Arizona assistant coach Jason Gardner first caught the eye of the Wildcats as a high school player growing up in Indianapolis. Gardner saw Arizona win its only National Championship in 1997 in Indianapolis. Arizona and Gardner are back in the Circle City this weekend.
Gardner won Indiana Mr. Basketball in 1999 before signing with Arizona. Gilbert Arenas and Gardner signed with Arizona in the 1999 class. They joined Richard Jefferson, Luke Walton and Michael Wright, who signed with Arizona in the 1998 class.
Gardner spoke with Arizona team reporter McKenzie Hamilton about his experience with Arizona in the Final Four. In 1997, Gardner observed Arizona practice at Indianapolis North Central, his high school. Gardner mentioned Miles Simon, Mike Bibby, Jason Terry and Michael Dickerson, who helped lead Arizona to the 1997 NCAA Championship.
Gardner continued by telling Hamilton that it was an unbelievable experience watching Arizona practice at the 1997 Final Four and playing for the Wildcats two years later. The former Arizona point guard said he thought to ask current head coach Tommy Lloyd about practicing at North Central, but that it did not happen.
Returning to Indianapolis
Gardner is excited to see family, friends and former teammates in Indianapolis. Arizona has to stay in the moment and not worry about who wins the first Final Four game before the Wildcats play Michigan in the National Semifinal on Saturday.
Gardner is among the Arizona career leaders in multiple categories. In four seasons at Arizona from 1999 through 2002, Gardner scored 1,984 points, third in Arizona history, had 622 assists, fourth and 225 steals, third. Gardner is also seventh in a season for scoring,
Arenas, Garner, Jefferson, Walton and Wright, with Wake Forest transfer center Loren Woods, teamed together to lead Arizona as a one seed in the 2000 NCAA Tournament and a run as a two-seed to the 2001 National Championship game as a two seed, where they lost to Duke.