By Ezra Amacher
2011 was an incredible year for Arizona basketball, as it marked the Cats' return to the elite level of college basketball. Here is a list of the top 11 stories of the year.
11. Triple Overtime Thriller At Cal
Following a 27 point performance that included many clutch shots, MoMo Jones had this to say, “To other people it might be something new, but to me it's just another day in the life of MoMo Jones." When Derrick Williams was out of the game because of foul trouble, Jones stepped up and led Arizona to a 107-105 triple over time victory over the Golden Bears. The game didn't get much national attention but it showed Arizona fans that the team could still manage without Williams on the court.
10. The Emergence of Josiah Turner and Nick Johnson
There was a lot of hype surrounding Nick “Bunnies” Johnson and Josiah Turner, two guards that were teammates for the Oakland Soldiers, and they have not disappointed. While Turner had some trouble adjusting to college life, it appears he has gotten his off the court issues under control. A future NBA player, Turner brings excitement to every possession through his speed, athleticism and passing abilities. Johnson is also very fast and athletic but he is more of a scorer than Turner. The two of them have great chemistry, as they always seem to know where the other one is on the court. If they both stick around for a year or two more, they could one day make up the best back court in all of college hoops.
9. The Return of Kevin Parrom
Kevin Parrom had a very tough off-season and it is beyond words how far he has come in the last couple months. Everyone knows the story of how he went to New York one weekend to visit his dying mother, only to be nearly killed himself. Parrom was fortunate that he only suffered a gun shot wound to one of his knees. The greatest pain he experienced around that time was certainly his mother passing away. But no one would ever know the junior forward went through all that by the way he has handled himself. Parrom is not back to player he once was but each day, he's regaining more strength and with his work ethic, its a guarantee that it won't be long until he is better than he's ever been on the court.
8. Arizona Survives Pastner Coached Memphis
In a game almost as exciting as the Texas victory, Williams came through with a game saving block that kept the Cats in the NCAA Tournament. There was a great deal of attention towards this game because Memphis coach Josh Pastner was on the 1997 Arizona team and then went on to become Lute Olson's apprentice. His Tigers were fortunate to just make the Big Dance but were a trendy first round upset pick and it seemed like they were going to knock the Cats out of the tournament for the majority of the game. But MoMo Jones and Williams had different plans and led Arizona to a very dramatic victory.
7. Williams Getting Drafted
Following two incredible seasons at Arizona, Williams smartly decided it was time to take his game to the next level. The Pac-12 Player of the Year was picked second by the Minnesota Timberwolves and so far this season, he has received a good amount of playing time and it won't be long until he starts becoming a force in the NBA. Williams going from an under the radar recruit to a top NBA draft pick has already helped Sean Miller's recruiting efforts and while Cats fans would have loved to see the All American return, him leaving after two years was the only reasonable choice.
6. Arizona Wins Pac-10 Championship on Senior Day
In what has to be remembered as one the greatest moments at the McKale Center thus far in the Sean Miller era, Arizona won the final Pac-10 Championship while completing the first undefeated home record in 12 years. The game itself, a 90-82 win against Oregon, wasn't too exciting but shortly after, the team celebrated by cutting down the nets and watching a highlight video that can be found on YouTube. It was also senior day for Jamelle Horne who had an up and down career at Arizona but will forever be remembered most for being a part of a team that exceeded anyone's wildest expectations.
5. Williams' Three Point Play Saves Arizona Against Texas
There were many memorable moments by Derrick Williams in his Arizona career but none were quite as amazing as his game winning three point play against the favorite Longhorns to send the Cats to the Sweet 16. The play wouldn't have been possible if not for a controversial five second call against Texas that allowed Arizona to get the ball. From there, Williams made an acrobatic lay up that tied the game and then made the go ahead free throw. The Cats prevented Texas from scoring on the final possession of the game, sending Arizona to the Sweet 16.
4. Red-Blue Game
The 2011 Red-Blue game wasn't as much about the players on the court as it was the ones watching the scrimmage. In attendance were some Arizona legends including Jason Terry, Richard Jefferson, and Channing Frye along with some more recent Cats that are now in the NBA like Chase Budinger, Jordan Hill, Jerryd Bayless and of course Derrick Williams. But the most important attendees were the recruits and there were plenty of them with the most notable being Kaleb Tarczewski, who at the time was still deciding between Kansas and Arizona. The Red Blue game sealed the deal for the Cats in the recruitment, as the highly touted center committed shortly after the visit. Tarczewski added to what was already the #1 2012 recruiting class in the country.
3. The White Out
In one of Arizona's only national television appearances of the 2010-2011 season, the Cats won an exciting back and forth game with the rival Huskies. The entire McKale Center was wearing white which only added to all the drama on the court. The final seconds of the game produced one of the most memorable moments in Arizona recent history when Williams blocked a potential game winning shot by Washington, followed by a celebration at mid-court. While the Huskies would get revenge a few weeks later in the Pac-10 Tournament, the win was a big momentum booster for Arizona and got them a lot of national attention.
2. Sean Miller Stays at Arizona
For about 48 hours, Arizona basketball fans went through an emotional roller coaster that no one would ever wish on another fan base. Through the power of social media, there was great chaos over whether Miller was a candidate for the Maryland job, then whether he would take the job, and finally whether he had already decided he was going to leave Arizona so he could go back to coaching on the east coast. When the dust settled, Miller was still the Cats' head coach and the tumultuous couple days made Arizona fans more grateful than ever to have such a terrific person leading the basketball program. If Miller had left, all the great rebuilding work would have gone to waste and the school would be in as bad a position as they were in when Kevin O'Neil was the interim coach. But instead, Miller realized he already has everything he needs in Tucson.
1. Arizona Crushes Duke in Sweet 16
Undoubtedly, the climax of the entire 2010-2011 season was Williams' monster dunk in the second half of the Duke game. While Arizona wasn't able to get back to the promise land, that blowout win against the defending national champions obnoxiously announced the Cats' return to prominence. But while Williams' dunks got the most airtime on ESPN, what Arizona fans remember most from the game is how the All American was barely factored in the second half, albeit he drew a lot of defensive attention that made it possible for other players to step up. For a full 40 minutes, the Cats played with Sean Miller's “nastiness is required” intensity and in the end pulled off what might have been the most impressive performance by any team in the NCAA Tournament. While there were plenty of other significant events in 2011, none were quite as big as Arizona beating the Blue Devils on the sports' biggest stage.
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