Arizona Wildcats basketball: On remembering Rooks, Kerr's kid, Rabb's return
- Updated
Seen and heard at McKale Center during Arizona's win over Cal.Β
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
It was the second-to-last game of the regular season when the Wildcats routinely handled an on-the-rise California team, just one season away from the arrival of Jason Kidd.
That night, Arizona won 100-77, and it was never really close.
Sean Rooks led the Wildcats with 16 points in his second-to-last game at McKale Center. His Senior Night came a couple nights later, in a win against Stanford.
Cal center Kameron Rooks entered Saturdayβs game to some McKale Center cheers. He had come full circle, 25 years later.
Arizona fans never cheer the opposition, but this was different.
Sean Rooks died over the summer, at 46, of heart disease. He holds a special place in the hearts of Arizona fans. He was Arizonaβs original low-post star, perhaps the best low-post scorer in school history. He was a part of two Sweet 16 teams, and had a long, fruitful career in the NBA.
All season, Arizona has honored forward Ray Smith, forced to retire due to injury, by giving him the βThis is Arizonaβ slot on the UAβs pregame introduction video.
Saturday, Arizona honored Sean Rooks by giving him the video-ending utterance.
Kameron Rooks finished with 10 points and six rebounds.Β
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
14: Players who scored more points than Arizonaβs Lauri Markkanen and Allonzo Trier in the first half on Saturday. Trier and Markkanen are Arizonaβs two most talented scorers, so how is that possible? Well, they both scored zero in the first half, and just nine overall in Arizonaβs 62-57 win.Β
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Another household name watched Saturdayβs game from the Cal bench. Nick Kerr, the son of Arizona legend Steve Kerr, is a team manager for the Golden Bears.
Kerr was a walk-on guard at Cal last year before becoming a graduate team manager.
Also at McKale on Saturday β Chris Mills, the former Arizona standout who played with Sean Rooks for two years at the UA after transferring from Kentucky.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Eduardo Najera watched Saturdayβs game from a courtside seat, a scout for the NBAβs Dallas Mavericks.
Najera was a star at Oklahoma from 1996-2000. He was a part of the 1999 Sooners team that upset No. 4-seed Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Najera had what the Washington Post labeled a βbrilliant game,β amassing 17 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
Najera went on to play 12 seasons in the NBA, most of them in Dallas.Β
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
It was nearly two years ago when Ivan Rabb walked into the restaurant his mother works at in Oakland and announced he would be attending California.
Rabb chose the Golden Bears over Arizona, which made sense since he grew up nearby, following in the footsteps of homegrown Cal standouts like Jason Kidd, Leon Powe and Lamond Murray.
Rabb was expected to be one-and-done, and likely would have been a lottery pick in the 2016 draft. Instead, he chose to return for his sophomore season.Β
Good decision?
Well, the Golden Bears are on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament and Rabb is still projected as a lottery pick, according to DraftExpress. Rabb entered Saturdayβs game averaging 15.2 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. He spent most of the night in foul trouble, and finished with four points and three rebounds.Β
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
A few students in the ZonaZoo dressed in costumes Saturday.
Two wore dinosaur outfits and one was dressed as Pikachu. Also in attendance: a seahorse and Gumby.Β
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
βTurn on Zona and Cal game, first thing I hear is Bill Walton telling a story of a guy from Finland who rowed a boat from SFran to Hawaii.β β @CardNation_23, tweeting about ESPN broadcaster Bill Walton, who called Saturdayβs game alongside play-by-play man Dave Pasch.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
It was the second-to-last game of the regular season when the Wildcats routinely handled an on-the-rise California team, just one season away from the arrival of Jason Kidd.
That night, Arizona won 100-77, and it was never really close.
Sean Rooks led the Wildcats with 16 points in his second-to-last game at McKale Center. His Senior Night came a couple nights later, in a win against Stanford.
Cal center Kameron Rooks entered Saturdayβs game to some McKale Center cheers. He had come full circle, 25 years later.
Arizona fans never cheer the opposition, but this was different.
Sean Rooks died over the summer, at 46, of heart disease. He holds a special place in the hearts of Arizona fans. He was Arizonaβs original low-post star, perhaps the best low-post scorer in school history. He was a part of two Sweet 16 teams, and had a long, fruitful career in the NBA.
All season, Arizona has honored forward Ray Smith, forced to retire due to injury, by giving him the βThis is Arizonaβ slot on the UAβs pregame introduction video.
Saturday, Arizona honored Sean Rooks by giving him the video-ending utterance.
Kameron Rooks finished with 10 points and six rebounds.Β
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
14: Players who scored more points than Arizonaβs Lauri Markkanen and Allonzo Trier in the first half on Saturday. Trier and Markkanen are Arizonaβs two most talented scorers, so how is that possible? Well, they both scored zero in the first half, and just nine overall in Arizonaβs 62-57 win.Β
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Another household name watched Saturdayβs game from the Cal bench. Nick Kerr, the son of Arizona legend Steve Kerr, is a team manager for the Golden Bears.
Kerr was a walk-on guard at Cal last year before becoming a graduate team manager.
Also at McKale on Saturday β Chris Mills, the former Arizona standout who played with Sean Rooks for two years at the UA after transferring from Kentucky.
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
Eduardo Najera watched Saturdayβs game from a courtside seat, a scout for the NBAβs Dallas Mavericks.
Najera was a star at Oklahoma from 1996-2000. He was a part of the 1999 Sooners team that upset No. 4-seed Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Najera had what the Washington Post labeled a βbrilliant game,β amassing 17 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
Najera went on to play 12 seasons in the NBA, most of them in Dallas.Β
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
It was nearly two years ago when Ivan Rabb walked into the restaurant his mother works at in Oakland and announced he would be attending California.
Rabb chose the Golden Bears over Arizona, which made sense since he grew up nearby, following in the footsteps of homegrown Cal standouts like Jason Kidd, Leon Powe and Lamond Murray.
Rabb was expected to be one-and-done, and likely would have been a lottery pick in the 2016 draft. Instead, he chose to return for his sophomore season.Β
Good decision?
Well, the Golden Bears are on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament and Rabb is still projected as a lottery pick, according to DraftExpress. Rabb entered Saturdayβs game averaging 15.2 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. He spent most of the night in foul trouble, and finished with four points and three rebounds.Β
- Zack Rosenblatt Arizona Daily Star
βTurn on Zona and Cal game, first thing I hear is Bill Walton telling a story of a guy from Finland who rowed a boat from SFran to Hawaii.β β @CardNation_23, tweeting about ESPN broadcaster Bill Walton, who called Saturdayβs game alongside play-by-play man Dave Pasch.
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