RELATED LINK: Even if Derrick Williams leaves early, history shows the Wildcats can carry on

So what will happen if Derrick Williams leaves Arizona before his junior season and is chosen among the first five picks of the NBA draft in June? What will life be like at McKale Center in Year One of the post-Williams era? Is this the end of the world as we know it?

Will Arizona be Arizona without Derrick Williams next season if he goes to the NBA? (US Presswire photo/Gary A. Vasquez)

History tells us that Arizona will continue to have a heartbeat without Williams. In fact, the old ticker will continue to beat at a good rate.

This is how the Wildcats have fared after one of their stars was chosen among the first 10 picks of the NBA draft:

• 1979: Larry Demic, Sr. (9th pick). UA year later in 1979-80: 12-15
• 1989: Sean Elliott, Sr. (3rd pick). UA year later in 1989-90: 25-7
• 1991: Brian Williams, Jr. (10th pick). UA year later in 1991-92: 24-7
• 1995: Damon Stoudamire, Sr. (7th pick). UA year later in 1995-96: 27-6 (Sweet 16)
• 1998: Mike Bibby, Soph. (2nd pick). UA year later in 1998-99: 22-6
• 1999: Jason Terry, Sr. (10th pick). UA year later in 1999-2000: 27-7
• 2004: Andre Iguodala, Soph. (9th pick). UA year later in 2004-05: 30-7 (Elite Eight)
• 2005: Channing Frye, Sr. (8th pick). UA year later in 2005-06: 20-13
• 2009: Jordan Hill, Jr. (8th pick). UA year later in 2009-10: 16-15

That’s only one losing season after Demic’s departure when Fred Snowden was in the last stages of his coaching career. The other unimpressive mark is the 16-15 record after Hill left to the NBA after his junior season. That was Sean Miller‘s first season at Arizona. The transition after two interim coaches following Lute Olson‘s retirement was not easy.

Overall, in the season after these nine players departed (four of them prematurely), the UA posted a record of 213-83. That’s a winning percentage of 71.9. That’s also an average of 23.6 wins the season after the Wildcats were required to fill a significant void.

The combined 213-83 mark is only 14 games worse than the the record — 227-69 — of the season in which these nine players completed their Wildcat careers. That averages to only about 1.6 more losses in the season after a top 10 NBA draft pick departs Arizona.

The most significant dropoff is the amount of Sweet 16 and Elite Eight appearances. The Wildcats achieved a Sweet 16 (1995-96) and Elite Eight (2004-05) appearance in seasons after a high draft choice was taken. They achieved two Sweet 16s and two Elite Eights in the year these standouts completed their career.

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Texas freshman post player Tristan Thompson makes one of his seven blocked shots, this one against Oakland's Keith Benson, an NBA prospect, in Texas' 88-84 win in the NCAA tournament Friday (US PRESSWIRE PHOTO -- Mark D. Smith)

A few minutes after Arizona survived Friday with a 77-75 escape over Memphis, assistant coach James Whitford concluded his radio interview with Brian Jeffries by saying the words that should make the Wildcats and their fans cringe:

“Texas is the polar opposite of Memphis. Memphis is more guard-oriented. Texas is more power ball, getting the ball to their 3 (wing), 4 (power forward) and 5 (center). It will be like playing UCLA.”

Gulp.

UCLA’s Reeves Nelson and Josh Smith combined to shoot 30 of 45 from the field (66.7 percent) against the Wildcats in two games this season. Tyler Honeycutt, who made only 1 of 8 shots in UCLA’s 85-74 loss at McKale Center on Jan. 27, scored 15 on 6-of-12 shooting from the field in the Bruins’ 71-49 rout of the Cats at Pauley Pavilion on Feb. 26.

Smith, Nelson and Honeycutt accounted for 59 of UCLA’s 71 points in Arizona’s worst showing of the year at Pauley.

And Texas (28-7 overall) is like UCLA?

“We have to play Texas like we played UCLA at our place, not like we did at their place,” Whitford said with a laugh.

Laughs will be few and far between from when UA coach Sean Miller and his staff departed the BOK Center to the time they finally fall asleep in the wee hours of the morning after watching film of Texas.

The Texas starting frontcourt looks this way:

Freshman post player Tristan Thompson (6-8, 225) — Tallied seven blocked shots in the Longhorns’ 85-81 win over Oakland in the earlier first-round matchup. He averages 13.4 points and 7.9 rebounds a game. He has 82 blocked shots compared to Derrick Williams‘ 25. He had 17 points and 10 rebounds against Oakland center Keith Benson, a future NBA player.

Sophomore wing player Jordan Hamilton (6-7, 220) — He has numbers similar to Williams, averaging 18.7 points and 7.7 rebounds a game. He had 19 points and 10 rebounds against Oakland.

Senior power forward Gary Johnson (6-6, 235) — He had only eight points and two boards against Oakland, but he’s averaging 11.4 points and 6.8 rebounds a game.

Thompson, Hamilton and Johnson combine to average 43.5 points and 22.4 rebounds a game. By contrast, Arizona’s starting frontcourt players Williams (6-8, 241), Jesse Perry (6-7, 210) and Solomon Hill (6-6, 226) average 33.1 points and 16.9 rebounds a game.

Gulp.

So Arizona (28-7) does not stand a chance right? This is another nightmare in store, similar to how Arizona could not defend (or provide help defense) against the Pac-10 best interior scorers and rebounders? Nikola Vucevic, Alex Stepheson, Markhuri Sanders-Frison, Harper Kamp, Nelson and Smith all over again?

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