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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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Mandatory Credit: Andy Lyons /Allsport
Mandatory Credit: Andy Lyons /Allsport /

Arizona Basketball Greatest Player No. 6 – Damon Stoudamire

Position: Point Guard

Years at Arizona: 1992-1995

College Stats:  15.0 pts, 3.8 reb, 5.4 Ast, 1.4 stl, .1 blk
College Awards and Positions: 

1994 NCAA Tournament All-Region
1995 Consensus All-America (1st Tm)
1995 Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Year
1995 Wooden Award finalist
NCAA Head Coach (University of the Pacific)
NCAA Assistant Coach (Arizona)
11 years as an NCAA Coach

NBA Draft: 1995 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7th overall Selected by the Toronto Raptors
Years in the NBA: 13  

NBA Awards:

1996 NBA Rookie of the Year
1996 NBA All-Rookie 1st Team
1996 NBA Rookie Challenge MVP

Other Awards:

1994 Bronze Goodwill Games
1993 Gold Summer Universidade

The current head basketball coach of the University of the Pacific, Damon Stoudamire was drafted the No. 7 overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors. The 5-foot-10 point guard won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 1996 and then continued to play 13 seasons in the League. His Arizona coach Lute Olson recruited him for years and wasn’t concerned about his size because he was so confident in his abilities.

One of his NBA highlights came against New Orléans on January 14, 2005, when Stoudamire scored 54 points for the Portland Trailblazers.

These days being under six feet seems to be a death sentence in the NBA, but all they need to do is look back on this Wildcats performance to see they may be missing the boat on many players coming out of college.

Damon has two cousins that are also famous, Salim Stoudamire and Terrence Jones (current NBA player) but his fame started in high school ( Woodrow Wilson High School in Portland Oregon) where he led his team to a 74–4 record and won two state championships (1989,1991).

Roommate with Khalid Reeves in college, “Mighty Mouse” had a huge desire to win and that accounts for the following:

  • He led the Wildcats to the Final Four
  • He ranked first on the Wildcats’ all-time list in three-pointers made (272)
  • He ranked second in points scored (1,849)
  • Ranked fourth in assists (663)
  • Scored 40 or more points in two games
  • Conference Player of the Year (only third to have accomplished this honor)

After the NBA, Stoudamire went on to start a coaching career at Rice University, then Memphis University under Josh Pastner and then as an assistant for Sean Miller at Arizona and back to Memphis. His coaching experience includes a stint in the NBA with the Grizzlies with Henry Bibby (Mike Bibby’s father). Now an NCAA Head Coach, Stoudamire seems to be really enjoying himself. You can find him on Twitter as well at @Iambiggie503 ‏posting inspiring quotes and more.

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