The Arizona Wildcats Basketball program has established itself as an elite basketball program among NCAA Division 1 schools and provided many memorable moments.
Since the very beginning of Arizona Basketball history, winning has been the common dominator. James Fred “Pop” Mckale set the bar high in the beginning and still holds the highest winning percentage among all Wildcat coaches at .803. Then you have Fred Enke who was the second highest performing Wildcat coach, and then there was Fred Snowden, who coached the Cats to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 1976 – making it all the way to the Elite 8.
Then there was Lute Olson, who really put Arizona Wildcat basketball on the map! He was the coach for 25 years and finished with a 589–187 record! Finally, you have the current coach of the Wildcats, Sean Miller. In his eighth season with the Cats, he has a record of 220–66 and has given fans many reasons to be proud.
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All of these wins wouldn’t be possible without some highly talented athletes: Lewis Alcindor Jr., Bob Elliott, Al Fleming, Sean Elliott, Steve Kerr, Khalid Reeves, Damon Stoudamire, Mike Bibby, Derrick Williams and T.J. McConnell just to name a few. Many of these have gone on to have remarkable careers in the NBA. Thirty-eight players since 1989 to be exact! Some have even gone to coach at the next level.
All of this success over the years has brought exciting moments fans cherish: From the 1997 National Championship team, to Elliott breaking the Wildcat scoring record, and to Williams last second block – there were so many to enjoy!
So sit back and relax because it’s time to enjoy some Wildcat basketball memorable moments that were gathered from our Zona Zealots fans and contributors.
No. 10 – 2016-17 Pac-12 Tournament Champions
Bring it! That is what the Wildcats did in their 83-80 win over the Oregon Ducks to claim the Pac-12 Tournament Championship. Allonzo Trier lead the team with 23 points and earn tournament MVP – Zo time!
Resilient would be the best way to describe this season for the Cats. There were ups and downs, injuries, a 19 game player suspension that the team had to deal with – that’s all! Winning the Pac-12 Tournament was a result of all the hard work and confidence the team had in Coach Miller’s system.
The Wildcats had a six-point lead heading into halftime, taking advantage of the absence of Oregon Duck’s shot blocker Chris Boucher (out due to injury). In the second half, the Ducks fought their way back and got as close as 79-77, but Trier hit some key free throws at the end to secure the victory for the Wildcats.
No. 9 – Arizona vs. Duke OT Thriller in 1991
Two great teams were battling it out! In 1991 the Arizona Wildcats faced off against the Duke Blue Devils inside McKale Center. At the time, the Wildcats had a 61-game home winning streak and bragging rights on the line with the overall series between the two teams tied at two.
Head coaches of both teams, Mike Krzyzewski and Lute Olson, had their work cut off for them knowing this was going to be a battle to the end. The likes of Bobby Hurley, Christian Laettner, the late Sean Rooks and Brian Williams (later went by Bison Dele), Chris Mills, Matt Muehlebach, Matt Othick were all part of this classic battle of Division 1 powerhouses. What a lineup!
In the closing seconds of regulation, Matt Othick was able to force a turnover and get the ball to Sean Rooks who tied up the game and sent the game into overtime. Chris Mills had a chance to win it in the first overtime, but it was Matt Muehlebach who led the way in the second overtime to give the Cats the win 103-96.
Boxing had “The Thrilla in Manila,” and Arizona Basketball had a “Thrilla in McKale!”
No. 8 – Gabe York’s Put Back Against Utah
Never give up on the play! That is what Gabe York demonstrated in this video clip.
The Cats were down 57-56 late in the second half against Utah when York stepped to the free throw line. He missed his free throw attempt, but grabbed the rebound, putting it back in to give the Cats the lead. They never looked back after that.
It’s not always about size, but about having the awareness of the situation. York was aware!
No. 7 – Kadeem Allen and Mark Lyons Game Winning Layups
Mark Lyons Game Winner
Nothing is impossible! Down six points with about a minute ago, against top-ranked Florida Gators, the Wildcats turned up the heat! A combination of full-court pressure and turnovers by the Gators gave the Cats a chance to win it at the end.
Kenny Boynton of the Gators missed the front end of a one on one with 21 seconds ago. The Cats were able to grab the rebound, and then IT HAPPENED! Mark Lyons realized he had a miss match with 6 foot 9 Patrick Young guarding him. He drove down the lane in attacking fashion and scored the winning layup off the glass – the crowd went crazy!
What was even more unique about this victory was that earlier in the day the Arizona Wildcat Football team accomplished a similar feat. They came back late to beat New Mexico in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl.
Kadeem Allen Game Winner
Wildcats Senior Kadeem Allen went the distance! With about seven seconds left, Allen went coast to coast and scored the winning layup to give the Cats the lead and the win over the Michigan State Spartans. Not only did he make the game-winning shot, but he also blocked a pass and fell over the scorer table to make sure his team won. He stepped up and showed why he was the leader of the team.
He stepped up and showed why he was the leader of the team.
In an early season, the non-conference matchup between two top 25 schools, the Wildcats proved they could hang with the best. Down 17-2 at the beginning of the game, the Cats fought their way back, which included a 17-0 run. Kobi Simmons and Lauri Markkanen led the team in scoring.
This win foreshadowed great things to come.
No. 6 – Derrick Williams Block to Win the Game
“Rejected by Williams!” There are many great ways to win a game, but to do it on a blocked shot is sweet. In front of a “whiteout” and a nationally televised audience, Derrick Williams rose up to the occasion and blocked the shot attempt by Washington Huskies Darnell Gant with .02 seconds left on the clock!
Even with a wrapped up right hand, due to a previous finger injury, Williams was able to prevent the game-winning shot from even having a chance to go in. NOT IN OUR HOUSE!
The energy level throughout the game was crazy too, and this play took it to a whole another level!
No. 5 – Wildcats Come Back Win at Allen Fieldhouse
There aren’t many places like Allen Fieldhouse, well maybe except for McKale Center. In 2002, the Wildcats were down 20 points and came back to win by 17.
No. 1 ranked Wildcats struggled on offense in the first half, but Salim Stoudamire led the way with 32 points and helped the Wildcats come out victorious over the Kansas Jayhawks.
This win snapped the Jayhawks 25 game home winning streak at the time and proved that the Cats could not be intimated.
No. 4 – Salim Stoudamire Game Winners
Oregon native Salim Stoudamire provided Wildcat fans with two memorable moments. The first one was in 2005 when he hit a game-winning jumper with 2.8 seconds left vs. Oklahoma State (advance to 1:08:53 in the video above to relive this NCAA tournament Wildcat Classic).
This moment highlighted Stoudamire’s touch from the inside, even though he was known for his three-point shooting (where he is second behind Steve Kerr in three-point percentage at 45.8%). You cannot miss this highlight:
The second game-winner came in the 2004-05 season when Stoudamire hit a game-winning three-pointer with 2.5 seconds left – from way downtown! At that time the Wildcats were ranked No. 17 in the country, and UCLA was unranked.
For the majority of the game the Wildcats trailed, but with Stoudamire’s three-point touch he gave the Cats the win. This ended up being one of his 342 three-point field goals that he made as Wildcat – wow!
https://twitter.com/sciguyrosen/status/851315846739668993
No. 3 – Miles Simon Hits a 65-foot Buzzer Beater
Do you believe in miracles? What, is that for real!?” That was the reaction by the commentator after Miles Simon hit a 65 footer at the buzzer, to give the Wildcats a 79-76 win over the Cincinnati Bearcats. At the time, both teams were ranked in the top 25. The Wildcats were no.16, and the Bearcats was No. 5.
The game was close throughout, and the Bearcats had a chance to win the game at the end. They missed a shot with a few seconds left that gave Simon the opportunity to heave it from half court for the win – and it counts!
This moment in Wildcat history was even sweeter since it was Lute Olson’s 500th win.
No. 2 – Sean Elliot Breaks Arizona Wildcat Scoring Record
On February 8th, 1989, Sean Elliott broke the Arizona Wildcat scoring record. He needed 35 points against UCLA to break the mark of 2,326 (currently held at the time by Lew Alcindor or Kareem Abdul Jabbar). Elliot broke the record at the free throw and became the all-time leading scorer in Wildcat history (which you can enjoy at around 0:28 seconds into the video).
Elliott went on to win multiple year-end awards, including the 1989 National Player of the Year. That’s not all – he then went onto the NBA, where he played 12 seasons, was a two-time NBA all-star and helped the San Antonio Spurs won the NBA Championship in 1999.
No. 1 – 1997 National Championship
“Simon says Championship.” Three words that Wildcat fans will never forget. In the 1997 NCAA Tournament, the No. 4 seeded Wildcats did the unthinkable and beat three No.1 seeds, to win the Wildcats their first (and only) National Championship.
The road to the championship began against South Alabama in round one. They were behind late (10-points with about seven minutes to go) and came back to win. In the second round, the Wildcats held on in the closing moments to beat the College of Charleston.
Then in the Sweet 16, they faced No 1. Kansas (who at the time was the best team in the country and had only lost one game during the regular season). The Wildcats took command of the game right from the start, and the Jayhawks did everything they could to stay with the underdog. In the end, the Cats won in a monumental upset 85-82. Next up for the Cats was Providence, who they beat in overtime behind Miles Simon‘s 30 points.
In the national semifinal game, the second No.1 seed the Wildcats faced was North Carolina. Coming off their upset over Kansas, the Cats were not intimated at all. Simon again had a big game with 24 points and helped the Cats earn a spot in the national championship game.
Again the Cats would play the underdog role facing ANOTHER No. 1 seed and defending national champions, Kentucky Wildcats. The game went back and forth, with multiple lead changes and star players for each team leaving it all out there on the court.
Bibby and Simon made some big shots when the team needed it the most. Overtime was needed to decide this one, with the Arizona Wildcats hitting ten clutch free throws (didn’t make a single field goal in overtime) and winning 84-79. Miles Simon was the NCAA tournament MVP.
Bonus Moments
Jamelle Horne Posterizes Kyle Singler
Jamelle Horne took advantage of an opportunity to throw down a “posterizing” dunk over Kyle Singler of the Duke Blue Devils in 2011. The Wildcats ended up blowing out the Devils in the Sweet 16!
https://twitter.com/sciguyrosen/status/851637467220398080
Must Read: More Arizona Basketball from ZZ....
“Hard foul” by Kevin Parrom
Top moments in Wildcat history wouldn’t be complete without an Arizona State Sun Devils highlight. In a 2010 matchup in Tempe, Kevin Parrom chased down Ty Abbott and made him earn the points the hard way.
We hope you enjoyed this trip back in Wildcats history, and we congratulate you for making it through, if you got to end, Bear Down, you are a TRUE Wildcats fan.