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Arizona basketball: 30 Greatest Wildcats of all time

By Shereen Rayan

TUCSON, AZ - SEPTEMBER 22: Former Arizona Wildcats basketball coach Lute Olson waves to fans as he walks with wife Kelly Pugnea during the first half of the college football game against the Utah Utes at Arizona Stadium on September 22, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TUCSON, AZ - SEPTEMBER 22: Former Arizona Wildcats basketball coach Lute Olson waves to fans as he walks with wife Kelly Pugnea during the first half of the college football game against the Utah Utes at Arizona Stadium on September 22, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /

Arizona Basketball Greatest Player No. 20 – TJ McConnell

Position: Point Guard

Years at Arizona: 2013–2015

College Stats: 9.4 pts, 3.7 reb, 5.8 Ast, 1.9 stl, .1 blk

College Awards: 

2015 NCAA Tournament All-Region
2015 AP honorable mention All-American
2015 First-team All-Pac-12
2014 Second-team All-Pac-12
Pac-12 All-Defensive Team 2014, 2015

NBA Draft: Undrafted
Years in the NBA: Four

TJ McConnell, born Timothy John McConnell Jr, has to be this era’s most favorite player and truly exemplified what Point Guard U was all about. McConnell started his college career in Philadelphia, his home state, at Duquesne University.

He transferred to Arizona after his sophomore year and had to sit out a season. He played his final two years for Sean Miller in Tucson as a Wildcat, two of the most fun seasons ever in Wildcats history. McConnell was the ultimate floor general, an extension of Miller on the court.

Not surprising, as the senior team captain at Chartiers Valley High School, McConnell averaged 34.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game.

TJ will forever be remembered as the Wildcat who loved playing for Arizona so much, he kissed the Block /A\ on the Lute and Bobbie Olson Court after coming out of his last game at McKale.

McConnell went undrafted in the 2015 NBA draft, then joined the Philadelphia 76ers for NBA Summer League where he impressed the organization. He is in his third season and is a fan favorite. The media keeps projecting the team will drop McConnell each time they draft or trade for a new guard, but that won’t happen because the fans will scream loudly.

He has taken on Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and other huge NBA Legends and doesn’t back down. He shot a buzzer beater on Carmello Anthony and went wild on the court after making that acrobatic shot.

Wildcats fans love TJ and we had to include him in this list even though his career is just beginning.

Here is Sean Miller bragging about McConnell, “He played for the win every game, he was more concerned with getting the other guys to the NBA than himself.” There is a clear love and admiration between the two in this interview:

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