The Cats are Back

Like most long-time fans of the University of Arizona basketball team, I thought they had a chance to beat Duke last night. Maybe not a great chance, and it was far more likely that Duke would win (I had Duke winning it all on my bracket), but there was a chance. But I never once thought the Cats would do what they did in the second half last night.

I lived in Tucson from 1982 to 2007. There are no major league teams in Tucson, and the only really big-time sports in town is the U of A. Lute Olson came to Tucson a year after I did and built a collegiate basketball national power. A national championship in 1997, three other final four appearances, and twenty-five straight years of making the NCAA tournament spoiled the fans. We expected greatness every season and refused to accept anything less.

Lute's exit from the head coaching position was messy and protracted. Blue chip recruits reneged on their commitments and other talent transferred. The school hired Sean Miller from Xavier to take over the program. Miller seemed to be a good coach and had done a fine job at Xavier, but I had my doubts. Last year, the team struggled. They finished 16-15 and for the first time in a quarter century, the Wildcats did not make the NCAA tournament, or even the NIT. It was a dubious beginning for the new regime.

This year was supposed to be a rebuilding year. The only star from the team last year was Derrick Williams, now a sophomore. The rest of the team was a bunch of guys that no one knew about. The team seemed unfocused and lost in the early part of the season, but they started to jell in January. Williams was outstanding, and the supporting cast started to learn their roles. They began to exhibit a toughness and determination that they all said came from their coach. The turning point was in early February, when the team won a triple overtime game at Cal which vaulted them into first place in the Conference.

A couple of weeks later, they came to Tempe, AZ to play their arch-rivals the ASU Sun Devils, who had been awful all season. I went to that game and saw a first-place Wildcat team that looked terrible. Williams was off his game and the entire team played without much fire. They won by 15. I thought to myself if they can play so badly and still win by that much of a margin, then this just might be a special team.

The Wildcats got manhandled in LA on the next to last weekend of the regular season and lost to both USC and UCLA. But they won their final two games at home and won the Pac 10 Conference regular season. They lost the championship game of the Conference tournament to Washington on a last-second shot, but looked forward to a return to the Big Dance.

Their first game in the tournament was against Memphis, coached by former Wildcat player and assistant coach, Josh Pastner. Pastner has put together a great, young team of quick, talented players at Memphis. They gave Arizona all they had, and the Wildcats were lucky to come out of it with a two-point win.

Next up was Texas, which had actually been ranked number one in the nation at one point early in the year. They were big, tough, and talented. No one, including yours truly, gave Arizona much of a chance to win. And, indeed, despite running out to a double digit first half lead, the Wildcats gave it all back in the second half. Texas had a two point lead and the ball with 14 seconds left. It looked like the Wildcat season was about to end. But some tenacious Wildcat defense prevented Texas from inbounding the ball and the Longhorns turned the ball over. Somehow, Williams was able to penetrate through the Texas defense, made an unbelieveable behind-the-back shot which went through the hoop, and was fouled on the play. To that point, Williams had missed free throws all night. But he sunk that last one, and the Cats held on to their one point lead, and won the game. An improbable trip to the Sweet 16 had now come true.

But be careful what you wish for. The gift for making it to the Sweet 16 was a game against the defending national champions, the mighty Duke Blue Devils, and their future Hall of Fame coach, Mike Kzryzewski. No one, except Charles Barkley, gave them a chance.

Duke looked awesome in the first half. They pretty much did anything they wanted. The Wildcats, on the other hand, were a one man team. Derrick Williams was unbelieveable, making four three-pointers, grabbing rebounds, and slamming one of them back home with a tomahawk slam which will be talked about for years. Williams scored 25 points in the first half, but the rest of the team scored only 13, and the Cats were down by 6 at halftime.

Then came the second half, which will go down in school history as the best half of basketball every played by a Wildcat team. It started with point guard MoMo Jones suddenly penetrating and scoring. Before you could take in what was happening, every player in a Wildcat uniform seemed to be grabbing rebounds, pushing the ball up the floor on a fast break, swishing in a three-pointer, or slamming a basket. Duke didn't know what hit them. The Wildcats went on a 19-2 run and never looked back. They outscored Duke 55-33 in the half, out-rebounded them 25-9, and totally dismantled them. The Blue Devils looked like they had been gutshot. They lost the game by 16 points after leading by 6 at halftime. It was unbelieveable. I'm still in shock.

In 1997, the Wildcats won their only National Championship. In the Sweet 16 that year, they played No. 1 seed, Kansas, which had been ranked number one in the country for most of the year. The Wildcats upset the Jayhawks in a tough, close game and went on to win the national championship, beating two other No. 1 seeds, North Carolina in the semi-final and Kentucky in the final. It was magical and wonderful.

I haven't felt that way about any other Wildcat team since then. Until last night. Last night's win will go down as one of the top three in school history, right there with the wins over Kansas and Kentucky in '97. Sean Miller has proven to be an outstanding coach, and a worthy successor to Lute Olson. His team is made up of one superstar and a bunch of over-achieving, hard-working young men who wear their hearts on their sleeves and play like a team, without any semblance of ego or selfishness. They are a joy to watch.

I love this year's Wildcat team. Even if they lose in the next round, they will go down in school history as one of the best ever. They have taken what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, and moved on to one game shy of the final four with a signature win that will live for the ages. I am more proud of this Arizona team than any other. Bear down, Arizona. Beat those Huskies from Connecticut on Saturday.