Top 5 Fan Favorite Players of the Sean Miller Era
By Brad Malone
Apr Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
2. Nick Johnson
Arizona fans enjoyed seeing Nick Johnson in a Houston Rockets uniform this year, but we missed watching the high-flying dunks and defensive prowess he brought during the 2013-14 season, for the Wildcats.
He won Pac-12 player of the year in that year. In large part to having the conference player of the year, the Wildcats ended up locking up a no. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, after a stellar season and Pac-12 Championship.
Lots of memories come to mind when thinking of Johnson in an Arizona uniform. His countless displays of athleticism above the rim and game winning three-pointer at Stanford are two such moments, but my favorite Johnson memory came in the 2014 Sweet Sixteen game against San Diego State.
I was at the game in Anaheim and it was one of the most stressful and exhilarating feelings I have ever felt at a sporting event. The stress changed to exhilaration thanks to Nick Johnson.
In a nip and tuck contest, Johnson had been shutout offensively for the first 37 minutes of the game. Thanks to a T.J. McConnell steal that lead to a Johnson lay-up, the game went a different direction. In the final 3 minutes of the game, Johnson scored 15 of the last 16 points for the Wildcats.
He was 10-10 from the free throw line and hit a big time three-pointer that put Arizona in the driver’s seat. The Cats won the game 70-64.
I can’t wait to see Nick play in the NBA for many years to come.
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