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Five future NBA players suited up for Lute Olson's 1996-1997 Arizona Wildcats. None mattered more than Mike Bibby, the freshman phenom who paired with Miles Simon to form the best 1-2 backcourt punch in the country. Jason Terry, Michael Dickerson and AJ Bramlett rounded out a roster that had Tucson expecting big things.
Beating #7 UNC to open the season and #3 Utah soon after hinted at what was coming. Then the Wildcats dropped their last two regular season games and finished 11-7 in in the Pac 10, fifth place. Not the momentum Olson wanted going into the NCAA Tournament.
Arizona landed the #4 seed in the Southeast Region, handled South Alabama, then survived College of Charleston 73-69 to reach the Sweet 16. Waiting there: the #1 overall seed Kansas Jayhawks and Paul Pierce.
U of A had no answers for "The Truth." Kansas had no answer for Zona's three-headed monster of Simon, Bibby and Dickerson, who combined to win it 85-82.
Miles Simon poured in 30 against God Shammgod's Providence team, an OT win that sent the Wildcats to the Final Four. North Carolina became the second #1 seed to fall to Arizona, 66-58.
One win now separated Lute Olson from his first national title and the school's first. Standing in the way was another #1 seed and college basketball blue blood Kentucky.
UK was chasing back-to-back titles for the first time since UCLA in the '70s, and pushed Arizona to OT before Simon and Co. pulled away, 84-79.
"At the end of that game, I wanted to keep that ball forever. I had it overnight. Then when we got on the plane the next day, Coach Olson asked who had the ball and I gave it to the rightful owner which was him." -Miles Simon
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