Greg Hansen's top 10 UA basketball single-game records
- Updated
Loren Woods' 14 blocked shots against the Ducks tops the list.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Editor’s note: This summer, Star columnist Greg Hansen is counting down the top 10 of just about everything related to Tucson sports.
Today’s list: The top 10 UA basketball single-game records:
Arizona made 31 baskets in a 69-60 victory over Grand Canyon a few days before Christmas, 1979. The UA statistics crew credited sophomore point guard Russell Brown with an assist on 19 of those field goals.
No one has since touched or even threatened Brown’s school record 19 assists. No one at so-called Point Guard U., has come close.
It is probably as close to unbreakable as any single-game individual record in the UA basketball books.
It wasn’t a one-game fluke, either. Brown is the only UA player ever to get 11 assists in a half (he did so twice, and not in the Grand Canyon game). And it wasn’t home-cooking by a statistics crew; he got 17 assists in a 1980 game at Cal.
The 5-foot-10-inch son of a Hollywood stuntman from Inglewood, California, holds the UA career record with 810 assists. His closest pursuer is Mustafa Shakur with 670.
What makes Brown’s UA career so intriguing is that the Arizona coaching staff recruited perhaps the No. 1 point guard in high school basketball in 1979, Los Angeles’ Leon Wood. But on the night Brown dished 19 assists, Wood played just four minutes and didn’t score.
Wood transferred to Cal-Fullerton at year’s end and in 1984 became the NBA’s 10th overall draft pick. In a 1983 interview with the Star, he said he left Tucson, in part, because “it’s just that Russell Brown had to play; I knew I’d be splitting time.”
Brown’s ability to find an open man in traffic wasn’t anything romantic. “I’m not scared to make a pass,” he said. “Anyone can do it, but they’re hesitant. All I need is a glimpse of the guy.”
Brown, now 57, did not play pro basketball.
Here’s our list of the 10 top single-game individual records in UA basketball history:
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The 7-foot Woods blocked three Ducks shots in the first minute of the game, a highlight video played for years in Tucson. “Loren really sent a message,” Lute Olson said. The 15-3 Ducks did not block a shot that night and lost 77-71. Woods’ 14 blocks tied an NCAA record then shared by Navy’s David Robinson, BYU’s Shawn Bradley and Alabama’s Roy Rogers. Additionally, Woods produced a triple-double that night: 16 points, 10 rebounds, 14 blocks.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Times change; no one on the UA basketball team averaged more than 11 field goal attempts last season. Kemmeries made 14 field goals and scored 32 of Arizona’s 63 points that night in a 66-63 loss.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The Pac-12 averages one triple-double about every four seasons, so it’s not an impossible mission. But the 5-foot-10-inch All-America point guard gathered 12 rebounds, his career high, on a night he scored 32 points and dished out 14 assists. It’s unlikely an under-6 foot guard will get a triple-double for years. And it wasn’t close, either. Stoudamire got his 10th rebound with 13:06 remaining and his 10th assist with 14:55 left. “Today I had the whole package,” he said.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Williams, later Bison Dele, shot 14 for 15 from the field in an 101-94 overtime win at Pauley Pavilion, scoring 32 points with 14 rebounds. It was undoubtedly one of the top individual games in school history. “It’s the first time I’ve seen him play that way,” said UCLA coach Jim Harrick.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
In four overtimes, York played 55 of 60 minutes. Arizona lost 103-101. Chances of someone breaking the 55-minute barrier? Arizona has never played in a five-overtime game.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
It’s rare when a college basketball player attempts 19 shots a game, let alone makes 19 or more. Norman scored 44 points that night in Provo, Utah, a 93-91 UA victory. His teammate Bob Elliott estimated that about six of Norman’s baskets would’ve been 3-pointers under modern rules, giving him 50 points.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The 6-foot- 7-inch center from Ajo scored just four points, but he doubled his school-record per-game rebound average of 13.2. UCSB missed 48 of its 67 shots, enabling Reeves to rebound at will.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Although the quick power forward scored just five points in a 90-58 rout over No. 8 Stanford, he seemed to steal the ball from Cardinal big men Tim Young and Mark Madsen all during the Senior Day game.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The All-America center made 16. “Today I had to be a little selfish,” he said. “I had to put everybody on my back.” Arizona won 73-71. In 1974, UA center Bob Elliott attempted 20 foul shots against ASU. No one at Arizona has attempted more than 14 free throws in the last five seasons.
Editor’s note: This summer, Star columnist Greg Hansen is counting down the top 10 of just about everything related to Tucson sports.
Today’s list: The top 10 UA basketball single-game records:
Arizona made 31 baskets in a 69-60 victory over Grand Canyon a few days before Christmas, 1979. The UA statistics crew credited sophomore point guard Russell Brown with an assist on 19 of those field goals.
No one has since touched or even threatened Brown’s school record 19 assists. No one at so-called Point Guard U., has come close.
It is probably as close to unbreakable as any single-game individual record in the UA basketball books.
It wasn’t a one-game fluke, either. Brown is the only UA player ever to get 11 assists in a half (he did so twice, and not in the Grand Canyon game). And it wasn’t home-cooking by a statistics crew; he got 17 assists in a 1980 game at Cal.
The 5-foot-10-inch son of a Hollywood stuntman from Inglewood, California, holds the UA career record with 810 assists. His closest pursuer is Mustafa Shakur with 670.
What makes Brown’s UA career so intriguing is that the Arizona coaching staff recruited perhaps the No. 1 point guard in high school basketball in 1979, Los Angeles’ Leon Wood. But on the night Brown dished 19 assists, Wood played just four minutes and didn’t score.
Wood transferred to Cal-Fullerton at year’s end and in 1984 became the NBA’s 10th overall draft pick. In a 1983 interview with the Star, he said he left Tucson, in part, because “it’s just that Russell Brown had to play; I knew I’d be splitting time.”
Brown’s ability to find an open man in traffic wasn’t anything romantic. “I’m not scared to make a pass,” he said. “Anyone can do it, but they’re hesitant. All I need is a glimpse of the guy.”
Brown, now 57, did not play pro basketball.
Here’s our list of the 10 top single-game individual records in UA basketball history:
The 7-foot Woods blocked three Ducks shots in the first minute of the game, a highlight video played for years in Tucson. “Loren really sent a message,” Lute Olson said. The 15-3 Ducks did not block a shot that night and lost 77-71. Woods’ 14 blocks tied an NCAA record then shared by Navy’s David Robinson, BYU’s Shawn Bradley and Alabama’s Roy Rogers. Additionally, Woods produced a triple-double that night: 16 points, 10 rebounds, 14 blocks.
The entire GCU team had just 12 assists in the game.
Times change; no one on the UA basketball team averaged more than 11 field goal attempts last season. Kemmeries made 14 field goals and scored 32 of Arizona’s 63 points that night in a 66-63 loss.
The Pac-12 averages one triple-double about every four seasons, so it’s not an impossible mission. But the 5-foot-10-inch All-America point guard gathered 12 rebounds, his career high, on a night he scored 32 points and dished out 14 assists. It’s unlikely an under-6 foot guard will get a triple-double for years. And it wasn’t close, either. Stoudamire got his 10th rebound with 13:06 remaining and his 10th assist with 14:55 left. “Today I had the whole package,” he said.
Williams, later Bison Dele, shot 14 for 15 from the field in an 101-94 overtime win at Pauley Pavilion, scoring 32 points with 14 rebounds. It was undoubtedly one of the top individual games in school history. “It’s the first time I’ve seen him play that way,” said UCLA coach Jim Harrick.
In four overtimes, York played 55 of 60 minutes. Arizona lost 103-101. Chances of someone breaking the 55-minute barrier? Arizona has never played in a five-overtime game.
It’s rare when a college basketball player attempts 19 shots a game, let alone makes 19 or more. Norman scored 44 points that night in Provo, Utah, a 93-91 UA victory. His teammate Bob Elliott estimated that about six of Norman’s baskets would’ve been 3-pointers under modern rules, giving him 50 points.
The 6-foot- 7-inch center from Ajo scored just four points, but he doubled his school-record per-game rebound average of 13.2. UCSB missed 48 of its 67 shots, enabling Reeves to rebound at will.
Although the quick power forward scored just five points in a 90-58 rout over No. 8 Stanford, he seemed to steal the ball from Cardinal big men Tim Young and Mark Madsen all during the Senior Day game.
The All-America center made 16. “Today I had to be a little selfish,” he said. “I had to put everybody on my back.” Arizona won 73-71. In 1974, UA center Bob Elliott attempted 20 foul shots against ASU. No one at Arizona has attempted more than 14 free throws in the last five seasons.
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