NCAA Basketball: Mount Rushmores for the top 25 programs of all-time
By Brian Rauf
Arizona Basketball Mount Rushmore: Lute Olson, Sean Elliott, Damon Stoudamire, Mike Bibby
Lute Olson
The head coach of the only national championship team in Arizona Wildcats history, Lute Olson’s place in the program is etched on the court at the McKale Center, which is dubbed Lute Olson Court.
In 24 seasons at the helm of the Wildcats, Olson made 23 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, won 11 Pac-10 titles and made five Final Four appearances. His 589 wins at Arizona are the most in school history (he finished his career with 780 victories overall).
Sean Elliott
Sean Elliott is the only Arizona player ever to win the Wooden Award as National Player of the Year, which he did in 1989, so his inclusion on Arizona’s Mount Rushmore was easy. Throw in the fact that he led the Wildcats to their first ever Final Four in 1988 and is the program leader with 2,555 points and, well, you have the proverbial slam dunk.
Elliott also had a solid pro career, averaging 20 points per game in 1995-96 and winning a championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999.
Damon Stoudamire
One of the most iconic Arizona players of all-time, Damon Stoudamire ranks in the top-10 in program history in points (sixth), assists (third) and steals (eighth). He did his best work by leading Arizona to the 1994 Final Four, but racked up plenty of personal accolades throughout his career as well. Stoudamire was also a three-time All-Pac-10 First-Team selection, Pac-10 Player of the Year in 1995 and a First-Team All-American that same year.
He then had a 13-year NBA career headlined by his time with the Toronto Raptors, as he was the franchise’s first ever draft pick.
Mike Bibby
Mike Bibby flourished in the pros with the Sacramento Kings, but his two-year stint at Arizona was incredibly impressive.
As a freshman, Bibby averaged 19.5 points, eight rebounds and four assists per game in the Final Four, as he led the Wildcats to the 1997 National Championship. Opting to return for his sophomore season, the star point guard averaged 17.2 points, 5.7 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game. He was named Pac-10 Player of the Year and a First-Team All-American that year before being the No. 2 overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft by the then-Vancouver Grizzlies.