Greg Hansen's top 10 teams in Arizona Wildcats history
- Updated
The 2008 UA women's swim team, led by Lacey Nymeyer, 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 teams in Arizona Wildcats history after Arizona’s 1997 men’s national champions.
The prospect of winning the school’s first-ever Pac-10 championship was a powerful lure to UA fans in 1980, especially when Arizona State occupied the opponent’s dugout.
For three consecutive nights at what was then called Wildcat Field — later Kindall/Sancet Stadium — attendance grew from 6,936 to 8,732 to 9,722. It remains the largest attendance for a UA baseball series not played at Hi Corbett Field.
Not only did attendance grow, so did the tension.
Arizona State won the first two games, establishing a winner-takes-all showdown against No. 6 Arizona on Saturday night, May 10, 1980.
“We’re right in the middle of the toughest job we could imagine,” said UA coach Jerry Kindall.
The crowd was so rowdy at Friday’s game, won by the Sun Devils, that ASU coach Jim Brock accused UA fans of throwing beer and cans at his players.
Kindall agreed. “I looked over there and saw it,” he said.
As a result, the Saturday night championship game required extra security personnel near the ASU dugout.
“It’s a reflection on our club and the players don’t like it,” Kindall said. “They’re embarrassed and so is the university.”
The suspense didn’t last long. Arizona scored 10 runs in the second inning, keyed by a Don Hyman home run. UA players surrounded home plate as Hyman rounded third base, waiting to celebrate. The greeting was so enthusiastic that Hyman was knocked on the seat of his pants, on top of home plate.
He hit another home run later in the game and Arizona won 22-4, its largest margin over ASU in modern history. It clinched the Pac-10 South championship and triggered an epic Arizona run to the national championship.
Was it the best team in school history, any sport? It’s in the conversation. The ’80 Wildcats finished the job in Omaha, which wasn’t true for the 1956 Wildcats (49-7) and the 1974 team (58-6), both of which probably had the top regular seasons in school baseball history.
Here are my rankings of the school’s 10 leading teams in history. Please note, the list does not include the team that changed everything: Arizona’s 1997 men’s basketball national champions:
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The Wildcats won the NCAA title by a record 136 points over runner-up Auburn. That’s like a football team winning the national title 55-10. The Wildcats, led by Lacey Nymeyer, won seven of the 18 events, had a pair of second places and three third places. Coach Frank Busch’s team also won the Pac-10 championship with a record 1,501 points.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The UA opened the year 31-0 and finished on a 26-0 run, beating No. 6 Cal, No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 4 Stanford and No. 2 UCLA at the College World Series. Overall, Mike Candrea’s team finished 65-4 and junior pitcher Jennie Finch went a perfect 32-0.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Clearly the best football team in school history, Dick Tomey’s club was 12-1 and was ranked No. 4 in the final AP poll after beating No. 14 Nebraska 23-20 at the Holiday Bowl. The UA was so balanced that it outgained its opponents by an average of 411 to 307 yards per game — a team that featured future NFL players Chris McAlister, Dennis Northcutt, Marcus Bell, Trung Canidate, Yusuf Scott and DaShon Polk. Included in the 12-1 season was the epic 31-28 rally to beat Washington in the “Leap By the Lake” game in Seattle.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Lute Olson’s sixth UA team, 35-3, was ranked No. 1 for six weeks. It would clearly be No. 1 on this list had it not stumbled against Oklahoma’s defensive-minded Sooners in the Final Four. The “Darlings of the Desert” had what CBS analyst Billy Packer labeled “the finest pre-conference season in college basketball history,” defeating No. 1 Syracuse, No. 3 Iowa, No. 8 Duke and No. 9 Michigan before New Year’s Day.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The World Series champion Wildcats had five first-team All-Pac-10 players: national player of the year Terry Francona, first baseman Wes Clements, outfielder Johnny Moses, shortstop Clark Crist and centerfielder Dwight Taylor, plus future MLB pitchers Craig Lefferts, Ed Vosberg and Greg Bargar.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Led by NCAA champion Jenna Daniels and runner-up Julia Kraschinski, Arizona won the national finals in Sunriver, Oregon, by a whopping 21 strokes, the third-largest margin in NCAA history. “To have a clean sweep of the NCAA tournament is all you can hope for,” said UA coach Todd McCorkle.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Olson missed five games at mid-season to mourn the death of his wife, Bobbi. The Wildcats staggered, 8-5 overall, but then rolled over No. 1 Stanford and won 28 games, plowing through No. 4 Illinois in the Elite Eight and routing No.3 Michigan State in the Final Four semifinals behind what was likely the most talented starting lineup in school history: Gilbert Arenas, Jason Gardner, Loren Woods, Richard Jefferson and Michael Wright.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
With its second-most victories in school history, 56-17 overall, Arizona stunned No. 1 ASU in the College World Series semifinals after it had lost seven straight games to the Sun Devils. Future major-leaguers Ron Hassey and Dave Stegman practically rewrote the UA’s offensive record books.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The third of Jerry Kindall’s national championship teams had it all: catcher Steve Strong hitting .396, pitcher Gil Heredia going 16-3, World Series MVP Mike Senne driving in 80 runs and leadoff hitter Tommy Hinzo stealing 45 bases. They also had the clutch element as pinch-hitter Dave Shermet hit a grand slam in the World Series opener to stun Maine 8-7.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The Wildcats chopped down No. 1 Arizona State over four days at the national finals, 23-under par, to beat Phil Mickelson’s Sun Devils by 13 strokes. Harry Rudolph and Manny Zerman were first-team All-Americans and David Berganio was a third-team selection. The ’92 Wildcats were so good that future U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk occupied the No. 4 slot in the lineup.
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 teams in Arizona Wildcats history after Arizona’s 1997 men’s national champions.
The prospect of winning the school’s first-ever Pac-10 championship was a powerful lure to UA fans in 1980, especially when Arizona State occupied the opponent’s dugout.
For three consecutive nights at what was then called Wildcat Field — later Kindall/Sancet Stadium — attendance grew from 6,936 to 8,732 to 9,722. It remains the largest attendance for a UA baseball series not played at Hi Corbett Field.
Not only did attendance grow, so did the tension.
Arizona State won the first two games, establishing a winner-takes-all showdown against No. 6 Arizona on Saturday night, May 10, 1980.
“We’re right in the middle of the toughest job we could imagine,” said UA coach Jerry Kindall.
The crowd was so rowdy at Friday’s game, won by the Sun Devils, that ASU coach Jim Brock accused UA fans of throwing beer and cans at his players.
Kindall agreed. “I looked over there and saw it,” he said.
As a result, the Saturday night championship game required extra security personnel near the ASU dugout.
“It’s a reflection on our club and the players don’t like it,” Kindall said. “They’re embarrassed and so is the university.”
The suspense didn’t last long. Arizona scored 10 runs in the second inning, keyed by a Don Hyman home run. UA players surrounded home plate as Hyman rounded third base, waiting to celebrate. The greeting was so enthusiastic that Hyman was knocked on the seat of his pants, on top of home plate.
He hit another home run later in the game and Arizona won 22-4, its largest margin over ASU in modern history. It clinched the Pac-10 South championship and triggered an epic Arizona run to the national championship.
Was it the best team in school history, any sport? It’s in the conversation. The ’80 Wildcats finished the job in Omaha, which wasn’t true for the 1956 Wildcats (49-7) and the 1974 team (58-6), both of which probably had the top regular seasons in school baseball history.
Here are my rankings of the school’s 10 leading teams in history. Please note, the list does not include the team that changed everything: Arizona’s 1997 men’s basketball national champions:
The Wildcats won the NCAA title by a record 136 points over runner-up Auburn. That’s like a football team winning the national title 55-10. The Wildcats, led by Lacey Nymeyer, won seven of the 18 events, had a pair of second places and three third places. Coach Frank Busch’s team also won the Pac-10 championship with a record 1,501 points.
The UA opened the year 31-0 and finished on a 26-0 run, beating No. 6 Cal, No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 4 Stanford and No. 2 UCLA at the College World Series. Overall, Mike Candrea’s team finished 65-4 and junior pitcher Jennie Finch went a perfect 32-0.
Clearly the best football team in school history, Dick Tomey’s club was 12-1 and was ranked No. 4 in the final AP poll after beating No. 14 Nebraska 23-20 at the Holiday Bowl. The UA was so balanced that it outgained its opponents by an average of 411 to 307 yards per game — a team that featured future NFL players Chris McAlister, Dennis Northcutt, Marcus Bell, Trung Canidate, Yusuf Scott and DaShon Polk. Included in the 12-1 season was the epic 31-28 rally to beat Washington in the “Leap By the Lake” game in Seattle.
Lute Olson’s sixth UA team, 35-3, was ranked No. 1 for six weeks. It would clearly be No. 1 on this list had it not stumbled against Oklahoma’s defensive-minded Sooners in the Final Four. The “Darlings of the Desert” had what CBS analyst Billy Packer labeled “the finest pre-conference season in college basketball history,” defeating No. 1 Syracuse, No. 3 Iowa, No. 8 Duke and No. 9 Michigan before New Year’s Day.
The World Series champion Wildcats had five first-team All-Pac-10 players: national player of the year Terry Francona, first baseman Wes Clements, outfielder Johnny Moses, shortstop Clark Crist and centerfielder Dwight Taylor, plus future MLB pitchers Craig Lefferts, Ed Vosberg and Greg Bargar.
Led by NCAA champion Jenna Daniels and runner-up Julia Kraschinski, Arizona won the national finals in Sunriver, Oregon, by a whopping 21 strokes, the third-largest margin in NCAA history. “To have a clean sweep of the NCAA tournament is all you can hope for,” said UA coach Todd McCorkle.
Olson missed five games at mid-season to mourn the death of his wife, Bobbi. The Wildcats staggered, 8-5 overall, but then rolled over No. 1 Stanford and won 28 games, plowing through No. 4 Illinois in the Elite Eight and routing No.3 Michigan State in the Final Four semifinals behind what was likely the most talented starting lineup in school history: Gilbert Arenas, Jason Gardner, Loren Woods, Richard Jefferson and Michael Wright.
With its second-most victories in school history, 56-17 overall, Arizona stunned No. 1 ASU in the College World Series semifinals after it had lost seven straight games to the Sun Devils. Future major-leaguers Ron Hassey and Dave Stegman practically rewrote the UA’s offensive record books.
The third of Jerry Kindall’s national championship teams had it all: catcher Steve Strong hitting .396, pitcher Gil Heredia going 16-3, World Series MVP Mike Senne driving in 80 runs and leadoff hitter Tommy Hinzo stealing 45 bases. They also had the clutch element as pinch-hitter Dave Shermet hit a grand slam in the World Series opener to stun Maine 8-7.
The Wildcats chopped down No. 1 Arizona State over four days at the national finals, 23-under par, to beat Phil Mickelson’s Sun Devils by 13 strokes. Harry Rudolph and Manny Zerman were first-team All-Americans and David Berganio was a third-team selection. The ’92 Wildcats were so good that future U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk occupied the No. 4 slot in the lineup.
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