Arizona Wildcats men's basketball

Arizona Wildcats men's basketball
2024–25 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team
University	University of Arizona
First season	1904; 120 years ago (1904)
All-time record	1,891–987–1 (.657)[1]
Athletic director	Desiree Reed-Francois
Head coach	Tommy Lloyd (4th season)
Conference	Big 12
Location	Tucson, Arizona
Arena	McKale Center (capacity: 14,688)
Nickname	Wildcats
Colors	Cardinal and navy[2]
Uniforms
Home Away Alternate
NCAA tournament champions
1997
NCAA tournament runner-up
2001
NCAA tournament Final Four
1988, 1994, 1997, 2001
NCAA tournament Elite Eight
1976, 1988, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2011, 2014, 2015
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
1976, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017*, 2022, 2024
NCAA tournament round of 32
1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017*, 2022, 2024
NCAA tournament appearances
1951, 1976, 1977, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999*, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008*, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017*, 2018*, 2022, 2023, 2024
Conference tournament champions
1988, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2015, 2017*, 2018*, 2022, 2023
Conference regular season champions
1932, 1936, 1940, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1976, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017*, 2018*, 2022, 2024
*Vacated by NCAA

The Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. They compete in the Big 12 of NCAA Division I and is coached by Tommy Lloyd. Arizona previously spent the past 50 seasons in the Pac-10/12.

The program came to national prominence during the tenure of former head coach Lute Olson (1983-2007), who established the program as among America's elite in college basketball. One writer referred to U of A as "Point Guard U"^[3] because the school has produced successful guards like Steve Kerr, Damon Stoudamire, Khalid Reeves, Mike Bibby, Jason Terry, Gilbert Arenas, Jason Gardner, Jerryd Bayless, and T. J. McConnell, among others.

From 1985 to 2009, the Arizona basketball team reached the NCAA Division I tournament for 25 consecutive years, tied for 3rd longest in NCAA history.^[4][5][6] Despite having their 1999 and 2008 appearances later vacated by the NCAA, the media still cites Arizona's streak, and simply notes the changes.^[7][8] The Wildcats have reached the Final Four of the NCAA tournament on four occasions (1988, 1994, 1997, and 2001). They have also made two appearances in the National Championship (won over Kentucky Wildcats in 1997, lost to Duke Blue Devils in 2001). In Pac-10 play, former head coach Lute Olson currently holds the record for most wins as a Pac-10 coach with 327.^[9] In addition, the team has won 18 Pac-10/12 regular season championship titles and 9 Pac-10/12 tournament championship titles.^[9] Arizona also holds the distinction of recording five out of the seven 17–1 Pac-10 seasons (one-loss seasons).^[9] In 2022 Arizona became the first team in conference history to win 18 conference games in a season. No team has gone undefeated since the formation of the Pac-10/12.

Arizona ranks eighteenth all-time heading into the 2024–25 season with 1,889 wins and ranks eight by winning percentage at (.657).^[10] Arizona has spent 39 weeks at No. 1 in the AP Poll, which is ninth-most all-time; 30 weeks at No. 2, ninth most all-time; 174 weeks in the Top 5, seventh all-time; 347 weeks in the Top 10, sixth all-time; and 610 weeks in the top 25, seventh all-time.^[11]

The University of Arizona fielded its first men's basketball team in 1904–05. Orin Albert Kates coached the team and drew opponents from local YMCAs. The first game Arizona played ended in a 40–32 victory over the Morenci YMCA.^[12]

In 1914, Arizona's first famous coach, James Fred "Pop" McKale was lured away from a teaching and coaching job at Tucson High School to take over as Athletic Director and coach basketball, football, baseball and track.^[12] McKale took things to a new level, posting a 9–0 record his first season as a basketball coach.^[12] Moreover, McKale elevated the program to intercollegiate play.^[12] While basketball was his least favorite of the many sports he coached while at U of A, he chalked up three undefeated seasons and a career-winning average of .803, which has never been bested by a U of A coach who has held the post for at least three years.^[12] The McKale Memorial Center, the main arena for Arizona basketball, is named in his honor.^[12]

From 1925 to 1961, the program was under the stewardship of Fred Enke, U of A's longest-tenured coach.^[13] Coach Fred A. Enke was responsible for the early successes of Wildcat basketball. Enke amassed 509 wins in his tenure on the U of A sidelines and still ranks as the second-winningest coach in school history, winning more than 60 percent of his games. Enke also led the Cats to the first four postseason appearances (3 N.I.T./1 NCAA) in school history and in 1950–51 competed in both the N.I.T. and NCAA postseason tournaments. Finally, he was the first coach to lead Arizona to a national ranking. Two of his teams (1950, 1951) finished the season ranked in the top 15.^[13]

Under Enke, U of A competed in the now-defunct Border Conference. Under Enke's direction, Arizona won 12 conference championships, including a span in which the Cats won or shared seven consecutive Border Conference titles (1942–51). No Border Conference team won as many league games (231) or overall contests (398) during its membership.^[13] In 1962, Arizona joined the Western Athletic Conference as a founding member after the Border Conference disbanded.^[13]

Bruce Larson, a player and assistant under Enke before coaching at Eastern Arizona and Weber State, coached the Wildcats from 1961 to 1971, leading the school to a 136–148 record. Under his tenure, major planning began^[14] for a larger and more modern basketball arena (which would become McKale Center) to replace the outdated Bear Down Gymnasium. Larson would later serve as an analyst on Wildcat football and basketball telecasts during the Lute Olson (and Dick Tomey) era.^[15]

In 1972, Fred Snowden was hired as the head basketball coach, making Arizona the second Division I school and the first major program to hire an African American head coach.^[16][17] Known as "The Fox", Snowden brought the excitement back to Wildcat basketball during his 10 years on the Arizona sideline, averaging more than 80 points per game in six of his 10 years and topping the 100-point barrier 27 times.^[13] Snowden led Arizona to the NCAA tournament twice, in 1976 and 1977, getting as far as the Elite Eight in 1976 before losing to UCLA 82–66, a game after defeating UNLV in a Sweet Sixteen matchup. During the 1976 tournament, he also logged Arizona's first and only tournament wins until Lute Olson's hiring, beating John Thompson's Georgetown team 83–76. Snowden's 1976 team also won the school's only WAC championship title on a buzzer-beater by Gilbert Myles verses New Mexico, with the help of the spectacular play of Bob Elliott, Jim Rappis, and Al Fleming. In 1978, Coach Snowden helped transition the basketball program over to the newly formed Pac-10. Snowden could not sustain success in the Pac-10, however, finishing no higher than 4th place in the conference. His 9–18 final season led U of A to look for a replacement.^[12]

Known for his high-octane offense and remembered as a trailblazer, Fred "The Fox" Snowden brought excitement to Arizona basketball during his 10-year tenure as the program's head coach. Snowden, who led the Wildcats from 1972 to 1982, was the first African-American head basketball coach at an NCAA Division I institution, amassing a 167–108 mark. The 1973 Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, his career winning percentage of .607 has been topped by only three U of A coaches since 1924. Nicknamed "The Fox" due to his cool demeanor, Snowden led Arizona to three postseason berths, including the 1975 National Commissioners’ Invitational Tournament and the 1976 and 1977 NCAA Tournaments. His best season came in 1976, when the Wildcats went 24–9, won the Western Athletic Conference championship and advanced to the NCAA West Regional Final. The Brewton, Ala., native was the head coach who led Arizona into the Pac-10 in the 1978–79 season, guiding the program for its first four seasons in the Conference. Snowden also oversaw the transition into the McKale Center after its opening in 1973. He was inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in 1988. Prior to his role at Arizona, Snowden was an assistant coach at Michigan. He also served on the coaching staff of his high school, Northwestern High School in Detroit, Mich., where he coached for five years after attending Wayne State University from 1954 to 1958. Snowden died in 1994 at the age of 57.

Athletic Director Dave Strack brought in Ben Lindsey to replace Fred Snowden in 1983, and on the surface, it seemed like a reasonable move. Lindsey had junior college expertise, having had a successful career at Grand Canyon University, where he won two national titles. What resulted, however, was nothing short of disaster. The 1983 team finished with the worst season in school history at 4–24, with only one Pac-10 win.^[12]

Newly hired U of A Athletic director Cedric Dempsey fired Lindsey after only one season and hired University of Iowa coach Lute Olson as his successor. U of A needed a coach with a history of quickly turning around programs, which Olson had done previously at Iowa. "I knew we had a tremendous amount of work to do", Olson recalled in a recent interview with Tucson Lifestyle. "The program was in shambles at that point, after the terrible year before..."^[12]

Under Olson, Arizona quickly rose to national prominence. Arizona won its first Pac-10 title in 1986, only three years after his arrival.^[12] That season set up an amazing 1987–88 season, which included taking the Great Alaska Shootout championship, the Valley Bank Fiesta Bowl Classic championship and the Pac-10 championship.^[12] Under players Steve Kerr, Kenny Lofton, and Sean Elliott, Arizona spent much of the season ranked No. 1 and made their first (and Olson's second) Final Four.^[12] While Arizona lost in the Final Four round, their play put the program on the map and launched Arizona's reign as a perennial Pac-10 and NCAA tournament contender. Sean Elliott was awarded the John R. Wooden Award on the season and would set the PAC-10 scoring record.^[12]

In 1997, Arizona defeated the University of Kentucky, the defending national champions, to win the NCAA national championship. Prior to winning the championship in 1997, Arizona stormed back from 10-point deficits in the Southeast Regional First round and Second Round against #13 South Alabama and #12 College of Charleston, respectively winning 65–57 and 73–69. The Southeast Regional semifinal pitted Arizona against overall #1 Kansas (34–1) which had defeated Arizona the year before in the 1996 West Regional semifinal. However, Arizona came out fast and stunned the Jayhawks 85–82, then prevailed in overtime against Providence 96–92 in the Elite Eight to clinch a berth in the Final Four. Arizona then beat #1 seed North Carolina 66–58 in the Final Four, which turned out to be Dean Smith's last game as a coach. Arizona also accomplished the unprecedented feat of beating three number one seeds in the 1997 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. This feat has never been accomplished by another team.

The year following the Championship season, 1998, Arizona returned all 5 starters (Mike Bibby, Michael Dickerson, Miles Simon, Bennett Davison, and A. J. Bramlett^[18]) and were poised to make another run after receiving the #1 overall seed in the West, but were upset by Utah in the Elite 8.

In 1999, all 5 starters were lost to graduation or early entry to the NBA draft and Arizona's hopes of continuing its streak of consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament was in jeopardy until senior point guard Jason Terry (the 6th man the previous two seasons) elevated his game (receiving National Player of the Year honors) and continued the school's amazing streak.

In 2000, former Wildcat Jason Terry, stated that he received approximately $4,500 in cash, checks and wire transfers from New York sports agent Larry Fox, after his junior season.^[19] The NCAA announced that as a result a one-game 1999 NCAA tournament appearance was formally vacated. In addition, Arizona asked Terry to repay the $45,363 in forfeited NCAA 1999 tournament revenue and banned him from the U of A Sports Hall of Fame, including a provision that his jersey would not be retired.^[20] Terry's jersey was later retired in 2015.^[20]

2001 was one of the most challenging and rewarding years for the program. Lute Olson's wife Bobbi, well known to players and fans alike as a steadfast presence on the sidelines, died of cancer. The team, which had been a preseason pick by many to win the national title had to play without Olson for three weeks while Olson was on bereavement leave. The Cats vowed to dedicate their season to Bobbi. With guard Jason Gardner, center Loren Woods and forward Michael Wright — each an All-American — leading the way, the Cats trounced their opponents, beating Oregon 104–65, devastating USC 105–61, and charging through the Final Four. They took down Eastern Illinois, Butler, Mississippi, Illinois, and Michigan State, only to be stopped by Duke in the title game. While being considered the favorite to win the title, which would have been Coach Olson's 2nd and tied him with Coach Mike Krzyzewski, his opponent, the Blue Devils claimed a ten-point victory in the game. This is the last game Coach Olson ever coached in the Final Four and is considered by fans of the program to be his most bitter defeat. A championship would have vaulted him into hallowed ground among coaches, being one of few with multiple titles. Instead he remains tied with many coaches who have a single championship ring to their name. Meanwhile, his opponent in that game now is in second place among college coaches with five championship rings, behind only John Wooden's ten. All five of Krzyzewski's titles came in the 64 team field era; Wooden none. Still Coach Olson earned the respect of his contemporary, Coach K said in the post-game interview that "Arizona had a great team and an amazing season and was worthy of winning the championship, let's give a hand to Coach Olson and his team." The comment drew rousing applause from the audience in attendance and made Coach Olson proud, even in defeat, to be honored as an equal by Coach Krzyzewski who many claim is the best coach in college history.

In his later years at U of A, Olson fielded competitive teams with extremely talented point guards. Continuing the reputation and nickname "Point Guard U,"^[3] recent standouts include Jason Gardner, Salim Stoudamire, Mustafa Shakur, Jerryd Bayless and Nic Wise. Arizona would win Olson's last Pac-10 title during the 2004–2005 season under the spectacular play of seniors Salim Stoudamire and center Channing Frye. That team also made it to the Elite 8 and the verge of the Final Four before blowing a 15-point lead with four minutes to play and losing in overtime, 90–89, to the No. 1 seed and eventual national runner-up, University of Illinois.^[21]

Olson took an unexplained leave of absence at the beginning of the 2007–2008 season. Assistant coach Kevin O'Neill took over interim head coaching duties for the Arizona Wildcats. At that time, Olson announced that he intended to be back for the 2008–09 season and finish out his contract, which was scheduled to end in 2011.^[22] His departure was criticized by some members of the media. They also questioned how he and the U of A athletic department handled his return and the verbal succession agreement with coach O'Neill.^[23] However, on October 23, 2008, he unexpectedly announced his retirement from the program (by way of an announcement from Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood).^[24] A few days later, Olson's personal physician held a press conference and explained that the retirement was strongly advised due to health concerns.^[25][26]

After Lute Olson's abrupt retirement, Arizona Athletic Director Jim Livengood appointed assistant coach Russ Pennell as the interim head coach for the 2008–2009 season 23 days before the start of the season.^[27] The appointment came after Mike Dunlap, the associate head coach brought in to replace Kevin O'Neill, turned down the job. Under Pennell, the Cats finished 19–13 in the regular season, including a non-conference win over Kansas and a 7-game win streak with wins over UCLA and Washington. Despite a 19–13 finish to the season, Arizona was controversially selected as one of the last teams into the field of 65 as a 12th seed in the Midwest region, extending its NCAA consecutive tournament appearances to 25 years.^[28] The Cats made it to the Sweet 16 (regional semi-finals) with wins over 5-seed Utah and 13-seed Cleveland State, before falling to overall 1-seed, Louisville.^[29] Despite Pennell's post-season success, he was not retained, as Arizona announced before his hiring they would hold a national coaching search after the season ended.^[29] (On April 9, 2009, Pennell was hired as head coach of the men's basketball team at Division II Grand Canyon University, a member of the Pacific West Conference.)

Following Olson's retirement, reports of NCAA violations arose regarding payment of impermissible benefits to players and recruiting violations. In response, Arizona self-imposed sanctions that included a reduction in the number of recruiting visits by coaches and prospective players, the disbanding of a booster group, and implementation of a series of administrative and rules changes to prevent further violations.^[30] The NCAA upheld most of those self-imposed sanctions but determined the school had used two ineligible players in 2007-08 and would have to vacate all wins involving those players and eliminate their statistics.^[31] The NCAA reduced the number of scholarships and visits with recruits Arizona was allowed to make.^[32] The NCAA found that Olson failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance at the university but decided against sanctioning the coach because he was retired and had health issues. "I think that was my fault," Olson said during a 2008 interview with ESPN.com. "That wasn't anyone else's fault. It was my error and it was a big error. But I guess in 26 years you are allowed to make a mistake once in a while anyway and that's not to say I haven't made a lot of them but in terms of that, that was a big mistake on my part."^[33]

After the end of the season, various coaching names were considered to succeed Lute Olson on a permanent basis. Arizona was perceived to have interest in Gonzaga's Mark Few, Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon and then-Memphis coach John Calipari (before he accepted the vacant position at Kentucky) to take the job. Arizona even brought USC's Tim Floyd on campus for an interview and while Arizona claims no formal offer was ever presented, Floyd ultimately turned down the job publicly.

Arizona hired Sean Miller from Xavier University to fill the head coaching position. He initially turned the job down before changing his mind and accepting the job on Apr. 6, 2009 despite having never visited the Arizona campus.^[33] Miller was formally introduced as the 13th head men's basketball coach at Arizona at a press conference on April 7, 2009, at McKale Center.^[34] At the press conference, Miller acknowledged Lute Olson's impact on the Arizona program by addressing Olson personally: "One of the reasons I sit here today is because of the great legacy you built."^[35] Miller also promised U of A fans that they would enjoy the style of both offense and defense he would bring to Wildcat basketball. Miller's salary is $1.6 million per year; he will receive an additional $400,000 per season from Nike and media contracts during a five-year deal, as well as a $1 million signing bonus and other amenities such as season tickets to other Wildcat sporting events and the use of a private jet.^[35] Within three months of joining the program, Miller compiled a strong five-player recruiting class that ranked 13th nationally in 2009.^[36] After going 16–15 and missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in 25 years during Miller's initial 2009–10 campaign.

In his second season as the head coach at Arizona, the Cats finished the season with 30–8, 14–4 Pac-12 play, behind the play of sophomore Pac-10 Player of the Year Derrick Williams.^[37] It would be the Wildcats' first outright Pac-10 regular season title (its 12th overall), 4th 30+ win season (1st overall) and Elite Eight appearance (8th overall) since the 2004–2005 season. In addition, Miller led the Wildcats to their first unbeaten home record (17–0) in 14 years and was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year. This was the first time an Arizona coach received this honor since Lute Olson in 2003. The 17 wins without a loss at home is tied for the second-most in school history.^[38] Miller would add to the season's success by guiding the Cats to their first Elite Eight appearance since the 2004–2005 Season as a 5-seed. In the second round, Arizona secured a 2-point victory over 12th seeded Memphis (coached by former Wildcat (and member of the 1997 national title team) Josh Pastner) with a blocked shot in the final seconds by Derrick Williams. Arizona would follow with another close game—a controversial one-point win against 4-seed Texas.^[39] In the Sweet-16 match-up, Arizona found itself pitted against top-seeded Duke, the first time since the 2001 title game that the two schools had met.^[40] Duke would extend an early lead, but 25 points from Derrick Williams kept the Cats in the game and down by 6 points at the half.^[40] In the second half, Williams' teammates picked up the slack, dominating the Blue Devils by scoring 55 second-half points and routing the defending champs 93–77.^[40] Arizona's run at the Final Four would fall 2 points short, losing to 3-seed (and eventual national champion) Connecticut 65–63.

For his third season, Arizona's 2011 recruiting class was ranked 7th, notably signing Nick Johnson and Josiah Turner. Arizona secured three players in the top nine of the ESPNU 100, with all four newly signed players within the top 36. This has cemented Arizona as the No. 1 signing class nationally, surpassing Kentucky who held the No. 1 spot 2010 and 2011.^[41][42][43] The Wildcats missed the postseason for the second time, reached to the NIT Tournament before falling to Bucknell to finish the season 23–12 overall, 12–6 in Pac-12.

In his fourth season, Miller guided to its second top-5 ranking in the AP poll (the first coming in weeks 7–10 of the 2012–2013 season^[44]), Arizona reached the Sweet 16 in 2013 falling to Ohio State, finished the season with 27–8, 12–6 in Pac-12.

In his fifth season with the most talent Coach Miller has had since arriving in Tucson. On December 9, 2013, Arizona became the #1 ranked Team in the Country for the 6th time in school history, after a 9–0 start with wins over traditional national powerhouses Duke and UNLV. The Wildcats followed this up by securing a key come-from-behind victory on the road at Michigan on December 14 and led the Wildcats to their second outright Pac-12 Regular Season Title (its 13th overall, 26th regular season overall) in Sean Miller's fifth year as the head coach. Arizona reached the second unbeaten home record at (18–0), Coach Miller again named the second Pac-10/12 coach of the year, 5th 30+ wins season (2nd overall), 2nd Elite Eight appearance (9th overall) in 2014. But in the 2014 NCAA tournament, the Wildcats fell to Wisconsin in overtime, they finished the season with 33–5, 15–3 in Pac-12.

In his sixth season as the Arizona Wildcats basketball head coach, after Gonzaga's home loss to BYU on February 28, 2015, Arizona claimed the longest active home winning streak in D-I men's college basketball (38th home win at 2nd all-time, 82nd home win at 5th all-time). Arizona defeated #13 Utah in Salt Lake City the same day, winning its share of the Pac-12 regular season title. After three losses to Pac-12 archrival Arizona State, Oregon State and UNLV, Arizona won their third Pac-12 regular season championship title (2nd straight year, its 14th overall, 27th overall). Arizona reached the third unbeaten home record at (17–0). The Wildcats completes their sixth ever 30+ win (3rd overall) and won their first Pac-12 Tournament title (5th overall) since 2002. In the 2015 NCAA tournament, the Wildcats fell to the Wisconsin Badgers in Elite Eight, 85–78, and finished the season 34–4, 16–2 in the Pac-12.^[45]

In his seventh season, they finished the season 25–9, 12–6 in Pac-12 play to tie with California for third place. They defeated Colorado in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament to advance to the semifinals where they lost to Oregon. In the 2016 NCAA Tournament, as a 6-seed in the South Region. They lost in the first round to Wichita State.

In his eighth season at U of A, AP polls & 81-straight coaches polls. The 97-consecutive weeks in the AP poll is currently the second-longest streak in the nation behind Kansas at 161 weeks.[1] They have been ranked every week in the 2016–2017 season, bringing those totals to 97 weeks for the AP & 100 weeks for the coaches poll. Arizona won its first 10 conference games, the best start since the '97-'98 season when they started 16–0. They finished the season at seventh ever 30+ wins with 32–5, tied at 16–2 with Oregon in Pac-12 play for first place to win their 3rd Pac-12 regular season championship title for the 15th time (28th overall). The Wildcats entered the Pac-12 Tournament as a 2-seed, the Wildcats defeated 7-seed Colorado in the quarterfinals, 3-seed UCLA in the semifinals and 1-seed Oregon in the championship game, Wildcats won their 2nd Pac-12 Tournament championship title for the 6th time. In the 2017 NCAA Tournament, as a 2-seed in the West regional, Arizona defeated the 15-seed North Dakota 100–82 in the first round, 7-seed Saint Mary's 69–60 in the second round and losing to Xavier 71–73 in the Sweet Sixteen.

As Miller's ninth season as the head coach at Arizona was about to get underway, federal prosecutors announced, on September 26, 2017, bribery, soliciting a bribe and wire fraud charges against assistant coach Emanuel "Book" Richardson as part of a far-reaching, college basketball-wide scandal.^[46] Perhaps in part due to the ongoing scandal, the Wildcats ranked No. 2 in the country at one point, lost three games at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.^[47][48] Arizona would eventually fire Richardson for his role in the scandal and the team would recover to lead the Pac 12 for the majority of the season.^[49] On February 24, 2018, Associate head coach Lorenzo Romar was temporarily named head coach after news broke the previous day that Miller had been caught on an FBI wiretap offering to pay players to come to Arizona.^[50][51] On March 1, Miller held a joint press conference with the university denying all allegations and stating he would be retained as men's head basketball coach. That same night, the Wildcats won their 29th regular season conference title, 16th in the Pac-12, and secured the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament by defeating Stanford 75–67. On March 10, Arizona defeated USC to win a record seventh conference tournament title. As a result, the Wildcats received an automatic bid to their sixth straight NCAA tournament (35th NCAA tournament appearance, 12th all time) as the No. 4 seed in the South regional. The Wildcats, a trendy pick to make the Final Four and win the championship were blown out in the first round by No. 13 seed Buffalo, losing 89–68.^[52]

2018–2019 marked the tenth season for Sean Miller as the Arizona Wildcats head coach. Arizona replaced all 5 starting players, 3 via the NBA draft. After a victory against UTEP, Miller recorded his 250th win for Arizona (370th win overall), in only 324 games, which was the 5th fastest of any coach at any Division 1 program all-time.^[53] On January 5, 2019, Arizona won its 600th game in the McKale center with an 84–81 overtime victory over Utah.^[54] Arizona became the first Pac-12 team to achieve 100 wins against conference opponents since the conference expanded to 12 teams before the 2011 season, after defeating Stanford 75−70 Jan. 9, 2019.^[55] The Wildcats would go on to finish the season in Pac-12 play 8–10, 9th place overall & lose their first round Pac-12 Tournament match up against USC, 65−78.^[56] They would end the season with an overall record of 17–15 & decline an invitation to the CBI.

2019–2020 marked the eleventh season for Sean Miller as the Arizona Wildcats head coach. Despite again losing all 5 starting players, Arizona would bring in the 6th overall best recruiting class & ranked pre-season 21st by the AP Poll.^[57][58] Arizona would open the season 9–0, capped off by winning the Wooden Legacy tournament located in Anaheim, California led by tournament MVP Nico Mannion & defeated Wake Forest 73–66.^[59] Arizona finished non-conference play ranked 16th with an overall record of 10–3. On February 1, 2020, Miller would win his 400th overall game of his career in a 75−70 over USC to move their record to 16–6 & 6–3 in conference play.^[60] They would defeat Stanford in Maples Pavilion for the conferences longest active streak 20th time, 69–60.^[61] Arizona would finish the regular season with an overall record of 20–11 & 10–8 in conference play, which was good for 5th. The Wildcats would face 12 seed Washington in their first-round match up & win 77–70, to set up a second-round matchup versus 4 seed USC.^[62] The season would end due to the COVID-19 Pandemic which shut down sports globally & end the 2019–20 season.^[63] Arizona would have an overall record 21–11 & were a projected 7 seed but could have moved higher pending the remainder of the Pac-12 tournament.^[64]

In 2020–21, Arizona would begin its twelfth season under Head Coach Sean Miller. The Pac-12 announced before the season started that schools would not allow for fans to be in attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[65] Also due to travel restrictions, financial impact & COVID-19 testing, Arizona was forced to cancel non-conference match ups against pre-season top 5 teams, Gonzaga & Illinois,^[66] as well as cancel their appearance in the 2020 NIT Season Tip-Off^[67] in Brooklyn against top 15 ranked Texas Tech, Cincinnati & St. John's. In total Arizona would have 14 games cancelled, postponed or rescheduled but none of which were due to COVID-19 issues within the Arizona Wildcat program.

This season also marked the introduction of expanded Pac-12 play with each team adding two games, one home & one road, during the months of November & December for a total of 20 with the Wildcats adding games at home against Colorado & on the road against Stanford.^[68] Arizona again would replace the entire starting 5 for a third straight season but bring in another top 10 recruiting class, 7th overall led by six international players from Canada, Estonia, France, Lithuania & Turkey, as well as the United States.^[69] Arizona would finish non-conference play with an overall record of 6–0 against its opponents. Arizona would lose its opening Pac-12 game against Stanford 75–78 which would snap the Wildcats' 20-game winning streak against the Cardinal.^[70]

Following 88–74 victory over Colorado, the Wildcats' announced a Self-Imposed one-year postseason ban, which included the 2021 Pac-12 tournament.^[71]

On February 20, Sean Miller would win his 300th game at Arizona in only his 408th, 3rd fastest for any coach at any Pac-12 school by defeating the #17 USC Trojans by a score of 81–72.^[72] During the halftime of match up against Washington, Arizona would induct former players Ernie McCray (1958–60) & Al Fleming (1972–76) as the 26th & 27th members of the program's Ring of Honor.^[73] Arizona would end the season with an overall record of 17–9 overall and finish 5th in the conference at 11–9 but because of their self-imposed ban would not participate in the conference tournament. Many bracketologists stated that Arizona would have been an NCAA tournament team if not for the self-imposed ban.^[74]

In March 2021, a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA, originally issued in October 2020 at the conclusion of the NCAA's initial investigation, was released to the media by the university after a lawsuit was filed by ESPN; the school received five Level I violations, considered the NCAA's most serious, one specifically against Miller for failing to monitor his assistant coaches accused of academic misconduct and other rules violations. None of the allegations included anything regarding former player Deandre Ayton.^[75]

On April 7, 2021, Arizona fired Sean Miller after 12 years.^[76] Miller at the time had finished his coaching career with an overall record of 302–109, five regular–season Pac-12 championships, three conference tournament titles & seven NCAA appearances.^[77] His 302 wins were the 3rd most in school history. The NCAA along with the IARP would vacate 32 wins from the 2016–17 season and 18 wins from the 2017–18 season, for a total of 50 wins. It would bring his all-time record to 252–109 and his 252 wins would remain the 3rd most in school history.^[78]

After the university decided to part ways with Sean Miller, various coaching names were considered to succeed him on a permanent basis. Three former Wildcats who played under Lute Olson – Damon Stoudamire (head coach at the University of the Pacific), Miles Simon (assistant for the Los Angeles Lakers), and Josh Pastner (head coach at Georgia Tech), as well as Arkansas' Eric Musselman, were under speculation to take the job.^[79] On April 14, 2021, it was announced that Tommy Lloyd, the longtime top assistant coach at Gonzaga under Mark Few, would become the 18th head coach of Arizona men's basketball. Both Lloyd and Few have been heavily influenced by the European style of basketball (and a focus on recruiting international players), as well as the uptempo, player-focused offense as implemented at Arizona under Lute Olson.^[80] A formal press conference was held at McKale Center on April 15 to introduce Lloyd as the head coach.^[81][82][83] Coach Lloyd got his first victory as a head coach versus the Wildcats' in-state rival Northern Arizona 81–52. His 29-point victory versus NAU was the second largest margin in a coach's debut in school history & largest since 1915.^[84] He would win his first Pac-12 game on December 12, 2021, against Oregon State, 90–65.^[85] Coach Lloyd & Arizona would go on to lose their first game of his career & season in Knoxville, 73–77 against no. 19 Tennessee.^[86]

The Wildcats would finish the regular season undefeated on their home court at McKale Center for the 2021–22 campaign, one of only five programs in the nation to do so.^[87] The Wildcats would be led by sophomore guards Bennedict Mathurin, Kerr Kriisa and Dalen Terry, as well as junior center Christian Koloko and sophomore forward Ąžuolas Tubelis. Coach Lloyd & the Wildcats would win their 1st regular season conference title under Lloyd & 17th overall as a program with a 91–71 road win over USC. In the season finale Arizona would defeat California 89–61, becoming the first program & coach to win 18 conference games in the Pac-12 in one season. Arizona clinched the top seed in the 2022 Pac-12 tournament; they would go on to defeat No. 9 seed Stanford 84–80,^[88] No. 4 seed Colorado 82–72^[89] & No. 2 seed (No. 16 in the AP poll) UCLA 84–76 to win their 8th overall conference tournament title & Coach Tommy Lloyd's 1st.^[90] Following the end of the Pac-12 season Lloyd was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year.^[91] Arizona finished the Pac-12 portion of the season with a 31–3 record, earning a number 2 ranking in both the AP & coaches poll. Following the Pac-12 tournament title win, Arizona was selected as the second overall number 1 seed in the South Regional of the 2022 March Madness Tournament where they would go on to play 16 seed Wright State in their first round matchup. Arizona reached its 20th "Sweet 16" by defeating TCU in overtime 85–80.^[92] The Wildcats' season would end with a Sweet 16 loss to Houston 72–60.^[93] Lloyd was named as a finalists for the Naismith Award.^[94] Following the end of the season Coach Lloyd won the AP Coach of the Year, NABC Coach of the Year & USBWA Coach of the Year.^[95][96]

Arizona would begin the 2022–23 Season by winning the 2022 Maui Invitational Tournament by defeating Cincinnati, No. 17 San Diego State, No. 10 Creighton as well as non-conference games against No. 14 Indiana in the Las Vegas Clash & No. 6 Tennessee in McKale. Arizona & Coach Lloyd would end the non-conference part of the schedule with a record of 12–0. Lloyd would become the fastest coach to 50 wins, doing so in 57 games, with a 58–52 win over their rival No. 5 UCLA, it was Arizona's 5th win over a ranked team during the season.^[97] Arizona would end the season losing to their rival in Los Angeles, 73–82, giving them an overall record of 25–6 & 14–6 in conference play. They would enter postseason play ranked No. 8 overall & the No. 2 in the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas. Arizona defeated No. 10 seed Stanford Cardinal 95–84, which was his 59th career win, the most of any head coach to start their coaching career.^[98] Arizona defeated Arizona State in the Semifinals, 78–59. Arizona then defeated rivals UCLA 61–59 to win Arizona's ninth conference tournament title overall, and the second title in a row. Arizona earned a No. 2 seed in the South Region of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, with a first round match up against Ivy League Champion and No. 15 seed Princeton. Arizona was upset 55–59, ending their season with an overall record of 28–7.

Arizona began the 3rd season under Lloyd ranked No. 12 in the preseason AP Poll. They had several non-conference match ups against ranked opponents defeating No. 2 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium 78–73, No. 21 Michigan State 74–68, No. 21 Wisconsin 98–73, suffered defeats against No. 3 Purdue 84–92 and No. 14 Florida Atlantic 95–96. The Wildcats entered Pac-12 play with a 9–2 record and were ranked No. 4 in the country but suffered their first conference loss on the road against unranked Stanford 82–100. Arizona would go on to sweep the season series against rivals Arizona State and UCLA, finish the regular season with a record of 24–7(15–5) to win their 18th Pac-12 regular season title. Caleb Love won the schools 11th overall Pac-12 Player of the Year and was named second and third team all-American. Arizona lost their semifinal matchup in the Pac-12 tournament against eventual winners Oregon 59–67. Arizona earned a second straight No. 2 seed in the West Region of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, with a first round matchup against Big West Champion and No. 15 seed Long Beach State. Arizona defeated Long Beach 85–66 in the round of 64, defeated No. 7 Dayton 78–68 to reach their second Sweet Sixteen in three years but lost to No. 6 Clemson 72–77 ending their season with an overall record of 27–9. Coach Lloyd was one win shy of tying Brad Stevens record of 89 wins in a head coaches first three years as head coach. This would also mark Arizona's 50th and final season as members of the Pac-12 Conference, as they will move to the Big 12 Conference to start the 2024-25 season.

Under Tommy Lloyd

Statistics overview

Season	Coach	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
2021–22	Arizona	33–4	18–2	1st	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2022–23	Arizona	28–7	14–6	T–2nd	NCAA First Round
2023–24	Arizona	27–9	15–5	1st	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2024–25	Arizona	2–1	0–0
Arizona:		90–21 (.811)	47–13 (.783)
Total:		90–20 (.818)
National champion         Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion

Since Arizona State became a University on December 5, 1958, Arizona leads ASU 81–58. Since both schools joined the Pac-10 conference in the 1978–79 season Arizona leads ASU 67–30. Since Lute Olson took over as head coach for the 1983–84 season Arizona leads ASU 65–20. Sean Miller took over for the 2009–2010 season Arizona & finished with a 17–7 record against ASU. Tommy Lloyd is 6–1 all time versus ASU.

The most recent matchup came in Tempe, AZ on February 28, 2024, with Arizona winning 85–67. The largest margin of victory between the two teams occurred on February 17, 2024, with Arizona winning 105-60. Arizona leads the all-time series with 161–87.

Since then, the two schools competed for the Pac-10 (now Pac-12) Championship every year, with the two teams winning 24 out of the 32 conference titles, and 9 of 18 conference tournament titles. Arizona clinched their first conference title in 1986, when they won on the road at UCLA in Olson's third season.^[99][100] The UCLA-Arizona basketball rivalry is still seen as the match up of the two premier teams in the conference.^[101] Also, the performance of the two schools influences the national opinion of the conference. California Coach Mike Montgomery has stated, "...If those two are not good, the conference is not perceived as being good. People don't give credit to the schools across the board in the league." Since the mid-1980s, Arizona has also had a basketball rivalry with UCLA, as the two schools competed for the Pac-10 Championship every year. Since 1985 the two teams have combined to win 26 out of the 36 conference titles. The UCLA-Arizona basketball rivalry still is seen as the match up of the two premier teams in the conference. Also, the performance of the two schools influences the national opinion of the conference.^[102]

The most recent matchup came March 7, 2024, where Arizona beat UCLA 88–66. Arizona Wildcats trailed the all-time series lead by UCLA with 63–50.

^[13]

Team	Arizona Record	First Meeting	Latest Result	Home Record	Away Record	Neutral Record	Link
Arizona State (in-state)	161–87 (.649)	Dec 13, 1913 (Arizona 41–17)	Feb 28, 2024 (Arizona 85–67)	92–31 (.748)	67–55 (.549)	2–1 (.667)	Arizona–Arizona State
UCLA	50–63 (.442)	Feb 19, 1923 (UCLA 43–30)	March 7, 2024 (Arizona 88–65)	28–18 (.609)	15–38 (.283)	7–7 (.500)	Arizona–UCLA
Total	211–150 (.584)	1913	Present	120–49 (.710)	82–93 (.469)	9–8 (.529)	N/A

The Wildcats have had 18 coaches in their 116-year history. To date, one Wildcats’ coach has won the National Coach-of-the-Year award: Lute Olson twice, in 1988 and 1990. Additionally, 3 Wildcats coaches have been named Pac-12 Conference Coach-of-the-Year: Lute Olson in 1986, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1998 and 2003, Sean Miller in 2011, 2014, and 2017, and Tommy Lloyd in 2022.

Coaches

• Lute Olson (2002)

There have been seven Arizona Wildcats men's basketball players that have represented four different countries eight total times in basketball (Budinger was an Olympian in Volleyball) in the Summer Olympics:

Year Player Country Location Medal 1984 Leon Wood  United States (USA) Los Angeles Gold 2004 Richard Jefferson  United States (USA) Athens Bronze 2012 Andre Iguodala  United States (USA) London Gold 2020 Nico Mannion  Italy (ITA) Tokyo 5th Place 2020 Josh Green  Australia (AUS) Tokyo Bronze 2024 Paris 7th Place 2024 Chase Budinger  United States (USA) Paris T-9th Place U of A Olympians

The following Arizona Wildcats men's basketball players and coaches have represented their country in basketball in international competition (excluding Olympics):

Name	NBA team	Seasons as Wildcat	Post-Wildcat accomplishment
Aaron Gordon	Denver Nuggets	2013–14	3x NBA Dunk Contest participant (2016, 2017 & 2020), NBA Champion(2023)
T. J. McConnell	Indiana Pacers	2013–15
Lauri Markkanen	Utah Jazz	2016–17	NBA All-Rookie 1st Team (2018), NBA All-Star (2023), NBA Most Improved Player Award (2023)
Deandre Ayton	Portland Trail Blazers	2017–18	First Arizona Wildcat to be selected 1st overall, NBA All-Rookie 1st Team (2019)
Brandon Williams	Dallas Mavericks	2018–19
Josh Green	Charlotte Hornets	2019–20	Australia – 2020 Summer Olympics – Bronze medal
Zeke Nnaji	Denver Nuggets	2019–20	NBA Champion(2023)
Christian Koloko	Los Angeles Lakers	2019–22
Bennedict Mathurin	Indiana Pacers	2020–22	Rising Stars Challenge (2023, 2024), NBA All-Rookie 1st Team (2023)
Dalen Terry	Chicago Bulls	2020–22
Keshad Johnson	Miami Heat	2023–24	Two-way contract with the Sioux Falls Skyforce
Pelle Larsson	Miami Heat	2021–24

Name	G-League team	Seasons as Wildcat	Post-Wildcat accomplishment
Keshad Johnson	Sioux Falls Skyforce	2023–24	Two-way contract
Brandon Randolph	College Park Skyhawks	2017–19

Source: Arizona 2023–24 Media Guide^[13]

• Steve Kerr, head coach, Golden State Warriors
• Joseph Blair, head coach, Rio Grande Valley Vipers
• Matt Brase, assistant coach, Philadelphia 76ers
• Bret Brielmaier, assistant coach, Orlando Magic
• Jud Buechler, assistant coach, New York Knicks
• Bruce Fraser, assistant coach, Golden State Warriors
• Jesse Mermuys, assistant coach, Orlando Magic
• Jason Terry, assistant coach, Utah Jazz
• Luke Walton, assistant coach, Detroit Pistons

• Damon Stoudamire, Head Coach, Georgia Tech

14 different NBA championships have been won by 15 Wildcats players. Since the NBA draft was shortened to two rounds in 1989, 47 Arizona players have been selected. Former Wildcats have had successful NBA careers, totaling over $1.8 billion in total contracts through the 2024–2025 NBA season^[13] Former Wildcat players have been drafted by every current NBA Franchise except the New Orleans Pelicans and the Utah Jazz.

Name	Round	Overall Pick	Year	Team
Morris Udall	...	...	1948	Denver Nuggets (NBL)
Lincoln Richmond	...	...	1948	Fort Wayne Pistons
Leon Blevins	7	79	1950	Indianapolis Olympians
Leo Johnson	5	44	1951	Ft. Wayne Pistons
Roger Johnson	...	...	1952	Milwaukee Hawks
Ernie McCray	17	95	1960	Cincinnati Royals
Warren Rustand	4	31	1965	San Francisco Warriors
Bill Davis	12	160	1968	Phoenix Suns
Michael Foster	...	...	1970	Indiana Pacers (ABA)
Tom Lee	9	147	1971	Philadelphia 76ers
Eddie Myers	10	160	1971	Baltimore Bullets (ABA)
Bill Warner	11	170	1971	Buffalo Braves (ABA)
Bruce Anderson	7	101	1972	Detroit Pistons
Eric Money	2	33	1974	Detroit Pistons (ABA)
Coniel Norman	3	37	1974	Philadelphia 76ers (ABA)
Al Fleming	2	30	1976	Phoenix Suns
James Rappis	5	77	1976	Milwaukee Bucks
Bob Elliott	2	42	1977	Philadelphia 76ers
Herman Harris	2	43	1977	Philadelphia 76ers
Jerome Gladney	8	164	1977	San Antonio Spurs
Phil Taylor	10	198	1978	Denver Nuggets
Larry Demic	1	9	1979	New York Knicks
Joe Nehls	7	152	1980	Houston Rockets
Ron Davis	4	79	1981	Washington Bullets
Robbie Dosty	6	148	1981	Golden State Warriors
Frank Smith	8	177	1983	Portland Trail Blazers
Leon Wood	1	10	1984	Philadelphia 76ers
Pete Williams	4	89	1985	Denver Nuggets
Eddie Smith	7	158	1985	Denver Nuggets
Tom Tolbert	2	34	1988	Charlotte Hornets
Steve Kerr	2	50	1988	Phoenix Suns
Sean Elliott	1	3	1989	San Antonio Spurs
Anthony Cook	1	24	1989	Phoenix Suns
Jud Buechler	2	38	1990	Seattle SuperSonics
Brian Williams	1	10	1991	Orlando Magic
Sean Rooks	2	30	1992	Dallas Mavericks
Chris Mills	1	22	1993	Cleveland Cavaliers
Ed Stokes	2	35	1993	Miami Heat
Khalid Reeves	1	12	1994	Miami Heat
Damon Stoudamire	1	7	1995	Toronto Raptors
Joseph Blair	2	35	1996	Seattle SuperSonics
Ben Davis	2	43	1996	Phoenix Suns
Reggie Geary	2	56	1996	Cleveland Cavaliers
Mike Bibby	1	2	1998	Vancouver Grizzlies
Michael Dickerson	1	14	1998	Houston Rockets
Miles Simon	2	42	1998	Orlando Magic
Jason Terry	1	10	1999	Atlanta Hawks
A. J. Bramlett	2	39	1999	Cleveland Cavaliers
Richard Jefferson	1	13	2001	Houston Rockets
Gilbert Arenas	2	31	2001	Golden State Warriors
Michael Wright	2	39	2001	New York Knicks
Loren Woods	2	46	2001	Minnesota Timberwolves
Luke Walton	2	32	2003	Los Angeles Lakers
Andre Iguodala	1	9	2004	Philadelphia 76ers
Channing Frye	1	8	2005	New York Knicks
Salim Stoudamire	2	31	2005	Atlanta Hawks
Hassan Adams	2	54	2006	New Jersey Nets
Marcus Williams	2	33	2007	San Antonio Spurs
Jerryd Bayless	1	11	2008	Indiana Pacers
Jordan Hill	1	8	2009	New York Knicks
Chase Budinger	2	44	2009	Detroit Pistons
Derrick Williams	1	2	2011	Minnesota Timberwolves
Solomon Hill	1	23	2013	Indiana Pacers
Grant Jerrett	2	40	2013	Portland Trail Blazers
Aaron Gordon	1	4	2014	Orlando Magic
Nick Johnson	2	42	2014	Houston Rockets
Stanley Johnson	1	8	2015	Detroit Pistons
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson	1	23	2015	Portland Trail Blazers
Lauri Markkanen	1	7	2017	Minnesota Timberwolves
Kadeem Allen	2	53	2017	Boston Celtics
Deandre Ayton	1	1	2018	Phoenix Suns
Josh Green	1	18	2020	Dallas Mavericks
Zeke Nnaji	1	22	2020	Denver Nuggets
Nico Mannion	2	48	2020	Golden State Warriors
Bennedict Mathurin	1	6	2022	Indiana Pacers
Dalen Terry	1	18	2022	Chicago Bulls
Christian Koloko	2	33	2022	Toronto Raptors
Pelle Larsson	2	44	2024	Houston Rockets

Source: Arizona 2023–24 Media Guide^[13]

A total of 33 NBA championships have been won by 15 former Wildcats, consisting of 15 different finals years (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2023). 7 of the last 10 championship teams have had a former Wildcat as a player and/or coaching staff member on the team.

Former Wildcats have played in 22 of the last 29 finals and have coached in 7 of the last 10 finals.

Player (College Years)	Finals Year	Team
Andre Iguodala (2002–04)	2015, 2016 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022	Golden State Warriors (4), Miami Heat
Steve Kerr (1983–88)	1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003	Chicago Bulls (3), San Antonio Spurs (2)
Richard Jefferson (1998–01)	2002, 2003, 2016, 2017	New Jersey Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers
Luke Walton (1999-03)	2004, 2008, 2009, 2010	Los Angeles Lakers (2)
Jud Buechler (1986–90)	1996, 1997, 1998	Chicago Bulls (3)
Channing Frye (2001–05)	2016, 2017	Cleveland Cavaliers
Jason Terry (1995–99)	2006, 2011	Dallas Mavericks
Deandre Ayton (2017–18)	2021	Phoenix Suns
Mike Bibby (1996–98)	2011	Miami Heat
Ben Davis (1994–96)	1999	New York Knicks
Bison Dele (1988–91)	1997	Chicago Bulls
Sean Elliott (1984–89)	1999	San Antonio Spurs
Al Fleming (1972–76)	1978	Seattle SuperSonics
Aaron Gordon (2013–14)	2023	Denver Nuggets
Solomon Hill (2009–13)	2020	Miami Heat
Josh Green (2019–20)	2024	Dallas Mavericks
Zeke Nnaji (2019–20)	2023	Denver Nuggets
Brandon Williams (2018–19)	2024	Dallas Mavericks
Derrick Williams (2009–11)	2017	Cleveland Cavaliers

Player (College Years)	Finals Year	Team
Steve Kerr (1983–88)	2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022	Golden State Warriors (4)
Bruce Fraser (1984–87)	2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022	Golden State Warriors (4)
Luke Walton (1999-03)	2015, 2016	Golden State Warriors
Bret Brielmaier (2004–08)	2016	Cleveland Cavaliers
Quinton Crawford (2011–13)	2020	Los Angeles Lakers
Miles Simon (1994–98)	2020	Los Angeles Lakers

Honors, awards, and accomplishments

The individual honors, awards, and accomplishments listed in the succeeding subsections are aggregated by player in the following table. Players with only all-conference honors (other than conference player of the year), lower than first-team All-America honors, or later than second-round draft positions are not included.

Name	Seasons as Wildcat	Post-Wildcat accomplishment
Deandre Ayton	2017–18	First Wildcat selected 1st Overall, 2019 & 2020 Rising Stars Challenge, NBA All-Rookie First Team, 7 NBA Seasons
Gilbert Arenas	1999–01	2003 Rookie Challenge, 3-time NBA All-Star, NBA Most Improved Player Award, 2-time NBA 3 Point Contest participant(2006 & 2007), 11 NBA Seasons
Mike Bibby	1996–98	2000 Rookie Challenge, NBA All-Rookie First Team, 2-time NBA 3 Point Contest participant(2000 & 2009), 14 NBA Seasons
Jud Buechler	1986–90	3-time NBA champion, 11 NBA seasons
Bison Dele (Brian Williams)	1989–90	NBA champion, 7 NBA seasons
Sean Elliott	1985–89	2-time NBA All-Star, NBA champion, 12 NBA seasons
Channing Frye	2001–05	NBA champion, 2006 Rookie Challenge, NBA All-Rookie First Team, 1-time NBA 3 Point Contest participant(2010), 15 NBA seasons
Aaron Gordon	2013–14	3x NBA Dunk Contest participant (2016, 2017 & 2020), NBA champion, 11 NBA seasons
Josh Green	2019–20	2x Australian Olympian – 2020 Summer Olympics, 2024 Summer Olympics – Bronze Medal (2020), 5 NBA Seasons
Andre Iguodala	2002–04	4x NBA champion, NBA Finals MVP, 2005 & 2006 Rookie Challenge, 2012 NBA All-Star, NBA All-Defensive First Team, NBA All-Defensive Second Team, NBA All-Rookie First Team, NBA Rookie Challenge MVP, United States – 2012 Summer Olympics – Gold Medal, 19 NBA seasons
Richard Jefferson	1998–01	NBA champion, 2003 Rookie Challenge, NBA All-Rookie Second Team, United States – 2004 Summer Olympics – Bronze Medal, 18 NBA Seasons
Steve Kerr	1983–88	5x NBA champion as Player, 4x NBA champion as Coach, 4-time NBA 3 Point Contest participant & 1-time winner(1997), 2016 NBA Coach of the Year, NBA All-Star Game Head Coach (2015 & 2017), All-time leader in 3 Point FG %, Most Single Season Wins by a Coach (73 Wins), 1st All-time leader in Coaching Post Season Win %(.707), Highest Single Post Season Win % (.933), 7th All-time leader in Coaching Post Season Wins (99), T-3rd All-time leader in Coaching Post Season Conference Title Games (6), 6th All-time leader in Coaching NBA Finals Wins (4), Head Coach of Team USA Basketball
Kenny Lofton	1985–89	6-time MLB All Star, 4-time Gold Glove Award, 17 MLB seasons
Lauri Markkanen	2016–17	NBA All-Rookie 1st Team (2018), 2018 & 2019 Rising Stars Challenge, NBA All-Star (2023), NBA Most Improved Player Award (2023), 1-time NBA 3 Point Contest participant(2023), 7 NBA Seasons
Bennedict Mathurin	2020–22	2023 Rising Stars Challenge, NBA All-Rookie 1st Team (2023), 3 NBA Seasons
Chris Mills	1989–93	1994 Rookie Challenge, 10 NBA Seasons
Eric Money	1972–74	456. Slam the 500 Greatest NBA Players of All-Time, 6 NBA Seasons
Khalid Reeves	1990–94	1995 Rookie Challenge, 6 NBA Seasons
Damon Stoudamire	1991–95	1996 Rookie Challenge, NBA Rookie of the Year Award, NBA All-Rookie First Team, 13 NBA seasons
Jason Terry	1995–99	2001 Rookie Challenge, NBA champion, NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, NBA All-Rookie Second Team, 18 NBA seasons – All-time leading scorer of Arizona players in NBA, 7th most made 3pt Field Goals all time, 10th in Games played
Mo Udall	1941–42, 46–48	Former member U.S. Congress (30 years)
Derrick Williams	2009–2011	2012 Rookie Challenge, 7 NBA Seasons
Leon Wood	1979–80	United States – 1984 Summer Olympics – Gold medal, 7 NBA seasons

Source: Arizona 2023–24 Media Guide^[103]

Source:^[13]

Conference honors and awards (players)

Arizona has had 32 All-American All-Americans selections. Arizona has 7 players selected as Consensus First Team All-Americans 8 times. They have also had 6 players selected as Consensus Second Team All-Americans. 14 Arizona players have received AP All-America honorable mention.^[13]

The following 30 McDonald's All-Americans listed below have signed with Arizona. An asterisk, "*", Indicates player did not finish his college career at Arizona. A cross, "†", indicates player did not begin his college career at Arizona.

Source:^[104]

Arizona has had 86 All-Conference selections, which is 6th most among Pac-12 Schools. The following is a list of Arizona Wildcats men's basketball players that were named first, second or third team All Pac-12:

Note

• ‡ indicates player was Pac-12 Player of the Year
• † indicates player was Pac-12 Freshman of the Year
• ∞ indicates player was Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year

Note: Second team was only awarded from the '77–79' & starting again in the 2007 season.

All-Pac-12 Freshman Honors^[104]

Arizona has had 33 All-Freshman selections(*One selection vacated due to NCAA penalty, revised total is 32), which is 2nd most among Pac-12 Schools. The following is a list of Arizona Wildcats men's basketball players that were named All Pac-12 Freshman team:

Note

• ‡ indicates player was Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.

Source:^[104]

Arizona has had 11 All-Defense selections, which is 2nd most among Pac-12 Schools. Arizona has also had 3 Newcomer selections, which is tied for 8th among the Pac-12. The following is a list of Arizona Wildcats men's basketball players that were named All Pac-12 Defense or Newcomer:

Arizona has had 14 All-Academic, which is 8th most among Pac-12 Schools. The following is a list of Arizona Wildcats men's basketball players that were named All Pac-12 All-Academic team:^[104]

Source:^[104]

A total of 36 Wildcats have or will earn entry into McKale Center's Ring of Honor, the display of names that begins in the southeast corner of the building's rafters. In order to join this elite group, players must meet at least one of the following six criteria^[106]:
1.) First-team All-America recognition by one or more of the major national organizations or media;
2.) Major national “player of distinction,” i.e. the Wooden Award or other honor of significance;
3.) Pac-12 Player of the Year or Pac-12 Freshman of the Year;
4.) Arizona career leader in three or more major positive career categories at the conclusion of his collegiate career and must hold the career record for a minimum of five years (excluding single-game records);
5.) 10+ years in the United States Major Professional Leagues of the NFL, NBA, WNBA and MLB and/or been selected as an All-Star/All Pro by the official league;
6.) Olympic medalist

Arizona Wildcats retired numbers
No.	Player	Career	Achievement
10	Mike Bibby	1996–1998	Naismith Player of the Year
22	Jason Gardner	1999–2003	Wayman Tisdale Award
25	Steve Kerr	1983–1988	USBWA National Courage Award
31	Jason Terry	1995–1999	Naismith Player of the Year
32	Sean Elliott	1985–1989	John R. Wooden Award & Naismith Player of the Year
34	Miles Simon	1994–1998	NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player

Arizona has appeared 38* NCAA Division I men's basketball tournaments (34),^[108] and 4 National Invitation Tournaments (NIT). The Arizona Wildcats have been to four Final Fours, which is tied for 21st all time among Division I schools. 

Year	Coach	Opponent	Score	Record
1997	Lute Olson	Kentucky Wildcats	84–79 OT	25–9
National Championships			1

1997 NCAA Tournament Results

Round	Opponent	Score
Round #1	#13 South Alabama	65–57
Round #2	#12 College of Charleston	73–69
Sweet 16	#1 Kansas	85–82
Elite 8	#10 Providence	96–92 (OT)
Final 4	#1 North Carolina	66–58
Championship	#1 Kentucky	84–79 (OT)

The Arizona Wildcats have been to four Final Fours, which is tied for 21st all time among Division I schools. 

1988–Semifinalist

1994–Semifinalist

1997–Champion

2001–Finalist

Season Coach Region Regional Final Result Final Four Site Semifinal Result Championship Game Result 1987–88 Lute Olson Seattle Arizona 70, North Carolina 52 Kansas City, Missouri Oklahoma 86, Arizona 78 N/A   1993–94 Lute Olson Los Angeles Arizona 92, Missouri 72 Charlotte, North Carolina Arkansas 91, Arizona 82 N/A 1996–97 Lute Olson Birmingham, Alabama Arizona 96, Providence 92 OT Indianapolis Arizona 66, North Carolina 58 Arizona 84, Kentucky 79 OT 2000–01 Lute Olson San Antonio Arizona 87, Illinois 81 Minneapolis Arizona 80, Michigan State 61 Duke 82, Arizona 72 Total Final Four Appearances 4

NCAA Tournament Seeding History

The NCAA began seeding the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament with the 1979 edition.^[109] The 64-team field started in 1985, which guaranteed that a championship team had to win six games.^[110]

Year	Tournament Seed	Tournament Result
1985	10	1st Round
1986	9	1st Round
1987	10	1st Round
1988	1	Final Four
1989	1	Sweet Sixteen
1990	2	2nd Round
1991	2	Sweet Sixteen
1992	3	1st Round
1993	2	1st Round
1994	2	Final Four
1995	5	1st Round
1996	3	Sweet Sixteen
1997	4	Champions
1998	1	Elite Eight
1999	4	1st Round
2000	1	2nd Round
2001	2	Runner-Up
2002	3	Sweet Sixteen
2003	1	Elite Eight
2004	9	1st Round
2005	3	Elite Eight
2006	8	2nd Round
2007	8	1st Round
2008	10	1st Round
2009	12	Sweet Sixteen
2011	5	Elite Eight
2013	6	Sweet Sixteen
2014	1	Elite Eight
2015	2	Elite Eight
2016	6	1st Round
2017	2	Sweet Sixteen
2018	4	1st Round
2022	1	Sweet Sixteen
2023	2	1st Round
2024	2	Sweet Sixteen

The Wildcats have a record is 60–37 (.619). They were NCAA National Champions in 1997, is the only team to date to beat three #1 seeds to win the national championship.^[111]

Appearances are grouped by the number of teams in the bracket. Round names are based on what round names were at the time of the tournament, not the present names. The term "Elite eight" began in 1956, "Final four" began in 1975, and "Sweet Sixteen" began in 1988.

Arizona is second No. 2 seed to ever lose a first-round game, losing 64–61 to No. 15 seed Santa Clara, led by future NBA star Steve Nash in 1993.^[112] Thirty years later in 2023, the Wildcats losing 59−55 to No. 15 seed Princeton.

Sixteen to Thirty-two team tournament

Year	Round	Opponent	Result	Location
1951	First round	Kansas State	L 59–61	Municipal Auditorium (Kansas City, MO)
1976	First Round Regional semifinals Regional finals	Georgetown UNLV UCLA	W 83-76 W 114-109 L 66-82	Wells Fargo Arena (Tempe, AZ) Pauley Pavilion (Los Angeles, CA) Pauley Pavilion (Los Angeles, CA)
1977	First round	Southern Illinois	L 77–81	Omaha Civic Auditorium (Omaha, NE)

Sixty-four teams

Year	Seed	Round	Opponent	Result	Location
1985	No. 10 (W)	First Round	No. 7 (W) Alabama	L 64–66	The Pit (arena) (Albuquerque, NM)
1986	No. 9 (W)	First Round	No. 8 (W) Auburn	L 63–73	Long Beach Arena (Long Beach, CA)
1987	No. 10 (W)	First Round	No. 7 (W) UTEP	L 57–70	McKale Center (Tucson, AZ)
1988	No. 1 (W)	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four	No. 16 (W) Cornell No. 8 (W) Seton Hall No. 5 (W) Iowa No. 2 (W) North Carolina No. 1 Oklahoma	W 90–50 W 84–55 W 99–79 W 71–58 L 78–86	Pauley Pavilion (Los Angeles, CA) Kingdome (Seattle, WA) Kemper Arena (Kansas City, MO)
1989	No. 1 (W)	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen	No. 16 (W) Robert Morris No. 9 (W)Clemson No. 4 (W) UNLV	W 94–60 W 94–68 L 67–68	Taco Bell Arena (Boise, ID) McNichols Sports Arena (Denver, CO)
1990	No. 2 (W)	First Round Second Round	No. 15 (W) South Florida No. 7 (W) Alabama	W 79–67 L 55–77	Long Beach Arena (Long Beach, CA)
1991	No. 2 (W)	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen	No. 15 (W)St. Francis (PA) No. 10 (W)BYU No. 3 (W) Seton Hall	W 93–80 W 76–61 L 69–84	Jon M. Huntsman Center (Salt Lake City, UT) Kingdome (Seattle, WA)
1992	No. 3 (SE)	First Round	No. 14 East Tennessee State	L 80–87	Omni Coliseum (Atlanta, GA)
1993	No. 2 (W)	First Round l	No. 15 (W) Santa Clara	L 61–64	Jon M. Huntsman Center (Salt Lake City, UT)
1994	No. 2 (W)	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four	No. 15 (W) Loyola (MD) No. 7 (W) Virginia No. 3 (W) Louisville No. 1 (W) Missouri No. 1 Arkansas	W 81–55 W 71–58 W 82–70 W 92–72 L 82–91	Sleep Train Arena (Sacramento, CA) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (Los Angeles, CA) Charlotte Coliseum (Charlotte, NC)
1995	No. 5 (MW)	First Round	No. 12 (MW) Miami	L 82–91	UD Arena (Dayton, OH)
1996	No. 3 (W)	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen	No. 14 (W) Valparaiso No. 6 (W) Iowa No. 2 (W) Kansas	W 90–51 W 87–73 L 80–83	Wells Fargo Arena (Tempe, AZ) McNichols Sports Arena (Denver, CO)
1997	No. 4 (SE)	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship	No. 13 (SE) South Alabama No. 12 (SE) Charleston No. 1 (SE) Kansas No. 10 (SE) Providence No. 1 North Carolina No. 1 Kentucky	W 65–57 W 73–69 W 85–82 2OT W 96–92 2OT W 65–58 W 84–79 OT	Memphis Pyramid (Memphis, TN) BJCC Arena (Birmingham, AL) RCA Dome (Indianapolis, IN)
1998	No. 1 (W)	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	No. 16 (W) Nicholls State No. 9 (W) Illinois No. 9 Maryland No. 3 (W) Utah	W 99–60 W 82–49 W 84–79 L 51–76	Sleep Train Arena (Sacramento, CA) Honda Center (Anaheim, CA)

Sixty-five teams

Year	Seed	Round	Opponent	Result	Location
1999†	No. 4 (MW)	First Round	No. 13 (MW) Oklahoma	L 60–61	Bradley Center (Milwaukee, WI)
2000	No. 1 (W)	First Round Second Round	No. 16 (W) Jackson State No. 8 (W) Wisconsin	W 71–47 L 59–66	Jon M. Huntsman Center (Salt Lake City, UT)
2001	No. 2 (MW)	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship	No. 15 (MW) Eastern Illinois No. 10 (MW) Butler No. 3 (MW) Ole Miss No. 1 (MW) Illinois No. 1 Michigan State No. 1 Duke	W 101–76 W 73–52 W 66–56 W 87–81 W 80–61 L 72–82	Kemper Arena (Kansas City, MO) Alamodome (San Antonio, TX) Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (Minneapolis, MN)
2002	No. 3 (W)	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen	No. 14 (W) UC Santa Barbara No. 11 (W) Wyoming No. 2 Oklahoma	W 86–81 W 80–68 L 67–88	WisePies Arena (Albuquerque, NM) SAP Center (San Jose, CA)
2003	No. 1 (W)	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	No. 16 (W) Vermont No. 9 Gonzaga No. 5 Notre Dame No. 2 Kansas	W 80–51 W 96–95 2OT W 88–71 L 75–78	Jon M. Huntsman Center (Salt Lake City, UT) Honda Center (Anaheim, CA)
2004	No. 8 (ATL)	First Round	No. 9 (ATL) Seton Hall	L 76–80	PNC Arena (Raleigh, NC)
2005	No. 3 (CHI)	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	No. 14 (CHI) Utah State No. 11 (CHI) UAB No. 2 (CHI) Oklahoma State No. 1 (CHI) Illinois	W 66–53 W 85–63 W 79–78 L 89–90 OT	Taco Bell Arena (Boise, ID) Allstate Arena (Rosemont, IL)
2006	No. 8 (MN)	First Round Second Round	No. 9 Wisconsin No. 1 (MN) Villanova	W 94–75 L 78–82	Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia, PA)
2007	No. 8 (MW)	First Round	No. 9 (MW) Purdue	L 63–72	Smoothie King Center (New Orleans, LA)
2008†	No. 10 (W)	First Round	No. 7 (W) West Virginia	L 65–75	Verizon Center (Washington, D.C.)
2009	No. 12 (MW)	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen	No. 5 Utah No. 13 (MW) Cleveland State No. 1 (MW) Louisville	W 84–71 W 81–57 L 64–103	American Airlines Arena (Miami, FL) Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, IN)

First four era

Year	Seed	Round	Opponent	Result	Location
2011*	No. 5 (W)	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	No. 12 (W) Memphis No. 4 (W) Texas No. 1 (W) Duke No. 3 (W) UConn	W 77–75 W 70–69 W 93–77 L 63–65	BOK Center (Tulsa, OK) Honda Center (Anaheim, CA)
2013*	No. 6 (W)	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen	No. 11 (W) Belmont No. 14 (W) Harvard No. 2 (W) Ohio State	W 81–64 W 74–51 L 70–73	Vivint Smart Home Arena (Salt Lake City, UT) Staples Center (Los Angeles, CA)
2014*	No. 1 (W)	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	No. 16 (W) Weber State No. 8 (W) Gonzaga No. 4 (W) San Diego State No. 2 (W) Wisconsin	W 68–59 W 84–61 W 70–64 L 63–64 OT	Viejas Arena (San Diego, CA) Honda Center (Anaheim, CA)
2015*	No. 2 (W)	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	No. 15 (W) Texas Southern No. 10 (W) Ohio State No. 6 (W) Xavier No. 1 (W) Wisconsin	W 72–53 W 73–59 W 68–60 L 78–85	Moda Center (Portland, OR) Staples Center (Los Angeles, CA)
2016	No. 6 (S)	First Round	No. 11 (S) Wichita State	L 55–65	Dunkin' Donuts Center (Providence, RI)
2017†	No. 1 (W)	First Round Second round Sweet Sixteen	No. 16 (W) North Dakota No. 7 (W) Saint Mary's No. 11 (W) Xavier	W 100–82 W 69–60 L 71–73	Vivint Smart Home Arena (Salt Lake City, UT) SAP Center (San Jose, CA)
2018†	No. 4 (S)	First Round	No. 13 (S) Buffalo	L 68–89	Taco Bell Arena (Boise, ID)
2020††	No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic
2022	No. 1 (S)	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen	No. 16 Wright State No. 9 (S) TCU No. 5 (S) Houston	W 87–70 W 85–80 L 60–72	Viejas Arena (San Diego, CA) AT&T Center (San Antonio, TX)
2023	No. 2 (S)	First Round Second Round	No. 15 (S) Princeton	L 55–59	Golden 1 Center (Sacramento, CA)
2024	No. 2 (W)	First Round	No. 15 (W) Long Beach State No. 7 (W) Dayton No. 6 (W) Clemson	W 85–65 W 78–68 L 72–77	Delta Center (Salt Lake City, UT) Crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles, CA)

*Following the introduction of the First Four round in 2011, the Round of 64 and Round of 32 were referred to as the Second Round and Third Round, respectively, from 2011 to 2015, then from 2016 moving forward, the Round 64 and Round of 32 will be called the First and Second rounds.

†† – As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 NCAA tournament was cancelled.

Record by round

Round	Record	Most recent appearances
First Four	N/A*	N/A*
Round of 64	21–15	2024
Round of 32	19–3	2024
Sweet 16	8–9	2024
Elite 8	4–5	2015
Final Four	2–2	2001
National Championship	1–1	2001

*Since its inception in 2011, Arizona has not participated in the First Four

The Arizona Wildcats have appeared in the four National Invitation Tournaments (NIT). Arizona's combined record is 0–4.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result/Score
1946	First round	Kentucky	L 53–77
1950	First round	La Salle	L 66–72
1951	First round	Dayton	L 68–74
2012	First round	Bucknell	L 54–65

Though the automatic berth in the NCAA tournament is given to the conference tournament winner, the Pac–12 declares the team with the best record in the regular season the "official" conference champion.
National championships

National Championships	Type	Year
1	NCAA National Championship	1997
1 National Championship

Regular season championships

Regular Season Championships	Type	Year
18*	Pac-12 Regular Season Conference Championship	1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017*, 2018*, 2022, 2024
12	BIAA Regular Season Conference Championship	1932, 1933, 1936, 1940, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953
1	WAC Regular Season Conference Championship	1976
30 Total Regular Season Championships
*Vacated by NCAA

Conference tournament championships

Conference Championships	Type	Year
9*	Pac-12 Tournament Championship	1988, 1989, 1990, 2000, 2015, 2017*, 2018*, 2021, 2022
9 Total Conference Tournament Championships
*Vacated by NCAA

Invitational tournament championships

Invitational Tournament Championships	Type	Year
29	Fiesta Bowl Classic	1974, 1975, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012
3	NIT Season Tip-Off	1990†, 1995†, 1999†, 2013†
3	Maui Invitational Tournament	2000†, 2014†, 2022†
1	Wooden Legacy	2019†
1	2K Sports Classic	2001†
1	Roman Main Event	2021†
38 Invitational Tournament Championships
†Denotes early-season invitational tournament

Conference Tournament Championship Game appearances

U of A has won the Pac-10/12 Tournament a record nine times (two appearances in 2017 and 2018 were later vacated by the NCAA, 7 total), including three straight times from 1988 to 1990.
Source: 2023–24 Arizona Wildcats Media Guide^[13]

Year	Champion	Score	Runner-up	Arena	City	Tournament MVP
1988	Arizona	93–67	Oregon State	McKale Center	Tucson, Arizona	Sean Elliott, Arizona
1989	Arizona	73–51	Stanford	Great Western Forum	Inglewood, California	Sean Elliott, Arizona
1990	Arizona	94–78	UCLA	University Activity Center	Tempe, Arizona	Jud Buechler & Matt Muehlebach, Arizona
2002	Arizona	81–71	USC	Staples Center	Los Angeles, California	Luke Walton, Arizona
2005	Washington	81–72	Arizona			Salim Stoudamire, Arizona
2011	Washington	77–75OT	Arizona			Isaiah Thomas, Washington
2012	Colorado	53–51	Arizona			Carlon Brown, Colorado
2014	UCLA	75–71	Arizona	MGM Grand Garden Arena	Paradise, Nevada	Kyle Anderson, UCLA
2015	Arizona	80–52	Oregon			Brandon Ashley, Arizona
2017	Arizona*	83–80	Oregon	T-Mobile Arena		Allonzo Trier, Arizona
2018	Arizona*	75–61	USC			Deandre Ayton, Arizona
2022	Arizona	84–76	UCLA			Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona
2023	Arizona	61–59	UCLA			Ąžuolas Tubelis, Arizona

† – All NCAA tournament wins in 1999, 2008, 2017, and 2018 were vacated by the NCAA in its March 2015 report of Infractions on its athletics department by the NCAA making their official record of 53–36 (.596) due to 2017–18 NCAA men's basketball corruption scandal. The players involved in the scandal played in every game in the 2016–17 & 23 games in the 2017–18 season, resulting in a 9–8 record.^{[113][114][115]}

Statistic	Player	Total
Points	Sean Elliott	2,555
Scoring Average	Coniel Norman	23.9 PPG
Field Goals	Sean Elliott	892
Field Goal Attempts	Sean Elliott	1,750
Field Goal Percentage	Joseph Blair	.613
3-Point Field Goals	Salim Stoudamire‡	342
3-Point Field Goal Attempts	Jason Gardner	875
3-Point Field Goal Percentage	Steve Kerr	.573
Free Throws	Sean Elliott	623
Free Throw Attempts	Sean Elliott	786
Free Throw Percentage	Dylan Rigdon	.872
Rebounds	Al Fleming	1,190
Rebound Average	Joe Skaisgir	11.2 RPG
Assists	Russell Brown	810
Steals	Jason Terry	245
Blocked Shots	Anthony Cook	278
Games Played	Dušan Ristić	141
Games Started	Jason Gardner	135
Minutes Played	Jason Gardner	4,825
Average Minutes Per Game	Jason Gardner	35.5 MPG
Most Wins in a Career	Dušan Ristić	115 Wins

Note ‡ indicates player was also Conference record holder

Statistic	Player	Total (Season)
Points	Khalid Reeves	848 (1993–94')
Scoring Average	Khalid Reeves	24.2 PPG (1993–94')
Field Goals	Khalid Reeves Deandre Ayton	276 (1993–94') (2017–18')
Field Goal Attempts:	Khalid Reeves	572 (1993–94')
Field Goal Percentage	Al Fleming	.667 (1973–74')
3-Point Field Goals	Salim Stoudamire ‡	120 (2004-05')
3-Point Field Goal Attempts	Jason Gardner	276 (2001-02')
3-Point Field Goal Percentage	Steve Kerr ‡	.573 (1987–88')
Free Throws	Derrick Williams	247 (2010-11')
Free Throw Attempts	Derrick Williams ‡	331 (2010-11')
Free Throw Percentage	Salim Stoudamire	.910 (2004–05)
Rebounds	Deandre Ayton	405 (2017–18')
Rebound Average	Bill Reeves	13.2 RPG (1955–56')
Assists	Russell Brown	247 (1978–79')
Steals	Mike Bibby	87 (1997–98')
Blocked Shots	Loren Woods	102 (1999-00')
Games Played	28 Players	38 Games
Games Started	12 Players	38 Games
Minutes Played	Chase Budinger	1,317 (2008-09')
Average Minutes Per Game	Steve Kerr	38.4 MPG (1985–86')

Note ‡ indicates player was also Conference record holder

Statistic	Player	Total
Points	Deandre Ayton†	704
Scoring Average	Coniel Norman	24.0 PPG
Field Goals	Deandre Ayton†	276
Field Goal Attempts	Coniel Norman	476
Field Goal Percentage (min. 100 FG)	Deandre Ayton	.612
3-Point Field Goals	Salim Stoudamire	73
3-Point Field Goal Attempts	Jason Gardner	193
3-Point Field Goal Percentage	Khalid Reeves	.463
Free Throws Made	Jerry Bayless	187
Free Throw Attempts	Derrick Williams	232
Free Throw Percentage	Salim Stoudamire†	.904
Rebounds	Deandre Ayton†	405
Rebound Average	Deandre Ayton†	11.6 RPG
Assists	Russell Brown	197
Steals	Mike Bibby	76
Blocked Shots	Deandre Ayton	66
Games Played	4 Players	38
Games Started	Aaron Gordon	38
Played	Jason Gardner	1,244
Average Minutes Per Game	Jason Gardner	36.6 MPG
Double-Doubles (Pts/Rebs.)	Deandre Ayton†	24
30-Point Games	Coniel Norman	6
20-Point Games	Deandre Ayton†	17
Double-Digit Scoring Games	Deandre Ayton†	33

Note † indicates player was also the Yearly Pac-12 Leader

Statistic	Player	Total	Opponent(date)
Points	Jerryd Bayless	39	ASU (2/10/08)
Made Field Goals	Coniel Norman	17	Wyoming (2/1/73)
Field Goal Attempts	Coniel Norman	27	BYU (2/24/73)
Field Goal Percentage (Min. 12 attempts)	Deandre Ayton	.917	at WSU (1/31/17)
Made Three-Point Field Goals	4 Players	6	-
Three-Point Field Goal Attempts	Mike Bibby	11	UNC (3/29/97)
Three-Point Field Goal Percentage (Min. 6 attempts)	Bennedict Mathurin	.857	at Oregon State (1/14/21)
Made Free Throws	Jerryd Bayless	18	at Houston (1/12/08)
Free Throw Attempts	Derrick Williams	21	Wisconsin (11/23/09)
Free Throw Percentage (Min. 10 attempts)	8 Players tied at 100%	-
Rebounds	Bob Elliott	25	ASU (2/2/74)
Assists	Russell Brown	15	Utah (1/21/78)
Steals	Mike Bibby	8	Texas (12/9/96)
Blocks	Grant Jerrett Deandre Ayton	6	at Oregon State (1/12/13) at Stanford (1/20/18)
Minutes Played	Allonzo Trier	53	at USC (1/9/16)
Most Points In NCAA Debut	Eric Money	37	Cal State Bakersfield (11/29/72)

Note ‡ indicates player was is also single game record holder

Rank	Wins	Years	Coach
1	81^	1945–51	Fred Enke
2	71	1987–92	Lute Olson
3	49	2013–16	Sean Miller
4	38	1975–78	Fred Snowden
5	37	1997–99	Lute Olson

^Played at Bear Down Gym

Arizona teams have spent a total of 39 weeks ranked number 1, most recently in 2023.^[116] Their current streak of weeks ranked in the AP Poll is at 59 weeks, which is the 4th longest active streak.^[117]

The Associated Press began its basketball poll on January 20, 1949. The following is a summary of those annual polls. Starting in the 1961–62 season, AP provided a preseason (PS) poll. AP did a post-tournament poll in 1953, 1954, 1974 and 1975. The following table summarizes Arizona history in the AP Poll:^[118] The Wildcats longest streak of weeks ranked inside the AP Top 25 poll is 141 weeks, starting with the 1988 pre-season poll and ended with the March 13, 1995 poll. The 141 weeks is 12th most all-time.^[119] Arizona was ranked in 324 out of 326 polls from 1988 until 2005, which is more than any school during the same time frame.^[120]

Year	Appearances	Pct	High	Low	Average	Final Ranking
2025	3	100%	9	17	12	TBD
2024	21	100%	1	12	5	11
2023	19	100%	4	17	8	8
2022	17	89%	2	17	6	2
2020	13	68%	12	25	19	NR
2018	17	89%	2	23	13	12
2017	19	100%	4	20	11	4
2016	19	100%	7	23	14	17
2015	19	100%	2	10	5	5
2014	20	100%	1	6	3	4
2013	20	100%	3	21	10	21
2012	3	16%	15	23	18	NR
2011	7	37%	10	20	16	17
2008	7	35%	17	22	19	NR
2007	15	79%	7	24	14	NR
2006	8	42%	9	24	17	24
2005	19	100%	8	21	13	9
2004	19	100%	3	22	11	22
2003	19	100%	1	4	2	2
2002	17	94%	4	20	12	7
2001	19	100%	1	21	9	5
2000	19	100%	2	10	5	4
1999	18	100%	6	18	10	12
1998	18	100%	1	8	4	4
1997	18	100%	6	19	12	15
1996	17	94%	3	19	11	11
1995	18	100%	5	15	10	15
1994	18	100%	6	19	12	9
1993	18	100%	3	22	10	5
1992	18	100%	2	11	6	10
1991	17	100%	2	9	5	8
1990	17	100%	2	24	18	14
1989	18	100%	1	12	6	1
1988	17	100%	1	17	3	2
1987	2	11%	19	20	20	NR
1985	1	6%	19	19	19	NR
1977	15	88%	8	20	14	NR
1976	5	29%	10	18	13	15
1975	15	79%	10	19	15	NR
1974	8	44%	12	20	15	NR
1951	8	67%	11	16	14	12
1950	5	50%	15	19	17	15

• Ranked in 40 out of 75 seasons (53%)

The Arizona Wildcats lead the all-time series regardless of conference affiliation vs. eight other Big 12 opponents, trailing only Kansas, Kansas State, TCU and Texas Tech.^[13]

Opponent	Wins	Losses	Pct.	Streak
Arizona St.	161	87	(.649)	Arizona 3
Baylor	5	5	(.500)	Baylor 2
BYU	20	19	(.513)	BYU 2
Colorado	26	16	(.500)	Arizona 4
Cincinnati	4	0	(1.000)	Arizona 4
Houston	6	6	(.500)	Houston 1
Iowa State	4	3	(.571)	Arizona 3
Kansas	4	8	(.333)	Kansas 1
Kansas State	6	8	(.429)	Arizona 3
Oklahoma State	3	0	(1.000)	Arizona 3
TCU	1	2	(.333)	Arizona 1
Texas Tech	24	28	(.462)	Arizona 7
UCF	0	0	(–)	–
Utah	40	32	(.556)	Arizona 3
West Virginia	3	2	(.600)	West Virginia 1

• Total (307–216, .587)
• Note all-time series includes non-conference matchups.

The Arizona Wildcats lead the all-time series regardless of conference affiliation vs. ten other Pac-12 opponents, trailing only UCLA.^[13]

Opponent	Wins	Losses	Pct.	Streak
Arizona St.	161	87	(.649)	Arizona 3
Cal	75	30	(.714)	Arizona 15
Colorado	26	16	(.619)	Arizona 4
Oregon	55	38	(.591)	Oregon 1
Oregon St.	72	23	(.758)	Oregon State 1
Stanford	73	33	(.689)	Arizona 1
UCLA	50	63	(.442)	Arizona 3
USC	76	47	(.618)	Arizona 1
Utah	40	32	(.556)	Arizona 3
Washington	61	31	(.663)	Arizona 8
Washington State	70	20	(.778)	Washington State 2

• Total (759–420, .644)
• Note all-time series includes non-conference matchups & Pac-12 Tournament.

Years	Conferences	Win–loss	Pct.
1904–1931	None	—	—
1931–1962	Border Conference	231–144	(.616)
1962–1978	WAC	98–98	(.500)
1978–2011	Pacific-10 Conference	400–194	(.673)
2011–2024	Pac-12 Conference	143–69†	(.675)
2024–present	Big 12 Conference	0–0	(–)
Total	All Conferences	872–505	(.633)

Note:† 30 Pac-12 wins vacated due to NCAA infractions. Pac-12 record is 173–69 (.715).

Arizona's home games include many traditions involving The Pride of Arizona pep band and the Zona Zoo.

• Before every game, the band splits into four sections in the four sides of McKale Center. They play Bear Down Arizona in sequence before the band runs back to the student section in the north stands and plays all of Bear Down. The band also yells "Hi fans!" to the fans, who respond by yelling "Hi band!" and "Hi Tommy!" to head coach Tommy Lloyd, who responds by waving to the band. The band also yells "Hi Adia!" to Arizona women's basketball coach Adia Barnes.
• While the opposing team's players are being introduced, the student section turns their backs to the court. As each player's name is announced, they will yell "Sucks!" In the interest of sportsmanship, though, the Athletic Department is attempting to phase this tradition out.
• At the start of each half, the entire crowd will stand until the other team scores a point. The fans will also clap rhythmically with the band as it plays a four-note refrain repeatedly until the ball is tipped or inbounded.
• When an opposing player fouls an Arizona player, the band and students chant, while pointing at the opposing player, "You! You! You! You! You! You! You! You! You! On you, that's who!" If the foul occurs during a shot and the player makes the shot, the chant is instead "Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! No no no no! No no no no! No no no no! No no no no! Don't touch me!"
• If an opposing player accrues four fouls during the game, they will chant "Four!" four times while waving four fingers. If a player fouls out, the band plays the beat from "Another One Bites the Dust", concluding with the band and students yelling "Hey! We're gonna get you too!"
• When opposing players are attempting foul shots, besides attempting to distract the player, the band and students have several chants, but the only constant one is yelled if the player misses their first shot of a two-shot foul, in which case they yell "Nice shot, buddy!"
• If Arizona is beating an opponent by a comfortable margin late in the game, the band and students will chant "Go start the bus!" repeatedly. If an opponent makes a big play, they will chant "It just doesn't matter!"
• Beginning in the 1980s, the "Ooh Aah Man," Joe Cavaleri, made regular appearances at McKale to pump up the crowd. He would start by spelling out "A-R-I-Z-O-N-A!" with his body as the crowd chanted along. He would then direct the crowd in chanting "U of A!", first by each side of the arena, then by the north and south sides and east and west sides simultaneously then by the whole arena. His routine usually involved pulling off his shirt and pants to reveal another Arizona shirt and shorts underneath. Cavaleri was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2010 and only made a few appearances during the 2010–2011 season; he officially retired from his "superfan" duties in 2013.^{[121][122][123][124]}
• At the end of every home game (and every Arizona athletics event the band is present at) the band plays Arizona's alma mater, "All Hail, Arizona!" Students and fans link arms, sway as they sing and jump up and down while singing the last part of the song.
• For a time during the Sean Miller era, the team hosted an annual "White Out" game. All fans were encouraged to wear white T-shirts. The most recent white out game was on December 7, 2013, versus UNLV. This was the fourth consecutive season to include a white out game.^[125] The tradition has not continued under Tommy Lloyd (the Arizona women's basketball program has continued to have white out games at McKale Center under coach Adia Barnes).

Prior to playing its games at the McKale Center, Arizona played games at Bear Down Gym from 1927 until 1973. Arizona would win its inaugural game against Arizona State, then known as Tempe State Teachers College by a score of 29–18.

Arizona is currently plays its home games at McKale Center, a 14,688 seat multi-purpose arena located at Tucson, Arizona, that opened in 1973. The McKale Center is the fifth different home site in program history.

At McKale Center, Arizona enjoys one of the nation's best home court advantages. The Wildcats have compiled a 651–121 (an .847 winning percentage) record since moving to the McKale Center permanently. Through the 2023–24 season, McKale Center has hosted 10,154,639 fans for Arizona home games and the Wildcats have averaged 13,035 fans (better than 95% capacity) per game during that time. The 2014–2015 season marked the highest average attendance in McKale Center history with an average 14,591 (100% capacity) Wildcats fans at each home game.

The current flagship radio station for men's basketball is Tucson sports radio station KCUB, branded as “Wildcats Radio 1290”. From 1983 until 2004, the flagship station was news/talk radio station KNST. The primary play-by-play voice of Wildcat football, baseball and men's basketball, since 1987, is Brian Jeffries (after starting out as the color commentator for former CBS Sports announcer Ray Scott, who called Wildcats games from 1984 through the spring of 1987).

The Phoenix radio affiliate for Arizona Wildcats football and men's basketball is KGME, branded as "Fox Sports 910."

• List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach
• NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by school
• NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament consecutive appearances
• Arizona Wildcats women's basketball