Head coach: Fred Snowden

1972: Ron Allen, Dave Burns, Al Fleming, John Irving, Eric Money, Coniel Norman, Jim Rappis and James Wakefield. Three years later (1974-75): The UA finishes 22-7 and is selected to the National Commissioner’s Invitational Tournament. Money, Norman, Fleming and Rappis are the best foursome recruiting class the Wildcats have ever amassed based on pure talent. Rating (scale 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest): 9.

Fred Snowden’s first two recruiting classes at Arizona included seven NBA draft picks

1973: Bob Aleksa, Bob Elliott, Jerome Gladney, Len Gordy, Herman Harris, Gary Harrison and Steve Kanner. Three years later (1975-76): The UA finishes 24-9, wins the WAC title and loses in the 1976 Elite Eight to UCLA. Elliott is the UA’s career scoring leader before Sean Elliott (no relation) breaks his record. Herman Harris’ scoring average might have increased by four points if a three-point line exists back then. Rating: 8.

1974: Tom Ehlmann, Mitch Jones, Tim Marshall, Gilbert Myles, Phil Taylor. Three years later (1976-77): The UA finishes 21-6 and loses in the first round of the 1977 NCAA tournament (the last time the UA made the NCAA tournament under Snowden). Rating: 4.

1975: Larry Demic, Ron Fuller, Brian Jung and Sylvester Maxey. Three years later 1977-78): The UA finishes 15-11. Demic is a first-round draft pick in 1979. Rating: 6.

1976: Kenny Davis, Joe Nehls and Tommy Williams. Three years later (1978-79): The UA finishes 16-11, the last time the Wildcats have a winning record for six years. Nehls becomes one of the best pure perimeter shooters in Arizona history. Rating: 3.

1977: Russell Brown, Robbie Dosty, Steve Lake and John Smith. Three years later (1979-80): The UA finishes 12-15. Brown remains the school’s career leader in assists with 810 (no other player has more than 700). Dosty becomes a fourth-round draft pick. Rating: 5.

1978: John Belobraydic, Ray Donnelly, Greg Hawthorne, John Hutcherson, Donald Mellon, Charles Miller and Michael Zeno. Three years later (1980-81): The UA finishes 13-14. Hawthorne, Mellon and Zeno are highly-regarded recruits but nothing materializes from this group.Rating: 3.

1979: Ron Davis, David Mosebar, Frank Smith Jr. and Leon Wood. Three years later (1981-82): The UA finishes 9-18 in Snowden’s last season. Wood transfers to Cal State-Fullerton after his freshman year and is later drafted in the first round. After extremely impressive recruiting classes his first couple of seasons, Snowden never really sustains that level of success and the UA gradually declines. This class is good, however, with Davis, Smith and Wood. Rating: 7.

1980: Jeff Collins, Greg Cook and Ricky Walker. Three years later (1982-83): The UA finishes 4-24 in Ben Lindsey’s only season at Arizona. None of these recruits are around for that debacle. Rating: 1.

1981: Brock Brunkhorst, Mark Jung, Jack Magno and John Vlahogeorge. Three years later (1983-84): The UA finishes 11-17 in Olson’s first season. The only player from this class on Olson’s first team is Brunkhorst. Rating: 1.

Head coach: Ben Lindsey

1982: Troy Cooke, Ken Ensor, David Haskin, Todd Porter, Greg Scott, Greg Taylor, Morgan Taylor and Puntus Wilson. Three years later (1984-85): The UA finishes 21-10 and returns to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1977. Only Haskin and Morgan Taylor are there to experience it. Scott, Wilson and Porter are not retained by Olson. Rating: 1.

Head coach: Lute Olson

1983: Van Beard, Steve Kerr, Eddie Smith, Michael Tait and Pete Williams. Three years later (1985-86): The UA finishes 23-9 and wins its first Pac-10 title with Kerr as a captain. Olson credits Williams as being one of the best rebounders he’s ever coached. Rating: 8.

1984: Jon Edgar, Bruce Fraser, Rolf Jacobs, Craig McMillan and Joe Turner. Three years later (1986-87):The UA finishes 18-12 partly because Kerr is forced to redshirt with a knee injury. McMillan is first McDonald’s All-American recruited by Olson to Arizona. Rating: 5.

1985: Anthony Cook, Eric Cooper, Sean Elliott, Ken Lofton and Bruce Wheatley. Three years later (1987-88): The UA finishes 35-3 overall and 17-1 in the Pac-10. It reaches its first Final Four in school history. Elliott is the Pac-10 Player of the Year. He eventually breaks Lew Alcindor’s conference scoring record. Elliott and Cook are drafted in the first round in 1989. Note: Cooper’s son, Eric Cooper Jr., is a Class of 2014 prospect who has verbally committed to Arizona. Rating: 9.

Sean Elliott headlined a group in 1985 that included Anthony Cook and Kenny Lofton

1986: Jud Buechler, Brian David, Harvey Mason and Tom Tolbert. Three years later (1988-89): The UA finishes 29-4 overall and 17-1 in the Pac-10 the second straight year. Buechler goes on to the NBA and wins three titles with the Bulls. Rating: 7.

1987: Matt Muehlebach, Sean Rooks and Mark Georgeson. Three years later (1989-90): The Wildcats become co-champs of the Pac-10 regular season and the conference tournament titlist. Muehlebach, one of Olson’s most steady captains, never loses a home game in his career. Georgeson transfers to Pepperdine after freshman season. Rooks evolves into an All-Pac-10 center his senior year followed by 12 seasons in the NBA with Dallas, Minnesota, Atlanta, the Lakers, the Clippers, New Orleans and Orlando. Rating: 7.

1988: Ron Curry, Matt Othick and Wayne Womack. Three years later (1990-91): The UA finishes 28-7 and wins its fourth straight Pac-10 title. Othick and Womack play through their senior seasons. Curry transfers to Marquette after freshman season.Rating: 6.

1989: Casey Schmidt and Ed Stokes. Three years later (1991-92): The UA finishes 24-7 overall, average by its standards. The Wildcats are upset by East Tennessee State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Stokes is decent but not spectacular as a 7-footer. Rating: 2.

1990: Tony Clark, Kevin Flanagan, Deron Johnson and Khalid Reeves. Three years later (1992-93): The UA finishes 24-4 overall and 17-1 in the Pac-10. Kentucky transfer Chris Mills is a captain of the team. Reeves is first N.Y. product recruited by Olson and he is drafted in the first round 1994. Rating: 6.

1991: Sean Allen, Ray Owes and Damon Stoudamire. Three years later (1993-94): The UA finishes 29-6 overall and advances to its second Final Four. Stoudamire becomes Olson’s sixth first-round draft pick in 1995. Rating: 8.

1992: Joseph Blair, Edtrick Bohannon, Reggie Geary, Joe McLean and Corey Williams. Three years later (1994-95): The UA finishes 24-7 and loses in the first round to Miami (Ohio) with Sean Miller as an assistant to Herb Sendek. Bohannon transfers. Blair, Geary, McLean and Williams form another strong nucleus. Rating: 6.

1993: Jarvis Kelley. Three years later (1995-96): The UA finishes 27-6 and loses in the Sweet 16 to Kansas. Kelley transfers after his sophomore season. Rating: 1.

1994: Marty Bartmentloo, Ben Davis, Michael Dickerson and Miles Simon. Three years later (1996-97): The UA finishes 25-9 and wins its first NCAA title. Simon is named the Final Four MVP. Dickerson is a first-round draft choice in 1998. Davis becomes one of Arizona’s best rebounders under Olson. Bartmentloo moves back to his native Australia before completing his career. Rating: 8.

1995: Donnell Harris, A.J. Bramlett and Jason Terry. Three years later (1997-98): The UA finishes 30-5 overall and 17-1 in the Pac-10. It loses in the Elite Eight against Utah. Terry is picked in the first round of the 1999 NBA draft, 10th overall. Bramlett becomes one of the more reliable UA centers in Olson era. Harris’ career never flourishes although he played his basketball in 1997 Final Four. Rating: 6.

1996: Mike Bibby, Quynn Tebbs, Justin Wessel, Bennett Davison and Eugene Edgerson. Three years later (1998-99): The UA finishes 22-7 and loses in the first round to Oklahoma. Bibby is already gone, selected in the first round of the 1998 draft (the highest pick in UA history at No. 2 overall). Tebbs transfers after one season and Wessel is a career reserve. Davison, a JC recruit, and Edgerson are ideal role players. Rating: 7.

1997: Dion Broom. Three years later (1999-2000): The UA’s one-man recruiting class never qualifies academically. The Wildcats start to build steam in 2000 behind next recruiting class and finish 27-7 overall and tied for first in the Pac-10 with 15-3 record.Rating: 1.

1998: Luke Walton, Rick Anderson, Ruben Douglas, Richard Jefferson, Traves Wilson and Michael Wright. Three years later (2000-01): The UA finishes 28-8 and advances to its fourth Final Four. The Wildcats lose to Duke in the title game. Douglas and Wilson already transfer after their freshman year, but Jefferson, Walton (who redshirts in 998) and Wright establish themselves. Jefferson is selected in the first round of the NBA draft in 2001. Walton wins NBA title with Lakers in 2009. Douglas becomes leading scorer in NCAA with New Mexico his senior year. Rating: 8.

Lute Olson's top recruiting class arguably is the 1998 group with Luke Walton, Richard Jefferson and Michael Wright (USA Today Sports/Chris Morrison)

1999: Gilbert Arenas, Lamont Frazier, Jason Gardner and Robertas Javtokas. Three years later (2001-02): The UA finishes 24-10, its first season with double-digit losses since 1987. Arenas is an unknown recruit, not sought by other programs. He becomes an NBA all-star. Gardner holds the UA record for career minutes played. Frazier and Javtokas leave the program prematurely. Rating: 7.

2000: Travis Hanour. Three years later (2002-03): The UA finishes 28-4 overall and 17-1 in the Pac-10. It loses in the Elite Eight to Kansas. Hanour only lasts a year before transferring. Rating: 1.

2001: Will Bynum, Isaiah Fox, Channing Frye, Dennis Latimore, Salim Stoudamire and Andrew Zahn. Three years later (2003-04): The UA finishes 20-10 overall and struggles in the Pac-10 with an 11-7 record. Bynum, Latimore and Zahn all transfer before this season. Frye establishes himself as a first-round pick in the NBA draft in 2005. Stoudamire becomes a deadly perimeter shooter. Rating: 6.

2002: Hassan Adams, Andre Iguodala and Chris Rodgers. Three years later (2004-05): The UA finishes 30-7 and 15-3 in the Pac-10, winning its last conference title. The Wildcats lose in the Elite Eight to Illinois, blowing a 15-point lead with less than 5 minutes remaining. Iguodala becomes a first-round draft pick in 2004. Rodgers gets in Olson’s doghouse and Adams is a solid contributor. Rating: 6.

2003: Mustafa Shakur, Ivan Radenovich and Kirk Walters. Three years later (2005-06): The UA finishes 20-13 overall and loses in the second round to Villanova. Shakur struggles through most of his UA career while Walters is injury-plagued. Radenovich, who enters mid-season from Serbia in 2003, gradually improves as a contributor.Rating: 4.

2004: Daniel Dillon, Jawann McClellan, Mohamed Tangara and Jesus Verdugo. Three years later (2006-07): The UA finishes 20-11 and loses in the first round to Purdue. This group never pans out. Verdugo transfers after his freshman year and Tangara transfers before his senior season. Dillon becomes a career reserve while McClellan is beset by personal problems and injuries. Rating: 2.

2005: Fendi Onobun, J.P. Prince and Marcus Williams. Three years later (2007-08): The UA finishes 19-15 under interim coach Kevin O’Neill. Onobun becomes a career reserve. Prince transfers in 2007 and Williams leaves for the NBA the same year but toils in the developmental league before playing overseas. Rating: 2.

2006: Chase Budinger, Jordan Hill and Nic Wise. Three years later (2008-09): The UA finishes 21-14 and is one of the last teams to make the NCAA tournament, extending its streak to 25 years. Hill is selected in the first round of the NBA draft while Budinger slips to the second round after leaving school early. Wise is an All-Pac-10 selection as a senior but his NBA aspirations are immediately unattainable. Rating: 6.

2007: Jerryd Bayless, Jamelle Horne, Zane Johnson, Laval Lucas-Perry and Alex Jacobson. Three years later (2009-10): The UA finishes 16-15 and out of the NCAA tournament for the first time in 26 years. Bayless is selected in the first round of the NBA draft after his freshman season in 2008. Johnson and Lucas-Perry transfer (Lucas-Perry is later dismissed from Michigan). Horne’s improvement is stagnant but he becomes a more reliable player as a senior in 2010-11. Jacobson, beset by back problems, plays sparingly throughout his career after redshirting as a freshman. Rating: 3.

Sean Miller's first five classes includes seven five-star recruits (USA Today Sports/Chris Morrison)

2008: Kyle Fogg, Jeff Withey, Brandon Lavender and Garland Judkins. Three years later (2010-11): The Wildcats finish 30-8 and advance to the Elite Eight with Fogg and Lavender serving as complimentary parts to Derrick Williams’ charge. Under-recruited Fogg starts as a freshman and establishes more minutes as his career moves forward. An All-Pac-12 selection, Fogg becomes Arizona’s most reliable defensive player as a senior. Withey transfers to Kansas before he plays a minute for UA, reacting to Olson’s abrupt retirement. Lavender becomes a career backup. Judkins transfers to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Rating: 2.

Head coach: Sean Miller

2009: Solomon Hill, Lamont “MoMo” Jones, Derrick Williams, Kyryl Natyazhko and Kevin Parrom. Three years later (2011-12): The Wildcats finish 23-12 overall and out of the NCAA tournament picture. Miller’s first class is ranked No. 12 in the nation by Rivals.com and Scout.com. The Wildcats miss Williams, who was the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 2009-10 and Player of the Year in 2010-11. He is selected No. 2 in the NBA draft after foregoing his last two years of college. Parrom is beset by injuries and personal trauma for half of his career. Natyazhko has trouble adjusting to college game and moves back to his native Ukraine. Parrom steadily improves to become one of the best reserves and starts during the latter part of his senior season. Hill finishes among Arizona’s top 20 scorers and top 10 rebounders in the program’s history. Jones, the team’s vociferous leader who was instrumental in the Wildcats’ Sweet 16 upset of No. 1-seed Duke, transfers to Iona to be closer to his family in New York. Rating: 7.

2010: Daniel Bejarano, Jesse Perry and Jordin Mayes. Three years later (2012-13): The Wildcats, ranked as high as No. 3 at one point, finish 27-8 and advance to the Sweet 16. Only Mayes is around, and he plays a minimal role backing up senior transfer Mark Lyons. Miller’s second class includes a JC wing player in Perry, a deft shooter in Bejarano and playmaker and leader in Mayes. Perry takes over the starting role from Horne, a senior, early in the 2010-11 season and becomes a productive rebounder as a senior in 2011-12. Mayes, slowed by foot injuries, struggles with his confidence after showing flashes of promise as a freshman in 2010-11. Bejarano, lacking in defense and unable to land minutes in Miller’s rotation, transfers to Colorado State after his freshman season. Rating: 3. Mayes can change the grade depending on how he fares next season as a senior.

2011: Angelo Chol, Nick Johnson, Josiah Turner and Sidiki Johnson. Three years later (2013-14): To be determined. Miller’s third class includes one of the best backcourts recruited in the same class at Arizona, rivaling the Gardner and Arenas combination in 1999 and Money and Norman in 1972. Turner is gone, leaving Arizona’s program after suffering disciplinary issues with Miller. Sidiki Johnson did not last half of the season in Tucson after becoming a disciplinary casualty. Nick Johnson emerges as a defensive standout who can provide a spark to Arizona’s transition on offense. Chol, a shot-blocker extraordinaire in high school, has struggled to crack Miller’s primary rotation. Rating (could change by end of next season): 3. Nick Johnson is so far only player of this once-heralded four-player class to make an impact on the program.

2012: Brandon Ashley, Kaleb Tarczewski, Grant Jerrett and Gabe York. Three years later (2014-15): To be determined. Miller’s fourth class is rated his best, third in the nation by Rivals.com. The Wildcats have never amassed such talented frontcourt players in one recruiting class. Ashley, Tarczewski and Jerrett each play important roles as freshmen and were significant in the Wildcats advancing to the Sweet 16. York, struggling defensively, plays minimal minutes as a freshman. Rating (could change by end of 2015): 8. That can improve based on the development of Ashley, Tarczewski and Jerrett and whether York becomes a factor.

2013: Aaron Gordon, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Elliott Pitts. Three years later (2015-16): To be determined. Miller lands two more Five-Star recruits and McDonald’s All-Americans in Gordon and Hollis-Jefferson. Recruiting experts compare Gordon’s style at 6-foot-8 to that of Blake Griffin. Hollis-Jefferson is a wing player who can play point if necessary. Pitts is lauded by experts for his tenacious style and high basketball IQ. Miller has one more scholarship to fill if Parrom is not granted a fifth-year of eligibility based on his medical hardship waiver request. Rating (could change by end of 2015): 8.

WILDABOUTAZCATS.net publisher and writer Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club winner

The Class of 2011 recruiting year was unlike most in the Arizona-Arizona State basketball rivalry, dating all the way back to 1978 when Pueblo High School star Lafayette “Fat” Lever decided to attend ASU instead of going to Colorado or San Diego State.

Lafayette Lever signed with ASU out of Pueblo without much recruiting resistance from Arizona’s Fred Snowden

Nick Johnson and Jahii Carson, each top-flight recruits from the Phoenix area, were both recruited by Arizona. Carson, from Mesa High School, made that recruiting year unique by committing to ASU on Aug. 20, 2010. Since Lute Olson came to Tucson in 1983, the Wildcats generally have signed the top recruits from the Valley of the Sun.

Johnson, who attended Gilbert Highland for two years before transferring to Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep as a junior, verbally committed to Arizona two days before Carson announced his decision. The Wildcats recruited Carson during the 2010 AAU summer tournaments, but coach Sean Miller had his sights on Josiah Turner at point guard in that recruiting class.

Carson did not want to wait for Turner to decide (Turner eventually committed to Arizona on Sept. 18, 2010). Carson became Herb Sendek’s most substantial recruit from Arizona. Corey Hawkins, the state’s career leading scorer from Goodyear Estrella Foothills, is nowhere close in talent. He is now with UC-Davis after one season with the Sun Devils.

Carson is the Sun Devils’ most touted in-state recruit since Lever graduated from Pueblo in 1978 and played for Ned Wulk‘s talent-laden teams at ASU.

Former ASU forward Chad Prewitt, a Phoenix Greenway product, excelled with the Sun Devils, earning All-Pac-10 honors as a senior in 2001-02. When Prewitt graduated from Greenway in 1998, however, Olson picked up the top recruit in the state — Richard Jefferson from Phoenix Moon Valley.

When Lever signed with ASU in 1978, the Sun Devils’ program was more appealing than Arizona’s because Fred Snowden started to decline after coaching the Wildcats to the 1976 Elite Eight. Wulk’s teams featured the likes of Lever, Lionel Hollins, Byron Scott, Mark Landsberger, Alton Lister, Kurt Nimphius and Sam Williams in the mid-1970s to the early 1980s.

Jahii Carson can become the first freshman to average more than 17 points and five assists in a season since 1997 (USA Today Sports Images/Jennifer Stewart)

Lever’s retired No. 12 jersey number hangs from the Wells Fargo Arena rafter, similar to the No. 10 at McKale Center worn by Arizona’s Mike Bibby, who grew up in Phoenix and attended Shadow Mountain High School.

The long list of top-notch Phoenix and Tucson talent that chose Arizona over ASU and others includes Sean Elliott, Deron Johnson, Bibby, Jefferson, Channing Frye, Jerryd Bayless and Daniel Bejarano.

In recent years, top Tucson-area players such as former Santa Rita guard Terrell Stoglin (Maryland) and Palo Verde guard Bryce Cotton (Providence) have excelled elsewhere.

During Lever’s freshman season, ASU and Arizona played their first regular-season game as the opener for both teams. The teams played three times (one non-conference opener and two conference games) from the 1976-77 to 1978-79 seasons. In the last game of the arrangement in 1978, Lever started his collegiate career playing in his hometown at McKale Center against the Wildcats.

He forced a jump ball with 53 seconds remaining and made the game-winning basket that was ruled as goal-tending by Arizona’s Larry Demic with 23 seconds left in ASU’s 84-82 comeback victory. The Wildcats blew a 82-76 lead with 3:40 remaining. Lever finished with 13 points.

Lever, who was not recruited substantially by Snowden, finished his ASU career with 1,137 points, 444 assists and 236 steals. He was 8-1 in his career against the Wildcats.

“People here were telling me it’s the wrong decision,” Lever was quoted as saying by The Arizona Daily Star in 1999. “That I should have stayed home or have gone someplace else. But they have enough guards there. I didn’t think I’d fit in.”

Nick Johnson has a history of playing with and against ASU’s Jahii Carson in AAU tournaments when they were younger (USA Today Sports Images/Casey Sapio)

Wulk compared Lever to Hollins when Lever signed with ASU in April 1978. The Wildcats had one of their best backcourts in the pre-Olson years with Russell Brown manning the point and deft shooter Joe Nehls at the off-guard position. Nehls was a junior and Brown a sophomore when Lever started his ASU career in 1978-79.

Similarly, the recruitment of Carson cooled for Arizona when Turner — deemed a Five-Star recruit by Rivals.com — looked as though he would play for Arizona. Turner became Miller’s most-publicized recruit, but he is no longer with the program after a tumultuous freshman season.

Carson was forced to sit out last season because of academic reasons. He is thriving in Sendek’s new transition-style offense and man-to-man defense.

He is averaging 17.1 points per game and 5.2 assists per game. No freshman has averaged at least 17 points and five assists since Seton Hall’s Shaheen Holloway in 1996-97 with 17.3 points and 6.3 assists.

“He makes everybody better,” Miller said of Carson during Tuesday’s Pac-12 coaches teleconference call. “An electric player. A fun guy to watch. He gets the ball out in transition. He gets his teammates easy shots, and then you look at how easy it is for him to get to the foul line and score.”

Carson and Johnson meet for the first time at the collegiate level Saturday when Arizona plays ASU at Wells Fargo Arena. The teams are each 3-1 in the Pac-12 and their overall records are impressive — Arizona at 15-1 and ASU at 14-3.

Bibby, serving as a volunteer coach with Shadow Mountain (where his son is a freshman guard), and Frye (not with the Suns this season because of an enlarged heart that requires rest) will possibly attend the game.

With Carson and Johnson on display, following their much-publicized AAU and high school careers, the talent-deprived state of Arizona has never had a day like that at least since the era when Snowden and Wulk coached the programs.

More Arizona-ASU coverage at WILDABOUTAZCATS.net:

• No. 7 Arizona (15-1, 3-1) at ASU (14-3, 3-1): Breaking down the showdown at Wells Fargo Arena
• Nothing But The Notes: One segment shows how ASU is much more reliant on its starters than Arizona
• Arizona-ASU outcome very significant for Herb Sendek and Sean Miller for different reasons
• The site’s unique Pac-12 Productivity Report

WILDABOUTAZCATS.net writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner

Solomon Hill reacts after scoring a basket against UCLA with teammate Nick Johnson looking on. Hill and Johnson are the lone remaining consistent starters from Sean Miller's first three recruiting classes (US Presswire photo/Kevin Kuo)

Of Sean Miller‘s first three recruiting classes since 2009 — which consisted of 12 players — only five remain. Of those five who are slated to be part of the 2012-13 roster, only two have consistently started in their careers. And one of those is a player who just completed his freshman season: Nick Johnson. The other is senior-to-be Solomon Hill.

Gone prematurely from Miller’s first class are Derrick Williams (Miller’s biggest catch who jumped to the NBA after his sophomore season), Lamont “MoMo” Jones (transferred to Iona after his sophomore season), and Kyryl Natyazhko (who announced Wednesday that he will not return for his senior season so he can pursue a professional career overseas).

Daniel Bejarano, from Miller’s second class in 2010, transferred to Colorado State after playing minimal minutes as a freshman. And no longer around from last year’s heralded class is five-star point guard Josiah Turner (who announced Wednesday his intention to transfer) and Sidiki Johnson (who transferred to Providence early this season after spending time in Miller’s doghouse).

Jesse Perry, from the Class of 2010, completed his two-year career after transferring from John A. Logan (Ill.) Community College.

Other than Hill and Nick Johnson, the others who have remained on board include Kevin Parrom from the Class of 2009, Jordin Mayes from the Class of 2010 and Angelo Chol from the Class of 2011.

With Perry going the distance, that means six players — or 50 percent of Miller’s first three classes — left early. Despite this alarming rate of turnover, Miller’s team will be ranked in the top 20 next year. That’s largely because of Miller’s coaching and recruiting ability. His class of 2012 — highlighted by promising big men such as Brandon Ashley, Grant Jarrett and Kaleb Tarczewski — is rated by some experts as the best in the nation.

Will it be the best class Arizona has featured in the last 40 years? Time will tell.

As has become an annual ritual here, I have updated the ratings for each UA recruiting class since the late Fred Snowden was hired in 1972.

The ratings are based on how the recruits fared three years after starting their Wildcat careers (future NBA draft picks are italicized, transfers from other programs such as Chris Mills and recruits who never played at Arizona, i.e. Brandon Jennings are not included). Transfers were not included because their addition does not take into account an all-encompassing scouting and recruiting effort from coaches from start to finish to land a prospect:

Head coach: Fred Snowden

• 1972: Ron Allen, Dave Burns, Al Fleming, John Irving, Eric Money, Coniel Norman, Jim Rappis and James Wakefield. Three years later (1974-75): The UA finishes 22-7 and is selected to the National Commissioner’s Invitational Tournament. You can argue that Money, Norman, Fleming and Rappis are the best foursome recruiting class the Wildcats have ever seen based on pure talent. Rating (scale 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest): 9.
  

  Fred Snowden's first two recruiting classes at Arizona included seven NBA draft picks

• 1973: Bob Aleksa, Bob Elliott, Jerome Gladney, Len Gordy, Herman Harris, Gary Harrison and Steve Kanner. Three years later (1975-76): The UA finishes 24-9, wins the WAC title and loses in the 1976 Elite Eight to UCLA. Elliott is the UA’s career scoring leader before Sean Elliott (no relation) breaks his record. Herman Harris’ scoring average might have increased by four points if a three-point line exists back then. Rating: 8.
• 1974: Tom Ehlmann, Mitch Jones, Tim Marshall, Gilbert Myles, Phil Taylor. Three years later (1976-77): The UA finishes 21-6 and loses in the first round of the 1977 NCAA tournament (the last time the UA made the NCAA tournament under Snowden). Rating: 4.
• 1975: Larry Demic, Ron Fuller, Brian Jung and Sylvester Maxey. Three years later 1977-78): The UA finishes 15-11. Demic is a first-round draft pick in 1979. Rating: 6.
• 1976: Kenny Davis, Joe Nehls and Tommy Williams. Three years later (1978-79): The UA finishes 16-11, the last time the Wildcats have a winning record for six years. Rating: 3.
• 1977: Russell Brown, Robby Dosty, Steve Lake and John Smith. Three years later (1979-80): The UA finishes 12-15. Brown remains the school’s career leader in assists with 810 (no other player has more than 700). Rating: 6.
• 1978: John Belobraydic, Ray Donnelly, Greg Hawthorne, John Hutcherson, Donald Mellon, Charles Miller and Michael Zeno. Three years later (1980-81): The UA finishes 13-14. Hawthorne, Mellon and Zeno are highly-regarded recruits but nothing materializes from this group.Rating: 3.
• 1979: Ron Davis, David Mosebar, Frank Smith Jr. and Leon Wood. Three years later (1981-82): The UA finishes 9-18 in Snowden’s last season. Wood transfers to Cal State-Fullerton after his freshman year and is later drafted in the first round. After extremely impressive recruiting classes his first couple of seasons, Snowden never really sustains that level of success and the UA gradually declines. This class is decent, however, with Davis, Smith and Wood. Rating: 6.
• 1980: Jeff Collins, Greg Cook and Ricky Walker. Three years later (1982-83): The UA finishes 4-24 in Ben Lindsey’s only season at Arizona. None of these recruits are around for that debacle. Rating: 1.
• 1981: Brock Brunkhorst, Mark Jung, Jack Magno and John Vlahogeorge. Three years later (1983-84): The UA finishes 11-17 in Olson’s first season. The only player from this class on Olson’s first team is Brunkhorst. Rating: 1.

Head coach: Ben Lindsey

• 1982: Troy Cooke, Ken Ensor, David Haskin, Todd Porter, Greg Scott, Greg Taylor, Morgan Taylor and Puntus Wilson. Three years later (1984-85): The UA finishes 21-10 and returns to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1977. Only Haskin and Morgan Taylor are there to experience it. Scott, Wilson and Porter are not retained by Olson. Rating: 2.

Head coach: Lute Olson

• 1983: Van Beard, Steve Kerr, Eddie Smith, Michael Tait and Pete Williams. Three years later (1985-86): The UA finishes 23-9 and wins its first Pac-10 title with Kerr as a captain. Olson credits Williams as being one of the best rebounders he’s ever coached. Smith is one of the most consistent players to don a Wildcat uniform. Rating: 8.
• 1984: Jon Edgar, Bruce Fraser, Rolf Jacobs, Craig McMillan and Joe Turner. Three years later (1986-87):The UA finishes 18-12 partly because Kerr is forced to redshirt with a knee injury. McMillan is first McDonald’s All-American recruited by Olson to Arizona. Rating: 5.
• 1985: Anthony Cook, Eric Cooper, Sean Elliott, Ken Lofton and Bruce Wheatley. Three years later (1987-88): The UA finishes 35-3 overall and 17-1 in the Pac-10. It reaches its first Final Four in school history. Elliott is the Pac-10 Player of the Year. He eventually breaks Lew Alcindor’s conference scoring record. Elliott and Cook are drafted in the first round in 1989. Note: Cooper’s son, Eric Cooper Jr., is a Class of 2013 prospect who has verbally committed to Arizona. Rating: 9.
  

  Sean Elliott headlined a group in 1985 that included Anthony Cook and Kenny Lofton

• 1986: Jud Buechler, Brian David, Harvey Mason and Tom Tolbert. Three years later (1988-89): The UA finishes 29-4 overall and 17-1 in the Pac-10 the second straight year. Buechler goes on to the NBA and wins three titles with the Bulls. Rating: 7.
• 1987: Matt Muehlebach, Sean Rooks and Mark Georgeson. Three years later (1989-90): The Wildcats become co-champs of the Pac-10 regular season and the conference tournament titlist. Muehlebach, one of Olson’s most steady captains, never loses a home game in his career. Georgeson transfers to Pepperdine after freshman season. Rooks evolves into an All-Pac-10 center his senior year followed by 12 seasons in the NBA with Dallas, Minnesota, Atlanta, the Lakers, the Clippers, New Orleans and Orlando. Rating: 7.
• 1988: Ron Curry, Matt Othick and Wayne Womack. Three years later (1990-91): The UA finishes 28-7 and wins its fourth straight Pac-10 title. Othick and Womack play through their senior seasons. Curry transfers to Marquette after freshman season.Rating: 5.
• 1989: Casey Schmidt and Ed Stokes. Three years later (1991-92): The UA finishes 24-7 overall, average by its standards. The Wildcats are upset by East Tennessee State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Stokes is decent but not spectacular as a 7-footer. Rating: 2.
• 1990: Tony Clark, Kevin Flanagan, Deron Johnson and Khalid Reeves. Three years later (1992-93): The UA finishes 24-4 overall and 17-1 in the Pac-10. Kentucky transfer Chris Mills is a captain of the team. Clark transferred to San Diego State and eventually enjoyed a prolonged major-league baseball career. Johnson also transferred. Flanagan emerged as a fan favorite. Reeves is first N.Y. product recruited by Olson and he is drafted in the first round 1994. Rating: 7.
• 1991: Sean Allen, Ray Owes and Damon Stoudamire. Three years later (1993-94): The UA finishes 29-6 overall and advances to its second Final Four. Stoudamire becomes Olson’s sixth first-round draft pick in 1995. Rating: 7.
• 1992: Joseph Blair, Edtrick Bohannon, Reggie Geary, Joe McLean and Corey Williams. Three years later (1994-95): The UA finishes 24-7 and loses in the first round to Miami (Ohio) with Sean Miller as an assistant to Herb Sendek. Bohannon transfers. Blair, Geary, McLean and Williams form another strong nucleus. Rating: 7.
• 1993: Jarvis Kelley. Three years later (1995-96): The UA finishes 27-6 and loses in the Sweet 16 to Kansas. Kelley transfers after his sophomore season. Rating: 1.
• 1994: Donnell Harris, Marty Bartmentloo, Ben Davis, Michael Dickerson and Miles Simon. Three years later (1996-97): The UA finishes 25-9 and wins its first NCAA title. Simon is named the Final Four MVP. Dickerson is a first-round draft choice in 1998. Harris’ career never flourishes although he plays his best game in Arizona’s victory over Kentucky in the championship. Rating: 8.
• 1995: A.J. Bramlett and Jason Terry. Three years later (1997-98): The UA finishes 30-5 overall and 17-1 in the Pac-10. It loses in the Elite Eight against Utah. Terry is picked in the first round of the 1999 NBA draft, 10th overall. Bramlett becomes one of the more reliable UA centers in Olson era. Rating: 7.
• 1996: Mike Bibby, Quynn Tebbs, Justin Wessel, Bennett Davison and Eugene Edgerson. Three years later (1998-99): The UA finishes 22-7 and loses in the first round to Oklahoma. Bibby is already gone, selected in the first round of the 1998 draft (the highest pick in UA history at No. 2 overall). Tebbs transfers after one season and Wessel is a career reserve. Davison, a JC recruit, and Edgerson are ideal role players. Rating: 7.
• 1997: Dion Broom. Three years later (1999-2000): The UA’s one-man recruiting class never qualifies academically. The Wildcats start to build steam in 2000 behind next recruiting class and finish 27-7 overall and tied for first in the Pac-10 with 15-3 record.Rating: 1.
• 1998: Luke Walton, Rick Anderson, Ruben Douglas, Richard Jefferson, Traves Wilson and Michael Wright. Three years later (2000-01): The UA finishes 28-8 and advances to its fourth Final Four. The Wildcats lose to Duke in the title game. Douglas and Wilson already transfer after their freshman year, but Jefferson, Walton (who redshirts in 998) and Wright establish themselves. Jefferson is selected in the first round of the NBA draft in 2001. Walton wins NBA title with Lakers in 2009. Douglas becomes leading scorer in NCAA with New Mexico his senior year. Rating: 9.
  
  

  Lute Olson's top recruiting class arguably is the 1998 group with Luke Walton, Richard Jefferson and Michael Wright (US Presswire photo/Chris Morrison)

• 1999: Gilbert Arenas, Lamont Frazier, Jason Gardner and Robertas Javtokas. Three years later (2001-02): The UA finishes 24-10, its first season with double-digit losses since 1987. Arenas is an unknown recruit, not sought by other programs. He becomes an NBA all-star. Gardner holds the UA record for career minutes played. Rating: 8.
• 2000: Travis Hanour and Andrew Zahn. Three years later (2002-03): The UA finishes 28-4 overall and 17-1 in the Pac-10. It loses in the Elite Eight to Kansas. Hanour and Zahn only last a year before transferring. Rating: 1.
• 2001: Will Bynum, Isaiah Fox, Channing Frye, Dennis Latimore and Salim Stoudamire. Three years later (2003-04): The UA finishes 20-10 overall and struggles in the Pac-10 with an 11-7 record. Bynum and Latimore transfer before the 2003-04 season. Frye establishes himself as a first-round pick in the NBA draft in 2005. Stoudamire becomes a deadly perimeter shooter. Rating: 7.
• 2002: Hassan Adams, Andre Iguodala, Chris Dunn and Chris Rodgers. Three years later (2004-05): The UA finishes 30-7 and 15-3 in the Pac-10, winning its last conference title. The Wildcats lose in the Elite Eight to Illinois, blowing a 15-point lead with less than 5 minutes remaining. Iguodala becomes a first-round draft pick in 2004. Adams is a solid contributor. Rodgers gets in Olson’s doghouse and is eventually suspended. Dunn is dismissed from the team as a redshirt by the end of his freshman season. Rating: 7.
• 2003: Mustafa Shakur, Ivan Radenovich and Kirk Walters. Three years later (2005-06): The UA finishes 20-13 overall and loses in the second round to Villanova. Shakur struggles throughout most of his UA career while Walters is injury-plagued. Radenovich, who enters mid-season from Serbia in 2003, gradually improves as a contributor.Rating: 5.
• 2004: Daniel Dillon, Jawann McClellan, Mohamed Tangara and Jesus Verdejo. Three years later (2006-07): The UA finishes 20-11 and loses in the first round to Purdue. This group never pans out. Verdejo transfers after his freshman year and Tangara transfers before his senior season. Dillon becomes a career reserve while McClellan is beset by personal problems and injuries. Rating: 3.
• 2005: Fendi Onobun, J.P. Prince and Marcus Williams. Three years later (2007-08): The UA finishes 19-15 under interim coach Kevin O’Neill. Onobun becomes a career reserve. Prince transfers in 2007 and Williams leaves for the NBA the same year but toils in the developmental league since. Rating: 2.
• 2006: Chase Budinger, Jordan Hill and Nic Wise. Three years later (2008-09): The UA finishes 21-14 and is one of the last teams to make the NCAA tournament, extending its streak to 25 years. Hill is selected in the first round of the NBA draft while Budinger slips to the second round after leaving school early. Wise is an All-Pac-10 selection as a senior but his NBA aspirations are immediately unattainable. Rating: 7.
• 2007: Jerryd Bayless, Jamelle Horne, Zane Johnson, Laval Lucas-Perry and Alex Jacobson. Three years later: The UA finishes 16-15 in 2009-10 and out of the NCAA tournament for the first time in 26 years. Bayless is selected in the first round of the NBA draft after his freshman season in 2008. Johnson and Lucas-Perry transfer (Lucas-Perry is later dismissed from Michigan). Horne’s improvement is stagnant. Jacobson plays sparingly throughout his career. Rating: 4.
  

  Although 50 percent of his first three classes did not stick it out, Sean Miller's recruits helped make Arizona a factor again (US Presswire photo/Chris Morrison)

• 2008: Kyle Fogg, Jeff Withey, Brandon Lavender and Garland Judkins. Three years later: The UA finishes 30-8 in 2010-11 and advance to the Elite Eight, losing to eventual national champion Connecticut. Withey transfers to Kansas without playing a game as a freshman after Olson announces his retirement. Little-known Fogg starts all four years of his career and becomes an All-Pac-10 player. Lavender plays well as a senior but never really flourished. Judkins transfers to Texas-San Antonio. Rating: 3.

Head coach: Sean Miller

• 2009: Solomon Hill, Lamont “MoMo” Jones, Derrick Williams, Kyryl Natyazhko and Kevin Parrom. Three years later: UA finishes 23-12 in 2011-12 and is not invited to the NCAA touranment. It loses in the first round of the NIT to Bucknell at home. Miller’s first class is ranked No. 12 in the nation by Rivals.com and Scout.com. Williams is the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 2009-10 and Conference Player of the Year in 2010-11. He is selected No. 2 in the NBA draft after foregoing his last two years of college. Each plays significant minutes as freshmen, although Parrom is beset by injuries and Natyazhko has trouble immediately adjusting to college game. Hill improves year to year, becoming more assertive and consistent. Jones, the team’s vociferous leader who was instrumental in the Wildcats’ Sweet 16 upset of No. 1-seed Duke, transfers to Iona to be closer to his family in New York. Natyazhko is a career reserve who leaves before his senior season to pursue a pro career in Europe. Rating: 8.
• 2010: Daniel Bejarano, Jesse Perry and Jordin Mayes. Three years later: To be determined in 2012-13. Perry takes over the starting role early in the 2010-11 season and evolves into a bull around the basket despite playing against taller and bigger post players. Mayes becomes one of the more steady, efficient players, but is hampered by injuries late in his sophomore season. Bejarano, who never catches on to Miller’s system, ultimately transfers to Colorado State after his freshman season. Rating (could change by 2013): 6.
• 2011: Angelo Chol, Nick Johnson, Josiah Turner and Sidiki Johnson. Three years later: To be determined in 2013-14. On paper, one of the best class Arizona has attracted. Miller’s third class includes perhaps the best backcourt (Nick Johnson and Turner) recruited in the same class at Arizona, rivaling the Gardner and Arenas combination in 1999 and Money and Norman in 1972. Turner, however, is beset by three separate disciplinary issues and ultimately transfers after the season. Sidiki Johnson transferred to Providence by December because of differences with the coaching staff. Chol is a shot-blocker extraordinaire who is becoming a more refined on the offensive end as well. Rating (could change by 2014): 6.
• 2012: Kaleb Tarczewski, Brandon Ashley, Grant Jerrett, Gabe York and Matt Korcheck. Three years later: To be determined in 2014-15. Miller went big with this class in many ways. Recruiting experts are labeling the class the best in the nation. York, a talented shooter with tremendous leaping ability, is the lone perimeter player in the class (Duquesne transfer T.J. McConnell must sit out a season per NCAA transfer rules). Tarczewski (7-footer and 220 pounds), Ashley (6-8, 215) and Jarrett (6-10, 220) were all targeted by elite programs. Korcheck, a Cochise College product by way of Sabino High School, chose the UA over Oklahoma. He is a 6-9 and 230-pound strong power forward who will redshirt this season. This could easily turn out to be the best big-man class in UA history. No other group in the last 40 years comes close to the potential of this class in terms of frontcourt players. Rating (could change by 2015): 9.

Don’t forget: For all the links, Twitter feeds and news feeds related to Arizona and its opponents, go to Morales’ site WILDABOUTAZCATS.NET. No other Arizona sports Web site is like it!

In case you missed it: The Top 10 Badass Defensive Players and the Top 10 Badass Offensive Players in Arizona football history

1975-76 Arizona Wildcats (24-9)
–Lost to UCLA 82-66 in the West Regional Final. To note: The NCAA tournament only had 32 teams in 1976 and the regional final was played on UCLA’s campus at Pauley Pavilion.

2000-01 Arizona Wildcats (28-8)
–Beat Illinois 87-81 in the Midwest Regional Final; beat Michigan State 80-61 in the Final Four; and lost to Duke 82-72 in the national title game. To note: The Wildcats advanced through the tournament playing in honor of Lute Olson’s wife Bobbi, who died of ovarian cancer on Jan. 1, 2001.

Note: Please vote on which team you believe should advance in the bracket at WILDABOUTAZCATS.net. Thank you!

The cover of the Arizona basketball 1976-77 media guide, a year after the Wildcats advanced to the Elite Eight. Pictured (left to right): Bob Elliott, coach Fred Snowden and Herman Harris

The 2000-01 team currently pitted against the 1975-76 edition in the TucsonCitizen.com Arizona Elite Eight Event features squads coached by Lute Olson and the late Fred Snowden, respectively.

Few Arizona fans remember that Snowden actually coached Arizona against Olson and Iowa during that successful 1975-76 season.

The Hawkeyes defeated Arizona 82-80 in a controversial second-round game of the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu on Dec. 29, 1975, five years before many of the 2000-01 Wildcats, including standout point guard Jason Gardner, were even born.

“I probably played something like 114 games in my career at Arizona , and a lot of wins did not stick out like that loss,” former center Bob Elliott, laughing, told me in 1996 when I first wrote about the encounter for The Arizona Daily Star. “We fought hard to get back into the game, and for it to be decided on a (referee) call like that . . .”

Iowa took a 35-7 lead 12 minutes into the game, and the Wildcats trailed 51-33 at halftime. It appeared that the UA would rather be on the beach, while the Hawkeyes took the game seriously.

“ Arizona was frankly a better basketball team than we were,” Olson told me in the Arizona Daily Star interview. “With a program like ours at Iowa, at the time, we didn’t have a lot of room for error, so we got over there and everything was focused on playing.

“We didn’t allow them on the beach. We didn’t allow them out. We had curfews, that kind of thing.”

Arizona slowly chipped away at the deficit in the second half, and with 14 seconds remaining, the Wildcats tied the game at 80 on a basket by Elliott. No records have been kept, but that is arguably the greatest comeback (trailing by 28 points at one point) in Wildcat history.

“I remember trying to hang on just a couple of more seconds, and thinking there is no way we should lose that game,” said Scott Thompson, a guard with Iowa who was later an assistant to Olson with the Hawkeyes and Wildcats, in the Arizona Daily Star story.

Iowa raced downcourt after Elliott’s basket, choosing not to call a timeout, and the Hawkeyes missed a jumper. But Iowa center Dan Frost grabbed the rebound, and he was fouled as he attempted a shot at the buzzer.

Frost went to the line to try the game-winning free throws after Arizona departed for its locker room. Snowden argued the foul was called after the buzzer and he was so incensed that he ordered his team off the court. Of course, video replay nowadays would confirm or correct the call. That technology was not around back then.

“When the shot went up, all of us were shoving and biting each other to get that ball, and the ref called the foul on (guard) Gilbert Myles,” Elliott told me in the Arizona Daily Star interview. “Anybody would tell you Gilbert never went into the lane to grab a rebound. He was not close to the play.

“We walked off the court in anger, and the only way we knew (Frost) made the free throws was by listening to the Iowa crowd.”

Olson remembers “holding on to the bitter end.” What impressed him most was the way Arizona, as a program, presented itself under Snowden. The Wildcats that year came one game away from the 1976 Final Four, losing to UCLA at Pauley Pavilion in the West Regional finals.

“At the conclusion of the game (in Hawaii), Freddie Snowden did his post-game show out in the middle of the court,” Olson told me in the Arizona Daily Star story. “It was certainly an indication of good fans and a big-time program. There were a lot of Arizona fans there.”

Don’t forget: For all the links, Twitter feeds and news feeds related to Arizona and its opponents, go to Morales’ site WILDABOUTAZCATS.NET. No other Arizona sports Web site is like it!

In case you missed it: The Top 10 Badass Defensive Players and the Top 10 Badass Offensive Players in Arizona football history

1975-76 Arizona Wildcats (24-9)
–Lost to UCLA 82-66 in the West Regional Final. To note: The NCAA tournament only had 32 teams in 1976 and the regional final was played on UCLA’s campus at Pauley Pavilion.

2000-01 Arizona Wildcats (28-8)
–Beat Illinois 87-81 in the Midwest Regional Final; beat Michigan State 80-61 in the Final Four; and lost to Duke 82-72 in the national title game. To note: The Wildcats advanced through the tournament playing in honor of Lute Olson’s wife Bobbi, who died of ovarian cancer on Jan. 1, 2001.

Note: Please vote on which team you believe should advance in the bracket at WILDABOUTAZCATS.net. Thank you!

MATCHUPS

Point Guard

Jim Rappis (1972-76) vs. Jason Gardner (1999-2003)

Both of these leaders exemplified fortitude.

The media coined Rappis, a senior, as Arizona’s “Six Million Dollar Man” before the Cats lost to UCLA in the West Regional Final at Pauley Pavilion.

He fractured an ankle as a freshman and still managed to play nine games. He suffered a ruptured appendix at the beginning of his sophomore year and had a series of ankle injuries but still played in 24 of 26 games. Another ankle injury when he was a junior forced him to use a cane off the court throughout the season. He underwent surgery to correct a spinal disc before the 1975-76 season and was in grave danger of losing his life when he contracted peritonitis.

In the 1976 West Regional Semifinal — one of the most thrilling games in UA history when the Wildcats beat coach Jerry Tarkanian and UNLV 114-109 in overtime — Rappis injured his left heel with 5:57 left in the first half but continued to play despite being hobbled throughout. He finished with 24 points and 12 assists against the Running Rebels.

“Jimmy is the epitome of courage,” Snowden said after the game. “He was in great pain but he went out there anyway.”

The heel injury slowed Rappis considerably against UCLA in the regional title game and he managed only four points. He was still chosen to the Western Regional all-tournament team along with teammates Herman Harris and Al Fleming.

Gardner, a sophomore in 2001, is the Iron Man of the Arizona program. He holds the record for career average minutes played — 35.5 per game — and is third on the all-time scoring list with 1,984 points. Nobody has played more games (136) or started more (135) in the history of the program.

After Gardner led the Wildcats to the national title game in 2001 as a sophomore, it was speculated that he would forego his last two seasons and head to the NBA.

“He certainly will be one of our captains and will be a guy looked to for even more leadership than he what provided this year and I think that is a growing process anyway,” Olson told the media after Arizona lost to Duke 82-72 in the national title game.

Shooting Guard

Herman Harris (1974-1977) vs. Gilbert Arenas (1999-2001)

While the backcourt of Gardner and Arenas is arguably one of the best in the history of the program, the combination of Rappis and Harris has to rank high.

Harris was not a shy shooter — he holds the UA record for most field-goal attempts in a game with 29 (making nine) against San Diego State in 1977 — and he was set up many times by Rappis.

Harris, a junior in 1975-76, led the Wildcats with 18 points against UCLA in the 1976 Elite Eight game. He averaged 12.7 points in his career, highlighted by a team-high 20 points a game as a senior in 1976-77.

Arenas averaged 15.8 points in his two seasons with the Wildcats, as he left after his sophomore season for the NBA. He emerged from relative obscurity during the recruiting process to becoming one of the more flamboyant NBA players.

Olson believed after the 2000-01 season that Arenas, who led the 2000-01 team in scoring with 16.5 points a game, was mature enough to make the jump from college to pros. He is a 10-year NBA veteran and three-time All-Star selection.

“He is somebody that is going to be an outstanding pro,” Olson said. “I do think he grew a lot from a maturation standpoint. I think he would gain a lot from an additional year but I certainly understand his position. To me, it is not surprising.”

He is currently trying to find a team to join as a free agent.

Small Forward

Phil Taylor vs. Richard Jefferson

Although Taylor occupied the small forward position as a sophomore in 1976, there was nothing small about him. He actually played at center after Bob Elliott ended his illustrious career with Arizona in 1977. Taylor, who had 14 points in the loss to UCLA in 1976, helped comprise one of the best frontcourts in Wildcat history with Fleming and Elliott when the UA advanced to the Elite Eight in 1976.

Taylor’s 10.8 rebounds per game in 1976-77 ranks as the eighth best in UA history. He scored 36 points in a victory over UNLV as a senior in 1978.

Jefferson and power forward Michael Wright were the elder statesmen of the 2000-01 as juniors. Both did not return for their senior seasons after the Cats reached the title game in 20001.

Jefferson averaged 11.3 points and 5.4 rebounds that season. He was second in assists with 2.7 a game. He had 19 points and eight rebounds in the loss to the Blue Devils.

“You know, if we were playing them again tomorrow, who knows what could happen,” Jefferson said after the game. “That’s never going to happen. But we’re not going to take it as, `Hey, this was good enough.’ Of course we’re never going to be satisfied. This is going to stay with us the rest of our lives.”

Power Forward

Al Fleming (1973-1976) vs. Michael Wright (1998-2001)

Michael Wright

Despite all the prolific scorers that Snowden and Olson recruited to Arizona, Fleming — a power forward known more for his rebounding — holds the McKale Center scoring record for Wildcat players with 41 against Detroit (coached by Dick Vitale) on Jan. 10, 1976.

Fleming, who passed away from kidney cancer in 2003, is also the only UA player to have a perfect field-goal percentage with at least 10 attempts, when he went 10-for-10 against Midwestern earlier in the 1975-76 season. He also holds the school record for field-goal percentage with 66.7 percent in 1973-74. He and Channing Frye are the only UA players to lead the Wildcats in field-goal percentage throughout the four years of their career.

Fleming also holds the career rebounding record with 1,190. He had 23 rebounds in a game as a freshman (against San Diego State in 1972) and 23 as a senior (against Old Dominion in 1975).

A matchup between Fleming and Wright at their prime would be something to behold. Both played with tenacity around the basket. Wright led the UA in field-goal percentage in his three-year career and he topped the team in rebounding in 1999-2000 and 2000-2001.

If Wright would have stayed for his senior season and not tried to play professionally prematurely, he could have challenged Fleming’s career rebounding mark. Wright finished with 832. He most certainly would have been the third to eclipse the 1,000-rebound plateau joining Fleming and Bob Elliott.

Center

Bob Elliott (1973-1977) vs. Loren Woods (1999-2001)

Bob Elliott

Elliott, nicknamed “Big Bird” during his time at the UA, is among a select few in NCAA history who accomplished at least 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in his career.

Woods, 7-foot-2 compared to Elliott at 6-10, was known for his defense with his 186 blocked shots in his two-year Arizona career after transferring from Wake Forest. Woods, however, was solid on the offensive end as well, averaging 14.3 points at Arizona and making 79.3 percent of his free-throw attempts.

He was the reason why Arizona advanced to the Elite Eight in 2001 when the Wildcats beat Mississippi 66-56 in the Sweet Sixteen. He outplayed Ole Miss center Rahim Lockhart. Woods led the Cats with 16 points and had three blocks, compared to Rahim’s 11 points and one blocked shot.

Elliott may not have blocked as many shots but he was an effective defender. The UA did not start tabulating blocked shots effectively until after Elliott exhausted his eligibility.

He arguably was as active around the hoop as anybody in UA history. In the 114-109 overtime win over UNLV to reach the Elite Eight, Elliott scored 20 points, and he and Harris each made all four of their free-throw attempts in the overtime session.

“When our team come over this week, I felt slighted,” the late Snowden said of the regional at Pauley Pavilion. “Everybody just kind of ignored us.

“But maybe that was good because our team showed a lot of character.”

Bench

1975-1976 key reserves: Jerome Gladney, Leonard Gordy, Gilbert Myles and Sylvester Maxey

2000-2001 key reserves: Luke Walton, Eugene Edgerson and Justin Wessel

Edgerson and Wessel, co-captains of the 2000-01 team, were holdovers from Arizona’s only championship team of 1996-97. Walton was the sixth man of the 2000-01 team, playng plenty of minutes.

Walton is by far the most talented of both groups. He led the UA in rebounding and assists in 2001-02 and was selected in the second round of the NBA draft by the Lakers.

Gladney was the best reserve for Snowden’s group. The burly forward, who started earlier in his UA career, was selected in the eighth round by San Antonio a year after the Wildcats advanced to the Elite Eight. Gordy emerged as a senior captain in 1977 and was one of Arizona’s best free-throw shooters. Myles was a very capable assist man later in his UA career.

RELATED LINK: Analyzing Arizona’s recruiting classes since 1972

Arizona coach Sean Miller has a high-profile recruiting class and adequate returners that would soften the blow of a potential departure of Derrick Williams to the NBA after his sophomore season (US Presswire photo/Jason O. Watson)

Arizona coach Sean Miller has a potential top five recruiting class to soften the blow if Derrick Williams foregoes his last two years with the Wildcats to enter the NBA draft and hires an agent.

What did former coach Fred Snowden, bless his soul, have in mind in a similar situation in 1974 with the threat of losing prolific-scoring sophomores Eric Money and Coniel Norman to the NBA?

This is what was written by Steve Weston of the Tucson Citizen near the end of Snowden’s second season at Arizona on March 2, 1974:

No. 1 on most (recruiting) lists this season is 6-11 Moses Malone from Petersburg, Va. “We hope to have him visit,” said Snowden. “Of course, he’d be a great asset to our program.”

A great asset? How about a validation for a national championship?

Moses, a 13-time NBA All-Star and Hall of Famer, never took that recruiting visit to Tucson, although he reportedly became interested in Snowden and the Wildcats after watching them play New Mexico in Albuquerque that season. He signed a national letter of intent with Maryland but eventually went straight from Petersburg High School to the ABA in 1974.

Money and Norman, meanwhile, were chosen in the NBA draft that year. Money was taken in the second round (the 33rd pick overall) and Norman was the first pick in the third round (37th overall). That equates to early-second round selections today because the number of NBA teams has increased from 18 then to 30 now.

How did the Wildcats respond the following season after they finished 19-7 and failed to reach the postseason in the final year with Money and Norman? They actually had a better season, finishing 22-7 after losing to Drake in the championship game of the defunct National Commissioner’s Invitational Tournament (which featured teams that finished second in their respective conference).

The Wildcats excelled behind All-Western Athletic Conference frontcourt players Bob Elliott and Al Fleming, and a solid recruiting class that included playmaker Gilbert Myles and burly forward Phil Taylor.

Sports Illustrated, noting the Wildcats would take on a more physical look without Money and Norman, rated the UA No. 16 that year in its preseason Top 20. Snowden wanted more of a fearsome defensive presence after the loss of his star guards, who combined for more than 40 points a game in their UA careers.

Taylor, SI wrote, “bears a strong resemblance to Sonny Liston.” Snowden, known for his hyperbole, told the magazine that the team would be his best at Arizona after he went 35-17 in his first two seasons in Tucson.

Snowden proclaimed that Arizona would be “one of the five best in America by season’s end.” He looked like a prophet when the Wildcats started 11-1, but they staggered down the stretch.

Chances are that Miller, who is more close to the vest, will not proclaim next season that Arizona will be one of the nation’s top five teams if Williams does not return.

The late Fred Snowden was the first African-American head basketball coach for a major-college program when Arizona hired him in 1972

However, similar to Snowden’s third team succeeding without Money and Norman, the Wildcats in Miller’s third year should remain competitive without Williams with the incoming recruits and returners such as Solomon Hill, Lamont “MoMo” Jones, Kyle Fogg, Jesse Perry, Jordin Mayes and Kevin Parrom. Sports Illustrated will undoubtedly rank the UA in its preseason poll, likely higher than No. 16 as Snowden’s bunch.

Neither situation erases the thought of “what could have been?” If Money and Norman returned, the Wildcats would have played in the NCAA tournament in 1974-75, not a second-tier postseason tournament. Arizona will stay afloat without Williams. But if the Wildcats do not go deep into the NCAA tournament next season, the natural thought will be: How far could they have advanced with him?

The third year at Arizona for Snowden, Miller and Lute Olson are remarkably similar. All of them turned around a downtrodden program by their third season.

>> Snowden, a Michigan assistant, became the first African-American head basketball coach for a major-college program when he was hired by Arizona in 1972-73. Before his arrival, the Wildcats suffered three straight losing seasons, including five out of the previous six seasons. His first recruiting class included Money and Norman, teammates at Detroit’s Kettering High School; Fleming, from Chicago; center John Irving of Wilmington, Del., and accomplished guard Jim Rappis of Waukesha, Wis. Irving transferred after his freshman season to Hofstra, where he led the nation as a sophomore with 15.3 rebounds per game. In Snowden’s fourth season, the Wildcats reached the 1976 NCAA Tournament West Regional finals behind Fleming, Taylor, Myles and Rappis, as well as Elliott and Herman Harris (both of whom were part of Snowden’s second recruiting class).

>> Olson took over the program that went 4-24 under Ben Lindsey before his arrival in 1983-84. Snowden took on an administrator role within Arizona’s athletic department after three straight losings from 1979-82. Lindsey’s dismal year followed before Olson arrived. Olson coached the Wildcats to a 21-10 record and NCAA Tournament berth in only his second season (1984-85). Olson did not lose players prematurely to the draft after that season, but All-Pac-10 selections Pete Williams and Eddie Smith exhausted their eligibility. Williams and Smith, both junior-college transfers, were part of Olson’s first recruiting class along with heralded guard Steve Kerr. Heading into his third season in Tucson, Olson immediately made up for the loss of Williams and Smith by attracting one of the program’s best recruiting classes in history. The Class of 1985 included Cholla High School star Sean Elliott, Anthony Cook of Van Nuys, Calif., and Kenny Lofton East Chicago, Ind. The Wildcats reached their first Final Four in 1988 with Elliott a junior and Kerr a senior (after he sat out 1986-87 with a knee injury).

>> Miller was hired in April 2009 after other high-profile coaches such as Jamie Dixon, John Calipari, Rick Pitino and Mark Few reportedly turned down the opportunity. Arizona was in a state of transition after playing consecutive years under interim coaches Kevin O’Neill and Russ Pennell following Olson’s leave of absence and sudden retirement in 2007 due to health issues. The Wildcats did not actively recruit during this period. After Miller’s hiring, he welcomed three players — Derrick Williams of La Mirada, Calif.; Jones of Harlem, N.Y., and Hill of Los Angeles — who either signed with USC or committed to play there. They left the Trojans after coach Tim Floyd, another Arizona coaching candidate, was forced to resign amid alleged NCAA recruiting violations. Parrom, of the Bronx, N.Y., and Ukrainian Kyryl Natyazhko were also part of Miller’s first recruiting class. The Wildcats struggled to a 16-15 overall record and failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 25 years in Miller’s first season. Arizona improved to 30-8 in Miller’s second season, coming a missed three-point try at the buzzer away from reaching the Final Four.

Lute Olson was fortunate to have Sean Elliott as a heralded freshman in his third season at Arizona (US Presswire photo/Mark J. Rebilas)

Miller’s rise to the Elite Eight in only his second year is meteoric compared to Snowden (who made it that far in his fourth season) and Olson (fifth year).

The heralded Class of 2011, which recruiting gurus such as Van Coleman and Dave Telep call a “potential top five class”, should help make deep runs in the NCAA tournament common.

The class could start for most college programs: Josiah Turner, a 6-3 point guard from Winston-Salem (N.C.) Quality Education Academy by way of Sacramento, Calif.; Nick Johnson, a 6-3 shooting guard-wing from Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep by way of Gilbert; and Sidiki Johnson, a 6-8 power forward from the Bronx who played briefly this season with prestigious Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy.

Angelo Chol, a 6-8 shot-blocking post player from San Diego Hoover High School, has verbally committed to Arizona and should sign with the Wildcats on April 13, the first day of the spring signing period.

Derrick Williams was such an asset in Miller’s first two seasons that the UA’s success is a far cry from the building process under Snowden and Olson. The recruiting classes going forward will attempt to go only a step or two higher (Final Four and national championship) than what he did as only a sophomore. The Wildcats also won the regular-season Pac-10 title this season.

Olson won his first Pac-10 title in his third year, in Elliott’s freshman season. In terms of national prestige, Olson’s teams gradually improved year by year to reaching the pinnacle of the 1988 Final Four. As the years passed, Olson’s teams reloaded and played in four Final Fours, won a national title in 1997 and played for another championship in 2001.

Snowden won the WAC title and came one game from the Final Four in his fourth season, two years removed from the departure of Money and Norman. Recruiting shortcomings and player transfers spelled doom for Snowden in the last three years of his 10-year tenure.

The sudden deep run in the NCAA tournament signals that Miller is advanced enough as a coach that he will take Olson’s prolonged successful route, rather than Snowden’s short-lived time in the spotlight. Don’t forget: Miller and Olson had head coaching experience, including leading teams deep in the NCAA tourney, before moving to Tucson. Arizona was Snowden’s first head coaching gig.

The return of Derrick Williams will help Miller build a stronger foundation, but as Arizona’s followers have experienced before, the program has proven it can manifest itself.

Arizona forward Derrick Williams overpowered Duke's Kyle Singler with 32 points and 13 rebounds in the UA's 93-77 Sweet 16 win Thursday in Anaheim (US Presswire photo/Gary A. Vasquez)

If somebody was lost at sea since 2007 and returned to hear the news about Arizona qualifying for the Elite Eight on Thursday, what would the reaction be?

“That’s great to hear. Lute’s finally got them back where they belong. Great to see it happen after that collapse in 2005 against Illinois. When is he hanging it up? What is he 80?”

You were lost only four years ago, but since then, Lute Olson took a leave of absence and eventually retired. In the meantime, a couple of coaches replaced him as caretakers, each for a season, and then they finally hired this young, 42-year-old guy named Sean Miller.

Arizona is in the Elite Eight and Lute is not the coach? What?

Believe it. Nobody, not even Miller, can say they are not surprised. Last season, the Wildcats failed to make the NCAA tournament … (interrupted)

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Didn’t make NCAA tournament? Don’t they go every year?

Until Miller’s first year last season they went 25 straight years. But it’s not his fault the streak was snapped. The interim coaches — Kevin O’Neill and Russ Pennell — did not actively recruit in the two years after Lute left. A lot of turnover occurred as Miller brought in five of his own guys last year — three at the last minute because the USC coach left amid turmoil and those guys shifted their allegiance to Arizona. Miller told the Tucson media that he has a three-year plan to coach Arizona back to prominence.

Hold on. Arizona lost Olson, used two interim coaches, hired Miller … lost out on some recruits, all in the last four years … didn’t make the NCAA tournament last year. … and this guy Miller, in only his second year, has Arizona in the Elite Eight?

Like I said. Believe it. The Wildcats also won the regular-season Pac-10 title this year.

C’mon. Being lost at sea is troubling enough for my brain to process.

In my opinion, Miller’s coaching performance and the Wildcats’ 93-77 dominating win over No. 1 seed and defending national champion Duke on Thursday in Anaheim ranks as one of the program’s top five victories in their history.

Not to beat my own drum, but I have followed the Wildcats since Fred Snowden coached in the early 1970s. I sat in McKale Center with the 6,000 or so fans in Olson’s first year at Arizona in 1983-84 after the embarrassing year of Ben Lindsey as head coach. Yes, I also attended most of the games when Lindsey’s team went 4-24.

I covered the Wildcats for The Arizona Daily Star during their historic run through the NCAA tournament in 1997. I have watched probably more than 1,100 Arizona basketball games in my lifetime (I turn 44 in July).

Considering the state of the UA program the last three years, it is a no-brainer to me to place the win over the Blue Devils and Mike Krzyzewski in the Top 5 category of significant victories.

The honor roll:

1. 1997 Sweet 16 vs. Kansas. Arizona’s 85-82 win over No. 1-ranked Kansas, which was only one overtime loss from a perfect season, has no equal. The Jayhawks featured four future pros in Paul Pierce, Raef LaFrentz, Scot Pollard and Jacque Vaughn. The Wildcats placed fifth in the Pac-10 that year and had nine regular-season defeats before advancing on their magical title run.

2. 1997 Championship vs. Kentucky. The Wildcats’ 84-79 win in overtime over Kentucky is their greatest accomplishment because it is a national title with the eyes of the world watching. I stick to my guns, however, about the win over 1997 juggernaut Kansas as the top victory in the program in terms of difficulty and significance.

3. 2011 Sweet 16 vs. Duke. This 93-77 drubbing may not rate as high as the top two, but as far as overall performance — from Derrick Williams’ dominance to Lamont “MoMo” Jones’ playmaking to Jamelle Horne’s spirited play and Solomon Hill’s and Kevin Parrom’s shooting and defensive play — no other performance in Wildcat history might compare. Again, the circumstances of how far Miller has taken this recently faltering program in such little time has this game rated high. If Arizona beats UConn on Saturday to reach the Final Four, that victory could be No. 2 as the most significant in the program’s history because this hard-to-believe story will get richer.

4. 1988 Elite Eight vs. North Carolina. To many of the Wildcats’ followers this 70-52 win over the Tar Heels is the most prideful victory in Arizona history. Arizona advanced to its first Final Four in school history only five seasons after Lindsey’s debacle, and the Wildcats did it at the hands of Dean Smith and the vaunted Tar Heels. The two most popular UA hoops players in school history — Steve Kerr and Sean Elliott — are part of this historic team.

5. 1997 Final Four vs. North Carolina. Former UA player and assistant coach Josh Pastner told me after the Wildcats defeated the Tar Heels 66-58 that the Wildcats chanted “Play on Monday! Play on Monday!” before the game. The Wildcats achieved playing on Monday in the national title for the first time in school history behind the steady play of freshman point guard Mike Bibby, whose awe-inspiring play along with Final Four MVP Miles Simon in the 1997 run, is rivaled now by what we’re seeing from Williams.

Honorable mention: Arizona’s 88-76 victory in 1986 behind Elliott late in the season at UCLA enabled the Wildcats to clinch at least a share of the Pac-10 title, which they later won outright. The UA began its Pac-10 prominence under Olson only three years after the Wildcats finished 1-17 in the league under Lindsey. Adding spice to the story, the win came at the hands of John Wooden’s old program and standard-bearer of the conference. … And, of course, victories that deserve mention are those that enabled the Wildcats to advance to the 1994, 1997 and 2001 Final Fours (Louisville, Providence and Illinois, respectively), and the win over Michigan State in the 2001 Final Four that set up a national championship showdown against Duke, which the Blue Devils won. … The sentimental favorite of many long-standing Arizona fans is the 1976 Sweet 16 win over UNLV, a 114-109 overtime classic in Los Angeles. That moved the Wildcats to their first Elite Eight appearance, where they would lose to host UCLA. At any rate, the thriller over the Running Rebels and Jerry Tarkanian in 1976 is clearly the best win in the Snowden era.

Front page of the Tucson Citizen the day after Arizona outlasted UNLV 114-109 in overtime on March 18, 1976

The day Arizona starts its Sean Miller NCAA tournament chapter is a day that produced one of the Wildcats’ greatest victories and most forgettable defeats in March Madness history.

Former UNLV legendary coach Jerry Tarkanian led his team to a 29-1 record before Arizona's upset victory over the Running Rebels in the 1976 NCAA West Regional semifinals

The Wildcats defeated UNLV 114-109 in overtime in the NCAA West Regional semifinal on March 18, 1976. The No. 2-seeded Wildcats were upset 64-61 by Santa Clara and Steve Nash on March 18, 1993.

Obscure fact: When the Wildcats face Memphis and former player and assistant coach Josh Pastner on Friday morning, it will mark the program’s 10th NCAA tournament game played on March 18. That’s the most games in a day in Arizona’s NCAA tournament history, two more than March 16.

The Wildcats’ record on March 18 is 5-4. Too bad for those superstitious Arizona fans that the Cats’ first-round game was not on Thurs., March 17. The Wildcats are 3-0 in the NCAA tournament on March 17.

Performances in Arizona’s monumental 1976 win over the Running Rebels, coached by Jerry Tarkanian, still litter the UA postseason record book. Fred Snowden‘s Wildcats advanced the farthest in school history at the time — only a game away from the Final Four — behind Herman Harris‘ 31 points.

Harris’ scoring output ranks second in NCAA tournament scoring, behind Khalid Reeves‘ 32 against Loyola (Md.) in an 81-55 win on — yes, March 18, 1994.

Harris scored 16 of the Wildcats’ final 27 points in regulation against UNLV. He also hit the tying shot with 14 seconds left in regulation.

The 114 points against the Rebels in Los Angeles remains a tournament record for the Wildcats. Remember, the game was played before the NCAA instituted the shot clock and three-point line. The Wildcats could have actually scored a lot more. They made an Arizona NCAA tournament record-low 56.5 percent (26 of 46) of their free-throw attempts against UNLV.

Jim Rappis posted 12 assists in the game, one less than Reggie Geary‘s UA tournament record against Iowa on March 17, 1996. Phil Taylor‘s 15 rebounds against the Rebels, are one less than Al Fleming‘s 16 two days later in a loss to UCLA in the regional final and A.J. Bramlett‘s 16 in a first-round win over South Alabama (March 13, 1997) during the UA’s national title run.

Rappis, who also scored 24 against UNLV, played in the second half with a noticeable limp after hurting his left heel six minutes before halftime.

“Jimmy is the epitome of courage,” Snowden told reporters.

Six players fouled out and a total of 63 fouls were called. Rappis’ scoring and assists combined with that of Harris (who also had nine assists) accounted for 97 of Arizona’s points against UNLV, which was 29-1 heading into the game. Arizona finished that season 24-9.

“I just don’t know what to say,” Tarkanian is quoted as saying after the game. “Arizona deserves all the credit. They played a great game.

“Our kids have worked so hard and so long, it’s a shame to see it all end now.”

Former UA coach Lute Olson had a similar reaction when the Wildcats were stunned 64-61 by Nash’s Santa Clara Broncos in 1993. The loss came a season after No. 14 seed East Tennessee State upset the No. 3 Wildcats 87-80 in the first round.

Arizona lost to Santa Clara despite going on one of its patented runs, 25-0 between the first and second halves. The Wildcats seemed to be in command with a 46-33 lead with 15:26 left in the game. But that’s when leading scorer Chris Mills was assessed his fourth foul, requiring him to sit for almost 10 minutes.

Arizona (24-4) managed only one field goal the rest of the way until Mills hit a 3-pointer with 8.4 seconds to pull the Wildcats within 64-61. They could get no closer. Damon Stoudamire‘s desperation 23-footer at the buzzer hit the back of the rim.

“I don’t feel jinxed,” Olson told the media. “At this time, I’m just frustrated we didn’t play more the way we’re capable of playing.”

Some other March 18 NCAA tournament data for the Wildcats:

>> Olson achieved his first NCAA tournament victory at Arizona with a 90-50 rout of Cornell on March 18, 1988. Olson had lost in the first round at Arizona in consecutive years from 1985-87 before that victory. The Wildcats advanced to their first Final Four that year.

>> A 94-68 win over Clemson on March 18, 1989 sent the Wildcats into the Sweet 16 in Sean Elliott‘s senior season, but they lost to UNLV 68-67 five days later.

>> Another victory on March 18 (in the 2001 tourney) was a 73-52 rout over Butler in the second round. The Wildcats advanced to the championship game that season.

>> Other losses on March 18 include second-round setbacks to Alabama (77-55 in 1990) and Wisconsin (66-59 as a No. 1 seed in 2000), and a first-round loss to Seton Hall (80-76 in 2004).

>> The Wildcats posted the most turnovers (31) in their NCAA tournament history against UNLV in 1976. They achieved their best free-throw percentage (94.4, 17 of 18) in the 2001 win over Butler. And Joseph Blair made all six of his field-goal attempts against Loyola (Md.) in 1994, giving him the record of a 1.000 shooting percentage (minimum six attempts required).

Head coach: Fred Snowden

1972: Ron Allen, Dave Burns, Al Fleming, John Irving, Eric Money, Coniel Norman, Jim Rappis and James Wakefield. Three years later (1974-75): The UA finishes 22-7 and is selected to the National Commissioner’s Invitational Tournament. You can argue that Money, Norman, Fleming and Rappis are the best foursome recruiting class the Wildcats have ever seen based on pure talent. Rating (scale 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest): 9.

Fred Snowden’s first two recruiting classes at Arizona included seven NBA draft picks

1973: Bob Aleksa, Bob Elliott, Jerome Gladney, Len Gordy, Herman Harris, Gary Harrison and Steve Kanner. Three years later (1975-76): The UA finishes 24-9, wins the WAC title and loses in the 1976 Elite Eight to UCLA. Elliott is the UA’s career scoring leader before Sean Elliott (no relation) breaks his record. Herman Harris’ scoring average might have increased by four points if a three-point line exists back then. Rating: 8.

1974: Tom Ehlmann, Mitch Jones, Tim Marshall, Gilbert Myles, Phil Taylor. Three years later (1976-77): The UA finishes 21-6 and loses in the first round of the 1977 NCAA tournament (the last time the UA made the NCAA tournament under Snowden). Rating: 4.

1975: Larry Demic, Ron Fuller, Brian Jung and Sylvester Maxey. Three years later 1977-78): The UA finishes 15-11. Demic is a first-round draft pick in 1979. Rating: 6.

1976: Kenny Davis, Joe Nehls and Tommy Williams. Three years later (1978-79): The UA finishes 16-11, the last time the Wildcats have a winning record for six years. Rating: 3.

1977: Russell Brown, Robby Dosty, Steve Lake and John Smith. Three years later (1979-80): The UA finishes 12-15. Brown remains the school’s career leader in assists with 810 (no other player has more than 700). Rating: 5.

1978: John Belobraydic, Ray Donnelly, Greg Hawthorne, John Hutcherson, Donald Mellon, Charles Miller and Michael Zeno. Three years later (1980-81): The UA finishes 13-14. Hawthorne, Mellon and Zeno are highly-regarded recruits but nothing materializes from this group.Rating: 3.

1979: Ron Davis, David Mosebar, Frank Smith Jr. and Leon Wood. Three years later (1981-82): The UA finishes 9-18 in Snowden’s last season. Wood transfers to Cal State-Fullerton after his freshman year and is later drafted in the first round. After extremely impressive recruiting classes his first couple of seasons, Snowden never really sustains that level of success and the UA gradually declines. This class is good, however, with Davis, Smith and Wood. Rating: 7.

1980: Jeff Collins, Greg Cook and Ricky Walker. Three years later (1982-83): The UA finishes 4-24 in Ben Lindsey’s only season at Arizona. None of these recruits are around for that debacle. Rating: 1.

1981: Brock Brunkhorst, Mark Jung, Jack Magno and John Vlahogeorge. Three years later (1983-84): The UA finishes 11-17 in Olson’s first season. The only player from this class on Olson’s first team is Brunkhorst. Rating: 1.

Head coach: Ben Lindsey

1982: Troy Cooke, Ken Ensor, David Haskin, Todd Porter, Greg Scott, Greg Taylor, Morgan Taylor and Puntus Wilson. Three years later (1984-85): The UA finishes 21-10 and returns to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1977. Only Haskin and Morgan Taylor are there to experience it. Scott, Wilson and Porter are not retained by Olson. Rating: 1.

Head coach: Lute Olson

1983: Van Beard, Steve Kerr, Eddie Smith, Michael Tait and Pete Williams. Three years later (1985-86): The UA finishes 23-9 and wins its first Pac-10 title with Kerr as a captain. Olson credits Williams as being one of the best rebounders he’s ever coached. Rating: 8.

1984: Jon Edgar, Bruce Fraser, Rolf Jacobs, Craig McMillan and Joe Turner. Three years later (1986-87):The UA finishes 18-12 partly because Kerr is forced to redshirt with a knee injury. McMillan is first McDonald’s All-American recruited by Olson to Arizona. Rating: 5.

1985: Anthony Cook, Eric Cooper, Sean Elliott, Ken Lofton and Bruce Wheatley. Three years later (1987-88): The UA finishes 35-3 overall and 17-1 in the Pac-10. It reaches its first Final Four in school history. Elliott is the Pac-10 Player of the Year. He eventually breaks Lew Alcindor’s conference scoring record. Elliott and Cook are drafted in the first round in 1989. Note: Cooper’s son, Eric Cooper Jr., is a Class of 2013 prospect who is being recruited by Arizona. Rating: 9.

Sean Elliott headlined a group in 1985 that included Anthony Cook and Kenny Lofton

1986: Jud Buechler, Brian David, Harvey Mason and Tom Tolbert. Three years later (1988-89): The UA finishes 29-4 overall and 17-1 in the Pac-10 the second straight year. Buechler goes on to the NBA and wins three titles with the Bulls. Rating: 7.

1987: Matt Muehlebach, Sean Rooks and Mark Georgeson. Three years later (1989-90): The Wildcats become co-champs of the Pac-10 regular season and the conference tournament titlist. Muehlebach, one of Olson’s most steady captains, never loses a home game in his career. Georgeson transfers to Pepperdine after freshman season. Rooks evolves into an All-Pac-10 center his senior year followed by 12 seasons in the NBA with Dallas, Minnesota, Atlanta, the Lakers, the Clippers, New Orleans and Orlando. Rating: 7.

1988: Ron Curry, Matt Othick and Wayne Womack. Three years later (1990-91): The UA finishes 28-7 and wins its fourth straight Pac-10 title. Othick and Womack play through their senior seasons. Curry transfers to Marquette after freshman season.Rating: 6.

1989: Casey Schmidt and Ed Stokes. Three years later (1991-92): The UA finishes 24-7 overall, average by its standards. The Wildcats are upset by East Tennessee State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Stokes is decent but not spectacular as a 7-footer. Rating: 2.

1990: Tony Clark, Kevin Flanagan, Deron Johnson and Khalid Reeves. Three years later (1992-93): The UA finishes 24-4 overall and 17-1 in the Pac-10. Kentucky transfer Chris Mills is a captain of the team. Reeves is first N.Y. product recruited by Olson and he is drafted in the first round 1994. Rating: 6.

1991: Sean Allen, Ray Owes and Damon Stoudamire. Three years later (1993-94): The UA finishes 29-6 overall and advances to its second Final Four. Stoudamire becomes Olson’s sixth first-round draft pick in 1995. Rating: 8.

1992: Joseph Blair, Edtrick Bohannon, Reggie Geary, Joe McLean and Corey Williams. Three years later (1994-95): The UA finishes 24-7 and loses in the first round to Miami (Ohio) with Sean Miller as an assistant to Herb Sendek. Bohannon transfers. Blair, Geary, McLean and Williams form another strong nucleus. Rating: 6.

1993: Jarvis Kelley. Three years later (1995-96): The UA finishes 27-6 and loses in the Sweet 16 to Kansas. Kelley transfers after his sophomore season. Rating: 1.

1994: Marty Bartmentloo, Ben Davis, Michael Dickerson and Miles Simon. Three years later (1996-97): The UA finishes 25-9 and wins its first NCAA title. Simon is named the Final Four MVP. Dickerson is a first-round draft choice in 1998. Rating: 8.

1995: Donnell Harris, A.J. Bramlett and Jason Terry. Three years later (1997-98): The UA finishes 30-5 overall and 17-1 in the Pac-10. It loses in the Sweet 16 against Utah. Terry is picked in the first round of the 1999 NBA draft,10th overall. Bramlett becomes one of the more reliable UA centers in Olson era. Harris’ career never flourishes. Rating: 5.

1996: Mike Bibby, Quynn Tebbs, Justin Wessel, Bennett Davison and Eugene Edgerson. Three years later (1998-99): The UA finishes 22-7 and loses in the first round to Oklahoma. Bibby is already gone, selected in the first round of the 1998 draft (the highest pick in UA history at No. 2 overall). Tebbs transfers after one season and Wessel is a career reserve. Davison, a JC recruit, and Edgerson are ideal role players. Rating: 7.

1997: Dion Broom. Three years later (1999-2000): The UA’s one-man recruiting class never qualifies academically. The Wildcats start to build steam in 2000 behind next recruiting class and finish 27-7 overall and tied for first in the Pac-10 with 15-3 record.Rating: 1.

1998: Luke Walton, Rick Anderson, Ruben Douglas, Richard Jefferson, Traves Wilson and Michael Wright. Three years later (2000-01): The UA finishes 28-8 and advances to its fourth Final Four. The Wildcats lose to Duke in the title game. Douglas and Wilson already transfer after their freshman year, but Jefferson, Walton (who redshirts in 998) and Wright establish themselves. Jefferson is selected in the first round of the NBA draft in 2001. Walton wins NBA title with Lakers in 2009. Douglas becomes leading scorer in NCAA with New Mexico his senior year. Rating: 8.

Lute Olson's top recruiting class arguably is the 1998 group with Luke Walton, Richard Jefferson and Michael Wright (US Presswire photo/Chris Morrison)

1999: Gilbert Arenas, Lamont Frazier, Jason Gardner and Robertas Javtokas. Three years later (2001-02): The UA finishes 24-10, its first season with double-digit losses since 1987. Arenas is an unknown recruit, not sought by other programs. He becomes an NBA all-star. Gardner holds the UA record for career minutes played. Rating: 7.

2000: Travis Hanour. Three years later (2002-03): The UA finishes 28-4 overall and 17-1 in the Pac-10. It loses in the Elite Eight to Kansas. Hanour only lasts a year before transferring. Rating: 1.

2001: Will Bynum, Isaiah Fox, Channing Frye, Dennis Latimore, Salim Stoudamire and Andrew Zahn. Three years later (2003-04): The UA finishes 20-10 overall and struggles in the Pac-10 with an 11-7 record. Bynum, Latimore and Zahn all transfer before this season. Frye establishes himself as a first-round pick in the NBA draft in 2005. Stoudamire becomes a deadly perimeter shooter. Rating: 6.

2002: Hassan Adams, Andre Iguodala and Chris Rodgers. Three years later (2004-05): The UA finishes 30-7 and 15-3 in the Pac-10, winning its last conference title. The Wildcats lose in the Elite Eight to Illinois, blowing a 15-point lead with less than 5 minutes remaining. Iguodala becomes a first-round draft pick in 2004. Rodgers gets in Olson’s doghouse and Adams is a solid contributor. Rating: 5.

2003: Mustafa Shakur, Ivan Radenovich and Kirk Walters. Three years later (2005-06): The UA finishes 20-13 overall and loses in the second round to Villanova. Shakur struggles throughout most of his UA career while Walters is injury-plagued. Radenovich, who enters mid-season from Serbia in 2003, gradually improves as a contributor.Rating: 4.

2004: Daniel Dillon, Jawann McClellan, Mohamed Tangara and Jesus Verdugo. Three years later (2006-07): The UA finishes 20-11 and loses in the first round to Purdue. This group never pans out. Verdugo transfers after his freshman year and Tangara transfers before his senior season. Dillon becomes a career reserve while McClellan is beset by personal problems and injuries. Rating: 2.

2005: Fendi Onobun, J.P. Prince and Marcus Williams. Three years later (2007-08): The UA finishes 19-15 under interim coach Kevin O’Neill. Onobun becomes a career reserve. Prince transfers in 2007 and Williams leaves for the NBA the same year but toils in the developmental league since. Rating: 2.

2006: Chase Budinger, Jordan Hill and Nic Wise. Three years later (2008-09): The UA finishes 21-14 and is one of the last teams to make the NCAA tournament, extending its streak to 25 years. Hill is selected in the first round of the NBA draft while Budinger slips to the second round after leaving school early. Wise is an All-Pac-10 selection as a senior but his NBA aspirations are immediately unattainable. Rating: 6.

2007: Jerryd Bayless, Jamelle Horne, Zane Johnson, Laval Lucas-Perry and Alex Jacobson. Three years later: The UA finishes 16-15 in 2009-10 and out of the NCAA tournament for the first time in 26 years. Bayless is selected in the first round of the NBA draft after his freshman season in 2008. Johnson and Lucas-Perry transfer (Lucas-Perry is later dismissed from Michigan). Horne’s improvement is stagnant but he becomes a more reliable player as a senior in 2010-11. Jacobson, beset by back problems, plays sparingly throughout his career after redshirting as a freshman. Rating: 3.

Sean Miller's first two classes lack a headliner but each player is solid and important to his plans (US Presswire photo/Chris Morrison)

2008: Kyle Fogg, Jeff Withey, Brandon Lavender and Garland Judkins. Three years later: The Wildcats finish 30-8 and advance to the Elite Eight with Fogg and Lavender serving as complimentary parts to Derrick Williams’ charge. Under-recruited Fogg starts as a freshman and establishes more minutes as his career moves forward. An All-Pac-12 selection, Fogg becomes Arizona’s most reliable defensive player as a senior. Withey transfers to Kansas before he plays a minute for UA, reacting to Olson’s abrupt retirement. Lavender becomes mostly a career backup. Judkins transfers to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Rating: 3.

Head coach: Sean Miller

2009: Solomon Hill, Lamont “MoMo” Jones, Derrick Williams, Kyryl Natyazhko and Kevin Parrom. Three years later: The Wildcats finish 23-12 overall and out of the NCAA tournament picture in 2011-12. Miller’s first class is ranked No. 12 in the nation by Rivals.com and Scout.com. The Wildcats miss Williams, who was the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 2009-10 and Player of the Year in 2010-11. He is selected No. 2 in the NBA draft after foregoing his last two years of college. Parrom is beset by injuries and personal trauma for half of his career. Natyazhko has trouble adjusting to college game and moves back to his native Ukraine. Parrom steadily improves to become one of the best reserves and starts during the latter part of his senior season. Hill finishes among Arizona’s top 20 scorers and top 10 rebounders in the program’s history. Jones, the team’s vociferous leader who was instrumental in the Wildcats’ Sweet 16 upset of No. 1-seed Duke, transfers to Iona to be closer to his family in New York. Rating: 7.

2010: Daniel Bejarano, Jesse Perry and Jordin Mayes. Three years later: The Wildcats, ranked as high as No. 3 at one point, finish 27-8 and advance to the Sweet 16 this season. Only Mayes is around, and he plays minimal role backing up senior transfer Mark Lyons. Miller’s second class includes a JC wing player in Perry, a deft shooter in Bejarano and playmaker and leader in Mayes. Perry takes over the starting role from Horne, a senior, early in the 2010-11 season and becomes a productive rebounder as a senior in 2011-12. Mayes struggles with his confidence after showing flashes of promise as a freshman in 2010-11. Bejarano, lacking in defense and unable to land minutes in Miller’s rotation, transfers to Colorado State after his freshman season. Rating: 2. Mayes can change the grade depending on how he fares next season as a senior.

2011: Angelo Chol, Nick Johnson, Josiah Turner and Sidiki Johnson. Three years later: To be determined in 2013-14. Miller’s third class includes one of the best backcourts recruited in the same class at Arizona, rivaling the Gardner and Arenas combination in 1999 and Money and Norman in 1972. Turner is gone, leaving Arizona’s program after suffering disciplinary issues with Miller. Sidiki Johnson did not last half of the season in Tucson after becoming a disciplinary casualty. Nick Johnson emerges as a defensive standout who can provide a spark to Arizona’s transition on offense. Chol, a shot-blocker extraordinaire in high school, has struggled to crack Miller’s primary rotation. Rating (could change by end of next season): 3, because Nick Johnson is lone player of this once-heralded four-player class to make an impact on the program.

2012: Brandon Ashley, Kaleb Tarczewski, Grant Jerrett and Gabe York. Three years later: To be determined in 2014-15. Miller’s fourth class is rated his best, third in the nation by Rivals.com. The Wildcats have never amassed a class with such talented frontcourt players in one recruiting class. Ashley, Tarczewski and Jerrett each play important roles as freshmen and were significant in the Wildcats advancing to the Sweet 16. York, struggling defensively, plays minimal minutes as a freshman. Rating (could change by end of 2015): 8. That can improve based on the development of Ashley, Tarczewski and Jerrett and whether York becomes a factor.

2013: Aaron Gordon, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Elliott Pitts. Three years later: To be determined in 2015-16. Miller lands two more Five-Star recruits and McDonald’s All-Americans in Gordon and Hollis-Jefferson. Recruiting experts compare Gordon’s style at 6-foot-8 to that of Blake Griffin. Hollis-Jefferson is a wing player who can play point if necessary. Pitts is lauded by experts for his tenacious style and high basketball IQ. Miller has one more scholarship to fill if Parrom is not granted a fifth-year of eligibility based on his medical hardship waiver request. Rating (could change by end of 2015): 8.

WILDABOUTAZCATS.net publisher and writer Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club winner

MoMo Jones brought his swagger from New York City thanks to his relationship with Book Richardson, who is vital to the program bringing in East coast talent (US Presswire photo/Chris Morrison)

Check out video of the Arizona-Cal game, including interviews, the most recent Pac-10 standings and a brief look ahead to ASU at our partner site, WILDABOUTAZCATS.com

Random thoughts while wondering about the publicity Arizona will receive next year in New York City with Lamont “MoMo” Jones, Kevin Parrom and Class of 2011 signee Sidiki Johnson playing in the Coaches Vs. Cancer event in Madison Square Garden …

>> Jones made the clutch shots against Cal — again, as he did in wins over UCLA, USC and Stanford previously — and Parrom played his breakout game with 25 career-best points. The Most Valuable Person, however, in the 107-105 triple-overtime thriller is Arizona assistant coach Book Richardson, a Queens, N.Y., native who was instrumental in Jones (Harlem) and Parrom (Bronx) leaving New York City and heading to Tucson, of all places. Arizona coach Sean Miller, knowing Richardson’s value as recruiter and communicator with coaches and parents, has entrusted Richardson to work on some of his West coast targets, including post players Angelo Chol (a Class of 2011 prospect from San Diego Hoover High School) and Brandon Ashley (2012, from Oakland Bishop O’Dowd). …

UA assistant coach Book Richardson

>> The 52 points combined by Jones and Parrom in the thriller Saturday is reminiscent of when two Detroit prep stars — Eric Money and Coniel Norman — followed former UA coach Fred Snowden from Michigan to place a mark on the Arizona program in 1972-73. Norman remains the school’s career scoring average leader (23.9) and Money is at No. 6 (18.6). Their names would not have littered Arizona’s record books, much like Jones and Parrom would not be wearing “ARIZONA” across their chest, if it weren’t for them agreeing to leave a metropolis for the desert. Jones, who produced a career-high 27 points, after the game said to reporters: “You’re not a New York guard, if you don’t want the ball at the end of the clock. Point blank, end of story.” …

>> Jones stands a good chance of being the Pac-10 Player of the Week for the second consecutive week. Trivia: Name the two Arizona Wildcats who have earned that distinction? If you said Sean Elliott and Damon Stoudamire, you are wrong. The only UA players to earn consecutive Pac-10 Player of the Week honors are Steve Kerr and Hassan Adams. Kerr was chosen the league’s top player in consecutive weeks during the 1987-88 season and Adams during the 2005-06 season. Only two players have earned three consecutive player-of-the-week honors and they are: Eddie House of ASU in the 1999-2000 season and Brandon Roy of Washington in the 2005-06 season. …

>> The Wildcats will go for their fourth consecutive road victory in the conference when they play at ASU on Sunday (by the way, ASU sports information specialist Doug Tammaro confirmed with me Saturday night that “plenty” of tickets remain). The last time Arizona achieved four straight Pac-10 road wins was in Lute Olson’s last season of 2006-07. The Wildcats won six of their last eight regular-season games that season, including five straight wins at Oregon State, Oregon, ASU, California and Stanford. …

>>Once upon a time, notching 20 wins in a season meant a certain berth in the NCAA tournament. The Wildcats (20-4 overall, 9-2 in the Pac-10) did just that against Cal — notching their 20th win — but the berth into the NCAA tournament is not yet in hand. Inclusion in the tournament is based on power ratings and strength of schedule, which are favorable for Arizona but the Wildcats must finish strong to clinch a spot in March Madness after a year’s hiatus. At least three more wins and the Wildcats can finish no worse than 12-6 in the Pac-10, which should be good enough to open the door to the NCAA tournament. If history is any indication of how things might go this season, Arizona is in for some grand results. The last time Arizona reached 20 wins this soon — by calendar date and game total — the Wildcats finished with 30 wins. The 2004-05 team that started 21-4 finished 30-7, and the 1997-98 team that won its 20th game on Feb. 5 (the same date this year’s team achieved the mark Saturday) finished 30-5. Can this year’s team reach 30 wins? The Wildcats have seven regular-season games left, including five in the state of Arizona. Then comes three potential games in the Pac-10 tourney and then the NCAA tournament. Why not?

After watching what Jones and Parrom and the rest of the Wildcats did Saturday in Berkeley, nobody can really doubt what they can do.