Arizona Basketball: Ranking Sean Miller’s first 6 teams
By Brad Malone
4. 2012-13 (27-8, NCAA Sweet Sixteen)
Arizona was still a year away from having T.J. McConnell being eligible to play the point guard spot, so Coach Miller brought in Xavier standout Mark Lyons as a quick fix for one year.
Fans complained Lyons was not a true point guard, but the Cats raced out to a 14-0 record and rose to No. 3 in the polls before their first loss of the season at Oregon.
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The Cats biggest win of the season came on a national stage when No. 5 Florida came to Tucson for another McKale classic. The Cats trailed by six with under a minute left. A late rally gave Lyons the opportunity to hit a tough lay up off the top of the glass to give the Cats a 65-64 victory.
A few weeks later the Cats would defeat San Diego State 68-67 in the Diamond Head Classic thanks to a last second block by super sophomore Nick Johnson.
The most memorable moment of the season came at the Pac-12 Tournament after the Cats had lost to rival UCLA. In the second half, Miller received a technical foul for disagreeing with officials on a double dribble call on Lyons.
The two-point loss did not sit well with Coach Miller at the post-game press conference, when he repeatedly said the phrase “He touched the ball,” referring to a UCLA player who touched the ball a split second before Lyons was called for a double dribble.
The loss did not stop the Cats from making a run in the NCAA Tournament. The Cats made it past the first weekend and were matched up with one of Miller’s coaching mentors, Thad Matta. The Cats lost to Ohio State 73-70, in a game that went down to the final seconds.
Next: No. 3: D-Will Dominates Duke