Arizona Basketball: Wildcats Mount Rushmore
By Brad Malone
Arizona Basketball legends are plentiful, but these five greats are Brad’s all-time favorites.
I’ve never been to Mount Rushmore, but I hope to get there someday.
If case you are unfamiliar with what Mount Rushmore is, here is a short explanation.
It’s a giant sculpture of four of America’s most famous presidents faces carved out of a mountain or Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.
If you don’t remember it from history class in school, you might have heard it in popular culture the last few years when pundits pick the creme de la creme of particular subjects.
It got so bad that Mike and Mike of ESPN fame once jokingly started a Mount Rushmore list of the greatest clowns in history.
It’s a pretty lame device but it’s a lot of fun.
Since we are still way to far from the start of basketball season, I’m going to use this lame device to list my favorite Arizona Basketball players of all time.
Mount Rushmore has four faces on it. Since we are talking basketball, my Mount Rushmore would have five faces carved into the side of the Catalina Mountains.
This is not a greatest starting five list; rather it’s my favorite players in Arizona Basketball lore.
Sean Elliott
This one is easy because Sean Elliott is the greatest player in the history of the program and he also has an argument for being one of the best college players of all time.
His first step made his slashing to the basket nearly unguardable during his four years in Tucson.
Elliott’s unapologetic thundering dunks were a staple in his game. When he left Arizona, he was the highest scoring player in Pac-10 history.
Steve Kerr
Who doesn’t love Steve Kerr? An underdog who continues to impress us year after year.
Kerr may have come to Arizona as a relative unknown, but he left as a favorite son of Tucson.
He is the best three-point shooter in school history, and his Steeeeeve Kerrrrrrrrr chants are still echoing off the McKale Center walls nearly 30 years after he shot his last bucket in the historic arena.
Damon Stoudamire
Smooth is one word that describes Damon Stoudamire’s career at Arizona. Mighty Mouse could handle the ball with the best of them, and he would shoot the lights out with regularity.
If he went through a shooting drought, he would just keep launching shots until one went in.
Many in Stoudamire’s home state of Oregon wanted to keep him close for his college career, but when he made his way to Tucson to play for Lute Olson, Mighty Mouse helped the Cats go a perfect 16-0 over the Ducks and the Beavers.
Jason Terry
Before Jason Terry won NBA Sixth Man of the Year for the Mavericks in 2009, he was the sixth man on the 1997 National Championship Squad.
The knee high socks and sleeping in his uniform the night before games helped turn him into a fan favorite.
It also didn’t hurt that his lanky build made him a stealing machine and when he would get into games he was a spark plug on both ends of the floor.
Salim Stoudamire
Living up to a family name can sometimes be a curse, but when Salim Stoudamire finished at Arizona, he wasn’t just Damon’s little cousin anymore.
Salim had a phenomenal senior season in which he hit game winners over UCLA, Arizona State and Oklahoma State in the Sweet Sixteen.
Salim would put on shooting clinics during games, and he wasn’t shy about throwing down a one-handed dunk every once in a while.
Next: Arizona's Top 5 Games Vs. North Carolina
So who is on your Arizona Basketball, Mount Rushmore? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook or in the comments below! BearDown!