NCAA Basketball: Top 10 programs that can be called ‘Point Guard U’
By Amaar Burton
3. Arizona
Arizona has branded itself “A Player’s Program.” It’s the screen name for both their official Twitter and Instagram accounts and it’s hash-tagged in seemingly every one of their social media posts.
If they wanted to, Arizona could call itself “A Point Guard’s Program.”
On top or at least near the top of the list for the Wildcats is Mike Bibby, who as a freshman guided Arizona to its first and only national championship in 1997. After coming back for his sophomore year and adding Pac-10 Player of the Year to his resume, Bibby was the No. 2 pick in the 1998 NBA Draft.
One of Bibby’s teammates on that national title team was Jason Terry. After Bibby left, Terry took over the point guard duties and won Pac-10 Player of the Year in 1999, giving Arizona back-to-back award winners at the same position.
If Bibby isn’t the best of the Wildcats bunch, it’d probably be Damon Stoudamire. “Mighty Mouse” led Arizona to the Final Four in 1994 and won Pac-10 Player of the Year in 1995, averaging 22.8 points, 7.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game. The tandem Stoudamire formed with shooting guard Khalid Reeves is one of the most potent backcourts in recent college basketball history, arguably better than the Bibby and Miles Simon backcourt that delivered Arizona’s national title.
The Toronto Raptors made Stoudamire the expansion franchise’s first-ever draft pick that same year, taking him No. 7 overall. He followed through by winning NBA Rookie of the Year.
Gilbert Arenas wasn’t the most accomplished but might have been the most skilled of any Arizona point guard. “Agent Zero” was a two-year standout in Tucson, earning all-conference honors in 2001 before going on to become a superstar in the NBA.
Steve Kerr racked up all-conference and All-American individual honors at Arizona. In the NBA, he became known more for his team’s success. Kerr won five championships as a role player with the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs and has won three championships as head coach of the Golden State Warriors.
Other notables: Russell Brown, Nico Mannion, Jason Gardner, Mustafa Shakur, Reggie Geary, Eric Money, T.J McConnell, Jerryd Bayless, Nic Wise