Arizona Basketball head coach Sean Miller is coaching his eighth team in Tucson; we thought it was time to take a stab at what a Miller dream team would look like if he could pick from all of his players.
Since Sean Miller took the reigns of a storied program, he has quickly restored the winning tradition left by Coach Lute Olson. Every year, Cats fans have been spoiled with top talent spanning coast to coast. Miller picked up right where Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson left off.
Cats hoops have a long tradition of winning, and NBA draft picks from Luke Walton, Jason Terry, and Mike Bibby during the Lute Olson era. Sean Miller is known for Derrick Williams, TJ McConnell, and Nick Johnson. Let’s break down what Sean Millers perfect lineup would be since taking over.
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You can’t say Arizona basketball and not think “point guard U.” TJ McConnell is the clear choice for all-time point guards in the Miller era. McConnell was the first pass first point guard Sean Miller had at Arizona. The Duquesne transfer was connected to Sean Miller long before his time at Arizona. McConnell led Arizona to two straight Elite Eight appearances both losses coming to Wisconsin.
TJ will always be considered a “legend” in Tucson for his heart and will to win and get his teammates involved. He would take over games when he had to, but his trust in his teammates was critical to the team’s success, averaging six assists a game as a senior.
The other guard to earn All-Time Arizona honors is Nick Johnson. Johnson was a fan favorite since he took the court as a freshman. Nick Johnson was an athletic guard that played outstanding defense and brought tons of energy. He just got better and better entering the draft after his huge junior season. As a junior, Johnson averaged 16 points a game, but it was his big plays and competitiveness that really puts Johnson on Miller’s all-time team.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and his signature “shimmy” is the starting small forward on Miller’s All-Arizona team. Once Rondae got on the court he was a highlight reel with his monstrous dunks, insane defense, and playful personality. Rondae’s real strength for Sean Miller was his ability to defend every position on the floor. He was quick enough to stay with guards, big and long enough to defend forwards and centers with his plus 7-foot wing span.
Next up on Miller’s all-time greats is Freshman Lauri Markkanen. It might be premature to throw him on this list, but you can’t argue he has been a major impact this season for the Wildcats. Miller’s incredible recruiting prowess has extended to Europe by reeling in Markkanen. Lauri wasn’t talked about much in the off-season, but he carried this year’s Arizona team during Allonzo Trier’s absence. Arizona went 17-2 without Trier, and Lauri led the team in every statistic.
“I mean, I would put him up against anybody, not just the freshmen, toe-to-toe. I don’t care if you’re from Finland, Russia, China, Japan, North Dakota, Florida, California, New York City. If you have eyes and you’re watching Arizona play, there aren’t many players who play the way he plays.” Sean Miller on Markkanen
Rounding out Miller’s Fab Five is Wildcat great Derrick Williams (D-Will). Williams was Sean Miller’s first superstar. D-Will came in as a freshman nobody talked about because he wasn’t very highly recruited. Williams was a product of Miller’s knowledge and ability to develop young players. He left UofA as one of the all-time greats.
The game against Kyrie Irving and Duke was one of the best single-game performances in Arizona Basketball history. He had 32 points and 13 rebounds to put Zona past Duke 93-77 on their way to the Elite Eight. D-WIll is Sean Miller’s top success story given that he wasn’t the typical Sean Miller highly recruited player.
There are plenty of names that you can argue should be in the top 5 like Stanley Johnson, Aaron Gordon, or Kaleb Tarczewski. Putting this list together was disappointing at the same time because three of these five players played at the same time and were unable to make it to the final four.
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Take out a few possessions that could have gone either way, and they’d probably have two. With Sean Miller consistently losing players early, this list will continue to change each year because great players continue to come and go every year for the Arizona Wildcats.