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Arizona Wildcats
Defensively, Mike Bibby's been compared with Jason
Kidd, but Bibby can also hit from long range.
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Coach: Lute Olson (Record: 542-207 career, 22-18 NCAA)
Arizona season results
Arizona season stats
Outlook
A preseason favorite in the Pac-10 Conference, Arizona was a bit disappointing and inconsistent throughout the 1996-97 season. The Wildcats were swept by UCLA and lost at USC and Washington. However, Arizona played a brutal non-conference schedule with games against North Carolina, Michigan, Texas, New Mexico and Utah among its first six games.Miles Simon, who missed the first semester of games due to academic problems, is one of the best scorers in the conference and can pass the ball as well. Mike Bibby has been everything Lute Olson could have hoped for in a freshman starting at the point. Michael Dickerson has been a nightmare for opponents with his slashing style. The Wildcats have had trouble scoring in the paint with A.J. Bramlett and Donnell Harris splitting time unspectacularly.
For Arizona to have a chance at making the Final Four, Bibby, Dickerson and Simon cannot afford to fall off at any point. A well-deserved No. 4 seed, the 'Cats got the toughest No. 13 seed in the bunch with a disciplined South Alabama team in the first round. Things won't get any easier in the second round with Maryland or the College of Charleston.
Probable starters
F - Michael Dickerson (6-5, Jr., 20.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg)F - Bennett Davison (6-8, Jr., 10.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg)
C - A.J. Bramlett (6-11, So., 8.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg)
G - Miles Simon (6-5, Jr., 17.2 ppg, 4.6 apg)
G - Mike Bibby (6-2, Fr., 12.5 ppg, 5.6 apg)
Top reserves
C - Donnell Harris (6-11, So., 6.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg)F - Eugene Edgerson (6-8, Fr., 2.9 ppg, 3.8 apg)
G - Jason Terry (6-2, So., 11.2 ppg, 4.8 apg)
Roster
No. Player Pos Ht Wt Class 10 Mike Bibby G 6-2 180 FR 12 Josh Pastner G 6-0 175 FR 13 Donnell Harris F 6-11 214 SO 14 Ortege Jenkins G 6-2 218 SR 21 Bennett Davison F 6-8 200 JR 24 Quynn Tebbs G 6-3 185 FR 23 Michael Dickerson F 6-5 191 JR 30 Justin Wessel F 6-8 190 FR 31 Jason Terry G 6-2 168 SO 33 Eugene Edgerson F 6-8 200 FR 34 Miles Simon G 6-5 199 JR 42 A.J. Bramlett F 6-11 205 SO
Record vs. 1997 Tournament teams (6-6)
Defeated No. 7 North Carolina on Nov. 22, 83-72 (Neutral)Lost to No. 19 New Mexico on Nov. 30, 84-77 (Road)
Defeated No. 3 Utah on Dec. 7, 69-61 (Neutral)
Defeated No. 13 Texas on Dec. 9, 83-78 (Home)
Defeated California on Jan. 2, 81-80 (Home)
Defeated No. 21 Stanford on Jan. 4, 76-75 (Home)
Lost to USC on Jan. 16, 75-62 (Road)
Lost to UCLA on Jan. 18, 84-78 (OT) (Road)
Lost to No. 24 UCLA on Feb. 13, 66-64 (Home)
Defeated USC on Feb. 15, 101-77 (Home)
Lost to No. 23 Stanford on March 6, 81-80 (Road)
Lost to California on March 8, 79-77 (Road)
Record over last 10 games: 6-4.
Stat breakdown
PPG for 85.1 PPG allowed 73.3 Scoring margin +11.8 Rebounding margin +3.9 FG Pct. 45.9 Opposing FG Pct. 44.3
Inside Info
The Wildcats have lost in the first round in three of the last five years. ... This is the 13th consecutive season that Arizona has made the NCAAs; only North Carolina, at 23, has a longer current streak. ... Lute Olson has taken three teams to the Final Four -- two at Arizona and one at Iowa. ... Arizona set a new school record for steals with 313 (11.1 a game), breaking the old mark of 285 set by the 1993-'94 Final Four team. That record was set in 35 games, while this year's team broke it in the team's 25th of 28 games. ... Jason Terry set the school and Pac-10 steals record with 68, breaking by one the old mark held by Arizona's Reggie Geary and Kenny Lofton ... Since 1987-'88, Arizona has the nation's best winning percentage, 80.8 percent (262-62).Fun facts
Miles Simon's brother-in-law is Darryl Strawberry. ... Mike Bibby's dad, Henry, played on UCLA's national championship teams in 1970, '71 and '72. ... For the past three years, Arizona has played a team during the regular season that ended up reaching the Final Four. This year's possible candidates include: North Carolina, Utah, UCLA and New Mexico.|
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