Mike Bibby passes the ball through the Kentucky defense.

 David Sanders, The Arizona Daily Star

Editor’s note: The following story first appeared in the April 1, 1997 edition of the Arizona Daily Star.

INDIANAPOLIS — Freshman pro-to-be Mike Bibby is leaving school, all right.

But only for a day or two.

“He said he’s not going to make it to class this week. That will be his celebration,” UA assistant coach Jesse Evans said.

“But he’ll probably be there by Wednesday.”

Bibby, believed to be the first freshman point guard to lead his team to an NCAA championship in 30 years, might be down to earth by then.

“We thought we had a chance (to win the title) next year, but not this year,” Bibby said.

“Still we had nothing to lose.”

Bibby, 18, was one rebound short of a double-double, scoring 19 points with nine rebounds, eight turnovers, four assists and three steals.

He made three of his five three-point field-goal attempts and all six of his free-throw attempts.

Mike Bibby cuts down the net after the Wildcats defeated Kentucky.

Bibby accounted for 11 of the UA’s final 17 points in regulation, scoring nine — six free throws and a three in transition. He also milked the shot clock in the final minute before setting up Bennett Davison for a layup with 18.6 seconds remaining that gave the UA a three-point lead.

“He penetrated. They collapsed on him because they weren’t expecting big guys to score. I just finished it,” Davison said.

“He just played like the whole team. We knew it was a championship game, but it didn’t feel like it was a championship game. All the pressure was on Kentucky. We’re a young team, like (Utah coach) Rick Majerus said, ‘so young they don’t know what’s going on.’

“We didn’t get caught up in the mumbo-jumbo or the press. Everybody was here to see Kentucky win. We had no pressure. We just had to go out and play.”

Despite Bibby’s late-game heroics, the UA had to weather overtime, set up when Kentucky guard Anthony Epps made a difficult three-pointer with 12.1 seconds remaining.

“I could see (Epps) was going to pull up. I looked at the time. When he went to pull up, I tried to distract him. I jumped past him. He pump-faked and I tried to distract him again as I flew past,” Bibby said.

“It was just a good shot.”

So in one game, Bibby scored more points than his father, Southern California coach Henry, had in any of his three NCAA championship games during UCLA’s dynastic run in the 1960s and ’70s.

Henry Bibby had eight points in his first title game, an 80-69 victory over Jacksonville in 1970. He had 17 the next season and 18 the final year.

Bibby needed only a season to accomplish one of his goals.

“I think (coach Lute Olson) was bound to win one, and I was going to try to win one for him while I was here,” Bibby said.

“I’m just so happy that we won my first year, and we’re going to try to repeat next year.”

“When they talk about all the stars in Arizona basketball, and we’ve had a lot of great players, they’ll talk about Mike Bibby before anyone,” Evans said.

“He’s one in a million. Now when they win it next year, I won’t be envious. I can say ‘Been there, done that.”

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