Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
Arizona fans were disappointed when Ashley decided to forgo his senior year at Arizona to chase his dream of playing in the NBA. The disappointment continued when his name was not called in the NBA draft.
Fortunately for Ashley, he impressed the Dallas brass in seven games by averaging 10.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game for the Atlanta Hawks NBA Summer League team in Las Vegas.
During the 2013-14 season, he was coming into his own.
All things in Tucson were going great. The Cats were ranked No. 1 in the country and were 21-0.
Then things took a left turn on the road at Cal. Ashley suffered a season ending foot injury against the Bears. The Cats would not be the same. Without him on the floor for the rest of the season the Cats were 12-5.
Arizona made it to the Elite Eight anyway, but Ashley’s absence in the team’s biggest game of year against Wisconsin could be felt from Anaheim to Tucson when the Cats lost in overtime.
Ashley bounced back to have a solid 2014-15 season averaging 12.2 points and 5.2 rebounds a game.
Let’s celebrate Ashley’s terrific Arizona career by reviewing his Top 5 games while playing for the Wildcats.
Next: No. 5 : Ashley's Revenge
Mar 5, 2015; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Brandon Ashley (21) grabs the ball against California Golden Bears forward Christian Behrens (14) during the first half at McKale Center. Arizona won 99-60. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
5. March 5, 2015
(No. 5) Arizona 99 California 60
In Arizona’s return to Cal a year after Ashley’s season ending injury, the junior had a quiet game. But when Cal came to McKale, he was fully prepared and took it out on the Bears.
The Cats came into the game needing one win to clinch the Pac-12 regular season title. The 39-point victory was reminiscent of how the 1987-88 Cats dominated teams in the old Pac-10.
Ashley matched his previous career high with 21 points. His performance was a preview of things to come in the Pac-12 Tournament for Ashley.
Brandon shot 8 of 12 from the field and 5 of 6 from the charity stripe. He added six boards and even had two assists in the Cats 37th straight victory at McKale Center.
This was the seventh win in a row for the Cats, after a surprising loss to the sun devils at McKale North on February 7.
Two days after the Cal victory, he would lead the Cats with 15 points in a 91-69 win over Stanford. Arizona would cut down the nets that afternoon at McKale and celebrate with the Zona Zoo by running through the rambunctious student section.
Next: No. 4 : Red Raider Dominance
Dec 3, 2013; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Brandon Ashley (21) and Texas Tech Red Raiders forward Kader Tapsoba (12) and forward Jaye Crockett (30) battle for position during the second half at McKale Center. The Wildcats won 79-58. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
4. Dec. 3, 2013
(No. 2) Arizona 79 Texas Tech 58
After the Cats beat the Duke Blue Devils in the 2013 NIT Season Tip-off championship at Madison Square Garden, they came home to take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders and their new former National Champion head coach, Tubby Smith.
The good news for the Cats is Tubby did not bring his 1998 Kentucky Championship team with him to Tucson. Brandon Ashley took full advantage of playing an undermanned Tech team.
Ashley had a solid game by scoring 18 points and pulling down ten boards.
The Cats were spectacular from behind the arc, shooting 46 percent. Ashley was a key contributor from three-point land by going 2 for 2 from downtown.
He also strutted his scoring skills by going 6 of 8 overall from the field and was 4 of 5 from the free throw line.
The Cats led by ten at halftime and easily pulled away in the second half.
The previous season, the Cats visited Lubbock to take on the Red Raiders. The Cats handled the road trip just fine by winning 85-57. Ashley had 12 points in his first road game of his excellent Wildcat career.
Next: No. 3 : Unstoppable at McKale
Nov 11, 2013; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Brandon Ashley (21) drives to the basket as he is defended by Long Beach State 49ers forward David Samuels (11) during the second half at McKale Center. Arizona beat Long Beach State 91-57. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
3. Nov. 19, 2012
(No. 10) Arizona 94 Long Beach State 72
It didn’t take long for Bash to make an impact in Tucson. In his third game ever as a Wildcat, he unleashed a strong taste of what college basketball was going to have to deal with for the next three seasons.
In his first start of the season Ashley did his best Denzel Washington/Chris Pine impression by being ‘Unstoppable’ on the offensive end.
Ashley scored the Cats first seven points and went into the locker room at halftime with eleven of the Cats 50 points.
Brandon was a perfect 6 for 6 from the field and was 8 of 9 from the foul line, finishing the game at McKale Center with 20 points.
He had his first career double-double when he finished with 10 rebounds against the 49ers.
Bash also was impressive from the defensive side of the ball. He had two blocks and a steal in 24 minutes played.
Some other notable feats from the game came from a couple of Tucson favorites, Solomon Hill and Kevin Parrom.
Hill was a perfect 11 for 11 from the foul line and Parrom was lights out from the perimeter, making 5 of 5 three pointers.
Next: No. 2 : Ann Arbor Clutchness
Dec 14, 2013; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Arizona Wildcats center Kaleb Tarczewski (35) forward Brandon Ashley (21) and guard Nick Johnson (13) during the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
2. Dec. 14, 2013
(No. 1) Arizona 72 (No. 25) Michigan 70
When the Cats went to Ann Arbor to play the Wolverines in 2013, they were playing a team that earlier in the year was in the National Championship game.
This game was one of the most memorable of the 2013-14 season and Ashley was a huge part of it.
The Cats trailed by nine at halftime at a hyped and jam-packed Crisler Center. In the second half the Cats trailed by 11 points, but they scratched and clawed their way back into the game.
Ashley hit some big shots in the second half, but the lasting impression I have from this game is when late in the contest, the Cats trailing by four, Aaron Gordon found Ashley under the basket. What happened next was one of the top plays of the season.
Ashley went up with no fear and threw down a two-handed dunk over a shocked Mitch McGary. The Cats only trailed by two at this point and the momentum was shifting in the simmered down arena.
Arizona held on at the end when Nick Johnson hit six free throws in the final 30 seconds.
Bash finished with an impressive 18 points and six rebounds.
Next: No. 1 : Vegas Baby
March 14, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Brandon Ashley (21) hoists the most outstanding player trophy after the championship game of the Pac-12 Conference tournament against the Oregon Ducks at MGM Grand Garden Arena. The Wildcats defeated the Ducks 80-52. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
1. March 12-14, 2015
Pac-12 Tournament
I cheated on this one because I included all three games of the 2015 Pac-12 Tournament.
In a conference that has been dominated by Arizona for many of the last 30 years, it’s hard to believe going into this year’s Pac-12 Tournament that Arizona had not won the event in 13 long years.
Luke Walton was on that 2002 team. He is now retired from his playing days and is a coach in the NBA for crying out loud. It was time to win this thing.
During the Olson years, I felt like Lute did. I didn’t really care for the conference tournament. What was the point if the Cats were going to be a high seed in the real tournament anyway?
I changed my tune the more years went by. Every year it got tougher and tougher to take when the Cats didn’t bring the trophy back to the Old Pueblo.
It was little Nate Robinson sticking it to the Cats in 2005, Isaiah Thomas with the dagger in 2011, Colorado stealing the Cats automatic bid to the Dance in 2012, ‘He touched the Ball!’ in 2013 and then losing to a late-blooming UCLA team in 2014.
Something had to give, right?
Thank goodness the Cats had Brandon Ashley back from injury in 2014-15. The Pac-12 tournament in 2015 was the Brandon Ashley Show.
Bash averaged 19.7 points and 6.3 rebounds a game, while shooting an astonishing 73 percent from the field and 88 percent from the foul line during the Cats three games at Las Vegas. His stellar performances, including a career high 24 points against UCLA in the semi-finals, won him the MVP trophy of the tournament.
The Cats domination got the Pac-12 Tournament monkey off Sean Miller’s back
Next: Bash wrap-up show
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Like so many of our favorite Wildcats before him, Brandon Ashley’s time in Tucson went by way to fast.
Arizona Wildcats
Arizona fans were able to enjoy an extra year of Ashley because of that unfortunate foot injury he suffered at Cal in 2014. If he had not been injured, Ashley would have most likely tested the NBA waters.
I think he would have left Arizona and have been drafted in the 2014 Draft because of the way he was playing during the Cats strong run to start the 2013-14 season.
Fortunately for Ashley, his NBA dreams are still alive. He will have an opportunity to make the Mavericks roster and prove to the other 29 teams they made a mistake when training camp starts later this year.
Here’s to hoping when the Mavs visit the rival San Antonio Spurs to start the season on October 28th that Bash makes Mark Cuban and Arizona fans proud in his first NBA game.
Thanks for the memories Brandon. Arizona fans hope to see you enjoying a Wildcats victory at McKale next season when you have some time off from the NBA. Good luck with your NBA endeavors.
Bear Down!