Arizona Basketball: Top 5 Wildcat Freshmen of All-Time

Arizona Basketball has had many great players come through and wear the red and blue. Time to rank the Top 5 Wildcat Freshmen of All-Time.

Whose the greatest? That’s one of those questions that everyone will have an opinion on. So many factors and variables go into deciding that, no matter what the sport or context of the question may be. The list goes on and on when you start to think about who the greatest Arizona Basketball player may be of all-time. To make things a “little” easier, I’m going to narrow down the Top 5 Wildcat Freshmen off All-Time in this post. Wish me luck!

With the next class of Wildcat freshmen coming in (and hopefully Brandon Williams), it’s a good time to remember and put together a list of the greatest freshmen to have played at Arizona. Now you might be asking yourself, how can you put together a list of the magnitude and have everyone agree on it? The answer to that is, I can’t. But my list is going to be based on several factors including impact each has made to the team, accomplishments they achieved while as a freshman and overall skillset.

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To put into perspective the depth of talented freshmen the Wildcats have had, there have been nine who have gone on to win Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and 29 were named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team. One of those went on to win National Player of the Year, Mike Bibby.  After college, there have been numerous Wildcat freshmen that have gone on to have incredible NBA careers and Deandre Ayton will look to be one those.

It’s time to review the Top 5 Wildcat Freshmen of All-Time. Note: Due to the nature of this list, some may disagree and that’s fine. Let us know what you think and thoughts are on this list.

Starting with No.5…

No.5 Salim Stoudamire

Salim Stoudamire was one of the most prolific three pointer shooters of all time.  At No. 5, he is one of two point guards to make this list. There is a a reason why they call Arizona Point Guard U! With headbands and high socks, Stoudamire had the style and touch. His aggressiveness and mentality of playing with no fear, made him a Wildcat fan favorite.

During his freshman year, he averaged 12.8 points per game, 2.1 rebounds per game and shot 45.3% from three-point range. Under Coach Lute Olson, Stoudamire started in 28 out of 34 games and averaged 30 minutes per game. Plus, he made 73 out of 161 threes and went on to record 342 for his career!

The highlight of his career was during his senior year, when we went on to score 24 points in the second half against UCLA. He finished with 32 points, including this NBA three pointer to give the Wildcats the lead and win!

No.4 Lauri Markkanen

The Finnisher! Lauri Markkanen, set the bar real high as a freshman big man who could do it all. Not many knew about this guy before the season started, but Coach Sean Miller and his coaching staff saw something special in this guy and made the right choice. Markkanen quickly became a Wildcat fan favorite with his work ethic and ability to shoot the ball from all over the court.

Markkanen only stayed one year as a Wildcat, which many knew that would be the case. He averaged 15.6 points per game, 7.2 rebounds per game, shot 42.3% from beyond the arc and had recorded six double doubles. Markkanen started in every game for Coach Sean Miller, including a 30 point performance at home against the Arizona State Sun Devils.

The way Markkanen used his size on both offense and defense made him special. His release on his three-point shot was so fluid, natural and a thing of beauty. Towards the end of the season, he worked more on taking shots inside the paint. But this big man loved shooting those threes and so did Wildcat fans!

For his achievements, he was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team and Pac-12 All first team. Markkanen was also named to several pre-season national awards, including the Karl Malone award for best power forward in college basketball and was a finalist for the John Wooden award. Unfortunately he was not chosen for any individual awards, but that didn’t stop him from taking the next step into the NBA.

Markkanen has gone on to have a remarkable rookie season with the Chicago Bulls. He has set several NBA records for three-point shots made, including the fastest to record 100 three in NBA history!

No.3 Mike Bibby

National Champion! Mike Bibby led the Wildcats to their only National Championship in 1997 by beating three No.1 seeds. His confidence and skillset as a freshman during the championship run was a sight to see! He didn’t let the spotlight or pressure of the moment phase him at all. It seemed as if he had ice in his veins – red and blue ice that is!

A native of Arizona, Bibby played for the Wildcats for two seasons before entering the NBA. His freshman season he averaged 13.5 points per game, 5.2 assists per game and 2.2 steals per game. Bibby started in every game and averaged 32.6 minutes per game.

In the 1996-97 postseason, he averaged 18 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game, 3.3 assists per game and shot 48.6% from three. When the Wildcats needed a big time shot, Bibby was there to knock them down. He also named to the All NCAA Tournament team.

As if it was any surprise, Bibby was named as Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. Pac-10 Player of the Year and to the Pac-10 All First team. Similar to the No.1 Freshmen of All-Time, Bibby racked up the awards (hint, hint).

After his college career, Bibby went on to play 14 seasons in the NBA and also played in Ice Cube’s 3 on 3 league, the BIG3. He then went on to become the head coach of his former high school, Shadow Mountain High School.  That’s what you call going full circle!

No.2 Sean Elliott

Many would say Sean Elliott is not only the greatest freshman to play at Arizona, but the greatest Wildcat of all-time. If it weren’t for the No.1 of all-time chosen on this list, Elliott would be the unanimous choice. Everyone can agree though that he is the greatest scorer of all-time. Records don’t lie! In his junior season he became the all-time leading scorer in Wildcat history.

Elliott played all four seasons at Arizona and won many awards. He played the small forward position, but at times it seemed as if he played more of a shooting guard role. Elliott’s freshman season he averaged 15.6 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game and shot 48.6% from the field.

He was one of those players that could be counted on when the Wildcats needed a bucked. He attacked the rim and shot the ball with such confidence, making him a difficult guard. The impact too that he had while he was on the floor was very apparent. Playing alongside Wildcats great, such as Steve Kerr and Craig McMillan, gave his team three scoring threats to go to.

Elliott was named Freshman of the Year and went on to win back to back Pac-10 Player of the Year his junior and senior season. He was even named National Player of the Year in 1989! He was just recently named to the Class of 2018 Collegiate Hall of Fame.  Elliot success continued in the NBA, where he became of the greats to play for the San Antonio Spurs.

https://twitter.com/DeandreAyton/status/974518681181958144

No. 1 Deandre Ayton

The GREATEST! At the No.1 spot is Deandre Ayton. How not?! What he accomplished during his one and only year as a Wildcat is unprecedented. If you’ve been following my previous articles or tweets about Ayton, this isn’t the first time I have mentioned this. All along, since day one, I have been a HUGE fan of Ayton and what he is capable of.

I was lucky enough to watch him play up close and personal during the Red and Blue game in October. Some of the plays he was making was jaw dropping. Watching this 7-footer run up and down the court was like something I’ve never seen before, EVER!!

He won so many awards this year it’s simply ridiculous. Ayton just received another one, the Karl Malone Award for the best power forward in college basketball:

For those that need a reminder of what he achieved this season, here you go:

• Averaged a double-double for the season. 20.1 points per game and 11.6 rebounds per game.
• Became the all-time leader in Wildcat history for double-doubles in a single season with 24 (previous record was set by Al Fleming with 12)
• Pac-12 Player of the Week, Pac-12 All-Freshman team, Pac-12 All-Defensive Team, Pac-12 All-First Team, Pac-12 Freshman and Player of the Year.

Those reasons and the skillset he brought as a freshman is why he is my choice for All-Time GREATEST Freshman to play at Arizona. The competition he faced each game his much different from when Elliott or any of the other Wildcats greats played. Yes, he was one of those “one and dones”, but he was able to walk the walk and talk the talk. Plus, as an individual, he was able to handle all the adversity and expectations with such maturity.

Relive his career high performance against the USC Trojans in the Pac-12 Tournament Championship game:

Ayton has the whole package. The impact he is going to have in the NBA is going to be immediate. Whether it’s the Phoenix Suns or another team that chooses Ayton (at the No.1 spot of course), he’s going to fill that franchise role. It’s not very often players like Ayton come around. As long as he stays healthy, he will have a long and successful NBA career.

Must Read: Arizona Basketball Recruiting: Four-Star Guard Commits to the Wildcats

Many great Wildcat freshmen have played and will continue to play for the Wildcats. The resume of Arizona Wildcat basketball speaks for itself. Regardless of what happens as of result of the on going FBI investigation, let us not forget the greats that have worn the red and blue. Bear Down!