Southeast Regional First Round and Second Round against #13 South Alabama
South Alabama Jaguars men's basketball
The South Alabama Jaguars basketball program has competed in the Sun Belt Conference since 1978 when the league was formed. In their 42 year history, the Jaguars have compiled an overall record of 694-507 . Ronnie Arrow returned as head coach in 2007, succeeding John Pelphrey after the 2006-07 season...
and #12 College of Charleston
College of Charleston Cougars men's basketball
The College of Charleston Cougars men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Southern Conference. Home games are played at Carolina First Arena, located on College of Charleston's campus in Charleston, South Carolina, United States.-History:1920-21 was the...
, respectively winning 65–57 and 73–69. The Southeast Regional Semifinal pitted against overall #1 Kansas (34–1) which had defeated Arizona the year before in the 1996 West Regional Semifinal. However, Arizona came out fast and stunned the Jayhawks 85–82, then prevailed in overtime against Providence
Providence Friars men's basketball
The Providence Friars men's basketball team represents Providence College in NCAA Division I competition, in which they are a founding member of the Big East Conference. They play their home games at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island...
96–92 in the Elite Eight to clinch a berth in the Final Four. Arizona then beat #1 seed North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
66–58 in the Final Four, which turned out to be Dean Smith
Dean Smith
Dean Edwards Smith is a retired American head coach of men's college basketball. Originally from Emporia, Kansas, Smith has been called a “coaching legend” by the Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith is best known for his successful 36-year coaching tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel...
's last game as a coach. Arizona also accomplished the unprecedented feat of beating three number one seeds in the 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. This feat has never been done before or since up to this date 2011.
The year following the Championship season, 1998, Arizona returned all 5 starters (Mike Bibby
Mike Bibby
Michael "Mike" Bibby is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association. He is a 6'2" point guard, and he attended Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix, Arizona and played collegiately at the University of Arizona. In...
, Michael Dickerson, Miles Simon
Miles Simon
Miles Julian Simon is a retired American professional basketball player.Simon was born in Stockholm to an American father and a Norwegian mother. He played guard for the University of Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team, where he formed a formidable backcourt duo with current Miami Heat point...
, Bennett Davison, and AJ Bramlett) and were poised to make another run after receiving the #1 overall seed in the West, but were upset by Utah in the Elite 8
1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1998, and ended with the championship game on March 30 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,...
.
In 1999, all 5 starters were lost to graduation or early entry to the NBA draft and Arizona's hopes of continuing its streak of consecutives trip to the NCAA tournament was in jeopardy until senior point guard Jason Terry
Jason Terry
Jason Eugene Terry is an American professional basketball player playing with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. He plays shooting guard, although he also can play point guard. His nickname, "JET," derives from his initials...
(the 6th man the previous two seasons) elevated his game (receiving National Player of the Year honors) and continued the school's amazing streak.
2001 was one of the most challenging and rewarding years for the program. Lute Olson’s wife Bobbi, well known to players and fans alike as a steadfast presence on the sidelines, lost her battle with cancer. The team, which had been a preseason pick by many to win the national title had to play without Olson for three weeks while Olson was on bereavement leave. The Cats vowed to dedicate their season to Bobbi. With guard Jason Gardner
Jason Gardner
Jason Gardner is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant coach for Loyola University Chicago....
, center Loren Woods
Loren Woods
Loren Woods is an American professional basketball player, currently playing with Zob Ahan Isfahan BC in the Iranian Basketball Super League...
and forward Michael Wright
Michael Wright (basketball)
Michael Wright is an American-Turkish professional basketball player, currently with Turkish team Turk Telekom...
— each an All-American — leading the way, the Cats trounced their opponents, beating Oregon 104–65, devastating USC 105–61, and charging through the Final Four
2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 2001 with the play-in game, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in...
. They took down Eastern Illinois, Butler, Mississippi, Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball
The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at Assembly Hall, located on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's campus in Champaign....
, and Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans men's basketball
The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represents Michigan State University and competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The team currently plays at the Breslin Student Events Center...
, only to be stopped by Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
in the title game.
In his later years at UA, Olson fielded competitive teams with extremely talented point guards. Continuing the reputation and nickname "Point Guard U," recent standouts include Jason Gardner
Jason Gardner
Jason Gardner is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant coach for Loyola University Chicago....
, Salim Stoudamire
Salim Stoudamire
Charles Salim Stoudamire is an American professional basketball player. He is a cousin of former NBA point guard and 1996 NBA Rookie of the Year Damon Stoudamire and current University of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball player Terrence Jones.Stoudamire was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the...
, Mustafa Shakur
Mustafa Shakur
Mustafadeen "Mustafa" Abdush Shakur is an American professional basketball player for A.S. Junior Pallacanestro Casale in Italy. He was not drafted by an NBA team, but he signed with and was subsequently released by the Sacramento Kings, before playing in any NBA regular season games...
, Jerryd Bayless
Jerryd Bayless
Jerryd Bayless is an American basketball player for the Toronto Raptors. He played a year of college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats after playing high school basketball at St. Mary's High School in Phoenix, where he scored a career high of 52 points in a loss to eventual state champions,...
and Nic Wise
Nic Wise
Dominique Giovanni Wise is a point guard for the STB Le Havre in France.-High school:At Kingwood High School, Nic Wise was a two year letterwinner. He played his freshmen Highschool year at Cinco Ranch in Katy. The following year he played under his father at Hightower Highschool...
. Arizona would win Lute's last Pac-10 title during the 2004–2005 season under the spectacular play of seniors Salim Stoudamire and center Channing Frye
Channing Frye
Channing Thomas Frye is an American professional basketball player and currently plays for the Phoenix Suns. His positions are center and power forward. He attended the University of Arizona...
. That team also made it to the Elite 8 and the verge of the Final Four before blowing a 15-point lead with four minutes to play and losing in overtime, 90–89, to the No. 1 seed and eventual national runner-up, University of Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball
The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at Assembly Hall, located on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's campus in Champaign....
.
Olson took an unexplained leave of absence at the beginning of the 2007–2008 season. Assistant coach Kevin O'Neill took over interim head coaching duties for the Arizona Wildcats. At that time, Olson announced that he intended to be back for the 2008–09 season and finish out his contract, which was scheduled to end in 2011. His departure was criticized by some members of the media. They also questioned how he and the UA athletic department handled his return and the verbal succession agreement with coach O'Neill. However, on October 23, 2008, he unexpectedly announced his retirement from the program (by way of an announcement from Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood). A few days later, Olson's personal physician held a press conference and explained that the retirement was strongly advised due to health concerns.
After Lute
After Lute Olson's abrupt retirement, Arizona Athletic Director Jim Livengood appointed assistant coach Russ PennellRuss Pennell
-References:...
as the interim head coach for the 2008–2009 season
2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2008 and ended with the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 6, 2009 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The season saw six different teams achieve the AP #1 ranking during the...
23 days before the start of the season. The appointment came after Mike Dunlap, the associate head coach brought in to replace Kevin O'Neill, turned down the job. Under Pennell, the Cats finished 19-13 in the regular season, including a non-conference win over Kansas and a 7-game win streak with wins over UCLA and Washington. Despite a 19–13 finish to the season, Arizona was controversially selected as one of the last teams into the field of 65 as a 12th seed in the Midwest region, extending its NCAA consecutive tournament appearances to 25 years. The Cats made it to the Sweet 16 (regional semi-finals) with wins over 5-seed Utah
Utah Utes men's basketball
The University of Utah Utes have consistently been one of the most successful basketball programs in the NCAA. They are currently an NCAA Division I program that plays in the Pacific-12 Conference. The school has made the NCAA Tournament 26 times, which ranks 16th in NCAA history and 3rd behind...
and 13-seed Cleveland State
Cleveland State Vikings men's basketball
Cleveland State Vikings men's basketball started in 1929. Before as Fenn College they were known as the Fenn College Foxes. Cleveland State has been in Division I since 1972. They are a member of the Horizon League Cleveland State was formerly in the Mid-Continent Conference...
, before falling to overall 1-seed, Louisville
Louisville Cardinals men's basketball
The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team is the 18th winningest college basketball team in NCAA Division I history and has the 10th best winning percentage in college basketball history. Currently coached by Rick Pitino, the Cardinals of the University of Louisville have been to 37 NCAA...
. Despite Pennell's post-season success, he was not retained, as Arizona announced before his hiring they would hold a national coaching search after the season ended. (On April 9, 2009, Pennell was hired as head coach of the men's basketball team at Division II Grand Canyon University
Grand Canyon University
Grand Canyon University is a for-profit Christian university located in Phoenix, Arizona. It is owned by Grand Canyon Education . GCU was founded in 1949 as a non-profit liberal arts college. Grand Canyon Education, Inc. purchased Grand Canyon University in February 2004...
, a member of the Pacific West Conference
Pacific West Conference
The Pacific West Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division II...
.)
After the end of the season, various coaching names were considered to succeed Lute Olson on a permanent basis. Arizona contacted Gonzaga
Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga...
's Mark Few
Mark Few
Mark Few is an American college basketball coach, currently the head coach at Gonzaga University. He has served on Gonzaga's coaching staff since 1989, and has been a constant on the sidelines throughout a period that has seen the Bulldogs rise from mid-major obscurity to regular participants in...
, Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
's Jamie Dixon
Jamie Dixon
Jamie Dixon is an American basketball head coach. He has served as the head coach of the University of Pittsburgh men's basketball team since 2003. In 2009 he was the head coach for the FIBA Under-19 2009 gold-medal winning United States national basketball team for which he was named the 2009 USA...
and then-Memphis
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
coach John Calipari
John Calipari
John Calipari is an American basketball coach. Since April 2009, he has been the men's head coach at the University of Kentucky....
(before he accepted the vacant position at Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
) to take the job. Arizona even brought USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
's Tim Floyd
Tim Floyd
Tim Floyd is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the University of Texas at El Paso Miners men's basketball team. He is also a former head coach of several teams in both the NCAA and the NBA, most recently the University of Southern California men's college...
on campus for an interview and made an offer, which he ultimately turned down.
Sean Miller era
Arizona hired Sean MillerSean Miller
Sean Miller is an American college basketball coach, and currently the head men's basketball coach at the University of Arizona.-Early years:...
from Xavier University
Xavier Musketeers men's basketball
The Xavier Musketeers team is the basketball team that represents Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school's team currently competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference...
to fill the head coaching position. He initially turned the job down before changing his mind and accepting the job on Apr. 6, 2009 despite having never visited the Arizona campus. Miller was formally introduced as the 13th head men's basketball coach at Arizona at a press conference on April 7, 2009 at McKale Center. At the press conference, Miller acknowledged Lute Olson's impact on the Arizona program by addressing Olson personally: "One of the reasons I sit here today is because of the great legacy you built." Miller also promised U of A fans that they would enjoy the style of both offense and defense he would bring to Wildcat basketball. Miller's salary is $1.6 million per year; he will receive an additional $400,000 per season from Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
and media contracts during a five-year deal, as well as a $1 million signing bonus and other amenities such as season tickets to other Wildcat sporting events and the use of a private jet.
Within three months of joining the program, Miller compiled a strong five-player recruiting class that ranked 13th nationally in 2009.
After going 16-15 and missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in 25 years during Miller's initial 2009-10 campaign, the Cats would return to form by winning the regular season Pac-10 title in his second year as coach behind the play of sophomore Pac-10 Player of the Year
Pac-10 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Pacific-12 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the Pacific-12 Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1975–76 season. There have been two players honored multiple times: David Greenwood of UCLA and Sean Elliott of...
Derrick Williams. It would be the Wildcats' first outright Pac-10 regular season title (its 12th overall), 30-win season (4th overall) and Elite Eight appearance (9th overall) since the 2004-2005 season. In addition, Miller led the Wildcats to their first unbeaten home record (17-0) in 14 years and was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year. This was the first time an Arizona coach received this honor since Lute Olson
Lute Olson
Robert Luther "Lute" Olson is a retired American men's basketball coach. He was most recently head coach at the University of Arizona for a period of 25 years. He was also head coach at the University of Iowa for 9 years and California State University, Long Beach for one season...
in 2003. The 17 wins without a loss at home is tied for the second most in school history. Miller would add to the season's success by guiding the Cats to their first Elite Eight appearance since the 2004-2005 Season as a 5-seed. In the second round, Arizona secured a 2-point victory over 12th seeded Memphis (coached by former Wildcat (and member of the 1997 national title team) Josh Pastner
Josh Pastner
-References:...
) with a blocked shot in the final seconds by Derrick Williams. Arizona would follow with another close game -- a controversial one-point win against 4-seed Texas.
In the Sweet-16 match-up, Arizona found itself pitted against top-seeded Duke, the first time since the 2001 title game that the two schools had met. Duke would extend an early lead, but 25 points from Derrick Williams kept the Cats in the game and down by 6 points at the half. In the second half, Williams' teammates picked up the slack, dominating the Blue Devils by scoring 55 second-half points and routing the defending champs 93-77. Arizona's run at the Final Four would fall 2 points short, losing to 3-seed (and eventual national champion) Connecticut 65-63.
Arizona yearly records
Source:+ Due to travel restrictions during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, no official Border Conference championship was awarded in 1943-44 or 1944-45.
2000-2001 Note: during Olson's leave of absence, the team went 3–2, 3–1 in Pac-10 Play. These totals are not reflected in Olson's final numbers, only in the yearly record. (Olson's numbers are 25–6, 12–2 Pac-10 play)
- All 19 wins vacated by the NCAA for recruitment violations.
Jason Terry
Jason Eugene Terry is an American professional basketball player playing with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. He plays shooting guard, although he also can play point guard. His nickname, "JET," derives from his initials...
accepted money from agents his junior and senior year.
Career coaching records
Source:| Head Coach | Years | Win-Loss | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orin A. Kates | 1904–1906 | 1-0* | 1.000 |
| no coach | 1906–1911 | 10-6 | .625 |
| Frank L. Kleeberger | 1911–1912 | 2-2 | .500 |
| Raymond Quigley | 1912–1914 | 10-4 | .714 |
| Pop McKale Pop McKale James Fred "Pop" McKale was an American football and baseball player, coach of football, basketball, baseball, and track, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at the University of Arizona from 1914 to 1930, compiling a record of 81–32–6... |
1914–1921 | 49-12 | .803 |
| James Pierce | 1921–1922 | 10-2 | .833 |
| Basil Stanley | 1922–1924 | 31-6 | .838 |
| Walter Davis | 1924–1925 | 7-4 | .636 |
| Fred Enke Fred Enke -External links:... |
1925–1961 | 509-324 | .611 |
| Bruce Larson | 1961–1972 | 136-148 | .479 |
| Fred Snowden Fred Snowden Frederick Snowden was an American businessman and men's basketball coach at the University of Arizona. Nicknamed "The Fox" for his cool demeanor, he was the first African-American head coach at a major university... |
1972–1982 | 167-108 | .607 |
| Ben Lindsey | 1982–1983 | 4-24 | .143 |
| Lute Olson Lute Olson Robert Luther "Lute" Olson is a retired American men's basketball coach. He was most recently head coach at the University of Arizona for a period of 25 years. He was also head coach at the University of Iowa for 9 years and California State University, Long Beach for one season... |
1983–2007 | 589-188 | .758 |
| Jim Rosborough ^ | 2000–2001 | 3-2 | .600 |
| Kevin O'Neill Kevin O'Neill (basketball) Kevin O'Neill is an American head coach of the USC Trojans basketball team. His personal webpage is www.coachkohoops.com O'Neill was born in Malone, New York and attended McGill University in Montreal, Canada... + |
2007–2008 | 19-15 | .559 |
| Russ Pennell Russ Pennell -References:... |
2008–2009 | 21-14 | .600 |
| Sean Miller Sean Miller Sean Miller is an American college basketball coach, and currently the head men's basketball coach at the University of Arizona.-Early years:... |
2009–present | 45-22 | .672 |
| Totals | 1603-881 | .645 |
^ Rosborough served as head coach for five games during the 2000-01 campaign while Olson took a leave of absence. Arizona was 28-8 overall and 15-3 in Pac-10 play that season.
+ O’Neill served as interim head coach while Olson missed the season due to a leave of absence.
Coaching awards
John .R. Wooden Legends of Coaching AwardJohn R. Wooden Award
The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award and recognizes the All–America Teams.The awards, given by the Los...
- Lute OlsonLute OlsonRobert Luther "Lute" Olson is a retired American men's basketball coach. He was most recently head coach at the University of Arizona for a period of 25 years. He was also head coach at the University of Iowa for 9 years and California State University, Long Beach for one season...
- 2002
Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award
Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award
The Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award honors the active men's NCAA Division I basketball coach who has made the most significant positive contributions to his sport during the preceding year...
- Lute Olson - 2001
Pac-10 Coach of the Year
- Lute Olson - 1986, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2003
- Sean MillerSean MillerSean Miller is an American college basketball coach, and currently the head men's basketball coach at the University of Arizona.-Early years:...
- 2011
Retired jerseys
{| class="toccolours" style= width="600px"! colspan="15" style="text-align: center; background:#000080" | Retired Basketball Jerseys
|-
{| class="wikitable" style="font-style:Bold; font-size:100%; border:8px" cellpadding="8"
|-align="center" bgcolor="#C41E3A"
|
Sean
Elliott
32
1986-1989
|
Steve
Kerr
25
1984-1988
|
Mike
Bibby
10
1997-1998
|
Jason
Gardner
22
1999-2003
|}
Individual awards
John R Wooden Award National Player of the YearJohn R. Wooden Award
The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award and recognizes the All–America Teams.The awards, given by the Los...
- 1989 - Sean ElliottSean ElliottSean Michael Elliott is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.-Early life:Elliott was born in Tucson, Arizona and was youngest of three boys. He was a very intelligent boy growing up and attended the G.A.T.E. program at Toleson Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona...
National Players of the Year
The following players were named player of the year by at least one major publication:
- 1989 - Sean Elliott (Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, Wooden Award, National Association of Basketball Coaches) - 1997 - Mike BibbyMike BibbyMichael "Mike" Bibby is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association. He is a 6'2" point guard, and he attended Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix, Arizona and played collegiately at the University of Arizona. In...
(Basketball Weekly) - 1999 - Jason TerryJason TerryJason Eugene Terry is an American professional basketball player playing with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. He plays shooting guard, although he also can play point guard. His nickname, "JET," derives from his initials...
(Sports IllustratedSports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
,Basketball Times, CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
/Chevrolet) - 2000 - Jason Gardner (Basketball Times, Basketball News, US Basketball Writer's Association)
- 2003 - Jason Gardner (Frances Pomeroy Naismith AwardFrances Pomeroy Naismith AwardThe Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award is an annual college basketball award in the United States intended to honor shorter–than–average players who excel on the court despite their size. The award, named in honor of James Naismith's daughter–in–law, was established for men in 1969 and for women in 1984...
)
Pac-10 Player of the Year
Pac-10 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Pacific-12 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the Pacific-12 Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1975–76 season. There have been two players honored multiple times: David Greenwood of UCLA and Sean Elliott of...
- 1988 - Sean Elliott
- 1989 - Sean Elliott
- 1993 - Chris MillsChris MillsChristopher Lemonte Mills is a retired American professional basketball player.Chris Mills attended Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, from 1986–1988. At 6'7", he was the starting center for each of his three years playing varsity basketball there. In 1987 and 1988, he was awarded the City 4-A...
- 1995 - Damon StoudamireDamon StoudamireDamon Lamon Stoudamire is a retired American professional basketball player who is currently an assistant coach for the Memphis Tigers men's basketball team. The , point guard was selected with the 7th overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in the 1995 NBA Draft and won the 1995–96 NBA Rookie of the...
- 1998 - Mike Bibby
- 1999 - Jason Terry
- 2011 - Derrick WilliamsDerrick Williams (basketball)Derrick LeRon Williams , nicknamed D-Will, is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was considered one of the top prospects for the 2011 NBA Draft and was selected as the second overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves...
Pac-10 Freshman of the Year
- 1986 - Sean Elliott
- 1997 - Mike Bibby
- 1999 - Michael Wright
- 2002 - Salim StoudamireSalim StoudamireCharles Salim Stoudamire is an American professional basketball player. He is a cousin of former NBA point guard and 1996 NBA Rookie of the Year Damon Stoudamire and current University of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball player Terrence Jones.Stoudamire was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the...
- 2007 - Chase BudingerChase BudingerChase Andrew Budinger is an American basketball player who currently plays for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association...
- 2010 - Derrick Williams
Frank Hessler Award Pac-10 All-Newcomer of the Year
- 2000 - Loren Woods
Men's NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player
- 19971997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1997, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Indianapolis, Indiana...
- Miles Simon
All-Americans
- 1951 - Roger JohnsonRoger JohnsonRoger Johnson may refer to:*Roger Johnson , American businessman*Roger Johnson , American politician*Roger Johnson , English football player, currently playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers...
- 1976 - Bob ElliottBob Elliott (basketball)Robert Alan Elliott is a former University of Arizona basketball player and multiple record holder, current business professional and entrepreneur, American television sportscaster, former NBA professional basketball player and current Head-Chairmen of the Retired NBA Players Association...
- 1977 - Bob ElliottBob Elliott (basketball)Robert Alan Elliott is a former University of Arizona basketball player and multiple record holder, current business professional and entrepreneur, American television sportscaster, former NBA professional basketball player and current Head-Chairmen of the Retired NBA Players Association...
- 1988 - Sean ElliottSean ElliottSean Michael Elliott is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.-Early life:Elliott was born in Tucson, Arizona and was youngest of three boys. He was a very intelligent boy growing up and attended the G.A.T.E. program at Toleson Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona...
(Consensus) - 1988 - Steve KerrSteve KerrStephen Douglas "Steve" Kerr is a retired American professional basketball player. He shot .454 from three point range over his career and currently holds the record as the most accurate three-point shooter in NBA history...
- 1989 - Sean ElliottSean ElliottSean Michael Elliott is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.-Early life:Elliott was born in Tucson, Arizona and was youngest of three boys. He was a very intelligent boy growing up and attended the G.A.T.E. program at Toleson Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona...
(Consensus) - 1992 - Sean RooksSean RooksSean Lester Rooks is a retired American basketball player who played in the NBA from 1992 to 2004. A 6'10" center from Fontana High School in Fontana, California and the University of Arizona, Rooks was drafted in the second round of the 1992 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks...
- 1993 - Chris MillsChris MillsChristopher Lemonte Mills is a retired American professional basketball player.Chris Mills attended Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, from 1986–1988. At 6'7", he was the starting center for each of his three years playing varsity basketball there. In 1987 and 1988, he was awarded the City 4-A...
- 1994 - Khalid ReevesKhalid ReevesKhalid Reeves was an American professional basketball player, selected by the Miami Heat in the first round of the 1994 NBA Draft....
(Consensus) - 1995 - Damon StoudamireDamon StoudamireDamon Lamon Stoudamire is a retired American professional basketball player who is currently an assistant coach for the Memphis Tigers men's basketball team. The , point guard was selected with the 7th overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in the 1995 NBA Draft and won the 1995–96 NBA Rookie of the...
(Consensus) - 1997 - Michael DickersonMichael DickersonMichael DeAngelo Dickerson is an American professional basketball player who was a member of the Houston Rockets and Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA. He is a cousin of former NBA guard David Wesley....
- 1998 - Mike BibbyMike BibbyMichael "Mike" Bibby is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association. He is a 6'2" point guard, and he attended Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix, Arizona and played collegiately at the University of Arizona. In...
(Consensus) - 1998 - Michael DickersonMichael DickersonMichael DeAngelo Dickerson is an American professional basketball player who was a member of the Houston Rockets and Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA. He is a cousin of former NBA guard David Wesley....
- 1998 - Miles SimonMiles SimonMiles Julian Simon is a retired American professional basketball player.Simon was born in Stockholm to an American father and a Norwegian mother. He played guard for the University of Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team, where he formed a formidable backcourt duo with current Miami Heat point...
(Consensus) - 1999 - Jason TerryJason TerryJason Eugene Terry is an American professional basketball player playing with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. He plays shooting guard, although he also can play point guard. His nickname, "JET," derives from his initials...
(Consensus) - 2000 - Loren WoodsLoren WoodsLoren Woods is an American professional basketball player, currently playing with Zob Ahan Isfahan BC in the Iranian Basketball Super League...
- 2000 - Michael WrightMichael WrightMichael Wright is an American film and television actor, who is best known for his role as Eddie King, Jr. in the 1991 Robert Townsend film The Five Heartbeats....
- 2001 - Loren WoodsLoren WoodsLoren Woods is an American professional basketball player, currently playing with Zob Ahan Isfahan BC in the Iranian Basketball Super League...
- 2001 - Michael WrightMichael WrightMichael Wright is an American film and television actor, who is best known for his role as Eddie King, Jr. in the 1991 Robert Townsend film The Five Heartbeats....
- 2002 - Jason GardnerJason GardnerJason Gardner is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant coach for Loyola University Chicago....
- 2002 - Luke WaltonLuke WaltonLuke Theodore Walton is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His primary position is at small forward. After the 2010 NBA Finals, Walton and his father Hall of Famer Bill Walton became the first and only father and son to...
- 2003 - Jason GardnerJason GardnerJason Gardner is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant coach for Loyola University Chicago....
(Consensus) - 2003 - Andre IguodalaAndre IguodalaAndre Tyler Iguodala is an American professional basketball player who plays small forward for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association . Iguodala is listed at 6 ft 6 in and 207 lbs. . Iguodala played his high school basketball for Lanphier High School in Springfield, Illinois...
- 2005 - Salim StoudamireSalim StoudamireCharles Salim Stoudamire is an American professional basketball player. He is a cousin of former NBA point guard and 1996 NBA Rookie of the Year Damon Stoudamire and current University of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball player Terrence Jones.Stoudamire was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the...
(Consensus) - 2009 - Jordan HillJordan Hill (basketball)Jordan Craig Hill is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association. He was drafted 8th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks...
- 2011 - Derrick Williams (Consensus)
First team All-American
- 1988 - Sean Elliott
- 1989 - Sean Elliott
- 1995 - Damon Stoudamire
- 1998 - Mike Bibby
- 1998 - Miles Simon
- 1999 - Jason Terry
NBA Draft picks
13 NBA Championships have been won by Wildcats players. Since the NBA draft was shortened to two rounds in 1989, Arizona leads the nation with 31 selections in that span. This number grew when Jordan HillJordan Hill (basketball)
Jordan Craig Hill is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association. He was drafted 8th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks...
and Chase Budinger
Chase Budinger
Chase Andrew Budinger is an American basketball player who currently plays for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association...
were selected in the 2009 NBA Draft
2009 NBA Draft
The 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
.
{| class="sortable wikitable"
! Name
! Round
! Overall Pick
! Year
! Team
|-
| Morris Udall
| …
| …
| 1948
| Denver Nuggets (NBL)
|-
| Lincoln Richmond
| …
| …
| 1948
| Ft. Wayne Pistons
|-
| Leon Blevins
Leon Blevins
Leon Gravette Blevins was an American basketball player.He played collegiately for the University of Arizona.He was selected by the Indianapolis Olympians in the 7th round of the 1950 NBA Draft....
| 7
| 79
| 1950
| Indianapolis Olympians
|-
| Leo Johnson
| 5
| 44
| 1951
| Ft. Wayne Pistons
|-
| Roger Johnson
| …
| …
| 1952
| Milwaukee Hawks
|-
| Ernie McCray
| 17
| 95
| 1960
| Cincinnati Royals
|-
| Warren Rustand
Warren S. Rustand
Warren S. Rustand is an entrepreneur, educator and public servant, having served as the appointments secretary to President Gerald Ford during his time as a White House Scholar....
| 4
| 31
| 1965
| San Francisco Warriors
|-
| Bill Davis
| 12
| 160
| 1968
| Phoenix Suns
|-
| Michael Foster
| …
| …
| 1970
| Indiana Pacers (ABA)
|-
| Tom Lee
| 9
| 147
| 1971
| Philadelphia 76ers
|-
| Eddie Myers
| 10
| 160
| 1971
| Baltimore Bullets (Miami Floridians (ABA))
|-
| Bill Warner
| 11
| 170
| 1971
| Buffalo Braves (New York Nets (ABA))
|-
| Bruce Anderson
| 7
| 101
| 1972
| Detroit Pistons
|-
| Eric Money
Eric Money
Eric V. Money is a former American professional basketball player.A 6' 0" guard from the University of Arizona, Money played six seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Detroit Pistons, New Jersey Nets, and Philadelphia 76ers...
| 2
| 33
| 1974
| Detroit Pistons (Denver Nuggets (ABA))
|-
| Coniel Norman
| 3
| 37
| 1974
| Philadelphia 76ers (Denver Nuggets (ABA))
|-
| Al Fleming
| 2
| 30
| 1976
| Phoenix Suns
|-
| James Rappis
| 5
| 77
| 1976
| Milwaukee Bucks
|-
| Bob Elliott
Bob Elliott (basketball)
Robert Alan Elliott is a former University of Arizona basketball player and multiple record holder, current business professional and entrepreneur, American television sportscaster, former NBA professional basketball player and current Head-Chairmen of the Retired NBA Players Association...
| 2
| 42
| 1977
| Philadelphia 76ers
|-
| Herman Harris
| 2
| 43
| 1977
| Philadelphia 76ers
|-
| Jerome Gladney
| 8
| 164
| 1977
| San Antonio Spurs
|-
| Phil Taylor
| 10
| 198
| 1978
| Denver Nuggets
|-
| Larry Demic
| 1
| 9
| 1979
| New York Knicks
|-
| Joe Nehls
| 7
| 152
| 1980
| Houston Rockets
|-
| Ron Davis
| 4
| 79
| 1981
| Washington Bullets
|-
| Robbie Dosty
| 6
| 148
| 1981
| Golden State Warriors
|-
| Frank Smith
| 8
| 177
| 1983
| Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
|-
| Leon Wood
Leon Wood
Osie Leon Wood III , is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1st round of the 1984 NBA Draft. A 6'3" shooting guard from Saint Monica Catholic High School and California State University-Fullerton, Wood played in six NBA seasons for...
| 1
| 10
| 1984
| Philadelphia 76ers
|-
| Pete Williams
| 4
| 89
| 1985
| Denver Nuggets
|-
| Eddie Smith
| 7
| 158
| 1985
| Denver Nuggets
|-
| Tom Tolbert
Tom Tolbert
Byron Thomas "Tom" Tolbert is an American retired professional basketball player and sports broadcaster. He played a total of seven seasons in the National Basketball Association...
| 2
| 34
| 1988
| Charlotte Hornets
|-
| Steve Kerr
Steve Kerr
Stephen Douglas "Steve" Kerr is a retired American professional basketball player. He shot .454 from three point range over his career and currently holds the record as the most accurate three-point shooter in NBA history...
| 2
| 50
| 1988
| Phoenix Suns
|-
| Sean Elliott
Sean Elliott
Sean Michael Elliott is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.-Early life:Elliott was born in Tucson, Arizona and was youngest of three boys. He was a very intelligent boy growing up and attended the G.A.T.E. program at Toleson Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona...
| 1
| 3
| 1989
| San Antonio Spurs
|-
| Anthony Cook
| 1
| 24
| 1989
| Phoenix Suns
|-
| Jud Buechler
Jud Buechler
Judson Donald "Jud" Buechler is a retired American professional basketball player. He grew up in Poway, CA and attended Poway High School, where he was a top basketball recruit as well as a Top-50 men's volleyball prospect....
| 2
| 38
| 1990
| Seattle SuperSonics
|-
| Brian Williams
Bison Dele
Bison Dele formerly known as Brian Carson Williams, was an American professional basketball player who finished his career as a center for the NBA's Detroit Pistons...
| 1
| 10
| 1991
| Orlando Magic
|-
| Sean Rooks
Sean Rooks
Sean Lester Rooks is a retired American basketball player who played in the NBA from 1992 to 2004. A 6'10" center from Fontana High School in Fontana, California and the University of Arizona, Rooks was drafted in the second round of the 1992 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks...
| 2
| 30
| 1992
| Dallas Mavericks
|-
| Chris Mills
Chris Mills
Christopher Lemonte Mills is a retired American professional basketball player.Chris Mills attended Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, from 1986–1988. At 6'7", he was the starting center for each of his three years playing varsity basketball there. In 1987 and 1988, he was awarded the City 4-A...
| 1
| 22
| 1993
| Cleveland Cavaliers
|-
| Ed Stokes
Ed Stokes
Edward Kobie Stokes is an American former professional basketball player, who played at the center position....
| 2
| 35
| 1993
| Miami Heat
|-
| Khalid Reeves
Khalid Reeves
Khalid Reeves was an American professional basketball player, selected by the Miami Heat in the first round of the 1994 NBA Draft....
| 1
| 12
| 1994
| Miami Heat
|-
| Damon Stoudamire
Damon Stoudamire
Damon Lamon Stoudamire is a retired American professional basketball player who is currently an assistant coach for the Memphis Tigers men's basketball team. The , point guard was selected with the 7th overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in the 1995 NBA Draft and won the 1995–96 NBA Rookie of the...
| 1
| 7
| 1995
| Toronto Raptors
|-
| Joseph Blair
Joseph Blair
Joseph Blair is a retired American professional basketball player. He is 2.10 m tall and he weighs 120 kg . He played as a forward-center...
| 2
| 35
| 1996
| Seattle SuperSonics
|-
| Ben Davis
Ben Davis (basketball)
Ben Jerome Davis is an American professional basketball player, formerly of the NBA's Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks. Davis attended Oak Hill Academy, Kansas University, the University of Florida, Hutchinson Community College, and the University of Arizona and played collegiately at all, except...
| 2
| 43
| 1996
| Phoenix Suns
|-
| Reggie Geary
Reggie Geary
Reggie Elliot Geary is a retired American professional basketball guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs ....
| 2
| 56
| 1996
| Cleveland Cavaliers
|-
| Mike Bibby
Mike Bibby
Michael "Mike" Bibby is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association. He is a 6'2" point guard, and he attended Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix, Arizona and played collegiately at the University of Arizona. In...
| 1
| 2
| 1998
| Vancouver Grizzlies
|-
| Michael Dickerson
Michael Dickerson
Michael DeAngelo Dickerson is an American professional basketball player who was a member of the Houston Rockets and Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA. He is a cousin of former NBA guard David Wesley....
| 1
| 14
| 1998
| Houston Rockets
|-
| Miles Simon
Miles Simon
Miles Julian Simon is a retired American professional basketball player.Simon was born in Stockholm to an American father and a Norwegian mother. He played guard for the University of Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team, where he formed a formidable backcourt duo with current Miami Heat point...
| 2
| 42
| 1998
| Orlando Magic
|-
| Jason Terry
Jason Terry
Jason Eugene Terry is an American professional basketball player playing with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. He plays shooting guard, although he also can play point guard. His nickname, "JET," derives from his initials...
| 1
| 10
| 1999
| Atlanta Hawks
|-
| A. J. Bramlett
A. J. Bramlett
Aaron Jordan Bramlett is an American former professional basketball player. At 6-foot, 10-inches, weight 235 pounds, he usually played a center or post position....
| 2
| 39
| 1999
| Cleveland Cavaliers
|-
| Richard Jefferson
Richard Jefferson
Richard Allen Jefferson is a 6 ft 7 in American professional basketball player currently playing for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association...
| 1
| 13
| 2001
| Houston Rockets
|-
| Gilbert Arenas
Gilbert Arenas
Gilbert Jay Arenas, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . He plays as a point guard and shooting guard....
| 2
| 31
| 2001
| Golden State Warriors
|-
| Michael Wright
Michael Wright (basketball)
Michael Wright is an American-Turkish professional basketball player, currently with Turkish team Turk Telekom...
| 2
| 39
| 2001
| New York Knicks
|-
| Loren Woods
Loren Woods
Loren Woods is an American professional basketball player, currently playing with Zob Ahan Isfahan BC in the Iranian Basketball Super League...
| 2
| 46
| 2001
| Minnesota Timberwolves
|-
| Robertas Javtokas
Robertas Javtokas
Robertas Javtokas is a Lithuanian professional basketball player. Javtokas is 2.11 m in height and weighs 122 kg . He plays the center position. He has been a member of the Lithuanian national team since 2000...
| 2
| 56
| 2001
| San Antonio Spurs
|-
| Luke Walton
Luke Walton
Luke Theodore Walton is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His primary position is at small forward. After the 2010 NBA Finals, Walton and his father Hall of Famer Bill Walton became the first and only father and son to...
| 2
| 32
| 2003
| Los Angeles Lakers
|-
| Andre Iguodala
Andre Iguodala
Andre Tyler Iguodala is an American professional basketball player who plays small forward for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association . Iguodala is listed at 6 ft 6 in and 207 lbs. . Iguodala played his high school basketball for Lanphier High School in Springfield, Illinois...
| 1
| 9
| 2004
| Philadelphia 76ers
|-
| Channing Frye
Channing Frye
Channing Thomas Frye is an American professional basketball player and currently plays for the Phoenix Suns. His positions are center and power forward. He attended the University of Arizona...
| 1
| 8
| 2005
| New York Knicks
|-
| Salim Stoudamire
Salim Stoudamire
Charles Salim Stoudamire is an American professional basketball player. He is a cousin of former NBA point guard and 1996 NBA Rookie of the Year Damon Stoudamire and current University of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball player Terrence Jones.Stoudamire was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the...
| 2
| 31
| 2005
| Atlanta Hawks
|-
| Hassan Adams
Hassan Adams
Hassan Olawale Adams is an American professional basketball player currently playing for Rain or Shine Elasto Painters of the Philippine Basketball Association.-High school career:...
| 2
| 54
| 2006
| New Jersey Nets
|-
| Marcus Williams
| 2
| 33
| 2007
| San Antonio Spurs
|-
| Jerryd Bayless
Jerryd Bayless
Jerryd Bayless is an American basketball player for the Toronto Raptors. He played a year of college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats after playing high school basketball at St. Mary's High School in Phoenix, where he scored a career high of 52 points in a loss to eventual state champions,...
| 1
| 11
| 2008
| Indiana Pacers
|-
| Jordan Hill
Jordan Hill (basketball)
Jordan Craig Hill is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association. He was drafted 8th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks...
| 1
| 8
| 2009
| New York Knicks
|-
| Chase Budinger
Chase Budinger
Chase Andrew Budinger is an American basketball player who currently plays for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association...
| 2
| 44
| 2009
| Detroit Pistons
|-
| Derrick Williams
Derrick Williams (basketball)
Derrick LeRon Williams , nicknamed D-Will, is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was considered one of the top prospects for the 2011 NBA Draft and was selected as the second overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves...
| 1
| 2
| 2011
| Minnesota Timberwolves
|-
|}
Source: Arizona 2008-09 Media Guide
Notable Former Arizona Wildcats
{| class="sortable wikitable"! Name
! Seasons as Wildcat
! Post-Wildcat accomplishment
|-
| Gilbert Arenas
Gilbert Arenas
Gilbert Jay Arenas, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . He plays as a point guard and shooting guard....
| 1999-01
| NBA All-star (3), Currently with Orlando Magic
|-
| Mike Bibby
Mike Bibby
Michael "Mike" Bibby is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association. He is a 6'2" point guard, and he attended Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix, Arizona and played collegiately at the University of Arizona. In...
| 1996-98
| NBA All-Rookie first team, currently with Miami Heat
|-
| Jud Buechler
Jud Buechler
Judson Donald "Jud" Buechler is a retired American professional basketball player. He grew up in Poway, CA and attended Poway High School, where he was a top basketball recruit as well as a Top-50 men's volleyball prospect....
| 1986-90
| NBA Champion (3), 11 NBA seasons
|-
| Bison Dele
Bison Dele
Bison Dele formerly known as Brian Carson Williams, was an American professional basketball player who finished his career as a center for the NBA's Detroit Pistons...
(Brian Williams)
| 1989-90
| NBA Champion, 7 NBA seasons
|-
| Sean Elliott
Sean Elliott
Sean Michael Elliott is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.-Early life:Elliott was born in Tucson, Arizona and was youngest of three boys. He was a very intelligent boy growing up and attended the G.A.T.E. program at Toleson Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona...
| 1985-89
| NBA All-star (2), NBA Champion (1), 12 NBA seasons
|-
| Channing Frye
Channing Frye
Channing Thomas Frye is an American professional basketball player and currently plays for the Phoenix Suns. His positions are center and power forward. He attended the University of Arizona...
| 2001-05
| NBA All-Rookie Team, currently with Phoenix Suns
|-
| Andre Iguodala
Andre Iguodala
Andre Tyler Iguodala is an American professional basketball player who plays small forward for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association . Iguodala is listed at 6 ft 6 in and 207 lbs. . Iguodala played his high school basketball for Lanphier High School in Springfield, Illinois...
| 2002-04
| NBA All-star (1), NBA All-Rookie Team, Currently with Philadelphia 76ers
|-
| Richard Jefferson
Richard Jefferson
Richard Allen Jefferson is a 6 ft 7 in American professional basketball player currently playing for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association...
| 1998-01
| United States - 2004 Summer Olympics – Bronze medal, Currently with San Antonio Spurs
|-
| Steve Kerr
Steve Kerr
Stephen Douglas "Steve" Kerr is a retired American professional basketball player. He shot .454 from three point range over his career and currently holds the record as the most accurate three-point shooter in NBA history...
| 1983-88
| NBA All-star (2), NBA Champion (5), 17 NBA seasons, TNT NBA Analyst
|-
| Kenny Lofton
Kenny Lofton
Kenneth Lofton is a former Major League Baseball outfielder known for his great speed on the base paths as well as in the field, award-winning defensive play , timely hitting, and playful spirit. He batted and threw left-handed...
| 1985-89
| MLB All-star (6), Gold Glove Award (4), 17 MLB seasons
|-
| Josh Pastner
Josh Pastner
-References:...
| 1996-00
| Head Coach, University of Memphis men's basketball
|-
| Damon Stoudamire
Damon Stoudamire
Damon Lamon Stoudamire is a retired American professional basketball player who is currently an assistant coach for the Memphis Tigers men's basketball team. The , point guard was selected with the 7th overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in the 1995 NBA Draft and won the 1995–96 NBA Rookie of the...
| 1991-95
| NBA Rookie of the Year, 16 NBA Seasons
|-
| Jason Terry
Jason Terry
Jason Eugene Terry is an American professional basketball player playing with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. He plays shooting guard, although he also can play point guard. His nickname, "JET," derives from his initials...
| 1995-99
| NBA Sixth-man award, NBA Champion, currently with Dallas Mavericks
|-
| Mo Udall
Mo Udall
Morris King "Mo" Udall was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Arizona from May 2, 1961 to May 4, 1991...
| 1941-42, 46-48
| Former member U.S. Congress (30 years)
|-
| Luke Walton
Luke Walton
Luke Theodore Walton is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His primary position is at small forward. After the 2010 NBA Finals, Walton and his father Hall of Famer Bill Walton became the first and only father and son to...
| 1998-03
| NBA Champion (2), currently with Los Angeles Lakers
|-
| Leon Wood
Leon Wood
Osie Leon Wood III , is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1st round of the 1984 NBA Draft. A 6'3" shooting guard from Saint Monica Catholic High School and California State University-Fullerton, Wood played in six NBA seasons for...
| 1979-80
| United States - 1984 Summer Olympics – Gold medal, 7 NBA seasons
|-
|}
Source: Arizona 2008-09 Media Guide
Pac-10 Tournament
UA has won the Pac-10 Tournament a record four times, including three straight times from 1988-90. The Wildcats have played in the tournament final six times. UA also has a record 5 tournament MVPs. Salim Stoudamire is 1 of only 2 players to win the MVP from a losing squad.{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Champion
!Score
!Runner-Up
!Arena
!City
!Tournament MVP
|-
|1988
1988 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
-All Tournament Team:*Sean Elliott, Arizona*Anthony Cook, Arizona*Steve Kerr, Arizona*Todd Lichti, Stanford*Gary Payton, Oregon State-References:2007–08 Pac-10 Men's Basketball Media Guide pages 50–60...
|Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
|93-67
|Oregon State
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
|McKale Center
McKale Center
McKale Memorial Center is an athletic arena located at 1756 E University Blvd on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. It is primarily used for basketball, but also features state-of-the-art physical training and therapy facilities. Its construction is marked with a large...
|Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
|Sean Elliott
Sean Elliott
Sean Michael Elliott is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.-Early life:Elliott was born in Tucson, Arizona and was youngest of three boys. He was a very intelligent boy growing up and attended the G.A.T.E. program at Toleson Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona...
, Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
|-
|1989
1989 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
-All Tournament Team:*Sean Elliott, Arizona*Jud Buechler, Arizona*Anthony Cook, Arizona*Todd Lichti, Stanford*Gary Payton, Oregon State-References:2007–08 Pac-10 Men's Basketball Media Guide pages 50–60...
|Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
|73-51
|Stanford
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
|Great Western Forum
|Inglewood, California
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
|Sean Elliott
Sean Elliott
Sean Michael Elliott is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.-Early life:Elliott was born in Tucson, Arizona and was youngest of three boys. He was a very intelligent boy growing up and attended the G.A.T.E. program at Toleson Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona...
, Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
|-
|1990
1990 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
-All Tournament Team:*Jud Buechler, Arizona*Matt Muehlebach, Arizona*Adam Keefe, Stanford*Alex Austin, Arizona State*Trevor Wilson, UCLA-References:2007–08 Pac-10 Men's Basketball Media Guide pages 50–60...
|Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
|94-78
|UCLA
|University Activity Center
Wells Fargo Arena (Tempe)
Wells Fargo Arena is a 10,754-seat multi-purpose arena at 634 E Veterans Way in Tempe, Arizona, USA, a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona.Constructed in the spring of 1974 as the as the Arizona State University Activity Center and at the cost of $8 million, the facility also plays host to graduation...
|Tempe, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
|Jud Buechler
Jud Buechler
Judson Donald "Jud" Buechler is a retired American professional basketball player. He grew up in Poway, CA and attended Poway High School, where he was a top basketball recruit as well as a Top-50 men's volleyball prospect....
, Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
|-
|2002
2002 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2002 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament was played between March 7 and March 9, 2002 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The event was revived after a 12-year hiatus. The champion of the tournament was Arizona, which received the Pac 10's automatic bid to the NCAA...
|Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
|81-71
|USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
|Staples Center
Staples Center
Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...
|Los Angeles, California
|Luke Walton
Luke Walton
Luke Theodore Walton is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His primary position is at small forward. After the 2010 NBA Finals, Walton and his father Hall of Famer Bill Walton became the first and only father and son to...
, Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
|-
|2005
2005 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2005 Pacific Life Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament was played between March 10 and March 12, 2005 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The champion of the tournament was Washington, which received the Pac 10's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament...
|Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
|81-72
|Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
|Staples Center
|Los Angeles, California
|Salim Stoudamire
Salim Stoudamire
Charles Salim Stoudamire is an American professional basketball player. He is a cousin of former NBA point guard and 1996 NBA Rookie of the Year Damon Stoudamire and current University of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball player Terrence Jones.Stoudamire was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the...
, Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
|-
|2011
2011 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
-Tournament notes:* Both men’s and women’s basketball tournament semi-final and final games will be held at the Staples Center.* Coach of the Year Award is renamed to honor Coach John Wooden...
|Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
|77-75(OT)
|Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
|Staples Center
|Los Angeles, California
|Isaiah Thomas
Isaiah Thomas (basketball)
Isaiah Thomas is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings and was taken as the final pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. He is a 5 ft 9 in and 170 - 180 lb point guard. During his freshman year, he averaged 15.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals per...
, Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
|}
Source: 2007-08 Pac-10 Men's Basketball Media Guide pages 50–60 (PDF copy available at 2007-08 Pac-10 Men's Basketball Media Guide)
NCAA Tournament
The University of Arizona has made 28 NCAA tournament appearances, including a run of 25 consecutive years from 1985–2009, which is second only to the North Carolina Tar Heel's 27 year streak from 1975-2001. Their combined record is 43-26, including a 1997 National Championship and 4 final fours (19881988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 17, 1988, and ended with the championship game on April 4 returning to Kansas City, Missouri...
, 1994
1994 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1994 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 17, 1994, and ended with the championship game on April 4 in Charlotte, North Carolina...
, 1997
1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1997, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, 2001
2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 2001 with the play-in game, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in...
)
. Arizona is also one of only four #2 seeds to ever lose a first round game, losing 64-61 to #15 seed Santa Clara
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
, led by future NBA star Steve Nash
Steve Nash
Stephen John "Steve" Nash, OC, OBC is a South African-born Canadian professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association . Nash enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a scholarship by Santa Clara...
in 1993
1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 1993, and ended with the championship game on April 5 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
. In addition, the 1997 Arizona team is the only team to date to beat three #1 seeds to win the national championship.
NCAA Tournament Seeding History (seeding began in 1979
1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 40 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 9, 1979, and ended with the championship game on March 26 in Salt Lake City, Utah...
)
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
!Year
!Tournament
Seed
!Tournament
Result
|-
| 1985
1985 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1985 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. This was the first year the field was expanded to 64 teams, from 53 in the previous year's tournament. It began...
| 10
| 1st Round (0-1)
|-
| 1986
1986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1986, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Dallas, Texas...
| 9
| 1st Round (0-1)
|-
| 1987
1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1987, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
| 10
| 1st Round (0-1)
|-
| 1988
1988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 17, 1988, and ended with the championship game on April 4 returning to Kansas City, Missouri...
| 1
| Final Four (4-1)
|-
| 1989
1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 1989, and ended with the championship game on April 3 in Seattle, Washington...
| 1
| Sweet 16 (2-1)
|-
| 1990
1990 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1990 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 1990, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in Denver, Colorado...
| 2
| 2nd Round (1-1)
|-
| 1991
1991 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1991 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 14, 1991, and ended with the championship game on April 1 in Indianapolis, Indiana...
| 2
| Sweet 16 (2-1)
|-
| 1992
1992 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1992 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 19, 1992, and ended with the championship game on April 6 in Minneapolis, Minnesota...
| 3
| 1st Round (0-1)
|-
| 1993
1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 1993, and ended with the championship game on April 5 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
| 2
| 1st Round (0-1)
|-
| 1994
1994 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1994 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 17, 1994, and ended with the championship game on April 4 in Charlotte, North Carolina...
| 2
| Final Four (4-1)
|-
| 1995
1995 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1995 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 1995, and ended with the championship game on April 3 at the Kingdome in Seattle,...
| 5
| 1st Round (0-1)
|-
| 1996
1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 14, 1996, and ended with the championship game on April 1 at Continental Airlines Arena in...
| 3
| Sweet 16 (2-1)
|-
| 1997
1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1997, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Indianapolis, Indiana...
| 4
| Champions (6-0)
|-
| 1998
1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1998, and ended with the championship game on March 30 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,...
| 1
| Elite Eight (3-1)
|-
| 1999
1999 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1999 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1999, and ended with the championship game on March 29 at Tropicana Field in St....
| 4
| 1st Round (0-1)
|-
| 2000
2000 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2000 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 2000, and ended with the championship game on April 3 in Indianapolis, Indiana...
| 1
| 2nd Round (1-1)
|-
| 2001
2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 2001 with the play-in game, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in...
| 2
| Runner-Up (5-1)
|-
| 2002
2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 2002, and ended with the championship game on April 1 in Atlanta, Georgia...
| 3
| Sweet 16 (2-1)
|-
| 2003
2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 2003, and ended with the championship game on April 7 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
| 1
| Elite Eight (3-1)
|-
| 2004
2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 2004, and ended with the championship game on April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,...
| 9
| 1st Round (0-1)
|-
| 2005
2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 2005, and ended with the championship game on April 4 at the Edward Jones Dome in St...
| 3
| Elite Eight (3-1)
|-
| 2006
2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2005–06 basketball season...
| 8
| 2nd Round (1-1)
|-
| 2007
2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 NCAA schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2006–07 basketball season...
| 8
| 1st Round (0-1)
|-
| 2008
2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season...
| 10
| 1st Round (0-1)
|-
| 2009
2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....
| 12
| Sweet 16 (2-1)
|-
| 2011
2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The following sites were selected to host each round of the 2011 tournament:First Four*March 15 and 16**University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, OhioSecond and third rounds*March 17 and 19**Verizon Center, Washington, D.C....
| 5
| Elite Eight (3-1)
|-
|}
Current team
Game day traditions
Arizona's home games include many traditions involving the The Pride of ArizonaThe Pride of Arizona
The Pride of Arizona is the University of Arizona's marching band. The band was founded in 1902 as the UA ROTC Band and contained 12 members. Over the years, the band has performed in prestigious venues such as Super Bowl I and the Inaugural Parade of President James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. ...
pep band and the Zona Zoo
Zona zoo
ZonaZoo is the name for the official student section and student ticketing program for intercollegiate athletic events at the University of Arizona...
.
- Before every game, the band splits into four sections in the four sides of McKale Center. They play Bear Down ArizonaBear Down"Bear Down" is the official motto of the University of Arizona , located in Tucson, Arizona. It is the inspiration for "Bear Down, Arizona!," the unofficial fight song of the school's Arizona Wildcats...
in sequence before the band runs back to the student section in the north stands and plays all of Bear Down. The band also yells "Hi fans!" to the fans, who respond by yelling "Hi band!" and "Hi Sean!" to head coach Sean MillerSean MillerSean Miller is an American college basketball coach, and currently the head men's basketball coach at the University of Arizona.-Early years:...
, who responds by waving to the band. The band also yells "Hi Niya!" to Arizona women's basketball coach Niya Butts. - While the opposing team's players are being introduced, the student section turns their backs to the court. As each player's name is announced, they will yell "Sucks!" In the interest of sportsmanship, though, the Athletic Department is attempting to phase this tradition out.
- During the first four minutes of each half, or until the first media timeout, the band and students have several chants.
- Every time an opposing player dribbles, the yell is "Boing!"
- Every time they pass, the yell is "Pass!"
- Every time they try to shoot, the yell is "Brick!"
- When an opposing player fouls an Arizona player, the band and students chant, while pointing at the opposing player, "You! You! You! You! You! You! You! You! You! On you, that's who!" If the foul occurs during a shot and the player makes the shot, the chant is instead "You! You! You! You! You! You! You! You! You! Hey! No no no no! No no no no! No no no no! No no no no! Don't touch me!"
- If an opposing player accrues four fouls during the game, they will chant "Four!" four times while waving four fingers. If a player fouls out, the band plays the beat from "Another One Bites the DustAnother One Bites the Dust"Another One Bites the Dust" is a song by the English rock band Queen. Written by bass guitarist John Deacon, the song featured on the group's eighth studio album The Game . The song was a worldwide hit, charting number one on the United States Billboard Hot 100, number two on the R&B charts and...
," concluding with the band and students yelling "Hey! We're gonna get you too!" They will then chant "Left! Right!" as the player walks back to the bench and yell "Sit down!" when the player sits. - When opposing players are attempting foul shots, besides attempting to distract the player, the band and students have several chants, but the only constant one is yelled if the player misses their first shot of a two-shot foul, in which case they yell "Nice shot, buddy!"
- If Arizona is beating an opponent by a comfortable margin late in the game, the band and students will chant "Go start the bus!" repeatedly. If an opponent makes a big play, they will chant "It just doesn't matter!"
- Since the 1980s, the "Ooh Aah Man" Joe Cavaleri has made appearances at McKale to pump up the crowd. He starts by spelling out "A-R-I-Z-O-N-A!" with his body as the crowd chants along. He then directs the crowd in chanting "U of A!", first by each side of the arena, then by the north and south sides and east and west sides simultaneously then by the whole arena. His routine usually involves pulling off his shirt and pants to reveal another Arizona shirt and shorts underneath. Unfortunately, Cavaleri was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's diseaseParkinson's diseaseParkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
and has only made a few appearances during the 2010-2011 season. - At the end of every home game (and every Arizona athletics event the band is present at) the band plays Arizona's alma mater, "All Hail, Arizona!" Students and fans link arms, sway as they sing and jump up and down while singing the last part of the song.
See also
- University of ArizonaUniversity of ArizonaThe University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
- Arizona WildcatsArizona Wildcats-Athletic program:The University of Arizona participates in the NCAA's Division I-A in the Pacific-12 Conference Arizona participates in the conference's South Division, along with Arizona State, Colorado, UCLA, USC, and Utah...
- Lute OlsonLute OlsonRobert Luther "Lute" Olson is a retired American men's basketball coach. He was most recently head coach at the University of Arizona for a period of 25 years. He was also head coach at the University of Iowa for 9 years and California State University, Long Beach for one season...
- 2009–10 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball season2009–10 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball seasonThe 2009–10 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball season began with practices on October 17, 2009 and ended with the Pac-10 Tournament on March 10–13, 2010 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.-Pre-season:...
- NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Consecutive AppearancesNCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament consecutive appearancesThis is a list of the most consecutive appearances in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament by schools.-Consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances by programs:-See also:* NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament all-time team records...