Lute Olson

Arizona coach Lute Olson holds up the net for the fans after Arizona beat Kentucky 84-79 in overtime to win the national championship Monday, March 31, 1997, at the NCAA Final Four tournament in Indianapolis.

Time to celebrate like it’s 1997 all over again.

That's because CBS is airing the 1997 NCAA Championship game between Arizona and Kentucky on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.

With no March Madness this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the network is using the airtime to replay college basketball classics. And the 84-79 OT thriller between these two schools was certainly a game to remember. 

Behind Miles Simon’s 30 points, Arizona defeated Kentucky for its first national title in program history. The win also marked the first time that a team beat three No. 1 seeds en route to a championship.

So while you’re stuck at home and needing a sports fix, may as well tune in to one of the best moments in Arizona Wildcats history and wait for the iconic line, “Simon says, championship.”


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Alec has been with the Star since October 2019. He’s currently a senior at the University of Arizona and previously worked as sports editor for the Arizona Daily Wildcat.