Wild About '88: The Rise of Arizona Basketball. Chapter 3: The Soviet Union Exhibition
This season marks the 35th anniversary of one of Tucson’s most beloved teams of all time, the 1987-88 Arizona Wildcats that finished 35-3 and went to the program’s first Final Four. We will celebrate that team by recapping each game during that unforgettable season by referencing newspaper archives and interviews conducted during the making of the upcoming documentary film ‘Wild About ‘88: The Rise of Arizona Basketball.’
November 18, 1987
The Soviet Union Exhibition
During the summer of 1986, Lute Olson took Team USA to Spain in an attempt to do what was thought to be impossible. Defeat the heavily favored Soviet Union at the World Championships.
Six years later Team USA went to Spain and sleepwalked its way to a Gold Medal at the Summer Olympics thanks to the greatest team ever assembled.
But in 1986, established NBA legends did not accompany Olson and his staff to Europe. A group of handpicked college players went instead.
Olson’s squad defeated the U.S.S.R. in the championship game, accomplishing something that is basketball’s best-kept secret.
Later that year the Russian National Team came to McKale Center to take on the Arizona Wildcats in an exhibition and squeaked out a one-point win. Arizona was without its point guard Steve Kerr who was sitting out the season because of the knee injury he suffered with Team USA that summer in Spain.
It was just the beginning of the late-game struggles the Wildcats would suffer that season without Kerr.
A year later Kerr was back and Arizona’s first test was another exhibition against the Russians. They may have come to Tucson without their two best players, including 7’3 superstar Arvydas Sabonis, but Arizona expected a battle because of their size.
Six players on the U.S.S.R. National Team were listed as 6’10 or bigger.
During the game, Arizona lost one of its tallest players in 6’9 Brian David when he went down with a season-ending knee injury.
But No. 17 Arizona still battled the Russians on the boards, tying them at 41 for the game.
Big guys Anthony Cook and Tom Tolbert combined for 37 points(18-25 from the field) and grabbed 18 rebounds against the physical Soviet squad.
Arizona led by as much as 16, but with 6:50 left their guests had cut the lead to 63-58.
Unlike the previous year, the Wildcats found a way to win.
“We lost a ton of games at the wire last year. But tonight we had leadership from Steve. He controlled the tempo and didn’t let it get out of hand when (the Soviets) came back,” senior Joe Turner said. 1
Like the Red/Blue game a week earlier, Kerr was quiet from the field scoring only 4 points. He didn’t think he was the X-factor.
“It wasn’t a case of everybody turning to me,” Kerr said. “I think Sean was the one the team turned to. He was the one at the free-throw line. He missed a few, but he did a good job down the stretch.”2
Sean Elliott led all scorers with 20 points. He struggled from the field but was 7 of 8 from the free-throw line in the last 1:46.
“I just remember thinking if we could beat these guys, that was going to be about as good as any team we were going to play in the NCAA that year,” Tolbert said in 2016. “These aren't boys, they're not young men. They're men that you're playing against.”
Arizona would win 78-68.
The Soviets were just what Arizona needed to prepare for a trip to the Great Alaska Shootout. In this stacked tournament the Wildcats had possible matchups looming against preseason Top 10 dreadnaughts in Michigan and Syracuse.
“We became the giant killers after we beat the Russians that year,” Turner said in 2016.
Up next: Nov. 27th, Arizona vs. Duquense at the Great Alaska Shootout.
Blog content and original interview quotations © Waterfoot Films 2022.
Greg Hansen, “Victory over Soviets should build Wildcats’ confidence,” The Arizona Daily Star, November 19 1987, Page One—Section D.; Jay Gonzales, “UA beats Soviets: Knee injury to David puts damper on win,” The Arizona Daily Star, November 19 1987, Page One and Two—Section D.; Jack Rickard, “Wildcat victory an expensive one: Backup center David sidelined for season,” Tucson Citizen, November 19 1987, Page 1E and 3E; Dana Cooper, ‘Memories ‘88.’
Greg Hansen, “Victory over Soviets should build Wildcats’ confidence,” The Arizona Daily Star, November 19 1987, Page One—Section D.
Jay Gonzales, “UA beats Soviets: Knee injury to David puts damper on win,” The Arizona Daily Star, November 19 1987, Page One and Two—Section D.