Picking the 25 greatest wins of Lute Olson’s hall of fame coaching career was no easy task. There were almost 800 of them, after all.
Over five days, we’ll list the top 25 wins belonging to Olson, who died Aug. 27 at age 85. We’re limiting the selections to just Olson’s tenure in Tucson. (Almost all of them, anyway).
Today: Wins No. 25-21 on Lute’s all-time list.
25. Something’s Bruin in McKale
Of course Olson’s first win over UCLA with Arizona went down to the wire. After dropping both matchups with the mighty Bruins in his first season at the helm, Olson guided the Wildcats to a 53-52 win on Jan. 19, 1985. Olson would go on to win 27 of his next 48 matchups against UCLA, taking the title of “Best in the West” to Tucson.
Arizona’s Bennett Davison dunks against College of Charleston during the 1997 NCAA Tournament.
24. Cats chew CharlestonThe road to Arizona’s first and only national title wasn’t exactly easy. The College of Charleston was no ordinary No. 12 seed when the Wildcats encountered them in the second round of the 1997 NCAA Tournament.
The Cougars were 29-2 and the No. 16 team in the country when the two teams met, and they showed Arizona why in the first half, building a 34-33 lead.
The Cats roared back in the second half as Miles Simon and Mike Bibby came alive, combining for 38 total points in the Wildcats’ March win.
23. LUTE EARNS Win No. 1
When Olson arrived in Tucson from Iowa, he knew the daunting task ahead: Turn around an entire program. For one day, at least, he was able to celebrate.
Arizona won Olson’s first game, a 72-65 victory over Northern Arizona on Nov. 25, 1983. The Wildcats would lose 11 of their next 12. But Olson eventually did turn things around.
22. Emerging through the Phog
It wasn’t as significant as some of Arizona’s tournament wins, or as meaningful as several of Olson’s victories over UCLA or Arizona State, but when the Wildcats marched into mighty Phog Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas, on Jan. 25, 2003, they did so with purpose.
Arizona emerged with a 17-point at the No. 6 team in the nation — the same Jayhawks squad who would end Arizona’s season in the Elite Eight with a three-point win.
21. Salim saves the day
Was there a Wildcat with more ice in his veins than Salim Stoudamire? Olson trusted the sharpshooting Wildcat with the clock winding down, and on Jan. 15, 2005, the world found out why.
Stoudamire scored 24 second-half points and beat UCLA with a 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds left.
