6B
Wednesday, April 2, 1997
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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Arizona's tournament success took young team by surprise
Players'tenacity significant factor in winning season
By Nancy Armour AP Sports Writer
INDIANAPOLIS — Arizona's last road trip was better than any vacation Lute Olson could have imagined.
With only one starter returning and a freshman at point guard, the Arizona coach figured early in the season it was safe for him and his wife, Bobbi, to take a vacation this week.
The week turned out like no other. Olson flew back to Tucson, Aziz., yesterday with his Wildcats, the champions of college basketball.
Arizona beat Kentucky 84-79 in overtime Monday for its first national title and became the first team to defeat three No.1 seeds in the tournament.
"We've had other teams here, outstanding teams, more experienced teams." Olson said. "But I'm just so proud of these guys. It's been a never-say-die group. They've had faith in themselves, they've had faith in their teammates."
No one, not even Olson and his players, could have predicted this kind of run when the season began. The Wildcats (25-9) had lost four starters, and Miles Simon, the only returning starter, was academically
Olson knew that his team was good, but he also knew it was untested. He figured this would be a warmup year, a time for the Wildcats to get some experience so they could contend for the NCAA title next season.
ineligible for the first 11 games.
That was how most of the season went. Arizona lost four of its last eight regular-season games and finished fifth in the Pac 10 Conference, the worst since Olson's first season at Arizona in 1983-84. It was seeded fourth in the Southeast Regional, but top-ranked Kansas—the favorite for the NCAA title—loomed in the regional semifinal.
"We had nothing to lose," said Mike Bibb, the freshman point guard.
Then something unexpected happened in the tournament: Arizona refused to lose. There were comeback victories in the first and second round, the shocking upset of Kansas and an overtime victory against Providence in the regional final.
Even with leading scorer Michael Dickerson having an off night, there were no jitters as the team beat North Carolina, another No. 1 seed, 66-58 in the semifinal. In the title game, Arizona shredded Kentucky's vaunted full-court press and then
Once the Wildcats got to the Final Four, they acted as if it was their personal playground. They saw the sights like fans, had a food fight during their team dinner Friday and went about their business like this was any other game.
played some pretty good defense of its own.
Kentucky's All-American forward Ron Mercer was held to three points in the first half and finished with 13.
So how did the Arizona players celebrate? By musping up Olson's impecably coiffed hair, something they'd been wanting to do all season.
"It still doesn't seem like it's real. To have such a young team, I'm surprised we made it this far," said forward Bennett Davison, who was playing at West Valley Junior College last year.
"All we kept saying is, 'We can't believe we're here. We're such a long shot,' he said. "But we did it as a family."
Now that the Wildcats have their title, the focus immediately turns to next year. Their top eight players are back, and they're likely to be the pre-season No. 1 choice.
But only Duke (1991-92) has won back-to-back titles since UCLA ended its seven-year run as champion in 1973, and Arizona knows just how hard it is to repeat. After all, Kentucky was trying for its second straight national championship.
"I know that they're not going to be self-satisfied. But they do have to understand that everybody is going to come at them with everything they've got," Olson said. "I think they're tough-minded enough. I think they'll work hard enough to give it the best shot they can. That's all you can ask."
NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Scores since 1976
1978 — Kentucky 94, Duke 88
1979 — Michigan State 75,
Indiana State 64
1976 — Indiana 86, Michigan 68
1977 — Marquette 67, North Carolina 59
1981 Indiana 63, North Carolina 50
1980 — Louisville 59, UCLA 54
1981 — Indiana 63, North
1982—North Carolina 63,
Georgetown 62
1983 — North Carolina State 54,
Houston 52
1984 — Georgetown 84, Houston
75
1986 — Louisville 72, Duke 69
1985 — Villanova 66, Georgetown
64
1987 — Indiana 74, Syracuse 73
1987 — Kansas 74, Oklahoma 73
1988 — Kansas 83, Oklahoma 79
1989 — Michigan 80, Seton Hall
79, OT
1990----UNLV 103, Duke 73
1991----Duke 72, Kansas 65
1992 — Duke 71, Michigan 53
1993 — North Carolina 77,
Michigan 71
1994 — Arkansas 76, Duke 72
1995 — UCLA 89, Arkansas 78
1996 — Kentucky 76, Syracuse
67
1997 — Arizona 84, Kentucky 79,
OT
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