The NCAA News - News and Features

April 7, 1997

CAT-ty cornered

Arizona puts the clamps on high-flying Kentucky to win men's Final Four

Whatever demons resided in the past of the Arizona Wildcats have been exorcised by now.

Using a suffocating defense and a big game from junior guard Miles Simon, Arizona claimed the Division I Men's Basketball Championship March 31 in Indianapolis with an 84-79 overtime victory over Kentucky.

In doing so, Arizona completely erased a harsh legacy of first-round NCAA tournament losses and replaced it with a reputation as a perennial national power.

The Wildcats now have been to the Final Four twice in the last four years. With three juniors, a sophomore and a freshman in the starting lineup, the future also looks good for the national champions.

Arizona coach Lute Olson, who bore the brunt of criticism for first-round losses to East Tennessee State (1991), Santa Clara (1992) and Miami (Ohio) (1995), now can claim to be a national-championship coach who is 4-0 in regional finals and who has guided the Wildcats to the best won-lost percentage of any Division I men's team in the '90s.

The title-game victory did not come easily. The teams were never separated by more than six points until the waning moments of overtime. But Arizona, and especially Simon, took advantage of a wealth of free-throw opportunities to keep Kentucky at bay.

Simon hit 14 of 17 foul shots on his way to a 30-point game. In all, Arizona connected on 34 of 41 free throws, compared to only nine of 17 for Kentucky.

"Seventeen free throws for one player is a lot for us," Kentucky coach Rick Pitino said. "The common denominator in all our losses was when we fouled to put the other team at the line. Give them credit for doing that."

The hyper-quick defense of the Wildcats frustrated Kentucky, which was forced into a perimeter game. Kentucky took 30 three-point shots, connecting on only 10. Arizona's Mike Dickerson was especially effective on defense, shadowing Kentucky's Ron Mercer, who was held to 13 points.

"I still have difficulty believing this happened," said Olson, who coached the first team in tournament history to defeat three top regional seeds (Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky). "It's never happened before, the run of three No. 1s. But for those who didn't think we deserved to be a No. 4 seed, they probably need to check their schedule."

Arizona (25-9) finished fifth in the highly competitive Pacific-10 Conference and played a tough nonconference schedule that included tournament entries North Carolina, New Mexico, Utah, Texas and Jackson State.

In the championship game, Arizona appeared to have the upper hand toward the end of regulation, but Mercer connected on a three-pointer with 49 seconds left and Epps hit another with 12 seconds remaining to bring about overtime. It was the first time since 1989 (Michigan over Seton Hall) that extra time was required in the final.

"They hit two incredible shots there," Simon said. "If I was any closer to Mercer, it would have been a foul. But we had been in control the whole second half, and we felt that way going into overtime."

In overtime, Arizona did not connect on a single field goal, but the Wildcats did make 10 free throws with Simon sinking the last four to gave them an 84-76 lead with 13 seconds left.

"It's been a wonderful, wonderful ride," said Pitino, who guided his team to a 35-5 record with only one starter returning from the 1996 national-championship team. "I've never had this much fun coaching in my life."

Pitino brushed aside suggestions that Kentucky tired down the stretch. "They were the better team in overtime," he said. "It wasn't fatigue."

Simon was named the most outstanding player of the Final Four and was joined on the all-tournament team by Bibby, Mercer, Kentucky's Scott Padgett (17 points in the championship game) and Bobby Jackson of Minnesota.

Arizona reached the championship game with a 66-58 victory over North Carolina, while Kentucky advanced with a 78-69 win over Minnesota.

SEMIFINALS

Arizona 66, North Carolina 58

Arizona: Bennett Davison 1-2, 2-4, 2, 4; Mike Dickerson 1-10, 2-3, 6, 5; A. J. Bramlett 0-5, 2-2, 10, 2; Mike Bibby 7-18, 0-0, 7, 20; Miles Simon 9-19, 3-5, 5, 24; Eugene Edgerson 1-3, 0-0, 9, 2; Jason Terry 1-6, 0-0, 2, 3; Donnell Harris 2-3, 2-2, 3, 6. TOTALS 22-66, 11-16, 48 (4 team), 66.

North Carolina: Ademola Okulaja 1-8, 0-0, 10, 3; Antawn Jamison 7-17, 4-4, 11, 18; Serge Zwikker 4-12, 0-0, 9, 8; S. Williams 1-13, 0-0, 5, 3; Vince Carter 8-15, 4-5, 6, 21; Ed Cota 2-9, 0-1, 6, 5; Makhtar Ndiaye 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0; Charlie McNairy 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. TOTALS 23-74, 8-10, 52 (5 team), 58.

Half time: Arizona 34, North Carolina 31. Three-point goals: Arizona 11-29 (Dickerson 1-4, Bibby 6-11, Simon 3-8, Terry 1-6), North Carolina 4-21 (Okulaja 1-3, Williams 1-8, Carter 1-7, Cota 1-3). Disqualifications: None. Officials: G. Boudreaux, John Clougherty, Andre Pattillo. Attendance: 47,028.

Kentucky 78, Minnesota 69

Minnesota: Courtney James 2-3, 4-6, 6, 8; Sam Jacobson 4-12, 2-3, 1, 10; John Thomas 5-6, 0-0, 8, 10; Bobby Jackson 8-18, 5-6, 6, 23; Eric Harris 2-3, 0-0, 5, 5; Trevor Winter 2-3, 0-0, 2, 4; Charles Thomas 2-7, 2-2, 4, 5; Quincy Lewis 1-9, 0-0, 2, 2; Miles Tarver 1-2, 0-2, 9, 2; R. Archambault 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0; Aaron Stauber 0-1, 0-0, 0, 0. TOTALS 27-64, 12-19, 48 (5 team), 69.

Kentucky: Ron Mercer 7-21, 4-5, 3, 19; Scott Padgett 3-8, 0-0, 4, 9; Jamal Magloire 0-1, 1-2, 3, 1; Wayne Turner 2-6, 4-6, 4, 8; Anthony Epps 3-10, 5-6, 5, 13; Cameron Mills 2-4, 4-4, 2, 10; Jared Prickett 3-4, 1-2, 6, 7; Nazr Mohammed 2-3, 1-5, 4, 5; Allen Edwards 1-3, 1-2, 0, 4; Derek Anderson 0-0, 2-2, 0, 2. TOTALS 23-60, 23-34, 34 (3 team), 78.

Half time: Kentucky 36, Minnesota 31. Three-point goals: Minnesota 3-16 (Jacobson 0-5, Jackson 2-5, Harris 1-1, Thomas 0-1, Lewis 0-4), Kentucky 9-23 (Mercer 1-5, Padgett 3-6, Epps 2-7, Mills 2-3, Edwards 1-2). Disqualifications: Jacobson, Thomas, Padgett. Officials: F. Scagliotta, David Libbey, Jim Burr. Attendance: 47,028.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Arizona 84, Kentucky 79 (ot)

Arizona: Bennett Davison 3-9, 3-3, 7, 9; Mike Dickerson 1-8, 2-2, 4, 5; A. J. Bramlett 1-3, 1-1, 6, 3; Mike Bibby 5-12, 6-6, 9, 19; Miles Simon 8-18, 14-17, 3, 30; Jason Terry 2-6, 2-2, 2, 8; Eugene Edgerson 0-0, 2-2, 5, 2; Donnell Harris 2-2, 4-8, 7, 8. TOTALS 22-58, 34-41, 45 (2 team), 84.

Kentucky: Ron Mercer 5-9, 1-1, 9, 13; Scott Padgett 5-16, 4-4, 1, 17; Jamal Magloire 0-1, 0-0, 4, 0; Wayne Turner 4-9, 0-1, 4, 8; Anthony Epps 4-13, 0-0, 5, 11; Allen Edwards 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0; Jared Prickett 1-4, 4-5, 5, 6; Nazr Mohammed 6-11, 0-6, 11, 12; Cameron Mills 5-9, 0-0, 1, 12; Steve Masiello 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. TOTALS 30-72, 9-17, 40, 79.

Half time: Arizona 33, Kentucky 32. End of regulation: Arizona 74, Kentucky 74. Three-point goals: Arizona 6-13 (Dickerson 1-3, Bibby 3-5, Simon 0-2, Terry 2-3), Kentucky 10-30 (Mercer 2-4, Padgett 3-12, Epps 3-8, Mills 2-6). Disqualifications: Bramlett, Mercer, Padgett, Turner, Prickett. Officials: Tim Higgins, Ted Valentine, Tom O'Neill. Attendance: 47,028.