Arizona Basketball: Wildcats dominate the last decade of Pac-12 basketball

The last 10 years of Pac-12 college basketball has been dominated by the one and only Arizona Wildcats. No one even comes close.

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When you think of Pac-12 college basketball, there is one school that comes to most people’s minds, that would be the Arizona Basketball. There are top schools such as UCLA, Oregon and Washington that have done well in the last decade, but the Wildcats have done even better.

“The results speak for themselves.” What the Wildcat basketball program has done is nothing less then remarkable. Winning streaks, regular season conference titles, conference tournament championships, consistent NCAA tournament appearances, players getting drafted in the NBA, the list could go on and on. Now there have been times when this program has had its dark days, but at the end of the day results don’t lie.

Many will probably think that this writer has no idea what he is talking about. That’s will probably be because the Cats haven’t even made it to the Final Four or even won a national championship in the last decade. You’re right, they haven’t. Even taking that into consideration, they still have been the most dominant Pac-12 conference team since 2010, and that can’t be argued. Still, don’t believe me?! Maybe this will change your mind:

Technically the Wildcats won 231 and lost only 59 games in the last 10 years, just sayin’! For the Wildcats to win that many games against the non-conference and conference teams they have played says a lot about the commitment to winning and believing in Coach Sean Miller’s system.

Within this span, they won five regular season titles, three Pac-12 Tournament titles and even had three players that were Pac-12 Player of the Year in DeAndre Ayton, Nick Johnson, and Derrick Williams. No team even comes close to those results. Still, don’t believe?! Let me continue.

Home court advantage. When opponents come to McKale Center, they have their work cut out for them. Not only do they have to worry about the Wildcats, but also the stadium. They know their chances of winning are extremely low and at times they feel like they are already behind before tip-off.

Not done. The Wildcats have had eight players drafted to the NBA since 2010 and possibly could have up to 11 after this year’s NBA Draft. These players just haven’t played, but they know how to win.

Here are the 15 Cats are currently playing in the NBA, NBA G-League and NBA playoffs*:

1. Lauri Markkanen – Chicago Bulls
2. Andre Iguodala* – Golden State Warriors.
3. Kadeem Allen* – Boston Celtics (Two-Way)
4. Kobi Simmons – Memphis Grizzlies (Two-Way)
5. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson – Brooklyn Nets
6. Stanley Johnson – Detroit Pistons
7. T.J. McConnell* – Philadelphia 76ers
8. Aaron Gordon – Orlando Magic
9. Solomon Hill* – New Orléans Pelicans
10. Jarryd Bayless* – Philadelphia 76ers
11. Channing Frye – Los Angeles Lakers
12. Jason Terry* – Milwaukee Bucks
13. Richard Jefferson – Denver Nuggets
14. Nick Johnson – Austin Spurs (MVP of Championship)
15. Chance Comanche – Memphis Hustle (G-League)

In addition, Gabe York, Kaleb Tarczewski, and Kyle Fogg are playing overseas. There are also about seven NBA Coaches including Steve Kerr (Warriors), Luke Walton (Lakers), Miles Simon (Lakers) and Isaiah Fox (South Bay Lakers).

This. Is. Arizona!

If you ever have been to a home Wildcat game you have seen the intro video that plays before the players are introduced. It reminds you of the legacy that is Wildcat basketball. It gets you hyped, it gets you out of your seat and gets you ready to witness the best team in the Pac-12.

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At Zona Zealots, we would like to thank the Arizona Wildcat basketball program for providing many memorable moments over the last 10 years. We look forward to many more. Bear Down!