Arizona Wildcats Basketball: McKale Center Hosts Nation’s Longest Winning Streak
Tuesday night the Arizona Wildcats basketball team will look to extend their current home winning streak in McKale Center to 47 games.
We have heard of the Cameron Crazies at Duke and UCLA’s storied Pauley Pavilion. Former Arizona Wildcats head basketball coach Lute Olson had a healthy respect for Mac Court at the University of Oregon, saying it was the most difficult place in the Pac-10 for the opposition to play at the time. Fast forward to almost 2016 as Tucson and the nation should be discussing the University of Arizona’s magical McKale Center.
When UNLV entered the building Saturday it wasn’t far from the minds of many that the current Arizona basketball home win streak may end that night. The talented Running Rebels were pesky and the Wildcats were short-staffed, but somehow, despite 18 turnovers, Arizona pulled out their 46th straight win at home.
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Most of the students had left for Christmas vacation. The pep band wasn’t at 100% attendance, likely due to the New Mexico Bowl a few hours earlier and some of the musicians heading home after finals. It didn’t matter. McKale was packed, red, loud, and electric. The band members present were on cue and as energetic as ever. There were some organized UNLV fans in an upper section who loudly teased “Rebels, Rebels” as they fought back in the second half. But they were soon drowned out by the 14,000 plus Arizona fans chanting ‘U of A.’
And just for old times, Ooh Aah took the floor near Arizona’s bench late in the game and rallied the crowd for the final minutes.
Old times…….McKale wasn’t always magical. It was easy to get tickets in the early 80s before Coach Olson was hired. The Wildcats won four games total during the 1982-83 season. Student tickets were $1 with your choice of seats. Arizona State would visit and their fans would tease the few Wildcats fans in their own arena. Arizona has long since paid ASU back for that.
When Lute Olson was hired he advised fans to buy season tickets because soon there would be none available. His statement sounded conceited, but how many people regret not taking his advice?
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Under Olson’s watch, the basketball team had a 71-game home winning streak and tickets in McKale became near impossible to obtain for those without season tickets. Of course, now McKale is adorned with countless banners reminding all of many conference championships and numerous appearances in the NCAA tournament.
If Arizona can win its 47th straight home game against Long Beach State Tuesday night, McKale Center can take a break and hold that record into the new year when Pac-12 play begins. This streak can end anytime and although it will hurt, it will not be the end of the world. We almost saw that happen last season when Arizona had to go to overtime to beat Gonzaga, with the help of some missed free throws by the Bulldogs. When it ends another home winning streak will start and with Sean Miller as
We almost saw that happen last season when Arizona had to go to overtime to beat Gonzaga, with the help of some missed free throws by the Bulldogs. When it ends another home winning streak will start and with Sean Miller as the coach who knows how long the next streak will run?
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For now let’s enjoy this streak. The basketball team feeds off McKale’s energy and both being in McKale and watching on TV are a blast. Bear Down!