Greg Hansen's top 10 shots in Arizona Wildcats basketball history
- Updated
Craig McMillan's shot against Oregon State in 1986 tops the list.Â
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Editorâs note: This summer, Star columnist Greg Hansen is counting down the top 10 of just about everything related to Tucson sports.
Todayâs list: The top 10 baskets in UA hoops history:
Arizonaâs unexpected rush to the 1997 NCAA basketball championship had almost all the variables from a Hollywood movie: a mammoth upset over No. 1 Kansas, harrowing escapes against South Alabama and College of Charleston, and a historic sweep over No. 1 seeds North Carolina and Kentucky at the Final Four.
The only thing lacking was a game-winning shot for the ages. No buzzer beater. No final-play theatrics.
Not that it matters a bit.
The 10 greatest shots in UA basketball history range from a 1950 game in Morgantown, West Virginia, to a 2011 NCAA tournament game in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
On Dec. 30, 1950, Arizona picked up its first win over a ranked opponent, No. 19 West Virginia. Two days earlier it stunned defending national champion City College of New York before a sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden.
Tucson High grad Jack Howell drilled a 20-footer from the corner to give Arizona a 40-38 lead (it won 41-38) with nine seconds remaining. Howellâs shot mightâve endured forever as one of the 10 leading shots in UA history, but four CCNY players were later convicted of shaving points in the 1950-51 season, including the Arizona game.
Two nights later at West Virginia, Howell got a second chance. This time, his 20-footer gave Arizona a 68-67 win at the buzzer. West Virginia was called for goaltending on Howellâs shot. The Wildcats rose to 8-1Â and climbed to No. 16 in The Associated Press poll.
That shot sticks. Hereâs our list:
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Oregon State led Arizona 62-61 with 3 seconds remaining in overtime at McKale Center. The Beavers were the reigning West Coast basketball power, 139-38 over the previous six seasons. Arizona was contending for its first-ever Pac-10 championship. In a final timeout, Lute Olson called a âhome runâ play. A pass of 94 feet from Steve Kerr to the crowd of players near Arizonaâs foul-line.
âIt works once every 60 times,â UA forward Anthony Cook said after the game.
Cook deflected Kerrâs long pass. It went directly to sophomore guard McMillan. âThere was no one in the way,â he said. âThere was the basket and nothing else.â
McMillan dribbled twice to the basket and scored. Arizona won 63-62. After Kerr referred to McMillan as âMr. Clutch,â the shot was labeled âMcShot at McKale.â The game effectively flipped the balance of power in the Pac-10; Arizona won its first conference championship five weeks later at UCLAâs Pauley Pavilion.Â
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Four days after Kerrâs father, Malcolm Kerr, president of American University in Beirut, was assassinated, the then-unknown freshman guard from Los Angeles entered the ASU-UA game at McKale Center with 12:59 remaining in the first half. Almost immediately he caught a pass and swished a 20-footer. A legend was born. The crowd, which had stood in a moment of silence before the game as Kerr wept, made a thunderous noise. Kerr scored 12 points in the game. Arizona won 71-49.
The victory, and Kerrâs continued presence, ignited Arizonaâs run under first-year coach  Olson. ASU had dominated Arizona, going 11-1 before Olson was hired. But after Kerrâs basket, the series forever changed. Arizona won 16 of the next 17 and Kerr became a legend at McKale Center.Â
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Tied 70-70 against Duke in a February 1989 made-for-TV game at the New Jersey Meadowlands, No. 2 Arizona climbed to No. 1 when Elliott swished a 3-pointer in the final 30 seconds to beat the No. 9 Blue Devils 77-75 as Elliott became the national player of the year.Â
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
In the Elite Eight at the Seattle Kingdome, Arizona struggled, trailing North Carolina 42-40 in the second half. Tolbert got a pass inside, made a head fake, and then put up a blind, spinning shot that rolled into the basket as he got fouled. He completed the three-point play and Arizona led, establishing momentum for a 70-52 victory, then the greatest win in school history.Â
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
No. 2 Long Island University, a two-time national champion under coach Clair Bee, played at Bear Down Gym on a Monday night. A record crowd of 4,650 attended and Arizona did not lead until the final 15 seconds. A foul shot by Phoenix High School grad Jerry Dillon with 15 seconds to play gave Arizona a 62-61 victory over the 17-1 Blackbirds.Â
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Trailing No. 1 Stanford 75-74 with three seconds to play, Olson and Mike Montgomery called three timeouts before Arizona would inbound the ball. An entry pass to center Loren Woods was quickly shuffled to power forward Wright, who hit the game-winner from about 3 feet. Arizona reached the Final Four 23 days later.Â
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Tied against Cincinnati, 76-76, with three seconds remaining, Simon grabbed a loose ball in traffic, dribbled twice and swished a 60-footer shot at the buzzer. The 7-Up Shoot-Out, played in old Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, was the site of Olsonâs 500th career victory, 79-76.Â
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The 3-point shooting ace had already beaten UCLA and ASU with last-possession 3-pointers. In the Sweet 16 against Oklahoma State, trailing 78-77, Stoudamire calmly drilled a 15-footer with 2.8 seconds to play for a 79-78 victory in Chicago.Â
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Arizona didnât waste Howellâs game-winner in West Virginia; it went 24-6 and played in its first NCAA Tournament.Â
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Gonzaga appeared set to knock No. 1 seed Arizona from the 2003 NCAA Round of 32, leading the Wildcats 89-87 with five seconds remaining in overtime. But Walton didnât hesitate when he got a pass about 10 feet from the basket. He pivoted and swished a fall-away jumper to force a second overtime, which Arizona won 96-95. The UA reached the Elite Eight against Kansas a week later.Â
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Trailing Texas 69-67 with 14 seconds remaining in an NCAA Round of 32 game in Tulsa, Arizona forced a five-second call on a Longhorns inbounds play. On its final possession, the Wildcats passed to Williams, who drove to the basket, was knocked off balance and was fouled, and shot as the whistle was blown. His shot went in, and so did his free throw. Arizona won 70-69, reaching the Elite Eight against UConn a week later.
Editorâs note: This summer, Star columnist Greg Hansen is counting down the top 10 of just about everything related to Tucson sports.
Todayâs list: The top 10 baskets in UA hoops history:
Arizonaâs unexpected rush to the 1997 NCAA basketball championship had almost all the variables from a Hollywood movie: a mammoth upset over No. 1 Kansas, harrowing escapes against South Alabama and College of Charleston, and a historic sweep over No. 1 seeds North Carolina and Kentucky at the Final Four.
The only thing lacking was a game-winning shot for the ages. No buzzer beater. No final-play theatrics.
Not that it matters a bit.
The 10 greatest shots in UA basketball history range from a 1950 game in Morgantown, West Virginia, to a 2011 NCAA tournament game in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
On Dec. 30, 1950, Arizona picked up its first win over a ranked opponent, No. 19 West Virginia. Two days earlier it stunned defending national champion City College of New York before a sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden.
Tucson High grad Jack Howell drilled a 20-footer from the corner to give Arizona a 40-38 lead (it won 41-38) with nine seconds remaining. Howellâs shot mightâve endured forever as one of the 10 leading shots in UA history, but four CCNY players were later convicted of shaving points in the 1950-51 season, including the Arizona game.
Two nights later at West Virginia, Howell got a second chance. This time, his 20-footer gave Arizona a 68-67 win at the buzzer. West Virginia was called for goaltending on Howellâs shot. The Wildcats rose to 8-1Â and climbed to No. 16 in The Associated Press poll.
That shot sticks. Hereâs our list:
Oregon State led Arizona 62-61 with 3 seconds remaining in overtime at McKale Center. The Beavers were the reigning West Coast basketball power, 139-38 over the previous six seasons. Arizona was contending for its first-ever Pac-10 championship. In a final timeout, Lute Olson called a âhome runâ play. A pass of 94 feet from Steve Kerr to the crowd of players near Arizonaâs foul-line.
âIt works once every 60 times,â UA forward Anthony Cook said after the game.
Cook deflected Kerrâs long pass. It went directly to sophomore guard McMillan. âThere was no one in the way,â he said. âThere was the basket and nothing else.â
McMillan dribbled twice to the basket and scored. Arizona won 63-62. After Kerr referred to McMillan as âMr. Clutch,â the shot was labeled âMcShot at McKale.â The game effectively flipped the balance of power in the Pac-10; Arizona won its first conference championship five weeks later at UCLAâs Pauley Pavilion.Â
Four days after Kerrâs father, Malcolm Kerr, president of American University in Beirut, was assassinated, the then-unknown freshman guard from Los Angeles entered the ASU-UA game at McKale Center with 12:59 remaining in the first half. Almost immediately he caught a pass and swished a 20-footer. A legend was born. The crowd, which had stood in a moment of silence before the game as Kerr wept, made a thunderous noise. Kerr scored 12 points in the game. Arizona won 71-49.
The victory, and Kerrâs continued presence, ignited Arizonaâs run under first-year coach  Olson. ASU had dominated Arizona, going 11-1 before Olson was hired. But after Kerrâs basket, the series forever changed. Arizona won 16 of the next 17 and Kerr became a legend at McKale Center.Â
Tied 70-70 against Duke in a February 1989 made-for-TV game at the New Jersey Meadowlands, No. 2 Arizona climbed to No. 1 when Elliott swished a 3-pointer in the final 30 seconds to beat the No. 9 Blue Devils 77-75 as Elliott became the national player of the year.Â
In the Elite Eight at the Seattle Kingdome, Arizona struggled, trailing North Carolina 42-40 in the second half. Tolbert got a pass inside, made a head fake, and then put up a blind, spinning shot that rolled into the basket as he got fouled. He completed the three-point play and Arizona led, establishing momentum for a 70-52 victory, then the greatest win in school history.Â
No. 2 Long Island University, a two-time national champion under coach Clair Bee, played at Bear Down Gym on a Monday night. A record crowd of 4,650 attended and Arizona did not lead until the final 15 seconds. A foul shot by Phoenix High School grad Jerry Dillon with 15 seconds to play gave Arizona a 62-61 victory over the 17-1 Blackbirds.Â
Trailing No. 1 Stanford 75-74 with three seconds to play, Olson and Mike Montgomery called three timeouts before Arizona would inbound the ball. An entry pass to center Loren Woods was quickly shuffled to power forward Wright, who hit the game-winner from about 3 feet. Arizona reached the Final Four 23 days later.Â
Tied against Cincinnati, 76-76, with three seconds remaining, Simon grabbed a loose ball in traffic, dribbled twice and swished a 60-footer shot at the buzzer. The 7-Up Shoot-Out, played in old Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, was the site of Olsonâs 500th career victory, 79-76.Â
The 3-point shooting ace had already beaten UCLA and ASU with last-possession 3-pointers. In the Sweet 16 against Oklahoma State, trailing 78-77, Stoudamire calmly drilled a 15-footer with 2.8 seconds to play for a 79-78 victory in Chicago.Â
Arizona didnât waste Howellâs game-winner in West Virginia; it went 24-6 and played in its first NCAA Tournament.Â
Gonzaga appeared set to knock No. 1 seed Arizona from the 2003 NCAA Round of 32, leading the Wildcats 89-87 with five seconds remaining in overtime. But Walton didnât hesitate when he got a pass about 10 feet from the basket. He pivoted and swished a fall-away jumper to force a second overtime, which Arizona won 96-95. The UA reached the Elite Eight against Kansas a week later.Â
Trailing Texas 69-67 with 14 seconds remaining in an NCAA Round of 32 game in Tulsa, Arizona forced a five-second call on a Longhorns inbounds play. On its final possession, the Wildcats passed to Williams, who drove to the basket, was knocked off balance and was fouled, and shot as the whistle was blown. His shot went in, and so did his free throw. Arizona won 70-69, reaching the Elite Eight against UConn a week later.
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