Wild About '88: The Rise of Arizona Basketball. Chapter 7: Long Beach State.
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.’
Arizona Basketball was in uncharted territory. They were ranked in the Top 10 for only the third time in history and had climbed in the polls to their highest ranking ever. No. 9 in the AP and No. 7 in the UPI.
They handled Final Four favorites Michigan and Syracuse with little trouble at the Great Alaska Shootout and were now the talk of College Basketball.
“There’s a lot more pressure on us now. When we go out there, everybody is shooting for us,” Sean Elliott said.1
In Arizona’s home opener against the Long Beach State 49ers, the Wildcats came out flat. They missed their first 6 shots and were only 33% from the field in the first 15 minutes.
“We looked like we were walking on pins and needles,” Elliott added.2
After a few days of being in the headlines, was Arizona ready for the 49ers?
“People will say that we weren’t ready, but I felt ready to play. Even though we felt we were prepared, we didn’t come out and play well,” Steve Kerr said.3
Even with Arizona’s early struggles, they were still able to hold a lead at halftime. Tom Tolbert’s baseline jumper just before the horn gave the Wildcats a 33-27 lead.
U of A’s perimeter game came up short in the first half so Lute Olson wanted his Wildcats to utilize their strength inside against the 49ers in the second half.
“They wore us down inside,” 49ers head coach Joe Harrington said.4
“They got a couple of dunks and the crowd got into it. We didn’t play a good 20 minutes in the 2nd half. But Arizona had a lot to do with it,” he added.5
Big guys Elliott, Tolbert, and Anthony Cook combined for 56 points and shot 73% from the field in the game.
In this game, Kerr became the 16th player in program history to score over 1,000 points. He finished with 9 points, 8 assists, and 1 turnover against the 49ers.
Backup shooting guard Matt Muehlebach got into the game late and scored his first career points with almost no time remaining.
The Wildcats would go on to win easily 94-62.
Arizona’s next opponent at McKale had a head coach that U of A fans would become very familiar with for the next ten years.
Before future UCLA Bruins nemesis, Jim Harrick would be the head coach in Westwood he would get his head coaching start down the road with the Pepperdine Waves.
Harrick and the Waves were gearing up to give the Wildcats one of their best tests of the season.
Next up: December 6th vs. Pepperdine.
Blog content and original interview quotations © Waterfoot Films 2022.
Jay Gonzales, “Wildcats overcome shakes, win by 32,” The Arizona Daily Star, December 5 1987, Page One—Section C.; Jack Rickard, “Cats ready to catch the Waves: Arizona wins home opener by 32; Pepperdine is on deck,” The Tucson Citizen, December 5 1987, Page Three—Section B.; Jack Rickard, “Pepperdine coach impressed by Cats,” The Tucson Citizen, December 3 1987, Page 4—Section E.; Dana Cooper, Memories ‘88.
Jay Gonzales, “Wildcats overcome shakes, win by 32,” The Arizona Daily Star, December 5 1987, Page One—Section C.
Jay Gonzales, “Wildcats overcome shakes, win by 32,” The Arizona Daily Star, December 5 1987, Page One—Section C.
Jay Gonzales, “Wildcats overcome shakes, win by 32,” The Arizona Daily Star, December 5 1987, Page One—Section C.
Jack Rickard, “Cats ready to catch the Waves: Arizona wins home opener by 32; Pepperdine is on deck,” The Tucson Citizen, December 5 1987, Page Three—Section B.
Jack Rickard, “Cats ready to catch the Waves: Arizona wins home opener by 32; Pepperdine is on deck,” The Tucson Citizen, December 5 1987, Page Three—Section B.