From 1985 to 2009, the Arizona basketball team reached the NCAA Division I tournament for 25 consecutive years, tied for 3rd longest in NCAA history.[5][6][7] Despite having their 1999 and 2008 appearances later vacated by the NCAA, the media still cites Arizona's streak, and simply notes the changes.[8][9] The Wildcats have reached the Final Four of the NCAA tournament on four occasions (1988, 1994, 1997, and 2001). They have also made two appearances in the National Championship (won over Kentucky Wildcats in 1997, lost to Duke Blue Devils in 2001). In Pac-10 play, former head coach Lute Olson currently holds the record for most wins as a Pac-10 coach with 327.[10] In addition, the team has won 18 Pac-10/12 regular season championship titles and 9 Pac-10/12 tournament championship titles.[10] Arizona also holds the distinction of recording five out of the seven 17–1 Pac-10 seasons (one-loss seasons).[10] In 2022 Arizona became the first team in conference history to win 18 conference games in a season. No team has gone undefeated since the formation of the Pac-10/12.
Arizona ranks eighteenth all-time heading into the 2024–25 season with 1,889 wins and ranks eight by winning percentage at (.657).[11] Arizona has spent 39 weeks at No. 1 in the AP Poll, which is ninth-most all-time; 30 weeks at No. 2, ninth most all-time; 174 weeks in the Top 5, seventh all-time; 345 weeks in the Top 10, sixth all-time; and 607 weeks in the top 25, seventh all-time.[12]
Team history
Early years (1904−1925)
The University of Arizona fielded its first men's basketball team in 1904–05. Orin Albert Kates coached the team and drew opponents from local YMCAs. The first game Arizona played ended in a 40–32 victory over the Morenci YMCA.[13]
In 1914, Arizona's first famous coach, James Fred "Pop" McKale was lured away from a teaching and coaching job at Tucson High School to take over as Athletic Director and coach basketball, football, baseball and track.[13] McKale took things to a new level, posting a 9–0 record his first season as a basketball coach.[13] Moreover, McKale elevated the program to intercollegiate play.[13] While basketball was his least favorite of the many sports he coached while at U of A, he chalked up three undefeated seasons and a career-winning average of .803, which has never been bested by a U of A coach who has held the post for at least three years.[13] The McKale Memorial Center, the main arena for Arizona basketball, is named in his honor.[13]
Fred Enke (1925−61)
Fred Enke in 1960.
From 1925 to 1961, the program was under the stewardship of Fred Enke, U of A's longest-tenured coach.[14] Coach Fred A. Enke was responsible for the early successes of Wildcat basketball. Enke amassed 509 wins in his tenure on the U of A sidelines and still ranks as the second-winningest coach in school history, winning more than 60 percent of his games. Enke also led the Cats to the first four postseason appearances (3 N.I.T./1 NCAA) in school history and in 1950–51 competed in both the N.I.T. and NCAA postseason tournaments. Finally, he was the first coach to lead Arizona to a national ranking. Two of his teams (1950, 1951) finished the season ranked in the top 15.[14]
Under Enke, U of A competed in the now-defunct Border Conference. Under Enke's direction, Arizona won 12 conference championships, including a span in which the Cats won or shared seven consecutive Border Conference titles (1942–51). No Border Conference team won as many league games (231) or overall contests (398) during its membership.[14] In 1962, Arizona joined the Western Athletic Conference as a founding member after the Border Conference disbanded.[14]
Bruce Larson (1961−71)
Bruce Larson, a player and assistant under Enke before coaching at Eastern Arizona and Weber State, coached the Wildcats from 1961 to 1971, leading the school to a 136–148 record. Under his tenure, major planning began[15] for a larger and more modern basketball arena (which would become McKale Center) to replace the outdated Bear Down Gymnasium. Larson would later serve as an analyst on Wildcat football and basketball telecasts during the Lute Olson (and Dick Tomey) era.[16]
Fred Snowden (1973−1982)
In 1972, Fred Snowden was hired as the head basketball coach, making Arizona the second Division I school and the first major program to hire an African American head coach.[17][18] Known as "The Fox", Snowden brought the excitement back to Wildcat basketball during his 10 years on the Arizona sideline, averaging more than 80 points per game in six of his 10 years and topping the 100-point barrier 27 times.[14] Snowden led Arizona to the NCAA tournament twice, in 1976 and 1977, getting as far as the Elite Eight in 1976 before losing to UCLA 82–66, a game after defeating UNLV in a Sweet Sixteen matchup. During the 1976 tournament, he also logged Arizona's first and only tournament wins until Lute Olson's hiring, beating John Thompson'sGeorgetown team 83–76. Snowden's 1976 team also won the school's only WAC championship title on a buzzer-beater by Gilbert Myles verses New Mexico, with the help of the spectacular play of Bob Elliott, Jim Rappis, and Al Fleming. In 1978, Coach Snowden helped transition the basketball program over to the newly formed Pac-10. Snowden could not sustain success in the Pac-10, however, finishing no higher than 4th place in the conference. His 9–18 final season led U of A to look for a replacement.[13]
Known for his high-octane offense and remembered as a trailblazer, Fred "The Fox" Snowden brought excitement to Arizona basketball during his 10-year tenure as the program's head coach. Snowden, who led the Wildcats from 1972 to 1982, was the first African-American head basketball coach at an NCAA Division I institution, amassing a 167–108 mark. The 1973 Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, his career winning percentage of .607 has been topped by only three U of A coaches since 1924. Nicknamed "The Fox" due to his cool demeanor, Snowden led Arizona to three postseason berths, including the 1975 National Commissioners’ Invitational Tournament and the 1976 and 1977 NCAA Tournaments. His best season came in 1976, when the Wildcats went 24–9, won the Western Athletic Conference championship and advanced to the NCAA West Regional Final. The Brewton, Ala., native was the head coach who led Arizona into the Pac-10 in the 1978–79 season, guiding the program for its first four seasons in the Conference. Snowden also oversaw the transition into the McKale Center after its opening in 1973. He was inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in 1988. Prior to his role at Arizona, Snowden was an assistant coach at Michigan. He also served on the coaching staff of his high school, Northwestern High School in Detroit, Mich., where he coached for five years after attending Wayne State University from 1954 to 1958. Snowden died in 1994 at the age of 57.
Athletic Director Dave Strack brought in Ben Lindsey to replace Fred Snowden in 1983, and on the surface, it seemed like a reasonable move. Lindsey had junior college expertise, having had a successful career at Grand Canyon University, where he won two national titles. What resulted, however, was nothing short of disaster. The 1983 team finished with the worst season in school history at 4–24, with only one Pac-10 win.[13]
Lute Olson (1983−2007)
Lute Olson in 2017. Olson had an overall record of 589–187 at Arizona, the 2nd most wins by a coach in Pac-10/12 history
Olson's First class and 1st Final Four
Newly hired U of A Athletic director Cedric Dempsey fired Lindsey after only one season and hired University of Iowa coach Lute Olson as his successor. U of A needed a coach with a history of quickly turning around programs, which Olson had done previously at Iowa. "I knew we had a tremendous amount of work to do", Olson recalled in a recent interview with Tucson Lifestyle. "The program was in shambles at that point, after the terrible year before..."[13]
All-American Sean Elliott won several national college basketball awards and set the school's scoring record while helping lead the Wildcats to the Final Four in 1988.
Under Olson, Arizona quickly rose to national prominence. Arizona won its first Pac-10 title in 1986, only three years after his arrival.[13] That season set up an amazing 1987–88 season, which included taking the Great Alaska Shootout championship, the Valley Bank Fiesta Bowl Classic championship and the Pac-10 championship.[13] Under players Steve Kerr, Kenny Lofton, and Sean Elliott, Arizona spent much of the season ranked No. 1 and made their first (and Olson's second) Final Four.[13] While Arizona lost in the Final Four round, their play put the program on the map and launched Arizona's reign as a perennial Pac-10 and NCAA tournament contender. Sean Elliott was awarded the John R. Wooden Award on the season and would set the PAC-10 scoring record.[13]
The road to a first championship (1997)
In 1997, Arizona defeated the University of Kentucky, the defending national champions, to win the NCAA national championship. Prior to winning the championship in 1997, Arizona stormed back from 10-point deficits in the Southeast Regional First round and Second Round against #13 South Alabama and #12 College of Charleston, respectively winning 65–57 and 73–69. The Southeast Regional semifinal pitted Arizona against overall #1 Kansas (34–1) which had defeated Arizona the year before in the 1996 West Regional semifinal. However, Arizona came out fast and stunned the Jayhawks 85–82, then prevailed in overtime against Providence 96–92 in the Elite Eight to clinch a berth in the Final Four. Arizona then beat #1 seed North Carolina 66–58 in the Final Four, which turned out to be Dean Smith's last game as a coach. Arizona also accomplished the unprecedented feat of beating three number one seeds in the 1997 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. This feat has never been accomplished by another team.
In 1999, all 5 starters were lost to graduation or early entry to the NBA draft and Arizona's hopes of continuing its streak of consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament was in jeopardy until senior point guard Jason Terry (the 6th man the previous two seasons) elevated his game (receiving National Player of the Year honors) and continued the school's amazing streak.
In 2000, former Wildcat Jason Terry, stated that he received approximately $4,500 in cash, checks and wire transfers from New York sports agent Larry Fox, after his junior season.[20] The NCAA announced that as a result a one-game 1999 NCAA tournament appearance was formally vacated. In addition, Arizona asked Terry to repay the $45,363 in forfeited NCAA 1999 tournament revenue and banned him from the U of A Sports Hall of Fame, including a provision that his jersey would not be retired.[21] Terry's jersey was later retired in 2015.[21]
NCAA Finalist (2001)
2001 was one of the most challenging and rewarding years for the program. Lute Olson's wife Bobbi, well known to players and fans alike as a steadfast presence on the sidelines, died of cancer. The team, which had been a preseason pick by many to win the national title had to play without Olson for three weeks while Olson was on bereavement leave. The Cats vowed to dedicate their season to Bobbi. With guard Jason Gardner, center Loren Woods and forward Michael Wright — each an All-American — leading the way, the Cats trounced their opponents, beating Oregon 104–65, devastating USC 105–61, and charging through the Final Four. They took down Eastern Illinois, Butler, Mississippi, Illinois, and Michigan State, only to be stopped by Duke in the title game. While being considered the favorite to win the title, which would have been Coach Olson's 2nd and tied him with Coach Mike Krzyzewski, his opponent, the Blue Devils claimed a ten-point victory in the game. This is the last game Coach Olson ever coached in the Final Four and is considered by fans of the program to be his most bitter defeat. A championship would have vaulted him into hallowed ground among coaches, being one of few with multiple titles. Instead he remains tied with many coaches who have a single championship ring to their name. Meanwhile, his opponent in that game now is in second place among college coaches with five championship rings, behind only John Wooden's ten. All five of Krzyzewski's titles came in the 64 team field era; Wooden none. Still Coach Olson earned the respect of his contemporary, Coach K said in the post-game interview that "Arizona had a great team and an amazing season and was worthy of winning the championship, let's give a hand to Coach Olson and his team." The comment drew rousing applause from the audience in attendance and made Coach Olson proud, even in defeat, to be honored as an equal by Coach Krzyzewski who many claim is the best coach in college history.
Later years and Further NCAA sanctions under Olson (2002−2008)
In his later years at U of A, Olson fielded competitive teams with extremely talented point guards. Continuing the reputation and nickname "Point Guard U,"[4] recent standouts include Jason Gardner, Salim Stoudamire, Mustafa Shakur, Jerryd Bayless and Nic Wise. Arizona would win Olson's last Pac-10 title during the 2004–2005 season under the spectacular play of seniors Salim Stoudamire and center Channing Frye. That team also made it to the Elite 8 and the verge of the Final Four before blowing a 15-point lead with four minutes to play and losing in overtime, 90–89, to the No. 1 seed and eventual national runner-up, University of Illinois.[22]
Olson took an unexplained leave of absence at the beginning of the 2007–2008 season. Assistant coach Kevin O'Neill took over interim head coaching duties for the Arizona Wildcats. At that time, Olson announced that he intended to be back for the 2008–09 season and finish out his contract, which was scheduled to end in 2011.[23] His departure was criticized by some members of the media. They also questioned how he and the U of A athletic department handled his return and the verbal succession agreement with coach O'Neill.[24] However, on October 23, 2008, he unexpectedly announced his retirement from the program (by way of an announcement from Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood).[25] A few days later, Olson's personal physician held a press conference and explained that the retirement was strongly advised due to health concerns.[26][27]
After Lute Olson's abrupt retirement, Arizona Athletic Director Jim Livengood appointed assistant coach Russ Pennell as the interim head coach for the 2008–2009 season 23 days before the start of the season.[28] The appointment came after Mike Dunlap, the associate head coach brought in to replace Kevin O'Neill, turned down the job. Under Pennell, the Cats finished 19–13 in the regular season, including a non-conference win over Kansas and a 7-game win streak with wins over UCLA and Washington. Despite a 19–13 finish to the season, Arizona was controversially selected as one of the last teams into the field of 65 as a 12th seed in the Midwest region, extending its NCAA consecutive tournament appearances to 25 years.[29] The Cats made it to the Sweet 16 (regional semi-finals) with wins over 5-seed Utah and 13-seed Cleveland State, before falling to overall 1-seed, Louisville.[30] Despite Pennell's post-season success, he was not retained, as Arizona announced before his hiring they would hold a national coaching search after the season ended.[30] (On April 9, 2009, Pennell was hired as head coach of the men's basketball team at Division II Grand Canyon University, a member of the Pacific West Conference.)
Following Olson's retirement, reports of NCAA violations arose regarding payment of impermissible benefits to players and recruiting violations. In response, Arizona self-imposed sanctions that included a reduction in the number of recruiting visits by coaches and prospective players, the disbanding of a booster group, and implementation of a series of administrative and rules changes to prevent further violations.[31] The NCAA upheld most of those self-imposed sanctions but determined the school had used two ineligible players in 2007-08 and would have to vacate all wins involving those players and eliminate their statistics.[32] The NCAA reduced the number of scholarships and visits with recruits Arizona was allowed to make.[33] The NCAA found that Olson failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance at the university but decided against sanctioning the coach because he was retired and had health issues. "I think that was my fault," Olson said during a 2008 interview with ESPN.com. "That wasn't anyone else's fault. It was my error and it was a big error. But I guess in 26 years you are allowed to make a mistake once in a while anyway and that's not to say I haven't made a lot of them but in terms of that, that was a big mistake on my part."[34]
Sean Miller (2009−2021)
Sean Miller at Arizona
After the end of the season, various coaching names were considered to succeed Lute Olson on a permanent basis. Arizona was perceived to have interest in Gonzaga's Mark Few, Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon and then-Memphis coach John Calipari (before he accepted the vacant position at Kentucky) to take the job. Arizona even brought USC's Tim Floyd on campus for an interview and while Arizona claims no formal offer was ever presented, Floyd ultimately turned down the job publicly.
First season (2009−10)
Arizona hired Sean Miller from Xavier University to fill the head coaching position. He initially turned the job down before changing his mind and accepting the job on Apr. 6, 2009 despite having never visited the Arizona campus.[34] Miller was formally introduced as the 13th head men's basketball coach at Arizona at a press conference on April 7, 2009, at McKale Center.[35] At the press conference, Miller acknowledged Lute Olson's impact on the Arizona program by addressing Olson personally: "One of the reasons I sit here today is because of the great legacy you built."[36] Miller also promised U of A fans that they would enjoy the style of both offense and defense he would bring to Wildcat basketball. Miller's salary is $1.6 million per year; he will receive an additional $400,000 per season from Nike and media contracts during a five-year deal, as well as a $1 million signing bonus and other amenities such as season tickets to other Wildcat sporting events and the use of a private jet.[36] Within three months of joining the program, Miller compiled a strong five-player recruiting class that ranked 13th nationally in 2009.[37] After going 16–15 and missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in 25 years during Miller's initial 2009–10 campaign.
In his second season as the head coach at Arizona, the Cats finished the season with 30–8, 14–4 Pac-12 play, behind the play of sophomore Pac-10 Player of the YearDerrick Williams.[38] It would be the Wildcats' first outright Pac-10 regular season title (its 12th overall), 4th 30+ win season (1st overall) and Elite Eight appearance (8th overall) since the 2004–2005 season. In addition, Miller led the Wildcats to their first unbeaten home record (17–0) in 14 years and was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year. This was the first time an Arizona coach received this honor since Lute Olson in 2003. The 17 wins without a loss at home is tied for the second-most in school history.[39] Miller would add to the season's success by guiding the Cats to their first Elite Eight appearance since the 2004–2005 Season as a 5-seed. In the second round, Arizona secured a 2-point victory over 12th seeded Memphis (coached by former Wildcat (and member of the 1997 national title team) Josh Pastner) with a blocked shot in the final seconds by Derrick Williams. Arizona would follow with another close game—a controversial one-point win against 4-seed Texas.[40] In the Sweet-16 match-up, Arizona found itself pitted against top-seeded Duke, the first time since the 2001 title game that the two schools had met.[41] Duke would extend an early lead, but 25 points from Derrick Williams kept the Cats in the game and down by 6 points at the half.[41] In the second half, Williams' teammates picked up the slack, dominating the Blue Devils by scoring 55 second-half points and routing the defending champs 93–77.[41] Arizona's run at the Final Four would fall 2 points short, losing to 3-seed (and eventual national champion) Connecticut 65–63.
For his third season, Arizona's 2011 recruiting class was ranked 7th, notably signing Nick Johnson and Josiah Turner. Arizona secured three players in the top nine of the ESPNU 100, with all four newly signed players within the top 36. This has cemented Arizona as the No. 1 signing class nationally, surpassing Kentucky who held the No. 1 spot 2010 and 2011.[42][43][44] The Wildcats missed the postseason for the second time, reached to the NIT Tournament before falling to Bucknell to finish the season 23–12 overall, 12–6 in Pac-12.
In his fourth season, Miller guided to its second top-5 ranking in the AP poll (the first coming in weeks 7–10 of the 2012–2013 season[45]), Arizona reached the Sweet 16 in 2013 falling to Ohio State, finished the season with 27–8, 12–6 in Pac-12.
In his fifth season with the most talent Coach Miller has had since arriving in Tucson. On December 9, 2013, Arizona became the #1 ranked Team in the Country for the 6th time in school history, after a 9–0 start with wins over traditional national powerhouses Duke and UNLV. The Wildcats followed this up by securing a key come-from-behind victory on the road at Michigan on December 14 and led the Wildcats to their second outright Pac-12 Regular Season Title (its 13th overall, 26th regular season overall) in Sean Miller's fifth year as the head coach. Arizona reached the second unbeaten home record at (18–0), Coach Miller again named the second Pac-10/12 coach of the year, 5th 30+ wins season (2nd overall), 2nd Elite Eight appearance (9th overall) in 2014. But in the 2014 NCAA tournament, the Wildcats would fall to Wisconsin in overtime, they finish the season with 33–5, 15–3 in Pac-12.
In his sixth season as the Arizona Wildcats basketball head coach, after Gonzaga's home loss to BYU on February 28, 2015, Arizona claimed the longest active home winning streak in D-I men's college basketball (38th home win at 2nd all-time, 82nd home win at 5th all-time). Arizona defeated #13 Utah in Salt Lake City the same day, winning its share of the Pac-12 regular season title. After three losses to Pac-12 archrival Arizona State, Oregon State and UNLV, Arizona won their third Pac-12 regular season championship title (2nd straight year, its 14th overall, 27th overall). Arizona reached the third unbeaten home record at (17–0). The Wildcats completes their sixth ever 30+ win (3rd overall) and won their first Pac-12 Tournament title (5th overall) since 2002. In the 2015 NCAA tournament, the Wildcats fell to the Wisconsin Badgers in Elite Eight, 85–78, and finished the season 34–4, 16–2 in the Pac-12.[46]
In his seventh season, they finished the season 25–9, 12–6 in Pac-12 play to tie with California for third place. They defeated Colorado in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament to advance to the semifinals where they lost to Oregon. In the 2016 NCAA Tournament, as a 6-seed in the South Region. They lost in the first round to Wichita State.
In his eighth season at U of A, AP polls & 81-straight coaches polls. The 97-consecutive weeks in the AP poll is currently the second-longest streak in the nation behind Kansas at 161 weeks.[1] They have been ranked every week in the 2016–2017 season, bringing those totals to 97 weeks for the AP & 100 weeks for the coaches poll. Arizona won its first 10 conference games, the best start since the '97-'98 season when they started 16–0. They finished the season at seventh ever 30+ wins with 32–5, tied at 16–2 with Oregon in Pac-12 play for first place to win their 3rd Pac-12 regular season championship title for the 15th time (28th overall). The Wildcats entered the Pac-12 Tournament as a 2-seed, the Wildcats defeated 7-seed Colorado in the quarterfinals, 3-seed UCLA in the semifinals and 1-seed Oregon in the championship game, Wildcats won their 2nd Pac-12 Tournament championship title for the 6th time. In the 2017 NCAA Tournament, as a 2-seed in the West regional, Arizona defeated the 15-seed North Dakota 100–82 in the first round, 7-seed Saint Mary's 69–60 in the second round and losing to Xavier 71–73 in the Sweet Sixteen.
Later seasons, 2021 Post-season ban, 2017−2018 NCAA sanctions under Miller (2018−2021)
As Miller's ninth season as the head coach at Arizona was about to get underway, federal prosecutors announced, on September 26, 2017, bribery, soliciting a bribe and wire fraud charges against assistant coach Emanuel "Book" Richardson as part of a far-reaching, college basketball-wide scandal.[47] Perhaps in part due to the ongoing scandal, the Wildcats ranked No. 2 in the country at one point, lost three games at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.[48][49] Arizona would eventually fire Richardson for his role in the scandal and the team would recover to lead the Pac 12 for the majority of the season.[50] On February 24, 2018, Associate head coach Lorenzo Romar was temporarily named head coach after news broke the previous day that Miller had been caught on an FBI wiretap offering to pay players to come to Arizona.[51][52] On March 1, Miller held a joint press conference with the university denying all allegations and stating he would be retained as men's head basketball coach. That same night, the Wildcats won their 29th regular season conference title, 16th in the Pac-12, and secured the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament by defeating Stanford 75–67. On March 10, Arizona defeated USC to win a record seventh conference tournament title. As a result, the Wildcats received an automatic bid to their sixth straight NCAA tournament (35th NCAA tournament appearance, 12th all time) as the No. 4 seed in the South regional. The Wildcats, a trendy pick to make the Final Four and win the championship were blown out in the first round by No. 13 seed Buffalo, losing 89–68.[53]
2018–2019 marked the tenth season for Sean Miller as the Arizona Wildcats head coach. Arizona replaced all 5 starting players, 3 via the NBA draft. After a victory against UTEP, Miller recorded his 250th win for Arizona (370th win overall), in only 324 games, which was the 5th fastest of any coach at any Division 1 program all-time.[54] On January 5, 2019, Arizona won its 600th game in the McKale center with an 84–81 overtime victory over Utah.[55] Arizona became the first Pac-12 team to achieve 100 wins against conference opponents since the conference expanded to 12 teams before the 2011 season, after defeating Stanford 75−70 Jan. 9, 2019.[56] The Wildcats would go on to finish the season in Pac-12 play 8–10, 9th place overall & lose their first round Pac-12 Tournament match up against USC, 65−78.[57] They would end the season with an overall record of 17–15 & decline an invitation to the CBI.
2019–2020 marked the eleventh season for Sean Miller as the Arizona Wildcats head coach. Despite again losing all 5 starting players, Arizona would bring in the 6th overall best recruiting class & ranked pre-season 21st by the AP Poll.[58][59] Arizona would open the season 9–0, capped off by winning the Wooden Legacy tournament located in Anaheim, California led by tournament MVP Nico Mannion & defeated Wake Forest 73–66.[60] Arizona finished non-conference play ranked 16th with an overall record of 10–3. On February 1, 2020, Miller would win his 400th overall game of his career in a 75−70 over USC to move their record to 16–6 & 6–3 in conference play.[61] They would defeat Stanford in Maples Pavilion for the conferences longest active streak 20th time, 69–60.[62] Arizona would finish the regular season with an overall record of 20–11 & 10–8 in conference play, which was good for 5th. The Wildcats would face 12 seed Washington in their first-round match up & win 77–70, to set up a second-round matchup versus 4 seed USC.[63] The season would end due to the COVID-19 Pandemic which shut down sports globally & end the 2019–20 season.[64] Arizona would have an overall record 21–11 & were a projected 7 seed but could have moved higher pending the remainder of the Pac-12 tournament.[65]
In 2020–21, Arizona would begin its twelfth season under Head Coach Sean Miller. The Pac-12 announced before the season started that schools would not allow for fans to be in attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[66] Also due to travel restrictions, financial impact & COVID-19 testing, Arizona was forced to cancel non-conference match ups against pre-season top 5 teams, Gonzaga & Illinois,[67] as well as cancel their appearance in the 2020 NIT Season Tip-Off[68] in Brooklyn against top 15 ranked Texas Tech, Cincinnati & St. John's. In total Arizona would have 14 games cancelled, postponed or rescheduled but none of which were due to COVID-19 issues within the Arizona Wildcat program.
This season also marked the introduction of expanded Pac-12 play with each team adding two games, one home & one road, during the months of November & December for a total of 20 with the Wildcats adding games at home against Colorado & on the road against Stanford.[69] Arizona again would replace the entire starting 5 for a third straight season but bring in another top 10 recruiting class, 7th overall led by six international players from Canada, Estonia, France, Lithuania & Turkey, as well as the United States.[70] Arizona would finish non-conference play with an overall record of 6–0 against its opponents. Arizona would lose its opening Pac-12 game against Stanford 75–78 which would snap the Wildcats' 20-game winning streak against the Cardinal.[71]
Following 88–74 victory over Colorado, the Wildcats' announced a Self-Imposed one-year postseason ban, which included the 2021 Pac-12 tournament.[72]
On February 20, Sean Miller would win his 300th game at Arizona in only his 408th, 3rd fastest for any coach at any Pac-12 school by defeating the #17 USC Trojans by a score of 81–72.[73] During the halftime of match up against Washington, Arizona would induct former players Ernie McCray (1958–60) & Al Fleming (1972–76) as the 26th & 27th members of the program's Ring of Honor.[74] Arizona would end the season with an overall record of 17–9 overall and finish 5th in the conference at 11–9 but because of their self-imposed ban would not participate in the conference tournament. Many bracketologists stated that Arizona would have been an NCAA tournament team if not for the self-imposed ban.[75]
In March 2021, a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA, originally issued in October 2020 at the conclusion of the NCAA's initial investigation, was released to the media by the university after a lawsuit was filed by ESPN; the school received five Level I violations, considered the NCAA's most serious, one specifically against Miller for failing to monitor his assistant coaches accused of academic misconduct and other rules violations. None of the allegations included anything regarding former player Deandre Ayton.[76]
On April 7, 2021, Arizona fired Sean Miller after 12 years.[77] Miller at the time had finished his coaching career with an overall record of 302–109, five regular–season Pac-12 championships, three conference tournament titles & seven NCAA appearances.[78] His 302 wins were the 3rd most in school history. The NCAA along with the IARP would vacate 32 wins from the 2016–17 season and 18 wins from the 2017–18 season, for a total of 50 wins. It would bring his all-time record to 252–109 and his 252 wins would remain the 3rd most in school history.[79]
Tommy Lloyd (2021−present)
Tommy Lloyd coaching a game at Arizona.
After the university decided to part ways with Sean Miller, various coaching names were considered to succeed him on a permanent basis. Three former Wildcats who played under Lute Olson – Damon Stoudamire (head coach at the University of the Pacific), Miles Simon (assistant for the Los Angeles Lakers), and Josh Pastner (head coach at Georgia Tech), as well as Arkansas' Eric Musselman, were under speculation to take the job.[80] On April 14, 2021, it was announced that Tommy Lloyd, the longtime top assistant coach at Gonzaga under Mark Few, would become the 18th head coach of Arizona men's basketball. Both Lloyd and Few have been heavily influenced by the European style of basketball (and a focus on recruiting international players), as well as the uptempo, player-focused offense as implemented at Arizona under Lute Olson.[81] A formal press conference was held at McKale Center on April 15 to introduce Lloyd as the head coach.[82][83][84] Coach Lloyd got his first victory as a head coach versus the Wildcats' in-state rival Northern Arizona 81–52. His 29-point victory versus NAU was the second largest margin in a coach's debut in school history & largest since 1915.[85] He would win his first Pac-12 game on December 12, 2021, against Oregon State, 90–65.[86] Coach Lloyd & Arizona would go on to lose their first game of his career & season in Knoxville, 73–77 against no. 19 Tennessee.[87]
The Wildcats would finish the regular season undefeated on their home court at McKale Center for the 2021–22 campaign, one of only five programs in the nation to do so.[88] The Wildcats would be led by sophomore guards Bennedict Mathurin, Kerr Kriisa and Dalen Terry, as well as junior center Christian Koloko and sophomore forward Ąžuolas Tubelis. Coach Lloyd & the Wildcats would win their 1st regular season conference title under Lloyd & 17th overall as a program with a 91–71 road win over USC. In the season finale Arizona would defeat California 89–61, becoming the first program & coach to win 18 conference games in the Pac-12 in one season. Arizona clinched the top seed in the 2022 Pac-12 tournament; they would go on to defeat No. 9 seed Stanford 84–80,[89] No. 4 seed Colorado 82–72[90] & No. 2 seed (No. 16 in the AP poll) UCLA 84–76 to win their 8th overall conference tournament title & Coach Tommy Lloyd's 1st.[91] Following the end of the Pac-12 season Lloyd was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year.[92] Arizona finished the Pac-12 portion of the season with a 31–3 record, earning a number 2 ranking in both the AP & coaches poll. Following the Pac-12 tournament title win, Arizona was selected as the second overall number 1 seed in the South Regional of the 2022 March Madness Tournament where they would go on to play 16 seed Wright State in their first round matchup. Arizona reached its 20th "Sweet 16" by defeating TCU in overtime 85–80.[93] The Wildcats' season would end with a Sweet 16 loss to Houston 72–60.[94] Lloyd was named as a finalists for the Naismith Award.[95] Following the end of the season Coach Lloyd won the AP Coach of the Year, NABC Coach of the Year & USBWA Coach of the Year.[96][97]
Arizona would begin the 2022–23 Season by winning the 2022 Maui Invitational Tournament by defeating Cincinnati, No. 17 San Diego State, No. 10 Creighton as well as non-conference games against No. 14 Indiana in the Las Vegas Clash & No. 6 Tennessee in McKale. Arizona & Coach Lloyd would end the non-conference part of the schedule with a record of 12–0. Lloyd would become the fastest coach to 50 wins, doing so in 57 games, with a 58–52 win over their rival No. 5 UCLA, it was Arizona's 5th win over a ranked team during the season.[98] Arizona would end the season losing to their rival in Los Angeles, 73–82, giving them an overall record of 25–6 & 14–6 in conference play. They would enter postseason play ranked No. 8 overall & the No. 2 in the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas. Arizona defeated No. 10 seed Stanford Cardinal 95–84, which was his 59th career win, the most of any head coach to start their coaching career.[99] Arizona defeated Arizona State in the Semifinals, 78–59. Arizona then defeated rivals UCLA 61–59 to win Arizona's ninth conference tournament title overall, and the second title in a row. Arizona earned a No. 2 seed in the South Region of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, with a first round match up against Ivy League Champion and No. 15 seed Princeton. Arizona was upset 55–59, ending their season with an overall record of 28–7.
Arizona began the 3rd season under Lloyd ranked No. 12 in the preseason AP Poll. They had several non-conference match ups against ranked opponents defeating No. 2 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium 78–73, No. 21 Michigan State 74–68, No. 21 Wisconsin 98–73, suffered defeats against No. 3 Purdue 84–92 and No. 14 Florida Atlantic 95–96. The Wildcats entered Pac-12 play with a 9–2 record and were ranked No. 4 in the country but suffered their first conference loss on the road against unranked Stanford 82–100. Arizona would go on to sweep the season series against rivals Arizona State and UCLA, finish the regular season with a record of 24–7(15–5) to win their 18th Pac-12 regular season title. Caleb Love won the schools 11th overall Pac-12 Player of the Year and was named second and third team all-American. Arizona lost their semifinal matchup in the Pac-12 tournament against eventual winners Oregon 59–67. Arizona earned a second straight No. 2 seed in the West Region of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, with a first round matchup against Big West Champion and No. 15 seed Long Beach State. Arizona defeated Long Beach 85–66 in the round of 64, defeated No. 7 Dayton 78–68 to reach their second Sweet Sixteen in three years but lost to No. 6 Clemson 72–77 ending their season with an overall record of 27–9. Coach Lloyd was one win shy of tying Brad Stevens record of 89 wins in a head coaches first three years as head coach. This would also mark Arizona's 50th and final season as members of the Pac-12 Conference, as they will move to the Big 12 Conference to start the 2024-25 season.
National championPostseason invitational champion Conference regular season championConference regular season and conference tournament champion Division regular season championDivision regular season and conference tournament champion Conference tournament champion
Since Arizona State became a University on December 5, 1958, Arizona leads ASU 81–58. Since both schools joined the Pac-10 conference in the 1978–79 season Arizona leads ASU 67–30. Since Lute Olson took over as head coach for the 1983–84 season Arizona leads ASU 65–20. Sean Miller took over for the 2009–2010 season Arizona & finished with a 17–7 record against ASU. Tommy Lloyd is 6–1 all time versus ASU.
The most recent matchup came in Tempe, AZ on February 28, 2024, with Arizona winning 85–67. The largest margin of victory between the two teams occurred on February 17, 2024, with Arizona winning 105-60. Arizona leads the all-time series with 161–87.
Since then, the two schools competed for the Pac-10 (now Pac-12) Championship every year, with the two teams winning 24 out of the 32 conference titles, and 9 of 18 conference tournament titles. Arizona clinched their first conference title in 1986, when they won on the road at UCLA in Olson's third season.[100][101] The UCLA-Arizona basketball rivalry is still seen as the match up of the two premier teams in the conference.[102] Also, the performance of the two schools influences the national opinion of the conference. California Coach Mike Montgomery has stated, "...If those two are not good, the conference is not perceived as being good. People don't give credit to the schools across the board in the league." Since the mid-1980s, Arizona has also had a basketball rivalry with UCLA, as the two schools competed for the Pac-10 Championship every year. Since 1985 the two teams have combined to win 26 out of the 36 conference titles. The UCLA-Arizona basketball rivalry still is seen as the match up of the two premier teams in the conference. Also, the performance of the two schools influences the national opinion of the conference.[103]
The most recent matchup came March 7, 2024, where Arizona beat UCLA 88–66. Arizona Wildcats trailed the all-time series lead by UCLA with 63–50.
The Wildcats have had 18 coaches in their 116-year history. To date, one Wildcats’ coach has won the National Coach-of-the-Year award: Lute Olson twice, in 1988 and 1990. Additionally, 3 Wildcats coaches have been named Pac-12 Conference Coach-of-the-Year: Lute Olson in 1986, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1998 and 2003, Sean Miller in 2011, 2014, and 2017, and Tommy Lloyd in 2022.
Wildcats inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Coaches
Lute Olson (2002)
Wildcats in the Olympics
Their has been five Arizona Wildcats men's basketball players that have represented three different countries six total times in basketball in the Summer Olympics:
The following Arizona Wildcats men's basketball players and coaches have represented their country in basketball in international competition (excluding Olympics):
14 different NBA championships have been won by 15 Wildcats players. Since the NBA draft was shortened to two rounds in 1989, 46 Arizona players have been selected. Former Wildcats have had successful NBA careers, totaling over $1.7 billion in total contracts through the 2023–2024 NBA season[14] Former Wildcat players have been drafted by every current NBA Franchise except the New Orleans Pelicans and the Utah Jazz.
A total of 33 NBA championships have been won by 15 former Wildcats, consisting of 15 different finals years (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2023). 7 of the last 9 championship teams have had a former Wildcat as a player and/or coaching staff member on the team.
Former Wildcats have played in 21 of the last 28 finals, including the last 9 starting in 2015 and have coached in 7 of the last 9 finals.
The individual honors, awards, and accomplishments listed in the succeeding subsections are aggregated by player in the following table. Players with only all-conference honors (other than conference player of the year), lower than first-team All-America honors, or later than second-round draft positions are not included.
5x NBA champion as Player, 4x NBA champion as Coach, 4-time NBA 3 Point Contest participant & 1-time winner(1997), 2016 NBA Coach of the Year, NBA All-Star Game Head Coach (2015 & 2017), All-time leader in 3 Point FG%, Most Single Season Wins by a Coach (73 Wins), 1st All-time leader in Coaching Post Season Win%(.707), Highest Single Post Season Win% (.933), 7th All-time leader in Coaching Post Season Wins (99), T-3rd All-time leader in Coaching Post Season Conference Title Games (6), 6th All-time leader in Coaching NBA Finals Wins (4), Head Coach of Team USA Basketball
Arizona has had 32 All-American All-Americans selections. Arizona has 7 players selected as Consensus First Team All-Americans 8 times. They have also had 6 players selected as Consensus Second Team All-Americans. 14 Arizona players have received AP All-America honorable mention.[14]
The following 30 McDonald's All-Americans listed below have signed with Arizona. An asterisk, "*", Indicates player did not finish his college career at Arizona. A cross, "†", indicates player did not begin his college career at Arizona.
Arizona has had 86 All-Conference selections, which is 6th most among Pac-12 Schools. The following is a list of Arizona Wildcats men's basketball players that were named first, second or third team All Pac-12:
Arizona has had 33 All-Freshman selections(*One selection vacated due to NCAA penalty, revised total is 32), which is 2nd most among Pac-12 Schools. The following is a list of Arizona Wildcats men's basketball players that were named All Pac-12 Freshman team:
Arizona has had 11 All-Defense selections, which is 2nd most among Pac-12 Schools. Arizona has also had 3 Newcomer selections, which is tied for 8th among the Pac-12. The following is a list of Arizona Wildcats men's basketball players that were named All Pac-12 Defense or Newcomer:
‡ indicates player was Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year
Player
Pac-12 All Newcomer
Ben Davis Jr.
1995
Bennett Davison Jr.
1997
Loren Woods‡
2000
‡ indicates player was Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year
Pac-12 All-Academic Team
Arizona has had 14 All-Academic, which is 8th most among Pac-12 Schools. The following is a list of Arizona Wildcats men's basketball players that were named All Pac-12 All-Academic team:[105]
Player
Pac-12 All-Academic Team
Steve Kerr
1986
Steve Kerr (2)
1988
Matt Muehlebach
1989
Matt Muehlebach (2)
1990
Matt Muehlebach (3)
1991
Kevin Flanagan
1994
Eugene Edgerson
2001
Jason Ranne‡
2004
Andre Iguodala^
2004
Brett Brielmaier‡
2004
Chase Jeter‡
2019
Stone Gettings‡
2020
Jordan Mains
2022
Pelle Larsson
2024
Notes
‡ indicates player was Pac-12 All-Academic First Team Selection
^ indicates player was Pac-12 All-Academic Second Team
A total of 35 Wildcats have or will earn entry into McKale Center's Ring of Honor, the display of names that begins in the southeast corner of the building's rafters. In order to join this elite group, players must meet at least one of the following six criteria[107]: 1.) First-team All-America recognition by one or more of the major national organizations or media; 2.) Major national “player of distinction,” i.e. the Wooden Award or other honor of significance; 3.) Pac-12 Player of the Year or Pac-12 Freshman of the Year; 4.) Arizona career leader in three or more major positive career categories at the conclusion of his collegiate career and must hold the career record for a minimum of five years (excluding single-game records); 5.) 10+ years in the United States Major Professional Leagues of the NFL, NBA, WNBA and MLB and/or been selected as an All-Star/All Pro by the official league; 6.) Olympic medalist
The NCAA began seeding the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament with the 1979 edition.[110] The 64-team field started in 1985, which guaranteed that a championship team had to win six games.[111]
The Wildcats have a record is 60–37 (.619). They were NCAA National Champions in 1997, is the only team to date to beat three #1 seeds to win the national championship.[112]
Appearances are grouped by the number of teams in the bracket. Round names are based on what round names were at the time of the tournament, not the present names. The term "Elite eight" began in 1956, "Final four" began in 1975, and "Sweet Sixteen" began in 1988.
Arizona is second No. 2 seed to ever lose a first-round game, losing 64–61 to No. 15 seed Santa Clara, led by future NBA star Steve Nash in 1993.[113] Thirty years later in 2023, the Wildcats losing 59−55 to No. 15 seed Princeton.
*Following the introduction of the First Four round in 2011, the Round of 64 and Round of 32 were referred to as the Second Round and Third Round, respectively, from 2011 to 2015, then from 2016 moving forward, the Round 64 and Round of 32 will be called the First and Second rounds.
†† – As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 NCAA tournament was cancelled.
Record by round
Round
Record
Most recent appearances
First Four
N/A*
N/A*
Round of 64
21–15
2024
Round of 32
19–3
2024
Sweet 16
8–9
2024
Elite 8
4–5
2015
Final Four
2–2
2001
National Championship
1–1
2001
*Since its inception in 2011, Arizona has not participated in the First Four
Though the automatic berth in the NCAA tournament is given to the conference tournament winner, the Pac–12 declares the team with the best record in the regular season the "official" conference champion. National championships
U of A has won the Pac-10/12 Tournament a record nine times (two appearances in 2017 and 2018 were later vacated by the NCAA, 7 total), including three straight times from 1988 to 1990. Source: 2023–24 Arizona Wildcats Media Guide[14]
† – All NCAA tournament wins in 1999, 2008, 2017, and 2018 were vacated by the NCAA in its March 2015 report of Infractions on its athletics department by the NCAA making their official record of 53–36 (.596) due to 2017–18 NCAA men's basketball corruption scandal. The players involved in the scandal played in every game in the 2016–17 & 23 games in the 2017–18 season, resulting in a 9–8 record.[114][115][116]
Note ‡ indicates player was also Conference record holder
Team season records
Statistic
Player
Total (Season)
Points
Khalid Reeves
848 (1993–94')
Scoring Average
Khalid Reeves
24.2 PPG (1993–94')
Field Goals
Khalid Reeves Deandre Ayton
276 (1993–94') (2017–18')
Field Goal Attempts:
Khalid Reeves
572 (1993–94')
Field Goal Percentage
Al Fleming
.667 (1973–74')
3-Point Field Goals
Salim Stoudamire ‡
120 (2004-05')
3-Point Field Goal Attempts
Jason Gardner
276 (2001-02')
3-Point Field Goal Percentage
Steve Kerr ‡
.573 (1987–88')
Free Throws
Derrick Williams
247 (2010-11')
Free Throw Attempts
Derrick Williams ‡
331 (2010-11')
Free Throw Percentage
Salim Stoudamire
.910 (2004–05)
Rebounds
Deandre Ayton
405 (2017–18')
Rebound Average
Bill Reeves
13.2 RPG (1955–56')
Assists
Russell Brown
247 (1978–79')
Steals
Mike Bibby
87 (1997–98')
Blocked Shots
Loren Woods
102 (1999-00')
Games Played
28 Players
38 Games
Games Started
12 Players
38 Games
Minutes Played
Chase Budinger
1,317 (2008-09')
Average Minutes Per Game
Steve Kerr
38.4 MPG (1985–86')
Note ‡ indicates player was also Conference record holder
Freshman single season leaders
Statistic
Player
Total
Points
Deandre Ayton†
704
Scoring Average
Coniel Norman
24.0 PPG
Field Goals
Deandre Ayton†
276
Field Goal Attempts
Coniel Norman
476
Field Goal Percentage (min. 100 FG)
Deandre Ayton
.612
3-Point Field Goals
Salim Stoudamire
73
3-Point Field Goal Attempts
Jason Gardner
193
3-Point Field Goal Percentage
Khalid Reeves
.463
Free Throws Made
Jerry Bayless
187
Free Throw Attempts
Derrick Williams
232
Free Throw Percentage
Salim Stoudamire†
.904
Rebounds
Deandre Ayton†
405
Rebound Average
Deandre Ayton†
11.6 RPG
Assists
Russell Brown
197
Steals
Mike Bibby
76
Blocked Shots
Deandre Ayton
66
Games Played
4 Players
38
Games Started
Aaron Gordon
38
Played
Jason Gardner
1,244
Average Minutes Per Game
Jason Gardner
36.6 MPG
Double-Doubles (Pts/Rebs.)
Deandre Ayton†
24
30-Point Games
Coniel Norman
6
20-Point Games
Deandre Ayton†
17
Double-Digit Scoring Games
Deandre Ayton†
33
Note † indicates player was also the Yearly Pac-12 Leader
Freshman single game leaders
Statistic
Player
Total
Opponent(date)
Points
Jerryd Bayless
39
ASU (2/10/08)
Made Field Goals
Coniel Norman
17
Wyoming (2/1/73)
Field Goal Attempts
Coniel Norman
27
BYU (2/24/73)
Field Goal Percentage (Min. 12 attempts)
Deandre Ayton
.917
at WSU (1/31/17)
Made Three-Point Field Goals
4 Players
6
-
Three-Point Field Goal Attempts
Mike Bibby
11
UNC (3/29/97)
Three-Point Field Goal Percentage (Min. 6 attempts)
Bennedict Mathurin
.857
at Oregon State (1/14/21)
Made Free Throws
Jerryd Bayless
18
at Houston (1/12/08)
Free Throw Attempts
Derrick Williams
21
Wisconsin (11/23/09)
Free Throw Percentage (Min. 10 attempts)
8 Players tied at 100%
-
Rebounds
Bob Elliott
25
ASU (2/2/74)
Assists
Russell Brown
15
Utah (1/21/78)
Steals
Mike Bibby
8
Texas (12/9/96)
Blocks
Grant Jerrett Deandre Ayton
6
at Oregon State (1/12/13) at Stanford (1/20/18)
Minutes Played
Allonzo Trier
53
at USC (1/9/16)
Most Points In NCAA Debut
Eric Money
37
Cal State Bakersfield (11/29/72)
Note ‡ indicates player was is also single game record holder
Home court winning streaks
Rank
Wins
Years
Coach
1
81^
1945–51
Fred Enke
2
71
1987–92
Lute Olson
3
49
2013–16
Sean Miller
4
38
1975–78
Fred Snowden
5
37
1997–99
Lute Olson
^Played at Bear Down Gym
Rankings
Arizona teams have spent a total of 39 weeks ranked number 1, most recently in 2023.[117] Their current streak of weeks ranked in the AP Poll is at 57 weeks, which is the 4th longest active streak.[118]
The Associated Press began its basketball poll on January 20, 1949. The following is a summary of those annual polls. Starting in the 1961–62 season, AP provided a preseason (PS) poll. AP did a post-tournament poll in 1953, 1954, 1974 and 1975. The following table summarizes Arizona history in the AP Poll:[119] The Wildcats longest streak of weeks ranked inside the AP Top 25 poll is 141 weeks, starting with the 1988 pre-season poll and ended with the March 13, 1995 poll. The 141 weeks is 12th most all-time.[120] Arizona was ranked in 324 out of 326 polls from 1988 until 2005, which is more than any school during the same time frame.[121]
Year
Appearances
Pct
High
Low
Average
Final Ranking
2024
21
100%
1
12
5
11
2023
19
100%
4
17
8
8
2022
17
89%
2
17
6
2
2020
13
68%
12
25
19
NR
2018
17
89%
2
23
13
12
2017
19
100%
4
20
11
4
2016
19
100%
7
23
14
17
2015
19
100%
2
10
5
5
2014
20
100%
1
6
3
4
2013
20
100%
3
21
10
21
2012
3
16%
15
23
18
NR
2011
7
37%
10
20
16
17
2008
7
35%
17
22
19
NR
2007
15
79%
7
24
14
NR
2006
8
42%
9
24
17
24
2005
19
100%
8
21
13
9
2004
19
100%
3
22
11
22
2003
19
100%
1
4
2
2
2002
17
94%
4
20
12
7
2001
19
100%
1
21
9
5
2000
19
100%
2
10
5
4
1999
18
100%
6
18
10
12
1998
18
100%
1
8
4
4
1997
18
100%
6
19
12
15
1996
17
94%
3
19
11
11
1995
18
100%
5
15
10
15
1994
18
100%
6
19
12
9
1993
18
100%
3
22
10
5
1992
18
100%
2
11
6
10
1991
17
100%
2
9
5
8
1990
17
100%
2
24
18
14
1989
18
100%
1
12
6
1
1988
17
100%
1
17
3
2
1987
2
11%
19
20
20
NR
1985
1
6%
19
19
19
NR
1977
15
88%
8
20
14
NR
1976
5
29%
10
18
13
15
1975
15
79%
10
19
15
NR
1974
8
44%
12
20
15
NR
1951
8
67%
11
16
14
12
1950
5
50%
15
19
17
15
Ranked in 40 out of 75 seasons (53%)
Record vs. Pac-12 opponents
The Arizona Wildcats lead the all-time series regardless of conference affiliation vs. ten other Pac-12 opponents, trailing only UCLA.[14]
Note all-time series includes non-conference matchups & Pac-12 Tournament.
Record vs. Future Big-12 opponents
The Arizona Wildcats lead the all-time series regardless of conference affiliation vs. eight other Big 12 opponents, trailing only Kansas, Kansas State, TCU and Texas Tech.[14]
Before every game, the band splits into four sections in the four sides of McKale Center. They play Bear Down Arizona in sequence before the band runs back to the student section in the north stands and plays all of Bear Down. The band also yells "Hi fans!" to the fans, who respond by yelling "Hi band!" and "Hi Tommy!" to head coach Tommy Lloyd, who responds by waving to the band. The band also yells "Hi Adia!" to Arizona women's basketball coach Adia Barnes.
While the opposing team's players are being introduced, the student section turns their backs to the court. As each player's name is announced, they will yell "Sucks!" In the interest of sportsmanship, though, the Athletic Department is attempting to phase this tradition out.
At the start of each half, the entire crowd will stand until the other team scores a point. The fans will also clap rhythmically with the band as it plays a four-note refrain repeatedly until the ball is tipped or inbounded.
When an opposing player fouls an Arizona player, the band and students chant, while pointing at the opposing player, "You! You! You! You! You! You! You! You! You! On you, that's who!" If the foul occurs during a shot and the player makes the shot, the chant is instead "Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! No no no no! No no no no! No no no no! No no no no! Don't touch me!"
If an opposing player accrues four fouls during the game, they will chant "Four!" four times while waving four fingers. If a player fouls out, the band plays the beat from "Another One Bites the Dust", concluding with the band and students yelling "Hey! We're gonna get you too!"
When opposing players are attempting foul shots, besides attempting to distract the player, the band and students have several chants, but the only constant one is yelled if the player misses their first shot of a two-shot foul, in which case they yell "Nice shot, buddy!"
If Arizona is beating an opponent by a comfortable margin late in the game, the band and students will chant "Go start the bus!" repeatedly. If an opponent makes a big play, they will chant "It just doesn't matter!"
Beginning in the 1980s, the "Ooh Aah Man," Joe Cavaleri, made regular appearances at McKale to pump up the crowd. He would start by spelling out "A-R-I-Z-O-N-A!" with his body as the crowd chanted along. He would then direct the crowd in chanting "U of A!", first by each side of the arena, then by the north and south sides and east and west sides simultaneously then by the whole arena. His routine usually involved pulling off his shirt and pants to reveal another Arizona shirt and shorts underneath. Cavaleri was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2010 and only made a few appearances during the 2010–2011 season; he officially retired from his "superfan" duties in 2013.[122][123][124][125]
At the end of every home game (and every Arizona athletics event the band is present at) the band plays Arizona's alma mater, "All Hail, Arizona!" Students and fans link arms, sway as they sing and jump up and down while singing the last part of the song.
For a time during the Sean Miller era, the team hosted an annual "White Out" game. All fans were encouraged to wear white T-shirts. The most recent white out game was on December 7, 2013, versus UNLV. This was the fourth consecutive season to include a white out game.[126] The tradition has not continued under Tommy Lloyd (the Arizona women's basketball program has continued to have white out games at McKale Center under coach Adia Barnes).
Facilities
Beardown Gym
Prior to playing its games at the McKale Center, Arizona played games at Bear Down Gym from 1927 until 1973. Arizona would win its inaugural game against Arizona State, then known as Tempe State Teachers College by a score of 29–18.
McKale Center
Arizona is currently plays its home games at McKale Center, a 14,688 seat multi-purpose arena located at Tucson, Arizona, that opened in 1973. The McKale Center is the fifth different home site in program history.
At McKale Center, Arizona enjoys one of the nation's best home court advantages. The Wildcats have compiled a 651–121 (an .847 winning percentage) record since moving to the McKale Center permanently. Through the 2023–24 season, McKale Center has hosted 10,154,639 fans for Arizona home games and the Wildcats have averaged 13,035 fans (better than 95% capacity) per game during that time. The 2014–2015 season marked the highest average attendance in McKale Center history with an average 14,591 (100% capacity) Wildcats fans at each home game.
Radio network affiliates
The current flagship radio station for men's basketball is Tucson sports radio station KCUB, branded as “Wildcats Radio 1290”. From 1983 until 2004, the flagship station was news/talk radio station KNST. The primary play-by-play voice of Wildcat football, baseball and men's basketball, since 1987, is Brian Jeffries (after starting out as the color commentator for former CBS Sports announcer Ray Scott, who called Wildcats games from 1984 through the spring of 1987).
The Phoenix radio affiliate for Arizona Wildcats football and men's basketball is KGME, branded as "Fox Sports 910."
Robert Luther "Lute" Olson was an American basketball coach, who was inducted into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He was the head coach of the Arizona Wildcats men's team for 25 years. He was also head coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes for nine years and Long Beach State 49ers for one season. Known for player development and great recruiting, many of his former players have gone on to have impressive careers in the NBA. On October 23, 2008, Olson announced his retirement from coaching. Olson died on August 27, 2020, in Tucson, Arizona. He was 85 years old.
The Arizona Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent the University of Arizona, located in Tucson. The Wildcats compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Pac-12 Conference. Arizona's chief intercollegiate rival is the Arizona State Sun Devils, and the two universities' athletic departments compete against each other in multiple sports via the State Farm Territorial Cup Series.
Sean Edward Miller is an American college basketball coach who currently serves as head coach of the Xavier Musketeers. He previously held that position from 2004 to 2009, after which he took the head coach position at the Arizona Wildcats, which he held until being fired in 2021.
The 1993–94 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Arizona. The team's head coach was Lute Olson. The team played its home games in McKale Center as members of the Pacific-10 Conference.
Tommy Lloyd is an American college basketball coach who is the current head coach at the University of Arizona of the Pac-12 Conference. His 61 wins in the first two seasons are the most for any head coach in NCAA Division I history.
The 2004–05 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Arizona during the 2004–05 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Hall-of-Famer Lute Olson led the team in his 22nd year as Arizona's head coach. The team played their home games at McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona as members of the Pacific-10 Conference.
The 2002–03 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Arizona during the 2002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Head coach Lute Olson led the team in his 20th season at Arizona. The team played their home games at McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona as members of the Pacific-10 Conference.
The 2003–04 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Arizona during the 2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by Lute Olson in his 21st year as Arizona's head coach, the team played their home games at McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona as members of the Pacific-10 Conference.
The Arizona–UCLA men's basketball rivalry is a college basketball rivalry between the University of Arizona Wildcats and the UCLA Bruins.
The 2014–15 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Arizona during the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by sixth-year head coach Sean Miller and played home games at the McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona as a member of the Pac-12 Conference. They finished the season 34–4, 16–2 in Pac-12 play to win their second straight Pac-12 regular season championship title for 14th time. In the Pac-12 Tournament, the Wildcats defeated 8-seed California; 73–51 in the quarterfinal game, 4-seed UCLA; 70–64 in the semifinal game, and 2-seed Oregon; 80–52 in the championship game. The Wildcats won their first Pac-12 Tournament title for the fifth time since 2002. As the #2 seed in the West Region NCAA tournament, The Arizona Wildcats defeated the #15 seed Texas Southern; 93–72 in the round of 64, #10 seed Ohio State; 73–58 in the round of 32, 6-seed Xavier; 68–60 in the Sweet 16, advancing to the Elite 8 for second straight year, losing to 1-seed Wisconsin ; 85–78.
The 2015–16 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Arizona during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by seventh-year head coach Sean Miller, and played their home games at McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona as a member of the Pac-12 Conference. They finished the season 25–9, 12–6 in Pac-12 play to tie with California for third place. They defeated Colorado in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament to advance to the semifinals where they lost to Oregon. Arizona received an at-large bid to the fourth-straight NCAA tournament, the program's 31st appearance, as a 6-seed in the South Region. They lost in the first round to Wichita State.
The 2016–17 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Arizona during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by eighth-year head coach Sean Miller, and played their home games at McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona as members in the Pac-12 Conference. Coming into the '16-'17 season Arizona has been ranked in 78-consecutive AP polls & 81-straight coaches polls. The 97-consecutive weeks in the AP poll is currently the second-longest streak in the nation behind Kansas at 161 weeks. They have been ranked every week in the 2016-2017 season, bringing those totals to 97 weeks for the AP & 100 weeks for the coaches poll. Arizona won its first 10 conference games, the best start since the '97-'98 season when they started 16-0. They finished the season with at record of 31–4, tied at 16–2 with Oregon in Pac-12 play for first place to win their 3rd Pac-12 regular season championship title for the 15th time. The Wildcats entered the Pac-12 Tournament as a 2-seed, the Wildcats defeated 7-seed Colorado in the quarterfinals, 3-seed UCLA in the semifinals and 1-seed Oregon in the championship game, Wildcats won their 2nd Pac-12 Tournament championship title for the 6th time since 2002. Arizona received as an automatic bid to the 5th straight NCAA tournament as a 2-seed in the West regional, The Arizona Wildcats defeated the 15-seed North Dakota 100–82 in the first round, 7-seed Saint Mary's 69–60 in the second round before being upset by 11-seed Xavier 71–73 in the Sweet Sixteen.
The 2017–18 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Arizona during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by ninth-year head coach Sean Miller, and played their home games at McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona as members in the Pac-12 Conference. They finished the season 27–8, 14–4 in Pac-12 play to win the regular season championship. They defeated Colorado, UCLA, and USC to win the Pac-12 tournament. As a result, they received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where, as a No. 4 seed, they were upset in the first round by No. 13 seed Buffalo.
The 2018–19 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Arizona during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by 10th-year head coach Sean Miller and played their home games at McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona as members of the Pac-12 Conference. They finished the season 17–15, 8–10 in Pac-12 play to finish in three-way tie for 6th place. They received the 9-seed in the 2019 Pac-12 tournament, where they lost to 8-seed USC in the first round, 65–78.
James M. Rosborough is an American basketball coach. Rosborough began his career coaching basketball in 1970 in Chicago at Corkery Junior High, before being hired as an assistant coach in 1974 by Lute Olson at Iowa. Rosborough and Olson coached together for nine seasons at Iowa, reaching five consecutive NCAA tournament berths and reaching the 1980 NCAA Final Four. Rosborough coached briefly at Tulsa (1985-1986) and as head coach at NIU (1986-1989) before rejoining Olson in 1989 as an assistant, and eventual associate head coach, at Arizona through 18 seasons. The team was a prominent collegiate basketball program in the United States throughout the 90's and 00's, reaching 18 consecutive NCAA tournament berths, eight Pac-10 championships, three NCAA Final Fours, and winning the 1997 NCAA Championship. Rosborough coached over 50 All-American, all-conference and future NBA players during his time at Arizona. Rosborough was inducted to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2001.
The 1992–93 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Arizona as members of the Pacific-10 Conference during the 1992–93 season. The team was led by head coach was Lute Olson. and their home games were played in McKale Center.
The 2021–22 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Arizona during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team led by Tommy Lloyd, in his 1st season as a head coach. This was the Wildcats' 48th season at the on-campus McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona and 43rd season as a member of the Pac-12 Conference. They finished with a record of 33–4, 18–2 in Pac-12 play to win the regular season & Pac-12 tournament championship. During the season, Arizona was invited and participated in the Roman Main Event in Paradise, Nevada. Arizona defeated Wichita State and Michigan to finish in a championship game. In the postseason, Arizona defeated Stanford, and Colorado and UCLA in the championship game of the 2022 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball tournament in Paradise, Nevada, in their 8th overall. The Wildcats were invited and participated in the 2022 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, where they defeated Wright State and TCU in San Diego, California but lost to Houston in San Antonio, TX in the Sweet Sixteen.
The 2022–23 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Arizona during the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team led by Tommy Lloyd, in his 2nd season as a head coach. This is the Wildcats' 49th season at the on-campus McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona and 44th season as a member of the Pac-12 Conference. They finished the season 28-7, 14-6 in Pac-12 Play to finish a tie in 2nd place. They defeated Stanford, Arizona State, and UCLA to become champions of the Pac-12 Tournament. They received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament where they were upset in the First Round by Princeton, becoming the 11th No. 2 seed to lose to a No. 15 seed.
The 2007–08 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball season ended with six teams participating in the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, two teams playing in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and one team playing in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI).
The 2023–24 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Arizona during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by Tommy Lloyd, in his third season as head coach. It was the Wildcats' 50th season at the on-campus McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona. It was their 45th and final season as members of the Pac-12 Conference. With 29 victories during the season, Lloyd can pass Brad Stevens with the most victories in the first three years by a head coach to start their career.
↑ Foster, Chris – UCLA, Arizona need to raise Pac-12 level. Los Angeles Times, March 2, 2013. Quote: California Coach Mike Montgomery, "...If those two are not good, the conference is not perceived as being good. People don't give credit to the schools across the board in the league."
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