Lacking NBA talent has not stopped Arizona Basketball from tourney success

Lacking NBA talent has not stopped Arizona Basketball from tourney success in the past.

Sean Miller had one of his most difficult seasons to date this year in Tucson. He and his staff still found a way to stay competitive and win 25 games, after losing significant NBA talent the past two seasons. 

Only Doc Brown can tell you which Wildcats on the 2015-16 squad will play in the NBA, but basketball “experts” will tell you of the Wildcats that played major roles on this team, Kaleb Tarczewski and Alonzo Trier might be the only players in this bunch to put on a uniform in the Association.

Related Story: Arizona Basketball: Allonzo Trier, should he stay or should he go pro?

This is quite rare for Arizona Basketball.

The Wildcats have never had less than two NBA players on a tourney team, and since the inception of the expanded NCAA tournament in 1985; it has only happened three times in Arizona history. 

From 1985-2011 Arizona averaged just over four players a year that would end up logging minutes in the NBA.

The NBA is far and above the best basketball league in the world, but these statistics need to be taken with a grain of salt the size of A Mountain.

Flashy point guard Matt Othick, who only played in four career NBA games, is given the same amount of statistical value as a player like Mike Bibby, who played 1001 games in the pros.

There are also numerous great players in Arizona history that never made the NBA.

Jason Gardner never played a minute in the NBA, but his jersey sits in the rafters of McKale Center after leading the Cats to an 11-4 tourney record.

Joseph Blair helped get the Cats to the Final Four in 1994. He took his talents overseas and made a boatload of money without playing in the NBA.

In Arizona’s Final Four appearances in 1988, 1994, 1997 and 2001 there was never less than four future NBA players on any of those rosters.

But having lots of future NBA talent is no guarantee for an easy waltz in the tournament.

In the Wildcats four tourney appearances from 1990-1993, the Cats averaged six future NBA players on each team. Those teams combined for a 3-4 record in the tournament only reaching the Sweet Sixteen in 1991.

The 1990 squad pulled out a squeaker in the first round and were railroaded by Alabama a few days later. The 1992 and 1993 teams were infamously bounced in the first round.

That brings us to the three teams in Arizona History that made the NCAA Tournament with only two future NBA players on the roster. They combined for a 5-3 tourney record.

3. 1984-85 (21-10, No. 10 Seed, NCAA First Round)

In Lute Olson’s second year in Tucson, the Cats were in contention for the Pac-10 Title until a late season loss at UCLA. After winning 21 games, the Cats were invited to the dance but fell to Auburn in the first round.

Boy Wonder Steve Kerr played 14 seasons in the NBA and won five championships as a player. Rebound King Pete Williams played 58 games in the NBA before having a long successful career overseas.

2. 2008-09 (21-14, No. 12 Seed, NCAA Sweet Sixteen)

With Russ Pennell filling in as head coach, the Cats squeaked into the tournament for the second year in a row and kept their 25 straight NCAA Tournament appearance streak alive.

With veterans Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger playing their last year in Tucson, the Cats defeated Utah and Cleveland State to reach the Sweet Sixteen where they ran into a buzzsaw in the Louisville Cardinals.

The high flyer Budinger is in his seventh NBA season and recently joined the Phoenix Suns. Hill was the eighth pick in the 2009 NBA Draft and is currently playing for the Indiana Pacers.

1. 2010-2011 (30-8, No. 5 Seed, NCAA Elite Eight)

Sean Miller’s first great tournament run at Arizona came thanks largely to the lowest ranked recruit he brought to Tucson in his first season. Derrick Williams had one of the greatest individual seasons Tucson has ever seen in 2010-11 and the Wildcats jumped on Williams back for a long March ride.

After his heroics in victories over Memphis and Texas, Williams dominated the defending national champion Duke Blue Devils with 32 points. The Cats defeated Duke 93-77 but fell to the UConn Huskies two days later with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

In the three tournament victories another future pro, Solomon Hill, pitched in with 12 ppg.

Williams is currently playing in his fifth NBA season and is a regular dunk highlight machine on Sportscenter.

Hill was a surprise first round pick in 2013 and is in his third NBA season with the Indiana Pacers.

So what if Ryan Anderson, Gabe York or Chance Comanche end up playing in the NBA.

Tucson would love to see all of these guys at the next level, but what if only one of these guys make it to the next level? What does that mean statistically from a historical standpoint for Arizona Tournament teams that have hailed three future pros since the tournament expanded its format in 1985?

It has happened only four times. 1986, 1999, 2006 and 2008. 

Those teams combined for a record of 1-4. Ouch.

The Cats hailed three pros so far on the 2013 and 2015 Tournament teams, but with possible pros Kaleb Tarczewski and Gabe York futures still unknown, those teams were not included.

The level of Arizona Basketball minutiae can get a bit out of control this time of year. Just look at this article for proof, but remember this: George Mason went to the Final Four in 2006 with no future NBA players on their roster.
Thursday at 6:20 PST/MST can’t come soon enough.

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