Wild About '88: The Rise of Arizona Basketball. Chapter 8: Jim Harrick and Pepperdine
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.’
Jim Harrick.
Remember that rascal?
He along with Lute Olson helped turn the Arizona/UCLA showdowns into one of the nation’s best college basketball rivalries.
During Harrick’s time at UCLA, he helped lead the Bruins to the 1995 National Title and he also added a few Pac-10 titles to his resume.
The year before Harrick went to Westwood he was coaching the Pepperdine Waves. In his first eight years there, he took the Waves to the NCAA Tournament four times.
“If someone was to rate the top three or four teams in the West, I can’t imagine Pepperdine not being one of those,” Olson said about the Waves.1
Harrick had nice things to say about the Wildcats too.
“I don’t vote in the UPI coaches poll this year, but if I had I would have voted Arizona No. 1 in the country. I think they’re that good,” Harrick said before the west coast matchup.2
So far during the 87-88 season, Arizona had not been challenged late in games. It appeared the Wildcats were in for another easy victory when they led 70-59 with only 2:54 left.
Then Arizona decided to take the air out of the ball.
“We just weren’t as aggresive offensively. We started running the clock down too much, which was probably my fault,” Steve Kerr said.3
Pepperdine closed the gap and with 26 seconds left, they trailed 71-68.
“We spread it out and held it up too early,” Olson said. “Our halfcourt offense had been too effective. Once you spread it, it’s difficult to regain momentum. I should have got up and indicated ‘go ahead and play.’”4
Craig McMillan was then fouled after a Pepperdine timeout. McMillan missed the front end of a one-and-one chance. On the rebound, Anthony Cook was able to tip the ball away from the swarm and it was eventually deflected out of bounds by Pepperdine.
“Anthony was our player of the game,” Olson said. “He’s always there and he always plays hard.”
Cook would finish with 13 points and 12 rebounds, his second straight double-double.
With 12 seconds left, Tom Tolbert was fouled. Up to this point he was 7 for 8 at the stripe vs. the Waves.
Tolbert knocked down both shots and Pepperdine would not score again, giving Arizona a hard fought 73-68 victory. Tolbert would lead all scorers with 17 points.
“We need games like this,” Olson said. “The more we can get, the better off we’ll be.”5
Sean Elliott would finish with 16 points. During this game he would become the 10th highest scorer in Arizona Basketball history, surpassing the celebrated Herman Harris.
“It was a great game,” Harrick said. ‘I can see how easy it is to get blown out here”6
Two years later at McKale, Harrick’s Bruins would be blown out by Arizona 102-64.
During the 8-year run of the Olson/Harrick matchups during the Arizona/UCLA rivalry, no other Pac-10 coach led their team to the Pac-10 Title.
Olson hoisted five titles and Harrick added three.
Next Up: December 8 vs. NAU
Blog content and original interview quotations © Waterfoot Films 2022.
Jay Gonzales, “Pepperdine coach a little leery about playing UA,” The Arizona Daily Star, December 6 1987, Page Two—Section D. Jack Rickard, “Pepperdine coach impressed by Cats,” The Tucson Citizen, December 3 1987, Page Four—Section E.; Jay Gonzales, “Cats beat Pepperdine to climb to 5-0: Tolbert free throws end Waves’ rally, seal win,” The Arizona Daily Star, December 7 1987, Page One—Section C.; Jack Rickard, “Cats climb to No. 4 in nation: Arizona survives late Pepperdine rally,” The Tucson Citizen, December 7 1987, Page Eight—Section B.; Dana Cooper, Memories ‘88.
Jay Gonzales, “Pepperdine coach a little leery about playing UA,” The Arizona Daily Star, December 6 1987, Page Two—Section D.
Jack Rickard, “Pepperdine coach impressed by Cats,” The Tucson Citizen, December 3 1987, Page Four—Section E.
Jay Gonzales, “Cats beat Pepperdine to climb to 5-0: Tolbert free throws end Waves’ rally, seal win,” The Arizona Daily Star, December 7 1987, Page One—Section C.
Jack Rickard, “Cats climb to No. 4 in nation: Arizona survives late Pepperdine rally,” The Tucson Citizen, December 7 1987, Page Eight—Section B.
Jack Rickard, “Cats climb to No. 4 in nation: Arizona survives late Pepperdine rally,” The Tucson Citizen, December 7 1987, Page Eight—Section B.
Jack Rickard, “Cats climb to No. 4 in nation: Arizona survives late Pepperdine rally,” The Tucson Citizen, December 7 1987, Page Eight—Section B.