Reaching college basketball’s Promised Land is the goal for any program. Winning at the Final Four is what cements a team in the annals of basketball history.
Arizona men’s basketball is in the Final Four for the fifth time in program history and the first since 2001. Arizona will be playing in its eight all-time Final Four game Saturday when it faces Michigan in Indianapolis.
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The UA is 3-3 at the Final Four, having made the national championship game three times and winning the title once in 1997. Here is a look back at Arizona’s previous trips to the Final Four.
2001
Arizona’s previous appearance in the Final Four came 25 years ago.
The Wildcats began the 2000-2001 NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest. The UA beat top seed Illinois in the Elite Eight to advance to the Final Four in Minneapolis.
In the semifinal game, Arizona faced reigning national champion and Michigan State, the No. 1 seed from the Southeast region. Despite entering the matchup as an underdog, Arizona blew the roofs off the Spartans, winning 80-61.
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Arizona, which never trailed the entire game, was led by sophomore Jason Gardner’s 21 points. Four other Wildcats scored double figures, including Richard Jefferson, who had 17 points.
Arizona faced Duke in the national title game. The Blue Devils, led by Shane Battier, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Jay Williams were the top seed in the East region.
A critical play came in the first half, when Williams collided with Jason Gardner. Williams, who had two fouls at the time of the play, got off with no-call to the ire of Arizona fans everywhere.
Arizona trailed by two at halftime kept the game close for most of the second half. However, each time the Wildcats got the score within one possession, the Blue Devils responded. Duke pulled away for an 80-72 win, handing Arizona a heartbreaking defeat.
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The 2001 Final Four marked the capstone of an emotionally exhausting season for head coach Lute Olson, who lost his wife to cancer at the start of the year.
Though Olson would have plenty more talented teams at Arizona, he would never make another Final Four.
1997
The 1997 Final Four is etched into the memory of every Arizona fan who was around to witness it, and even those who were too young or not born yet.
Arizona advanced to the Final Four as the No. 4 seed out of the Southeast region. The Wildcats upset top seed Kansas in the Sweet 16 and then held off No. 10 seed Providence in an Elite Eight overtime thriller.
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The Wildcats opened the Final Four in Indianapolis by facing Dean Smith’s North Carolina Tar Heels, the No. 1 seed from the East region. Arizona fell into an 11-point hole in the first half and were without Bennett Davison, who picked up three quick fouls.
Arizona rallied for a 34-31 halftime lead and kept the momentum going into the second half. Freshman Mike Bibby’s six three-pointers held off a late charge by the Tar Heels, and Arizona came out on top 66-58.
In the national championship game, Arizona took on reigning national champion Kentucky, the No. 1 seed from the West region. Five future first round NBA Draft picks played on the 1996-97 Kentucky team, including Nazr Mohammed, Ron Mercer and Scott Padgett. Wayne Turner was another force for the Wildcats from Lexington.
Arizona entered the title game as underdogs but the Wildcats played most of the night as the aggressors. Junior Miles Simon scored 30 points, Bibby added 19 and freshman Jason Terry provided a big boost off the bench with eight points.
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Michael Dickerson offset a poor shooting night by successfully guarding Kentucky’s Mercer, holding the All-American to 5 of 9 shooting.
Arizona hoped to put away Kentucky in regulation but UK made a couple critical late buckets to force the game into overtime. Arizona outlasted Kentucky in OT to win 84-79 and hand Olson his first (and only) national championship.
Arizona became the only team in NCAA Tournament history to beat three No. 1 seeds.
1994
The 1994 Final Four marked Arizona’s second trip to college basketball’s last weekend.
Arizona mostly coasted through the NCAA Tournament, winning all four West region games by double digits. In the Elite Eight, the No. 2 seed Wildcats blew out No. 1 Missouri 92-72.
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Arizona, which had won the Pac-10 title, was led by Damon Stoudamire, Khalid Reeves and Ray Owes.
The Wildcats opened the Final Four in Charlotte by taking on the Arkansas Razorbacks, who were in the prime years of Nolan Richardson’s ‘40 Minutes of Hell.’ The top seed Razorbacks out of the Midwest lived up to their nickname, putting on a hellacious scoring attack en route to a 91-82 victory.
Arizona and Arkansas were tied at halftime, but the Wildcats couldn’t keep up with Arkansas down the stretch. Corliss Williamson scored a game-high 29 points for Arkansas.
Stoudamire had an off night, shooting 5 of 24 from the field including 2 of 13 from deep to finish with 16 points. Reeves and Owes both shot 50% as well, with Reeves’ 20 points on 6 of 19 shooting not being nearly enough.
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Nevertheless, Arizona making the Final Four was a significant step for the program after the Wildcats flamed out in the first round of the previous two NCAA Tournaments.
1988
Arizona officially emerged on the national scene in the 1987-88 season, which culminated in the school’s first Final Four appearance.
Led by Sean Elliott, Tom Tolbert, Anthony Cook and Steve Kerr, the Wildcats ran through the regular season and Pac-10 Tournament with a 31-2 record.
Arizona then cruised through the NCAA Tournament West region, winning its four games by an average scoring margin of nearly 27 points. Arizona took down North Carolina in the Elite Eight to advance to the Final Four, played in Kansas City.
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Arizona’s historic season ended there with an 86-78 loss to Oklahoma. The usually reliable Kerr went just 2 for 12 from three-point range, scoring six points.
Arizona’s chances of winning largely depended on Elliott, who scored 31 points to go with 11 rebounds. Tolbert and Cook also provided double doubles.
The Sooners jumped out to an early lead and never relented. Harvey Grant and Stacey King each scored 21 points for Oklahoma.
Despite Arizona losing in the semifinals, reaching the Final Four marked a major milestone for the program and the university.
