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March 12, 2000 By Rob Miech SportsLine.com Staff Writer |
TUCSON, Ariz. -- The NABC Sears Trophy, the crystal globe that goes to the national champion every season, was on display at McKale Center on Thursday night.
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The timing was impeccable. A few hours later, Arizona dumped Stanford for the second time this season. That led to the Wildcats and the Cardinal clinching a share of the Pac-10 title, which led to a No. 1 seed for Arizona in the NCAA Tournament that begins Thursday.
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With Stanford getting the No. 1 seed in the South, Sunday marked the first time that two Pac-10 teams received top seeds in the NCAA Tournament. Since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, the Big East (St. John's and Georgetown, 1985), the Big Ten (Michigan and Indiana, 1993) and the ACC (North Carolina and Duke, 1998) are the only other leagues to get twin No. 1 seeds.
In 1998, top-seeded Arizona lost in the Elite Eight to Utah. And in 1989, the No. 1-seeded Wildcats lost a West Regional semifinal game to Nevada-Las Vegas.
When Arizona put its first national championship trophy behind glass three years ago, a freshman point guard guided them to the promised land in Indianapolis. Guess what? A rookie again leads the 'Cats, and his friends and family all live in Indy, where the Final Four will be held April 1 and 3.
Along with point man Jason Gardner, the Indy native who paces the Wildcats and has an uncanny Reggie Miller-like kick beyond the 3-point arc, Gilbert Arenas rounds out an all-freshman backcourt that is one of the most effective guard tandems in the nation.
When Arenas scored 29 points against Arizona State on Feb. 26, it was the highest scoring output by a first-year Arizona player since 1974.
Junior center Loren Woods, the premier player in the Pac-10 this season, has been out for three weeks with a compressed disc in his back and isn't expected to return this season. But Justin Wessel (if an ankle injury isn't serious), Michael Wright and Richard Jefferson have been gritty down low.
Jefferson was ineffective two weeks ago in his return from a broken bone in his right foot, but he prospered in 21 minutes against Stanford for 19 points on 8-for-16 shooting. Afterward, Jefferson said there's no way he should be starting in place of the most important Wildcat.
That would be freshman swingman Luke Walton.
"Someone asked me if I'm going to start now," Jefferson said after the Stanford victory. "No, I don't think I deserve to start. Luke has been there for a while. (Arizona State guard) Eddie House said it best when he said Luke is our second point guard out there."
Wednesday, Jefferson made a hard cut during practice and found a wall of defenders so thick between himself and Walton that Walton couldn't see Jefferson shaking his head, signaling Walton not to pass the ball. A moment later, the ball was in Jefferson's mitts.
During most set plays in practice, the ball rotates toward the off side, Walton's side, to ensure a high-percentage entry pass.
"I'm having a lot of fun," Walton said.
"He has great court awareness and has a great basketball mind," Jefferson said. "He sees over things, and he's a lot of fun to play with. He's always been that good, it was just a matter of confidence and getting into the flow. He's in a groove, understands the team concept and is one of our best players right now."
Walton had 15 points, a career-high 12 assists, five rebounds, two blocks and a steal in 34 minutes against Stanford. In Pac-10 games, he was second in the league with 101 assists, and he also finished among the top 10 in conference steals.
He redshirted last season with a foot injury, but he cleaned the rust out of his system quickly when he became a starter after Jefferson went down. Now, the 6-foot-8, 230-pound Walton is a three-position pest for foes.
"Just being in there all the time, you can't do anything but be comfortable," Walton said. "I'm completely relaxed, and I'm just playing my game. I'm mixing well with all my teammates, so it's going well."
Even if there aren't that many teammates around anymore. Eugene Edgerson took a year off to focus on academics, Ruben Douglas bolted because of Arenas' rapid development and Luke Recker left before ever donning an Arizona uniform. Then Woods hit the shelf, and Wessel went down in a painful heap against the Cardinal.
Coach Lute Olson has six scholarship players at his disposal. One of the reserves, Josh Pastner, is the only player who was on the roster when Arizona won the national championship in 1997. He's seldom used, but the Wildcats are 40-0 when he plays.
"We all have the same goals," Walton said. "Almost none of us were on that national title team, and we all want to win for ourselves, the program, everything. That's the fire that's making us so good, even though people keep (getting injured)."
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| If Jason Gardner makes it to the Final Four, he'll be playing at home in Indy. (AP) |
That demands four Wildcats playing at least 34 minutes, which is what happened against Stanford. Gardner went his usual 38, and he has played every minute of every game -- including all 45 of an overtime loss at Oregon State -- eight times.
Walton's passing proficiency allows Gardner to focus on scoring, and he's among the top 20 in Pac-10 games with about 15 points a game. Against Stanford, Gardner had 14 points, seven assists and at least three or four stares or brushes with Cardinal players he deemed disrespectful.
"'J' was all in it all game," Walton said. "He's not a freshman -- he's one of the premier point guards in the country. He's got the heart, and he'll back down to nobody. He's a winner and just what we need."
Gardner said it would be "lovely" to play for a national title in his hometown.
"Every now and then I think about it, maybe being able to go back home," Gardner said. "It comes in your dreams. Everyone wants to go to the Final Four, and luckily it's in Indianapolis."
The Wildcats (26-6 and 15-3 in the Pac-10) have handled adversity well. They will land in the AP Top 25 poll for the 90th week in a row this week, best in the country after North Carolina dropped out in late January.
"They've never complained a lick about the hand they've been dealt," Olson said. "It's just like, OK, someone's out, so someone else has to step up."
Walton has flourished since he took his step up, and Jefferson doesn't envision Walton stepping down. Without Woods, Arizona won't be able to funnel foes into the middle, meaning the Wildcats' versatility and stamina will be tested.
Walton, the most versatile of them all, is ready.
"We do deserve the No. 1 seed," Walton said. "After all we've been through, to still do what we've done? Remarkable."