SWE

WEET 16 EX
XTRA
T A THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2017 SECTION C
Editor: Ryan Finley / 520-573-4312 / sportsed@tucson.com

Freshman
becoming
a Rawle
big deal
Alkins, Cats set
for next step

MORE COVERAGE
A savage life for me Greg Hansens guide Wildcats peaking ON TUCSON.COM
How UAs Alkins turned into Columnist traces Wildcats Five reasons why this could Follow the Wildcats
NCAA Tournament hero /C6 history, makes picks / C8-9 be Arizonas weekend / C10 with videos, photos and stories at
tucson.com/wildcats
C2 SSWEET
WEET 1166 EXTRA
E X TR A
Wildcats forward Lauri Markkanen, a national sensation, could become the schools leading freshman scorer if Arizona plays twice in this weeks West Regional.
FOREVER YOUNG:
FRESHMEN THE KEY TO ARIZONA DEEP RUN
N
obody in college basket
ball picks or publishes
an All Senior team. But
every league and every website
with a URL address chooses an
All Freshman team.
As with most schools, Arizona
keeps a list of its freshman re
cords, but never one of its senior
records.
College basketball has changed
so thoroughly in the last 25 years,
with diminishing contributions
from seniors, that the formula to
get to the Final Four has changed
with it. Age isn t a factor.
It s more difficult to make the
Pac 12 s All Freshman team than
it is the All Conference team.
Take a look at the Pac 12 s
all freshman team: Lauri Mark
kanen, Arizona; Rawle Alkins,
Arizona; Markelle Fultz, Wash
ington; Lonzo Ball, UCLA; T.J.
Leaf, UCLA.
The best of the rest: junior
Dillon Brooks, Oregon; junior
Reid Travis, Stanford; sophomore
Chimezie Metu, USC; junior
Jordan Bell, Oregon; sophomore
Allonzo Trier, Arizona.
I ll take the freshmen.
This applies not just to the
conference season, but to the
NCAA Tournament.
When Arizona, Xavier, West
Virginia and Gonzaga hit the fl oor
at the San Jose Sweet 16 Thursday,
those teams will deploy a total of
six seniors among each team s six
leading scorers.
Ten of the teams 24 leading
scorers are freshmen and sopho
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOP-SEEDED GONZAGA,
NO. 2 UA ARE WESTS BEST
A team-by-team look at the West
Regions remaining teams....... C4
CATS FRESHMAN ALKINS
LEADS A SAVAGE LIFE
An oral history of how the Wildcats
forward became a fan favorite .. C6
SIMMONS ADJUSTING
TO NEW TOURNEY ROLE
The shooting guard keeps his head
up despite move to bench......... C7
GREG HANSENS GUIDE
TO THE 2017 SWEET 16
The Star columnist explains UAs
history and makes his picks.. C8-9
Greg Hansen
mores.
Arizona, UCLA and Oregon
have combined for 94 victories
entering the Sweet 16, which is a
Pac 12 record. No other three
some in league history has won
more than 89.
How did the Ducks, Wildcats
and Bruins do it?
Only four of the 18 leading
scorers for those teams UCLA s
Bryce Alford and Isaac Hamilton;
Arizona s Kadeem Allen and Ore
gon s Dylan Ennis are seniors.
Oregon freshman point guard
Payton Pritchard beat out junior
Casey Benson this season. A year
ago, Benson led the nation in as
sist to turnover ratio and helped
the Ducks to the Elite Eight.
He lost his job anyway. That s
college basketball in 2017.
While researching Arizona s
history in Sweet 16 games, I read
about Lute Olson s reaction after
losing to Seton Hall in a fi ercely
contested 1991 game in Seattle.
The Pirates beat the Wildcats
81 77 that day to advance to the
Elite Eight.
After 30 minutes of media
interviews, Olson and his wife,
Bobbi, entered the UA locker
room and noticed junior guard
WILDCATS PEAKING
AT THE PERFECT TIME
Development, defense two reasons
behind their improved play ..... C10
THE SWEETEST 16: PLAYERS
WHO ARE READY TO SHINE
A look at the NCAA Tournaments
remaining stars ....................... C12
ZAGS GO FROM CINDERELLA
TO TOURNAMENT REGULAR
How the West Coast Conference
school joined the big boys ...... C13
IS A FINAL FOUR COMING?
VICTORY IN VERSE
Sometimes there is no rhyme or
reason for teams success....... C14
Matt Othick in tears.
Bobbi embraced Othick and
said Oh, Matt, we ve got so
much to look forward to next
year.
Indeed, the Wildcats of 92
were loaded, built with size and
experience the way college bas
ketball teams of that generation
planned.
Chris Mills would be a fourth
year senior, perhaps the top player
in the Pac 10. Future All Amer
ican Khalid Reeves would be a
sophomore. The Tucson Skyline
future NBA draft picks Sean
Rooks and Ed Stokes would
clog the middle. Othick would
return to join future All American
Damon Stoudamire at guard.
The Wildcats opened the
season ranked No. 5 in the AP poll
and climbed to No. 2 in March.
Then the NCAA goofed up the
seedings the way it always seems
to mis rank Wichita State. It
matched Arizona, a pound it in
side team, against the best team
in East Tennessee State history,
a speed machine that fi nished
the previous season No. 17 in the
AP poll and beat North Carolina
State, Tennessee and BYU and
barely lost to Arizona at McKale
Center.
The Buccaneers won 87 80,
and two nights later played Mich
igan s Fab Five to the wire, losing
100 92 to an all freshman team
that reached the national cham
pionship game.
After that game, Othick was
randomly pre designated by the
ON THE COVER
The Stars Mike Christy captured
Rawle Alkins thundering dunk
during the Wildcats first-round win
over North Dakota last week.
Thursday, March 23, 2017 / Arizona Daily Star
NCAA drug testing people to
provide a urine sample. Othick sat
isolated in a corridor of the Atlan Elliott was the only freshman to
ta s old Omni Coliseum, his career
over, unable to quickly provide
that urine sample.
When Othick fi nally completed
his duties, he walked slowly to
the locker room and said I wish I
could be back another year, we ve
got all those seniors and all that
experience; we re really going to
be good.
With all of those old guys, Ar
izona lost in the fi rst round a year
later to a Santa Clara team break
ing in future all NBA freshman
guard Steve Nash.
That s when the game began to
change.
In 1997, Arizona won the
national championship behind
freshman point guard Mike Bibby
and sophomore guard Jason Terry,
the nation s top sixth man. The
Wildcats had no scholarship
seniors. fi rst Final Four since 2001, the
The game has never been the
same. Sean Miller has started 14
freshmen (for most of the season)
in his Arizona years. Some were
busts (point guard Josiah Turner),
some were short term solutions
(point guard MoMo Jones) and
some (forward Aaron Gordon)
were quickly on their way to the
NBA.
In San Jose, he ll start Mark saying, Oh, Matt, we ve got so
kanen and Alkins, and if the
Wildcats manage to play twice at
the SAP Center, it s likely Mark
kanen will pass Jerryd Bayless as
the leading freshman scorer in
ON TUCSON.COM
STAR STAFF AT THE SWEET 16
Follow the Stars Bruce Pascoe, Greg
Hansen, Zack Rosenblatt and Jon Gold and
view photos and videos from the tourna-
ment at tucson.com/uahoops
CHAT LIVE WITH FELLOW UA FANS
Cant make the game? Want to follow from
the stands? Chat with fellow Wildcats
fans starting 30 minutes before tipoff at
tucson.com
BRUCE PASCOE DOESNT SLEEP
Star reporter Bruce Pascoe blogs all day
(and night) during the tournament. Read
the latest on his Arizona basketball blog at
tucson.com/pascoe
MIKE CHRISTY / ARIZONA DAILY STAR
school history.
Between 1974 2008, Sean
lead Arizona in scoring. Since
then freshmen Jerryd Bayless,
Derrick Williams, Stanley John
son and now Markkanen have led
Arizona in scoring.
Markkanen is a Big Story, and
not just because he is 7 feet tall.
He is an instant sensation in a
game of instant sensations.
A long time ago, Arizona
produced a collector s item video
Memories 88, the heart grab
bing story of the UA s run to the
nation s No. 1 spot and the Final
Four. That team started fi fth year
senior Tom Tolbert, fi fth year
guard Steve Kerr and senior guard
Craig McMillan. The other start
ers, Elliott and Anthony Cook,
were juniors, with more than
90 games of college basketball
experience.
Now, bent on reaching their
Wildcats of the 21st century will
start two freshmen, a sophomore,
a junior and senior Kadeem Allen.
It s possible that none of them,
or maybe only one of them, will
be back when practice begins in
the fall.
Yet any time you discuss the
Wildcats of 2017 18, it s not much
different than Bobbi Olson in 1991
much to look forward to next year.
Contact sports columnist Greg Hansen at
520-573-4145 or ghansen@tucson.com. On
Twitter @ghansen711
SECTION
CREDITS
Editor: Ryan Finley
Designer: Maria Camou
Graphics: Tammie Graves.
Chiara Bautista
Reporters: Jon Gold, Greg
Hansen, Bruce Pascoe,
Zack Rosenblatt
Copy editors: Dominic Ba-
ciocco, George Campbell,
Dave Ord, Michael
Schmelzle, Myles Standish
Photographers: Mike
Christy, Mamta Popat,
Kelly Presnell
Photo editor: Rick Wiley
Thursday, March 23, 2017 / Arizona Daily Star C3
C4 SSWEET
WEET 1166 EXTRA
E X TR A
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are the top seed in the West Region. Although Gonzaga beat Arizona, without Allonzo Trier, and St. Marys three times, the Bulldogs did not play a difficult schedule.
CATS, ZAGS COULD COLLIDE AGAIN
BUT DONT COUNT OUT MOUNTAINEERS, MUSKETEERS
NO. 1 GONZAGA
Head coach: Mark Few, 18th year at
Gonzaga (500-112 overall, 500-112 at
Gonzaga)
Brass tacks: 34-1 overall, 17-1 in WCC
Bona fides: WCC regular season
champion, WCC Tournament champi-
on
Signature wins: Nov. 27 vs. Iowa State,
73-71; Dec. 3 vs. Arizona, 69-62; Jan.
14 vs. St. Marys, 79-56; Feb. 11 at St.
Marys, 74-64
Lamentable losses: Feb. 25 vs. BYU,
79-71
Key players: G Nigel Williams-Goss
(16.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 4.8 apg); G Jordan
Mathews (10.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg); F
Johnathan Williams (10.2 ppg, 6.5
rpg); C Przemek Karnowski (12.6
ppg, 6.0 rpg)
Strengths: Terrific veteran leader-
ship with a host of transfers, led by
Williams-Goss, who came to Spokane
from Seattle, where he was a star
for the Washington Huskies. Deep
backcourt with several scorers, and a
frontcourt led by big man Karnowski.
Very steady under Few, who along
with Sean Miller is seeking his first
Final Four.
Weaknesses: As usual, the Bulldogs
did not play a gauntlet of a schedule,
as their best win came against an
Arizona team missing Allonzo Trier.
Shoots well from outside, but
perhaps not well enough to count on
the outside game.
The way to San Jose: The Zags
handled 16-seed South Dakota State
in a 20-point win, but struggled to
get by Northwestern, and a bad call
helped put the Bulldogs over the top.
Gonzaga also went to the free-throw
line 36 times against Northwestern.
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Thursday, March 23, 2017 / Arizona Daily Star
RICK BOWMER / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NO. 4 WEST VIRGINIA NO. 11 XAVIER
Head coach: Bob Huggins, 10th year Head coach: Chris Mack, 8th year at
at West Virginia (813-328 overall, Xavier (186-90 overall, 186-90 at Xavier)
227-117 at West Virginia) Brass tacks: 21-13 overall, 9-9 in Big East
Brass tacks: 28-8 overall, 12-6 Big-12 Bona fides: Seventh in Big East
Bona fides: Second in Big-12, lost Big- Signature wins: Feb. 4 at Creighton,
12 championship game to Iowa State 82-80; March 9 vs. Butler, 62-57;
Signature wins: Dec. 3 at Virginia, 66- March 16 vs. Maryland, 76-65; March
57; Jan. 10 vs. Baylor, 89-68; Jan. 24 18 vs. Florida State, 91-66
vs. Kansas, 85-69; March 3 vs. Iowa Lamentable losses: Dec. 7 at Colo-
MIKE CHRISTY / ARIZONA DAILY STAR State, 87-76 rado, 68-66; Feb. 22 at Seton Hall,
Wildcats guard Allonzo Trier took charge in the second half against Saint Lamentable losses: Nov. 25 vs. Tem- 71-64; March 1 vs. Marquette, 95-84
Marys. Hell need to do so again this week to keep UAs season alive. ple, 81-77; Jan. 3 at Texas Tech, 77-76; Key players: G Trevon Bluiett (18.0
Feb. 4 vs. Oklahoma State, 82-75 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.0 apg); G J.P. Macura
Lauri Markkanen (15.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg); Key players: G Jevon Carter (12.9 ppg, (14.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.8 apg, 81.0 FT
C Dusan Ristic (10.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg) 5.0 rpg); G Tarik Phillip (9.3 ppg, 3.0 percentage); G Malcolm Bernard (6.3
Strengths: Impressive inside-out- rpg); Daxter Miles (9.1 ppg, 2.2 rpg); ppg, 3.6 rpg)
side balance, with three capable Nathan Adrian (10.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg) Strengths: The Musketeers are one
backcourt scorers, and one of the Strengths: The Huggins-led squad of the best remaining rebounding
countrys best down-low duos. Tri- has a talented and impactful defense teams in the NCAA Tournament,
ers return gave the Wildcats offense that allows just 67 points a game. ... averaging 37.4 boards per game.
an instant boost and turned them The Mountaineers have several top- Bluiett is one of the best two-way
NO. 2 ARIZONA into a contender. Best seasoned 25 wins, including wins over Kansas players in college hoops, and he
depth in Millers Arizona tenure, nine- and Baylor. could give the Wildcats fits. They
Head coach: Sean Miller, ninth year deep, with Chance Comanche, Keanu Weaknesses: The Mountaineers are know Sean Miller inside-out.
at Arizona (340-112 overall, 220-65 Pinder, Parker Jackson-Cartwright truly mediocre at the free-throw Weaknesses: Xavier is not one of the
at UA) and Kobi Simmons appearing ready line, shooting 68 percent. West best shooting teams left out there,
Brass tacks: 32-4 overall, 16-2 in to contribute when called upon. Virginia has 10 players scoring more and none of their two big scorers is
Pac-12 Weaknesses: The Wildcats are prone than four points per game, but only particularly effective from the field.
Bona fides: Pac-12 regular season to offensive lapses for extended two scoring more than 10. Do the Finishing .500 in conference play is
co-champion, Pac-12 Tournament periods, particularly when tempo Mountaineers have the firepower to not a particularly stand-out rsum.
champion gets dictated by the opponent. pull this off? The Musketeers dropped six
Signature wins: Nov. 11 vs. Michigan Miller has struggled in tournament The way to San Jose: After squeaking straight late in the season, reveal-
State, 65-63; Jan. 21 at UCLA, 96-85; play with rotations and trusting his by Bucknell with an 86-80 open- ing weaknesses all over the court,
March 10 vs. UCLA, 86-75; March 11 bench. Can they get over the Elite ing-round win, the Mountaineers particularly after the loss of Edmond
vs. Oregon, 83-80 8 psychological humps? soared to an 83-71 win over Notre Sumner.
Lamentable losses: Nov. 25 vs. Butler, The way to San Jose: The Wildcats Dame in Round 2. Bonzie Colson The way to San Jose: The Musketeers
69-65; Dec. 3 vs. Gonzaga, 69-62; had arguably the best opening-round had 27 points for the Fighting Irish might have the best two tourney
Feb. 4 at Oregon, 85-58; Feb. 25 vs. win with a 100-82 smashing of North but West Virginia had five players in wins so far, with a very good win over
UCLA, 77-72 Dakota, but things were a little tough- double-figures. The Mountaineers Maryland and a huge win over Florida
Key players: G Allonzo Trier (16.4 ppg, er in the Round of 32. Saint Marys were in control the whole way after State, a 25-point, second-round
5.0 rpg, 2.5 apg); G Kadeem Allen was a formidable foe, but Arizona jumping to a 10-0 lead. beatdown that opened many eyes.
(9.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.1 apg); G Rawle finally pulled away late in the 69-60
Alkins (11.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.0 apg); F victory. Jon Gold
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C6 SSWEET
WEET 1166 EXTRA
E X TR A Thursday, March 23, 2017 / Arizona Daily Star

SAVAGE LIFE:
ALKINS ABOUT MORE THAN A CATCHY SAYING
By Zack Rosenblatt
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Rawle Alkins sat in McKale
Center in January for an interview.
As he spoke, his cousin was wait
ing in the car outside.
Alkins had been living in Tuc
son for half a year, but didn t have
any way of getting around. It took
him a few more weeks to take
and pass his driver s test.
Now that Alkins can get around,
he has learned just how well he fi ts
in Tucson. He s low key and lev
el headed, which is somewhat
surprising, given his hometown.
Me being from New York,
that s six hours away by plane,
Alkins said. It s a whole differ
ent life. We used to take trains and
buses, and there are so many peo
ple around.
New circumstances and sur
roundings don t seem to phase
the UA freshman.
This is his origin story.

THE CITY
Arizona has a rich history of
New Yorkers making their way
to McKale Center. Khalid Reeves
was a star at Christ the King High
School before singing with the UA.
In 2011, MoMo Jones, from Harlem,
and Kevin Parrom, from the Bronx,
helped the Wildcats to the Elite
Eight. Mark Lyons, of Schenectady,
transferred from Xavier to Arizona
a year later. Both Jones and Lyons
became well known for their cocky
personas Jones often referred to
himself in the third person. Alkins
is more relaxed than that:
Alkins: I m confi dent, don t
get me wrong, I m still confi dent.
I don t need to show it. I let my
game do the talking, but at the
same time I m confi dent in my
ability and I know that with team
success comes individual success
and that s I just want to win.
Joe Arbitello, Christ the King
coach: Especially in New York,
everyone thinks they re the next
coming. People would say to him
that he s not the best player in
New York, but it never bothered
him. That s why I ll never coach
another kid with that type of tal
ent and that type of personality.
People don t know what I mean by
that, but he didn t care. He didn t
care if he was the leading scorer,
he didn t care.
Alkins: In New York, it s just
the tougher guys always win. I
show my toughness in a different
way. I don t need to get in your
face and talk to you, I just play.
It happens to be a great thing for
me.
THE FAMILY
Alkins grew up an only child in
Canarsie,but he wasn t alone.Alk
ins shared a home with eight fami
ly members, including his mother
Derline Zephir and cousin, Rodney
Labossiere, both who run the show
in Alkins life. All Alkins had, and
needed, was a supportive family.
For a fi ve star recruit with offers
to play at blue blood programs na
tionwide, that s a foreign concept.
Arbitello: He doesn t have
handlers. He has his mother, his
cousin Rodney and a couple cous
ins who live in the house with him
in Canarsie. They never bothered
me about basketball. It was just,
Is he doing well in school? Is he
being a gentleman? That s all
Rawle Alkins broke his fi nger in the fi rst half of Saturday' s NCAA Tournament game against Saint Mary' s, but returned in time to rally the Wildcats.
they ever wanted to know. I used
to think, Why are they asking
me this? This kid is the nicest
kid I ever coached. If he wanted
to be arrogant I would have to put
up with it a little bit because he s
Rawle Alkins. So I think it s just
his mother deserves all the credit
in the world for the way she raised
him. She raised him to be a gentle
man and worry about the import
ant things in life.
Alkins: My mom raised me
well.
THE INJURY
Arizona was just four minutes
into Saturday s NCAA Tourna
ment matchup with Saint Mary s
when Alkins doubled over, grimac
ing in pain, and quickly checked
out of the game. The Wildcats
were losing 17 12, and things just
kept getting worse. Kadeem Al
len missed a layup, Allonzo Trier
turned the ball over, Chance Co
manche missed an alley oop dunk,
Kobi Simmons missed three shots
in a row, Allen missed a tip in and
Lauri Markkanen missed a layup.
By the time Alkins checked back in
with 3:43 left in the fi rst half, Ari
zona was down 24 16 and reeling.
Alkins, had fractured his right in
dex fi nger.
Arbitello: I was thinking to
myself, he never missed a game
for me in all the years. He never
missed a game. One time he got hit
in the mouth, might ve lost one or
two teeth, and he came right back
in the game. It s going to take a lot
to keep him out.
Alkins: In the training room,
they have a TV back there so I
was watching the game and I saw
we was down eight, so I told the
trainer and the doctor, we have to
do whatever it takes to get back
on the court. Then they did the
X rays and luckily it was a minor
fracture. So I said, I can play?
They said, You can play. I just
taped it up a little bit and ran back
on the court.
Kadeem Allen, UA senior names. He smiles and shakes
guard: He s different, man. He s
different. Most people wouldn t
have come back into the game as
a freshman. He got it taped up,
came back out and played some
good basketball.
Less than a minute later return
ing, Alkins corralled a defensive
rebound, took the ball up the fl oor
himself, took on two defenders with
a spin move at the rim and scored
using his injured hand. At the 7:04
mark in the second half, Alkins
made the play of the game: De
fending a 3 on 1 Saint Mary s fast him is different from how he han
break, he intercepted an attempted
alley oop pass. Arizona won the
game 69 60, outscoring the Gaels
53 36 after Alkins returned. He
fi nished with six points.
Sean Miller, UA head coach:
When you do that as a freshman
and you re in the NCAA tourna
ment, and you leave the game,
No. 1, it s not easy to come back
into the game, but to come back in
the game and play well, says a lot
about Rawle.
Book Richardson, UA assis-
tant coach: He s a warrior. Post. And Rawle was terrible. He
Lauri Markkanen, UA fresh-
man forward: It was tough to
lose him, he s one of our key play
ers. He plays extremely tough.
That (steal) was a big play. I turned
the ball over, it s good to know my
teammate has my back.
Alkins: I m all in. I m going
to do whatever takes to get back on
the court.
Miller: It would be one tough
kid to pop your fi nger back mid
way through the fi rst half, come
out on your shooting hand and
play the rest of the game. As great
as he played two nights ago, that
says a lot more about Rawle than
what he was able to do tonight.
Anybody that s played the game
and has suffered a hand injury like
that knows how difficult it is to do
what he did.
THE PERSONALITY
Alkins remembers peoples
hands; he jokes. There s a reason
why he s become a fan favorite. His
personality on the court is tough,
straight forward. Off the court, his
teammates say he s unique . After
all, Alkins has coined a phrase
Savage Life and started move
ment.
Parker Jackson-Cartwright,
UA junior guard: He s very
unique, man. Level headed,
even keeled. He s not loud at all,
he barely says much actually. I
expect that, but everything about
dles himself and carries himself,
on or off the court.
Kobi Simmons, UA freshman
guard: His personality is great.
Off the court he s fun to be around,
he s funny. On the court, he likes
to take care of business. He likes to
do whatever for the team to win.
It s great to have somebody like
that to play with.
Arbitello: We were playing
Cardova (in New York) one day
and I had a two guard named
Jared Withers that went to LIU
was just terrible in the game. He
worked his game around Jared and
he was so happy that Jared got a
scholarship after that game, and it
couldn t even bother him that he
had a bad game. Most kids would
be down and upset and he was so
happy for Jared. That s the kind of
kid he is.
Alkins: It s crazy. When I
fi rst started saying savage life,
I didn t think of it as blowing up
but right now everyone on the
team is starting to use it, the fan
base for Arizona is starting to
use it, and it s becoming a seri
ous thing. It s the Arizona men
tality. It s a mindset and it s a
mode that I get in before games.
I can only speak for myself, but
it s different with everyone. You
can take it how you want. Savage
can mean a lot of things. It can
be used in things other than bas
ketball. I always wanted to play
hard and play my best, and the
word savage is the fi rst thing that
PHOTOS BY MIKE CHRISTY / ARIZONA DAILY STAR
came to mind.
THE SKILLS
There simply aren t many col
lege basketball players who look
like Alkins. He arrived at Arizo
na having never lifted weights
and was 6 5, 245 pounds with 18
percent body fat. With Arizona s
weight program, he s now down to
7 percent body fat and a muscular
220 pounds. The versatile Alkins
can play guard or small forward; he
might be Arizona s best rebound
er. The freshman is averaging 11.1
points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.1 as
sists per game. Draft Express proj
ects him as a second round pick in
2018, with room to rise.
Jackson-Cartwright: I mean,
he s strong to the point where if he
hits you he doesn t know he s that
strong. He doesn t bully people,
he s just strong. He s not so much
imposing his will, he s just run
ning through you.
Mike Schmitz, DraftExpress
analyst: He s a tough kid. He s
been really good for them. He
has the strength and he has the
length. He s a good athlete in tran
sition, but in the halfcourt, when
the fl oor is shrunk, he s a heavy
kid so it s tough for that to trans
late. He s not a jet with the ball.
He s going to need to continue to
improve his skill level, become a
knock down shooter and really
carve out a niche because I think
he can do a little bit of everything,
but he maybe doesn t have an elite
NBA skill yet, which is OK.
THE KING
Rucker Park is the mecca of
street basketball in New York City.
There, NBA and street basketball
players carry equal footing. Rucker
is where Alkins received the nick
name that s stuck with him the
longest:
Alkins: King of the City
My middle name is Prince, so it s
Rawle Prince Alkins. So, it s kind
of like: The prince grew up.

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Thursday, March 23, 2017 / Arizona Daily Star SSWEET
WEET 1166 EXTRA
E X TR A C7

SIMMONS STILL SMILING :

FRESHMAN TAKES REDUCED ROLE IN STRIDE
By Zack Rosenblatt
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Kobi Simmons sat at his locker,
eyes on his cellphone, as a horde
of media stampeded past him fol
lowing the Arizona Wildcats win
over Saint Mary s on Saturday
night.
Rawle Alkins was the UA s hero
that night, playing with a frac
tured fi nger. Lauri Markkanen led
the Wildcats with 16 points, an
other milestone on his way to a
certain NBA future.
Then there s Simmons, the for
gotten freshman. He hasn t played
much recently, but if he s frustrat
ed about that, he s not letting it
show.
Just playing hard and doing
my job, he said.
One day earlier, he touched on
making sacrifi ces for the better
ment of the team: We ve been
winning games and that s what
I m all about. I look at it on the
other side of, you know, with team
success comes individual acco
lades.
The fact of March is that coach
es sometimes shorten their rota
tion. Simmons, it seems, has been
a casualty of that.
In a stretch ranging from Ar
izona s season opener against
Michigan State on Nov. 11, until
Allonzo Trier returned from a 19
game suspension at UCLA on Jan.
21, Simmons was a key member of
the rotation.
In that stretch, which included
multi game absences from guards
Parker Jackson Cartwright and
Kadeem Allen, Simmons started
15 games and averaged 30.3 min
utes.
He took an average of 9.5 shots
and scored an average of 12.1
points during that span. He scored
a season high 20 points in the
Wildcats win over UCLA in Pau
ley Pavilion.
In the 14 games since, Sim
mons playing time has been cut
nearly in half. The freshman has
averaged 16.3 minutes, 5.6 shots
and 4.9 points per game in that
stretch. He s shooting 32.6 per
cent from the fi eld and 34.9 per
cent from 3 point range.
Those numbers have dwindled
Having his minutes cut hasnt seemed to upset Simmons much. Any-
thing for my teammates and for my team to win, he said.
join him in the 2016 class. Alkins
has been a rising start in March.
Ferguson ultimately opted to play
professionally in Australia rather
than report to college.
I thought it was a great situ
ation, and I wanted to win, Sim
mons said of Arizona. I felt like
seeing the guys we had coming
back and committed, I thought it
would ve given me the best chance
to win. I could ve stayed home and
I could ve played for a lot of differ
ent schools, but you see where we
are now and it s paying off.
Simmons isn t the fi rst high
ly touted Arizona guard recruit to
PHOTOS BY MIKE CHRISTY / ARIZONA DAILY STAR ride the bench during the postsea
Kobi Simmons is averaging 8.8 points in 24.1 minutes per game this year, son as a freshman.
but his numbers have dropped since the return of Allonzo Trier. Gabe York didn t play in two
of Arizona s three NCAA Tour
even more of late. Kobi as a player or his attitude. nament games back in 2013.
Simmons has played in six min Simmons was a fi ve star recruit Jackson Cartwright played 11
utes or fewer in fi ve of Arizona s from Atlanta who picked Arizona combined minutes during the
last six games, the outlier coming over Ohio State and Kentucky be Wildcats 2015 NCAA Tourna
in a fi rst round victory over North cause he felt the situation at UA ment run to the Elite Eight. Last
Dakota, when he played 14. would be best for me. year, Justin Simon took a DNP
So what s happened? The commitment came some did not play in Arizona s lone
Recently he hasn t played as what as a surprise at the time, as NCAA Tournament game.
much, UA coach Sean Miller said Simmons had previously elimi Simmons is a little bit different
last week. That doesn t mean nated Arizona from contention, from them, though he s a pro
that he won t have a big role. but he said the Wildcats per jected NBA Draft pick, even with
But that role can change and grow. sistence ultimately sold him on out the playing time. DraftExpress
We ve shrunk our rotation a lit the program. projects him as a second round
tle bit, we ve given some players After committing, Simmons pick in the 2017 draft, and it s easy
more minutes, maybe others less. was all in he pushed both Alkins to see why: He s a 6 foot 6 inch the best job I can do and try to help
But that s not really a refl ection on and forward Terrance Ferguson to guard with a 45 inch vertical leap
and the ability to shoot 3 point
ers.
His future beyond this season is
unclear. Right now, his teammates
say he s still important.
We re going to need him, and
we need him now, Jackson Cart
wright said. I just told him to stay
the course and be ready when your
name is called.
Added Alkins: A lot of guys
would be pouting since they re
not playing, but Kobi just wants
to win at the end of the day. With
team success comes individual
success, and he knows that. His
time is coming, there s going to
be a moment in this tournament
when we need him to step up big
and he s going to do it big.
Simmons showed fl ashes of
brilliance in the UA s fi rst round
win over North Dakota. He
dunked shortly after checking
into the game, and later blocked
a shot.
He reverted against Saint
Mary s, however, playing just six
minutes and shooting 0 for 3.
It s a humbling experience,
Simmons said. I m excited to
play out there. It s fun. Anything
for my teammates and for my
team to win.
I try to come out there and do
my team get the win.

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C8 SSWEET
WEET 1166 EXTRA
E X TR A Thursday, March 23, 2017 / Arizona Daily Star SSWEET
WEET 1166 EXTRA
E X TR A C9

Arizonas three greatest

Sweet 16 moments*
*Not including the stunning 2011 dismantling of 32-5 Duke.

1
Sweet Revenge, 1997, Jefferson Civic Center, Birmingham, Alabama.
Arizona felt it owed No. 1 seed Kansas, which entered the NCAA tourna-
ment 32-1. A year earlier in the Denver Sweet 16, the Jayhawks rallied
from a 13-point deficit to beat Arizona 83-80 on a 3-pointer by current Stanford
coach Jerod Haase with 36 seconds remaining.
Tell Lute I really feel for him, said KU coach Roy Williams. I really do.
A year later, it was Lute Olson comforting Williams, who wept in the Kansas
locker room.
Arizona won 83-80, which some insist is the most significant victory in school
history, making possible an unexpected run to the national championship. Mike
Bibby, Miles Simon and Michael Dickerson combined for 58 points as Haase,
their tormentor a year earlier, scored just two points.

2
Supreme Salim, 2005, Allstate Arena, Chicago. With Arizona trailing
Oklahoma State 78-76 with 12 seconds remaining, Salim Stoudamire
spoke up in a tense time-out. Im going to do it, he told his coaches and DAVID SANDERS / ARIZONA DAILY STAR 1989
teammates. Its on me. UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian, center, leaves the court after his team
Stoudamire drilled a jumper with 2.8 seconds remaining to beat the No. 2 seed pulled out a late win over Arizona in a Sweet 16 game in Denver in 1989.
Cowboys 79-78.
OSU coach Eddie Sutton said my heart dropped by, golly, they shot 66
percent for the game. They shot 70 percent in the first half. Thats pretty
remarkable.
Arizonas most bitter
Sweet 16 moment
3
Herms Heroics, 1976, Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles. Arizona was a
serious underdog to 34-2 UNLV, the No. 2 seed, but shooting guard

1
Herman Harris had the night of his life, scoring 31 points, including 16 of Hunt-ing Season, McNichols Arena, Denver, 1989. Sean Elliotts final
the UAs final 27 in regulation. game as a Wildcat was a tearjerker. The 29-34 Wildcats seemed to
Arizona won 114-109 in overtime as Arizona made 11 consecutive free throws survive a fierce defensive battle, leading Tarks Rebels 67-65 with 15
after starters Jim Rappis and Al Fleming fouled out. UNLV couldve put the game seconds to play.
away with 24 seconds left in regulation, but Boyd Batts missed the first of a one- But after a traveling call on Arizona, the Rebels worked the ball to shooting
and-one foul shot situation. Harris then tied the game with six seconds to play. guard Anderson Hunt, who banged into UA guard Kenny Lofton, knocking Lofton
The victory over Jerry Tarkanians Rebels was deemed the greatest win in to the ground. Or was it a flop? Referee Ed Hightower did not make a call.
school history at the time. Hunt released a 3-pointer as the clock went from 4 to 3 seconds.
The second it went off his hand, Olson said, it looked like it was dead-center
to me. It was going in. And it did. UNLV won 68-67.
Olson was asked if it was bitter, the end of a two-year run behind Elliott, the
national player of the year, and a 64-7 record.
Bitter? he replied. Lets see a show of hands. How many of you would think
it was bitter?

MIKE CHRISTY / ARIZONA DAILY STAR JAE C. HONG / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 2011
Allonzo Trier dunks in Arizona' s win over North Dakota in Thursday' s NCAA Tournament fi rst-round game. Wins over North Dakota and Saint Mary' s last week secured the Wildcats' 18th trip to the Sweet 16. In Arizona' s Sweet 16 win over Duke, Derrick Williams scored 32 points
and made as many 3-pointers, fi ve, as the entire Blue Devils team.

GREG HANSENS GUIDE

Arizonas leading
JEFF ROBERSON / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 2005
Sweet 16 scorers
Against Oklahoma State in the 2005 Sweet 16, UA' s Salim Stoudamire
took command, hitting a jumper to beat the No. 2 seed Cowboys. 1 Miles Simon, 56 points in three
games, including 20 in the epic
1997 victory over Kansas.
distance.

7 Derrick Williams, 32 points in

just one game, the 2011 trashing

2 Michael Dickerson, 53 points

in three games, including 20
of Duke, in which D-Will made as
many 3-pointers, five, as the entire

Three reasons the NCAA

TO THE SWEET 16
against the Jayhawks. Duke team.

knows its way to San Jose 3 Sean Elliott, 47 points in just

two Sweet 16 games, including
25 in a come-from-behind 1989
8
UNLV.
Herman Harris, 31 points in
the 1976 overtime thriller over

1 9
The Bay Area has been the site of 12 NCAA Tournaments from 1939 game against Iowa. Khalid Reeves, 29 points against
to 2017. The host sites have been all over the Bay: at the Cow Palace in
Daly City, at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, at Harmon Gym in 4 Mike Bibby, 46 points in two
games, including 26 in a 1998
Louisville en route to the 1994
Final Four.
Berkeley, at the Old Pavilion in Palo Alto, at the old California Coliseum in San
Francisco, and in 2002, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2017 in downtown San Jose, which
is now called the SAP Center. Arizonas lone appearance in San Jose was a 2002
game against Maryland.

5 Jason Gardner, 43 points in

three Sweet 16s.
Sweet 16 loss to Oklahoma.
6 Salim Stoudamire, 38 points
10 T.J. McConnell, 28 points,
including 17 in Arizonas 2015
victory over Xavier, when his 3-point-
er in the final four minutes changed

2
Former UA athletic director Greg Byrne said that McKale Centers fu- in three games, shooting (as the game.
ture as a NCAA site is unlikely. He believes that staging games in Tucson
diminishes the chance for UA fans to travel to a West site and, therefore,
Most Sweet 16 appearances Four Sweet 16 coaches usual) a sizzling 9 for 17 from 3-point

limit fan support. Is he right? In the Pac-12 era, Tucson has been a host site seven
times. Arizona is 11-2 in those games encumbered by a McKale sub-regional.
whove danced as players
3 The three most difficult Arizona
The competition has increased. Denver, Salt Lake City, Portland, Seat- Arizonas Sean Miller, UCLAs Steve Alford, Purdues Matt Painter and Floridas Mike
tle, Sacramento, Boise, Spokane, San Diego and now Eugene are active White are the only four Sweet 16 coaches who played in the NCAA tournament.
bidders for first-weekend games. Salt Lake City last week made bids to
host NCAA games in 2019, 2020 and 2021. If the NCAAs relationship with Las Heres how the four coaches did in the NCAA tournament. Sweet 16 regionals
Miller 1991
Vegas ever thaws, T-Mobile Center would be a good fit for a West regional. North Duke Kentucky Kansas Louisville UCLA Syracuse Arizona Michigan Indiana In five games at Pitt from 1988-91, Miller averaged 7.4 points in Seattle. The combined record of the teams was 114-17, with all
and had 35 assists. He shot just 10 for 36 from the field and top four seeds reaching the Kingdome. UNLV was 32-0; Arizona
Carolina
25 25 22 21 19 18 18 State
17 made 8 of 24 three-point attempts. His team did not advance to the Sweet 16. 28-6; Seton Hall 24-8; Utah 30-3. The Rebels were a runaway winner after Seton
28 17 Alford In 10 games for Indiana, Alford averaged 21.3. His Hoosiers Hall bounced Arizona 81-77.
won the 1987 national championship as he scored 117
points. His top NCAA game ever mightve been a 1984 game when he scored 27
points against Michael Jordan (who scored 13) and North Carolina.
1989 in Denver. It was a Hall of Fame coaching showdown with In-
dianas Bob Knight, Arizonas Lute Olson and UNLVs Jerry Tarka-
nian. Seton Halls P.J. Carlesimo, who wasnt bad, was the fourth. The combined

How the Pac-12 fared in Painter As a Boilermaker guard, Painter played in two losing
NCAA games, scoring nine points.
record of the teams was 111-24. Seton Hall advanced.

2011 in Anaheim. For the only time in UA Sweet 16 history, all four

Sweet 16 games (1979-2016) White The son of Duke athletic director Kevin White was a guard at
Ole Miss in the late 1990s. He played (and lost) in the famous
buzzer-beating shot by Valpos Bryce Drew in 1998. White scored seven points in
teams at the site went on to be 30-game winners. Combined final
record: 128-25. UConn surprised most to win the national title and finish 32-9.
Duke was hammered by Arizona in the Sweet 16 to finish 32-5. San Diego State,
The Pac-12 has only won 27 games in the Sweet 16 since the league
five NCAA games. in the best year its history, finished 34-3.
added Arizona and Arizona State in 1978-79. Heres the list:
Arizona 10-6. UAs Sweet 16 foes a whos who of college hoops: Duke,
Kansas, Louisville, Notre Dame.
UCLA 8-7. Hard to believe Bruins are just over .500. Sweet 16 Forecast
Utah 2-6. Utes took down No. 1 Stanford in 1997 Sweet 16.

MIKE CHRISTY / ARIZONA DAILY STAR 2014

Stanford 2-3. The Cardinal limited No. 2 seed Purdue to 31 percent NEW YORK KANSAS CITY MEMPHIS SAN JOSE
shooting to win a 1998 upset.
Arizona guard Nick Johnson signifi es his made three-pointer during the
Wildcats' 70-64 win over San Diego State in the 2014 Sweet 16. Oregon State 1-0. Only Sweet 16 win for OSU in the Pac-10/12 era was
bracket bracket bracket bracket
ORLIN WAGNER / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
against Idaho in 1982.
West Virginia coach Bob Huggins will be coaching in his eighth Sweet 16
Arizonas most formidable Oregon 3-1. Ducks might consider last years Sweet 16 win over Duke when his Volunteers take on Gonzaga.

Sweet 16 pairings as most important game of their modern years.

Arizona State 0-1. The Sun Devils had players named Veal, Bacon and How San Joses Sweet 16
The combined records of Arizona and its Sweet 16 opponent, Capers in their lineup in a 1995 Sweet 16 loss to top-seeded Kentucky
97-73.
coaching matchups compare Wisconsin 77, Florida 72
No one in Tucson is likely to pick against
Kansas 83, Purdue 74
The Jayhawks get some
North Carolina 72, Butler 60
Tar Heels hold ACCs reputation
Arizona 72, Xavier 65
Musketeers miss injured point guard
in order of games won: Bob Huggins, West Virginia: Age 63. Career record: 746-302. Sweet 16s: the Badgers. home-cookin. to the end. Edmond Sumner.
63-8: Arizona (32-4) vs. San Diego State (31-4) in 2014 Cal 0-2. The Bears didnt get an easy path, losing to No. 2 Kansas in This is his eighth. Comment: An old-fashioned job-hopper, Huggins bounced
1993 and No. 1 North Carolina in 1997. from Akron to Cincinnati to Kansas State and finally back to his alma mater,
61-11: Arizona (29-7) vs. Duke (32-4) in 2011
Washington 0-5. The Huskies best chance to win a Sweet 16 game West Virginia.
58-10: Arizona (29-3) vs. UNLV (29-7) in 1989 Mark Few, Gonzaga: Age 54. Career record: 500-112. Sweet 16s: This is his
was in 2006 when they led No. 1 UConn 45-40 at half but lost 98-92. seventh. Comment: The son of a Presbyterian minister from near the University
57-11: Arizona (33-2) vs. Iowa (24-9) in 1988
Washington State 0-1. The Cougars reached the Sweet 16 in 2008 but of Oregon campus grew up wanting to be a baseball player.
56-9: Arizona (27-5) vs. Kansas (29-4) in 1996 Chris Mack, Xavier: Age 47. Career record: 163-77. Sweet 16s: This is his South Carolina 84, Baylor 80 Oregon 77, Michigan 70 UCLA 92, Kentucky 90 West Virginia 67, Gonzaga 64
only shot 31 percent in a 60-47 loss to No. 1 North Carolina.
56-17: Arizona (33-3) vs. Xavier (23-14) in 2015 fourth. Comment: He replaced Sean Miller at Xavier in 2010-11 and has become Beating Duke put the Gamecocks Best story in the tournament Most entertaining game Mountaineers are the best team the
USC 1-1. The Trojans upset No. 2 seed Kentucky in 2001 as David one of the first names mentioned when a Power 5 Conference coaching job on the map. goes home. of March. Zags have seen in months.
55-10: Arizona (21-9) vs. Kansas (34-1) in 1997 Bluthenthal scored 27 points and made six treys. becomes available.
55-11: Arizona (27-5) vs. Louisville (28-6) in 1994 Colorado 0-0. The Buffaloes last played in a Sweet 16 game in 1969, Sean Miller, Arizona: Age 48. Career record: 340-112. Sweet 16s: This is his Final Four qualifier: South Carolina Final Four qualifier: Kansas Final Four qualifier: North Carolina Final Four qualifier: Arizona
seventh. Comment: In his eight UA seasons, Miller has won more games, 220,
55-17: Arizona (32-4) vs. Xavier (23-13) in 2017 and lost it to rival Colorado State. than Lute Olson, 190, did in his first eight Arizona years. Contact sports columnist Greg Hansen at 520-573-4145 or ghansen@tucson.com. On Twitter @ghansen711
C10 SSWEET
WEET 1166 EXTRA
E X TR A
WEVE TURNED A CORNER:
WILDCATS PEAKING AT THE PERFECT TIME
By Bruce Pascoe
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Parker Jackson Cartwright had
a sneaking suspicion after Arizona
knocked off UCLA in the Pac 12
Tournament semifi nals on March
10.
We ve hit a switch, I think,
the UA point guard said that night.
We ve turned a corner.
So far, he s right.
Arizona kept the momentum
going into the Pac 12 Tourna
ment fi nal against Oregon and
two NCAA Tournament games
last weekend, and it heads into the
Sweet 16 this week playing proba
bly as well as it has all season.
That momentum, plus the geo
graphical edge they have by play
ing another weekend in Pac 12
country, suggest making their fi rst
Final Four in 16 years is a very real
possibility.
Here are fi ve reasons why they
might do it:
1 Their offense is powerful,
versatile and resilient. Ari
zona has averaged 86 points since
the start of the Pac 12 Tourna
ment, and that number isn t just a
factor of playing uptempo mind
ed teams such as UCLA, Oregon
and North Dakota.
The Wildcats, who normally
play at one of the slower tempos
in Division I, are thriving at faster
paces and scoring efficiently no
matter what the speed limit is.
In short, they can get it done ei
ther way.
Everyone s different, Jack
son Cartwright said. That s
what makes this team so unique.
I think we can switch our tempos
fast and slow. It s not about the
pace. It s about doing what makes
us good all year.
The box scores last weekend
made that obvious. Both forward
Lauri Markkanen and wing Rawle
Alkins scored 20 points in the fi rst
round against North Dakota, while
UA s three other starters all scored
in double fi gures, too.
Against Saint Mary s, the only
starter who didn t hit double fi g
ures was Alkins, who broke a fi n
ger in the fi rst half but was cred
ited with some key inspiration by
getting back in the game before
halftime.
In both games, UA had Alkins
and Kadeem Allen driving in for
layups, Allonzo Trier getting to
the free throw line, Dusan Ristic
shooting over 50 percent inside,
and Markkanen scoring in a vari
ety of ways.
We can kind of slow it down
and throw it inside, to Chance
(Comanche) and Lauri and Dusan
can make plays down low, Jack
son Cartwright said. We ve got
guys in transition who can make
plays like Rawle and Deem (Allen)
and Kobi (Simmons). We ve got
guys who can do different things.
The versatility not only helps
the Wildcats adjust to their oppo
nents but also gives them ways to
survive when somebody like Alk
ins gets hurt or in foul trouble.
Often, there s an answer, some
how or some way.
We ve been that team all year,
UA coach Sean Miller said. We ve
had different players play well in
different games. We re a balanced
team.
2 3
Their defense is improv-
ing. While there s still some
concerns overall with the Wild
cats defense which allowed
Oregon, North Dakota and Saint
Mary s to all shoot 50 percent or
better for a half Arizona has
tightened up in recent weeks.
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Senior Kadeem Allen, center, has become the Wildcats on-court leader. Hes our teams heart and soul, coach Sean Miller said.
Their defense is now ranked
No. 24 in efficiency, according to
kenpom.com, allowing just 94.8
points per 100 opponent posses
sions. And since UA s blowout
loss in Eugene, Oregon, on Feb. 4,
when the Ducks shot 64 percent
from 3 point territory, Arizona
has kept its opponents under the
33 percent mark from long range
in 10 of 12 games.
Since that loss we ve had to re
ally buckle down on defense espe
cially, Jackson Cartwright said.
Up in Eugene, they played a really
good game. We obviously didn t.
Last weekend provided a two
part test. Fast paced North Da
kota hit 10 of 22 3 pointers (45.5
percent) in the fi rst round last
Thursday.
When Arizona had a chance to
settle into its defense more often
against slower Saint Mary s, the
Wildcats helped keep the Gaels
to just 23.8 percent from 3 point
range, despite the heavy screen
ing that had helped Saint Mary s
shoot nearly 40 percent from long
range entering the game.
They were a very difficult
team to defend, Miller said of
North Dakota. I think our play
ers learned a team like that who
moves the ball and has such great
movement, your margin for error
is razor thin.
But we really worked on it,
really tried to show a lot of fi lm,
make that an emphasis.
Both Miller and Saint Mary s
coach Randy Bennett said the
Gaels also just plain missed on
some good looks they managed to
get, but Bennett said the Wildcats
don t exactly make anything easy.
They ll give you 3s, but they re
fl ying at you when you shoot them
and they re pretty athletic so they
can get a big hand up there, Ben
nett said. We had some open
ones we needed to make. Some
times the game comes down to it.
A big part of our game is shooting
the ball from three and we didn t
shoot it well enough.
Lauri Markkanens rapid
evolution continues. While
hitting over half of his 3 pointers
through UA s fi rst 20 games, the
Wildcats 7 foot Finnish phen
om bolted his way up solid lottery
pick status in the expected event
he turns pro this spring.
4/4/17
But what happened during his
perimeter shooting slump in Feb
ruary he shot 14.2 percent from
3 point range between Feb. 4 and
March 4 ironically may have
boosted in his NBA stock.
Because he wasn t shooting
well, Markkanen went inside more as a person not only in sports but
often, proving himself around
the rim by scoring off rebounds
and post ups. He even earned
the Pac 12 s Player of the Week
award for his production during
UA s mid February road sweep in
Washington, despite the fact that
he went a combined 1 for 6 from
3 point range that weekend.
But Markkanen broke out again
from deep in the Pac 12 Tourna
ment quarterfi nals, hitting 4 of 7
against Colorado. He was 4 of 10
against UCLA the next day.
So now that Markkanen s shot
appears to be largely fi xed he s
9 of 19 (47.4 percent) from 3 point
range since the start of the Pac
12 Tournament he s literally a
scoring threat from anywhere in
side 22 feet.
He hit a slump, but it just
took him that one game, that one
shot to really get it back going,
Jackson Cartwright said. Since
that s happened I think every part
of his game has really fl ourished
since then.
And that s just his offense.
What Markkanen has also done,
quietly, is improve defensive
ly consistently as the season has
gone on. He went from an overly
aggressive defender who picked
up easy fouls early in the season to
a passive defender afraid of foul
ing while he adjusted from inter
national ball to college officiating.
Now, he s a carefully aggressive
defender who blocked two Saint
Mary s shots on Saturday.
While overall defense is some
times difficult to gauge, the fact
that Markkanen defended Saint
Mary s center Jock Landale was
telling earlier this season, Miller
might have tried Dusan Ristic or
Chance Comanche on the skilled
inside scorer.
Lauri s post defense was ter
rifi c down the home stretch,
Miller said after the Saint Mary s
game.
The funny thing is, you d hard about him. That s why we want to
ly know whether things were go
ing well or not by speaking with
Markkanen, who is every bit the
Thursday, March 23, 2017 / Arizona Daily Star
stoic Finn when asked about his
game.
I did everything same way,
Markkanen said of his slump. I
tried to stay neutral, not get too
high, not get too low. It s a balance
that helps me. I think I m like that
everything.
4
They have a leader. Ka
deem Allen is only Arizona s they somehow beat both UCLA
fi fth leading scorer (8.8 points per
game), and his 3.0 assists per game
trails Jackson Cartwright (4.1) for
the team lead. He s also one of the
Wildcats quietest off court per
sonalities.
But there isn t any doubt where
Miller looks to his on court lead
ership from.
He s our team s heart and
soul, Miller said. Everybody on
our team respects him a great deal
because he only cares about win
ning. He really does. I ve never,
ever had a conversation nor has
anybody about how many shots
he gets or points. And he s in this
for the right reasons.
Allen says the confi dence his
coaches and teammates have giv
en him have also helped his ability
to lead, to carry it on the court
and bring it every day for these
guys.
Allen s leadership also stems
from the fact that, at age 24, he s
by far the oldest player on the
team. Allen has been in the pro
gram as long as anybody else,
sitting out as a redshirting junior
college transfer in 2014 15 when
Jackson Cartwright and Dusan
Ristic played as freshmen.
Back then, you could project
Allen to grow into a contributing
player but maybe not as a leader.
If you would have told our
team a few years ago that Kadeem
Allen would be the great leader he
is today, they would have all bet
me, Miller said. Because he was
just trying to make it when he fi rst
got to Arizona. You think of a guy
like a T.J. McConnell, who became
a great leader for us a couple years
ago, Kadeem is his equal. He does
it in a different way, but he does it
by example.
I can t say enough good things
keep going because with some
body like him you want this season
to grow.
MIKE CHRISTY / ARIZONA DAILY STAR
5
The just might have kar-
ma on their side. Before the
Pac 12 Tournament, Arizona sat
fi rmly in the middle of the three
seed line behind Oregon in line for
a preferential NCAA Tournament
spot, having only one win over a
Top 25 RPI team at that point.
That meant the Wildcats were
likely headed to the South or Mid
west regions as a No. 3 seed unless
and Oregon.
Then they beat the Bruins, in
part by holding gunner Bryce Al
ford to just 1 for 10 shooting from
3 point range, while Oregon
learned that standout forward
Chris Boucher had torn his ACL
earlier that evening against Cali
fornia.
The next day, Arizona beat Or
egon by three points a win that
may or may not have been dif
ferent if Boucher played and
moved past the Ducks and to the
No. 2 seed line.
That meant, all of a sudden, the
Wildcats were headed to San Jose,
California, if they could win their
fi rst two tournament games in Salt
Lake City.
That meant possibly playing
Gonzaga on Saturday, within the
Pac 12 footprint and presumably
before thousands of their own
fans, instead of traveling to Kan
sas City, Memphis or New York for
the right to get to the Final Four.
A Final Four that s in Glendale,
no less.
It would be Miller s fi rst Final
Four after four Elite Eight losses,
one at Xavier and three at Ari
zona. As much as the UA coach
talks about the importance of the
journey and regular season ac
complishments, he also knows the
outside world doesn t always see it
that way.
At the end of the day all of us
are judged by what happens in
March, Miller said. I think for us
to duck that or look at that as not
being the case is somewhat unre
alistic. For us, it s you have to ad
vance. You want to take advantage
of a good seed. You want to play
your best basketball in March.
And if that happens and you
still don t advance or win then,
I think all of us walk away with
our head held high. And we ll put
our ball away and come back next
year.
Thursday, March 23, 2017 / Arizona Daily Star
ITS A DIFFERENT TEAM:
THIS YEARS CATS DONT COMPARE TO 2015 SQUAD
By Bruce Pascoe
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Life is always pretty fl uid
at college basketball s high
est levels, and the Arizona
Wildcats are no exception.
That s why, to them, their
last Sweet 16 might seem
like eons ago. Even if it s
only been two years.
In 2014 15, the Wildcats
had two NBA fi rst round
ers (Stanley Johnson and
Rondae Hollis Jefferson),
a soon to be surprise
NBA player (T.J. McCon
nell) along with future sec
ond tier pros in Brandon
Ashley, Gabe York and Ka
leb Tarczewski.
Parker Jackson Cart
wright and Dusan Ristic, the
only two current Wildcats
who played that season, av
eraged less than 10 minutes
apiece. Jackson Cartwright
was McConnell s backup
while Ristic was fi rmly be
hind Tarczewski.
Kadeem Allen, mean
while, was so unlikely to get
playing time behind John
son, McConnell and York
that he opted to take a red
shirt season despite the
fact that he was the reigning
junior college player of the
year.
It s a different team,
Ristic said. There was only
Parker and me, and Kadeem
wasn t playing. So this feels
a little different, but we have
the same aspirations and
goals.
The 2014 15 team had a
clear goal, to reach the Final
Four after they were edged
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WEET 1166 EXTRA
E X TR A C11
Oregon State that may have
ultimately kept the Wild
cats off the No. 1 seed line.
Instead, UA was given a
No. 2 seed, and the selec
tion committee looked else
where to slip a No. 1 into the
West.
They picked Wisconsin.
Two weeks later, the al
most inevitable Elite Eight
rematch was even worse for
the UA, which lost 85 78 in a
blaze of Sam Dekker 3 point
bombs and Frank Kaminsky
free throws.
This season, the Wild
cats learned to live without
Allonzo Trier for 19 games
because of his PED related
suspension, going 17 2 until
he returned on Jan. 21, and
hit a few bumps while inte
grating him over the follow
ing month.
Along the way, Jack
son Cartwright missed
four weeks with a high ankle
sprain, and while Kadeem
Allen says he feels good
this time knowing he s out
there playing and contrib
uting to our wins, he had a
price to pay, too: A sprained
knee early in the season,
heavy minutes during Jack
son Cartwright s absence
and a dislocated fi nger that
cost him two games in Feb
ruary.
Then, just when the
Wildcats reached the fi rst
weekend of the NCAA
Tournament, wing Rawle
Alkins broke his fi nger.
It s been a grind. A suc
cessful grind, but a grind
nonetheless.
This feels a lot differ
ent, Jackson Cartwright
said. I feel we were in to
tal control right until the
(2015) Elite Eight. We were
really rolling from start to
fi nish other than a couple of
games.
(This season) we ve
worked really hard, tireless
MAMTA POPAT / ARIZONA DAILY STAR 2015 ly, and man, this is just pay
Parker Jackson-Cartwright, playing against Xavier in the 2015 West Regional semifi nal, was one of two current Wildcats who ing off in a special way. This
made it to that year' s Elite 8, the other being Dusan Ristic. Jackson-Cartwright says this year has a lot more meaning. year has a lot more mean
ing. We deserve everything
by Wisconsin in overtime of that as a realistic achieve ular season, and two of them and at ASU in midseason. we re getting right now, but
the 2014 Elite Eight. ment. The Wildcats lost were explainable: At UNLV In between, however, was a we have a lot of work to do to
All signs pointed toward only three games in the reg just before Christmas break costly one: A 58 56 loss at reach our ultimate goal.
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WEET 1166 EXTRA
E X TR A Thursday, March 23, 2017 / Arizona Daily Star

GETTING THEIR JUST DESSERTS:

THESE SWEET 16 STARS DAZZLE AND DELIGHT
By Jon Gold gan s got some ups for a big man, the Xavier junior had a great
ARIZONA DAILY STAR as his rebounding numbers have November, scoring 20 points
Another year, another Sweet 16, ballooned from 8.3 last year to 12.6 in four of seven games. Unlike
another sugar high to sustain you this season. pumpkin pie, the Musketeers are

4
through the summer. still counting on him long into
This year, the NCAA Tourna Moritz Wagner s shoot March, as he s enjoyed four more
ment has cleared the muck of ing touch is apple pie a 20 point games this month, in
the 16 teams that remain, just four la mode: It may be strange to cluding 21 against Maryland in the
enter as surprises. The only one compare someone from Berlin to fi rst round and 29 in an upset over
vying for Cinderella s glass slipper something as universally Amer Florida State on Saturday.

13
is Xavier, which takes on its for ican as apple pie, but the Michi
mer coach in Sean Miller and the gan sophomore is just that good. Jevon Carter s quick
Arizona Wildcats on Thursday. Wagner scored 26 points in a hands are apple turn
For the most part, this fi eld is huge second round upset of No. overs: Any guard starting for Bob
enough to give you a cavity, and 2 Louisville, hitting 11 of 14 from Huggins and West Virginia has
we re here to prove it. the fi eld. Along with stud running got to be a tenacious defender, and
Here is the real Sweet 16 for you mate Derrick Walton Jr., Wagner Carter fi ts the bill. He may be the
to chew on (also,desserts,ranked): gives the Wolverines a potent 1 2 Mountaineers leading scorer at

1
punch. 13.3 points per game, but his best

Lonzo Ball s passing is do
nuts: Admit it, you d love a
donut right now. Like, right now.
But Lonzo Ball is no old fash
5
talent lies in his quick hands. He
Edrice Adebayo is choco ranks seventh in the country
late chip cookies dipped in and tops among remaining players
milk: An old standby, just con with 2.53 steals per game.

ioned. This dude s an apple frit
ter, or at least a bear claw, with
his giant mitts. There is no better
passer in the game. He had one
dish in UCLA s mid January loss
to Arizona that made this writer
salivate: After grabbing a defen
sive rebound, he power dribbled
once, then caught the ball midair
with his right hand and zipped it
sistent and classic. You can count
on cookies and milk like you can
count on Adebayo s low post
game. The Kentucky big falls just
short of qualifying, but Adebayo s
60.9 shooting percentage would
fall in the top 20 in the nation, and
top two among remaining players,
battling UCLA s T.J. Leaf for most Theres no hole in Lonzo Balls game, especially when it comes to passing.
consistent scoring presence.
14
Kennedy Meeks scor
ing and boarding are
double stuf Oreos: Meeks has
been a consistent double double
force for North Carolina, piling up
13 games this year with 10 or more
MICHAEL OWEN BAKER / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS points and rebounds, and another
half dozen in which he fell short
The UCLA freshman can dish out assists with the best of them. a point or rebound or two. Justin

down the court to T.J. Leaf for a
breakaway dunk. Of all the special
talents remaining in the NCAA
Tournament, this is tops.
6
Jackson gets most of the pub on
Josh Jackson s versatility phenom shot 5 for 25 to start the teams in the fi eld and the only this Tar Heels squad, and right
is strawberry shortcake: month, digging himself into a rut. one in the vicinity of our giant fully so, but Meeks deserves his
Is it the cool whipped cream? Is it Speaking of heating up, Mark cold state to the north Gonzaga bite, too.

2 15
the sweet and tart strawberries? kanen is 30 for his last 53 since has thrived this season while ben
Dillon Brooks driving is Is it the spongy cake? It s all three, March 9, with three 20 point efi ting from myriad castaways. Chris Holtmann s
chocolate peanut butter silly, and it s just as hard to pick games, including a 29 point burst And unlike the United States coaching is tapioca
pie: Smooth, silky and ever so the main ingredient from the Kan in the Wildcats Pac 12 semifi nals purchase of Russia for $7.2 mil pudding: There s nothing fl ashy
rich,Brooks has been a reliable and sas stud freshman s game. The win over UCLA. With a deft touch lion, these guys came on a great about Holtmann, Butler s third
steady presence for three years for projected top three pick ranks off the glass and verifi able NBA bargain. The Bulldogs best play year coach. He s not going to make
the Ducks. He was named Pac 12 among the country s best in player range, Markkanen is that perfect er, Nigel Williams Goss, defected waves for his words or cause a
player of the year this season, but efficiency rating, while averaging blend of scorer. from Washington; third leading ruckus. But he does have the Bull

9
may have been even better last 16.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.9 scorer Jordan Mathews jumped dogs on the ascent once more, and
year. Still, he averages 16.4 points, assists. Sindarius Thornwell s over from Cal; and versatile for he took home Big East coach of the

7
3.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 scoring is chocolate lava ward and fi fth leading scorer year honors this year to prove it.
steals while playing tenacious Nigel Hayes mic skills are cake: In other words,the dude is on Johnathan Williams played two Consider this: Butler s four seed
defense. Perhaps his best attri coconut cream pie: Deli fi re. That s not bubbling hot fudge years at Missouri. is the highest in program history.

11 16
bute, though, is his fl uidity going cious, but more importantly, re you re seeing, that is Thornwell s
to the hoop, which will be needed freshing, Hayes has used college jumper. The leading scorer among Jo Lual Acuil Jr. s re Canyon Barry s free
against the Wolverines. basketball as a platform, using in Sweet 16 teams, South Carolina s jection projection is throw shooting is fi g

3
telligence, wit and loquaciousness senior star has lit it up recent cherries jubilee: You may call it newtons: Look, maybe not the
Caleb Swanigan s re to constantly shoe away the nay ly, scoring 29 points in an open best dessert, and maybe a lit
a jubilee, but around my parts, we
bounding is cheesecake: sayers. And, while the Wisconsin ing round win over Marquette call it a block party, and it s clear
tle bland, but don t sleep on Fig
Swanigan, who called himself a senior forward talks a good game, and 24 in a second round upset of Newtons. You can count on Fig
the Baylor fi rst year forward feels
dessert person in a feature story he plays one, too, averaging nearly Duke. He also had games of 44 Newtons. You can also count
the same. Lual Acuil is still refi n
by ESPN.com s Myron Medcalf 14 and 7. in a four overtime slugfest against on Barry at the free throw line,
ing his offensive game, but his 2.5

8
on the Purdue big man s body Alabama 34 (against Kentucky), blocks per game put him among
where the Florida senior guard
transformation, is still thick and Lauri Markkanen s in and 27 against Arkansas. the nation s leaders. shoots 88 percent. And it s not like

10 12
strong. You d need a knife and a side outside game is a hot he s taken only a handful he s an
fork just to get through him. Im fudge sundae: Speaking of ice Gonzaga s transfer trio Trevon Blueitt s con impressive 110 for 125 at the stripe
proving from a good freshman to cold, how about Markkanen s ear is baked Alaska: The sistency is pumpkin while using his father Rick s fa
a sensational sophomore, Swani ly February? Arizona s freshman northernmost of the remaining pie: Like the Thanksgiving treat, mous granny style.
Thursday, March 23, 2017 / Arizona Daily Star SSWEET
WEET 1166 EXTRA
E X TR A C13

MIKE CHRISTY / ARIZONA DAILY STAR 2016

Gonzagas Przemek Karnowski scored 18 points and grabbed four rebounds when Gonzaga beat Arizona in December. The teams could meet Saturday with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

STILL SEARCHING FOR RESPECT:

REGULAR-SEASON SUCCESS DOESNT HELP ZAGS
By Zack Rosenblatt
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
When Gonzaga and Ar
izona faced off in the 2003
NCAA Tournament, the
Bulldogs were still viewed as
Cinderella.
That year, Arizona was a
No. 1 seed in the West Re
gion; Gonzaga was thrilled
to be a 9.
It feels great to know
that we re getting a lot more
respect, Gonzaga guard
Blake Stepp said then.
Arizona faced (and beat)
the Bulldogs only after
Gonzaga was able to defeat
a Bob Huggins coached
Cincinnati team in the fi rst
round.
Fourteen years later,
and Gonzaga still is trying
to earn respect. Sure, the
Bulldogs nearly went un
defeated, fi nishing with one
blemish during the regular
season. And OK, the selec
tion committee also granted
Gonzaga a No. 1 seed in the
West, ahead of the presti
gious Arizona program.
But critics still bash Gon
zaga. The Bulldogs are re
warded, they say, for play
ing in the weak West Coast
Conference. They fade in
March, a chief reason why
the team has never made a
Final Four.
There have been two Elite
Eight runs, in 1999 and
2015; and fi ve Sweet 16s,
the most recent coming last
year. But nothing more than
that.
You re going to hear the
noise, Zags guard Jordan
Mathews said. When we
were undefeated, every
body always had some
thing to say. That s just the
nature of sports. Someone
is always going to have
something negative to say
about you. If we saved the
world, someone would
complain we didn t do it
fast enough.
Gonzaga had no trouble
with 16 seed South Da
kota State in last week s
fi rst round. The Bulldogs
then staved off a late game
comeback from upstart No.
8 Northwestern, winning by
six on Saturday.
Their reward: A matchup
Someone is always going to have something negative
to say about you. If we saved the world, someone would complain
we didnt do it fast enough.
Gonzaga guard Jordan Mathews
nightmare against an old gram and staff to staff. to lose in the second round
foe. Few says that talk about
Gonzaga will face a Bob Gonzaga s failure to reach
Huggins coached West the Final Four has been
Virginia team in Thursday s mostly noise.
Sweet 16, after the Moun I think it s safe to say
taineers defeated a talented you guys talk about the both
Notre Dame in the second of us not making a Final
round. The winner will face Four more than we ever talk
whoever comes out on top about it, he said.
in the Arizona game against The early exits are never
No. 11 Xavier. easy, especially consider
And the winner of that, ing the talent that has come
well, will earn a trip to the through Gonzaga over the
Final Four. years.
Gonzaga coach Mark Few The Dan Dickau led Zags
has never made it that far. lost in the Sweet 16 in 2001;
Neither has Arizona s Sean a year later, they were gone
Miller. Both are considered in the fi rst round. Stepp
among the best coaches in only made it past the sec
college basketball never to ond round once. The same
have played in a Final Four. goes for Adam Morrison, a
We re (Miller) good Wooden Award winner in
friends, so we talk, we text. 2006.
We root for each other, In 2013, star Kelly Olynyk
Few said. And I have total helped lead the Zags to a
respect, program to pro No. 1 seed. They proceeded and Williams one of its most
to No. 9 Wichita State in
Salt Lake City. Arizona,
meanwhile, advanced to the
Sweet 16.
Kevin Pangos closed out
his four year career with an
Elite Eight berth in 2015, but
a loss to eventual national
champion Duke again kept
the Zags from the Final Four.
To try and get over the
hump, Few has put together
a team fi lled with talented
transfers, with a star cen
ter Przemek Karnowski
manning the middle.
Nigel Williams Goss
came from Washington and
Mathews from California;
Jonathan Williams is a Mis
souri transfer, and Jeremy
Jones comes from Rice.
Williams Goss has been
Gonzaga s best player,
Mathews its best shooter
consistent players.
Last year, during my
just want to win. We want
to make it to that Final Four.
We want to be the group of
guys to fi nally do it.
Said freshman center
Zach Collins, a projected
NBA talent: The play
ers that have come before
us have done such a good
job of making this pro
gram what it is. So I think
we owe it to them to fi nally
break through and show the
country that we re a force to
be reckoned with.
Arizona was the force
when the teams met in 2003,
defeating the Bulldogs 96
95 in double overtime.
As the fi nal buzzer
sounded, Arizona forward
Luke Walton rebounded the
ball, hugged it and collapsed
with joy.
Gonzaga went home,
continuing a quest for re
spect that s gone on for the
better part of two decades.
This year, maybe they ll
get it.
We came in, we had
guns a blazing, nothing to
lose, and especially that fi rst
run to the Elite 8 (in 1999),
Few said. It was all new to
us. And we were excited and

Viga Covers
redshirt year, me, Nigel and giddy and felt like we were
Jeremy, we was the three playing with house money.
guys hanging around when And now it s more a mea
the team would go on road sured, leveled, and we know
trips, Williams said. We we ve got a job to do. We ve
A your vigas
Are i anddbbeams would just be like, man, we got to take care of the job.
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C14 SSWEET
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E X TR A Thursday, March 23, 2017 / Arizona Daily Star

A NOT-SO-SWEET 16 (YEARS):
UA HOPING FOR FIRST FINAL FOUR SINCE 01
Since the
last time
Twenty-nine basketball programs
have made the Final Four since the
Jon Gold Wildcats played in their last one in
2001. National champions in bold:
Maryland (2002)

S
ince Arizona last made it
to the Final Four in 2001,
almost 30 NCAA Division-I
mens basketball teams have made
it to March Madness ultimate
weekend.
A full 29, to be exact. Twenty-
nine other programs that have
tasted Aprils sweet showers since
the Wildcats last did. Sixteen
years! Old enough for a drivers
license.
Its enough to make you want to
wax poetic.
So I did.
Call it The Rides of March.
For every Duke and UNC,
there s a Cinderella story, a VCU
or Butler, coming so close to glory.
Georgetown has been there,
Indiana and Maryland , too,
but for the Terps and Hoosiers, it
hasn t been since 2002.
Oklahoma has made it twice,
and Florida made it three. UCLA ,
also thrice, but Texas not since
03.
Neither has Marquette, who s
run with Wade was lore, and for
Georgia Tech and OK State, who
last made it in 04.
They say for a team to succeed,
it must advance and survive;
someone forgot to tell Illinois,
who hasn t made it since 05.
For LSU it s been 11 years and
for Memphis it s been eight, and
it s been seven years since West
Virginia has been destiny s date.
VCU went in 11 and couldn t
Arizona was a regular participant in the Final Four from 1988-2001, making four appearances in 14 seasons.
Since then, UA has gone 0-4 in Elite Eight games, losing in 2005, 2011, 2014 and 2015.
win it for Shaka Smart, and
surprise, surprise, one year later,
it was the Shockers start.
Wichita State s only got that
one time, which made them want
to shout, Michigan fi nally made
it in 13, after over a decade of
drought.
And then there are the teams
who seem to get there every year,
led by coaches with graying hair,
grinning ear to ear.
Roy Williams and Tom Izzo,
Bill Self, even Coach K , Bo Ryan
hung the laces up, John Calipari
is here to stay.
That Thad Matta has taken the
Buckeyes back to relevance, and
Jim Boeheim is aching for just
another chance.
And speaking of the dance,
almost as if it s bridal, Rick
Pitino s brought Louisville back,
even winning another title.
You might be a little surprised
to learn who s been the best,
because it might be easy to forget,
coming from the West.
Kentucky s gone four times
this decade! For no one else, that s
BENJIE SANDERS / ARIZONA DAILY STAR 2001
true. Let us not pretend they ever
wore Cinderella s shoe.
Nor Kansas, which has gone
four times since Arizona last
advanced, nor UConn , as well,
which also four times danced.
Then you ve got Michigan
State, always one of March s best
bargains, seeing as it s been four
long marches for the Spartans.
Jay Wright has taken Nova
twice, and even all the way, but
even with the top seed this year,
the Wildcats are no longer in
play.
Indiana (2002)
Kansas (2002, 03, 08, 12)
Oklahoma (2002, 16)
Syracuse (2003, 13, 16)
Texas (2003)
Marquette (2003)
Connecticut (2004, 09, 11, 14)
Georgia Tech (2004)
Duke (2004, 10, 15)
Oklahoma State (2004)
North Carolina (2005, 08, 09, 16)
Illinois (2005)
Louisville (2005, 12, 13)
Michigan State (2005, 09, 10, 15)
Florida (2006, 07, 14)
UCLA (2006, 07, 08)
LSU (2006)
Ohio State (2007, 12)
Georgetown (2007)
Memphis (2008)
Villanova (2009, 16)
Butler (2010, 11)
West Virginia (2010)
Kentucky (2011, 12, 14, 15)
VCU (2011)
Wichita State (2013)
Michigan (2013)
Wisconsin (2014, 15)
And that s about it, the whole
stinking lot, who ve made it to
April since Arizona s last shot.
A decade and a half, quite
a long time, enough to make you
crazy, or make you want to rhyme.
But if you didn t like this poem,
maybe called it needed fi ller,
perhaps Arizona will make it to
Glendale; and next year, an ode to
Sean Miller?

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