Editor’s note: Over the next week, the Star is using Whatifsports.com to simulate a single-elimination tournament among eight great all-time UA teams. Whatifsports.com provides a play-by-play and box score, and each matchup was simulated only once in a true win-or-go-home scenario.
The teams were seeded on how far they advanced in the NCAA Tournament. So far, the No. 2-seeded 2001 Wildcats, No. 3 1988 UA team and No. 5 2003 Arizona squad have advanced to the semifinals. The last quarterfinal features the top-seeded 1997 national champions against the 2011 UA team which lost in the Elite Eight.
Today’s game
Arizona’s 1997 national championship team took down an NCAA-record three No. 1 seeds in winning the school’s only men’s basketball title with a six-game run that will forever go down in Tucson lore.
But they never had to face a big man like Derrick Williams during March Madness.
With the specter of an all Lute Olson-coached Final Four looming, 2011 coach Sean Miller turned Williams loose and the former No. 2 NBA Draft pick responded, scoring 27 points and grabbing 16 rebounds as the eighth-seeded 2011 UA team stunned the top-seeded 1997 Wildcats 93-90 at McKale Center to clinch a spot in the Whatifsports.com simulation semifinals.
Williams was 9 of 13 from the field and 8 of 12 from the foul line, including two huge free throws that extended the lead to 92-87 with 12 seconds left.
Of course the 1997 champs wouldn’t say die that easily. After all, they had been down by double figures in three games of the NCAA Tournament in their title year, including the opening two rounds. Mike Bibby quickly hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 92-90, and after MoMo Jones hit one of two free throws with two seconds left, the 97’ Cats had one final chance.
For the third straight game in this virtual tournament, a team, down three, had a last-second chance to tie the game. And for the third straight time, the shot missed. This time it was Donnell Harris coming up short on a desperation heave that sent most of the sell-out McKale crowd into stunned silence.
Things started out better for the 1997 team before the game. The video board paid tribute to their title run and the starting lineup had some fun by coming out for the tip wearing their national championship hats and rings.
The refs, not having any of that, sent them back to the bench to get rid of those items.
Michael Dickerson, right, scored a team-high 20 points while notching six rebounds and six assists, but the 1997 champs suffered a first-round flameout in the virtual bracket.
All during this, the 2011 team stewed. They had a spirited March Madness run of their own, and if either of their 3-pointers in the final 10 seconds had fallen against Connecticut in the Elite Eight, they could’ve very easily been UA’s second national title team.
The 2011 Cats came out fired up in the simulation, grabbing first-half leads of 16-10, 23-16 and 33-24. Williams had 15 of his points in the first 20 minutes as the team grabbed a somewhat surprising 49-43 halftime lead.
Then the 1997 team came out all business in the second half, and a lightning-quick 7-0 run in the first minute thanks to five points from Miles Simon and two from Bibby gave it a 50-49 lead.
The teams traded the lead back-and-forth for much of the rest of the game, with neither squad going ahead by more than three until late.
Jamelle Horne gave the 2011 team the lead for good on a clutch 3 with 3:38 left to make it 85-82. It was a sweet moment for Horne, who had missed the last-second 3 against UConn in ’11.
Simon’s 3 with 47 seconds left cut the deficit to 88-87, but Brendon Lavender hit a basket and then Bibby missed a 3 with 14 seconds left.
Six players for the 1997 team scored in double figures, led by Michael Dickerson’s 20 points. Bennett Davison added 16 and Bibby notched 13.
Simon, the Most Outstanding Player in the 1997 Final Four, was held to 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting. Dickerson (8 of 22) took twice as many shots as anyone on the team, but also helped with six rebounds and six assists.
Horne added 15 points for the 2011 team, which will face the No. 5-seeded 2003 Wildcats in the semifinals. The 2011 Wildcats hit only 7 of 21 3s in the win, but were 24 of 39 (61.5%) on 2-pointers and got to the foul line 12 more times than 1997 Arizona.
The 1997 Cats went out to a standing ovation with their heads held high and with their fingers raised saying they were still No. 1.
The 2011 Wildcats didn’t seem to mind, they were busy cutting down the nets to celebrate a virtual Final Four berth, and thinking they still had unfinished business.
Next up is the semifinals, starting tomorrow with a contest sure to have virtual McKale shaking with noise: No. 2 2001 against No. 3 1988.
