Wild About '88: The Rise of Arizona Basketball. Chapter 5: The Great Alaska Shootout vs. No. 9 Michigan
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 28, 1987
The Great Alaska Shootout Semifinals vs. #9 Michigan
Since Steve Kerr followed Lute Olson to Tucson in 1983, the Wildcats had some big wins in the Pac-10 against ranked Oregon State squads. They also had the ultimate team victory when they won the conference at UCLA in 1986.
With all the success in the Pac-10, the Wildcats were still looking for a signature non-conference win. In previous seasons the Cats lost to top ten programs UNLV, Illinois, and Iowa while also dropping a game to John Thompson’s No. 13 Georgetown Hoyas.
Arizona’s lack of success outside the conference didn’t seem to bother Kerr when he was on the bus heading to the arena to take on No. 9 Michigan at the Great Alaska Shootout semifinals.
“I was in the back of the bus. And here was this huge, huge game we had and Steve Kerr was watching the ASU/U of A football game back then on a tiny little TV. And I thought, how cool is that? This guy really cares about his school,” Matt Muehlebach said in 2016.
The Wildcats on the gridiron had won five straight against the school up North. Muehlebach and Kerr watched as the Wildcats were dead to rights and found a way to tie the game late to secure Arizona’s unbeaten streak against their rival. The streak eventually reached nine games for those fans up North who might be interested.
“That guy is pretty cool under pressure. He's so worried about the game, he's watching U of A football,” Muehlebach said.
Waiting for Kerr and company at the arena was a gentleman that might be the only ASU guy Arizona fans could ever stand. Bill Frieder.
Before Frieder was the lovable Sun Devil coach, he was roaming the coach’s box in Ann Arbor. While at Iowa, Olson had a 4-2 record against the Frieder-led Wolverines. After Olson went to Tucson, Frieder guided Michigan to two Big-10 titles and regular spots in the NCAA Tournament.
Michigan was stacked with young talent. Their top five scorers played a total of 57 seasons in the NBA, including three-time NBA All-Star Glen Rice.
The night before the big game there was a banquet for the tournament and Harvey Mason recalled the Michigan bus rolling up. Mason and his teammates were wearing their team-issued blue velour sweatsuits, but they couldn’t compete with the Wolverines on the runway.
“We looked over and here comes the Michigan team and they all have like fur coats on, like full mink coats,” Mason said in 2016. “They all had these crazy fur hats on, jewelry, gold necklaces, and we like stopped and they walked past us.”
“We walked in the banquet, and they just looked at us and laughed and snickered at our sweat suits,” Mason added.
Funny man Tom Tolbert recalled a similar story about future opponent Syracuse showing up in some fur coats.
“I was like, ‘Are those Nike issued?’ I go, ‘where are our Nike furs, for crying out loud.’” Tolbert said in 2016.
I wondered if Tolbert had mixed up the Michigan team with the Syracuse team.
“I don't remember the Michigan guys. I just remember the Syracuse guys. You got to realize we're all getting close to 50 now and our memories, who knows? I mean, I've drank a lot of beer since then,” Tolbert said.
“These are things I remember as I remember them. Are they factually correct? I would not swear to that at all,” he added.
So who wore the fur coats? Was it Michigan or was it Syracuse? I would like to think it was both, but for this story, the Michigan/Mason version works better.
Onto the game.
Olson knew he had the advantage of experience against the younger Wolverines. Arizona’s match-up zone was just the thing to help get the Cats against the baddies from the Big-10.
The devious zone caused fits for Michigan, especially for 1988 consensus first-team All-American Gary Grant. He would finish the game with seven points, shooting 3 of 14 from the field.
Despite his struggles, Grant hit a shot early in the game and started talking trash to Kerr.
“I wasn’t much of a talker at all, but if somebody said something to me, you know I would always say something back,” Kerr said in 2013.
“I knocked down a jump shot early in the game and they called a timeout and we went on a run, and during the timeout, we crossed paths and I kind of got in his face a little bit,” Kerr added.
Kerr thinks he and Grant laughed about it later but the interaction pumped him and the team up, “and we rolled from there.”
He had been quiet in the preseason and in the first game against Duquense, but against Michigan, the Steve Kerr of old showed up. He finished with 14 points, shooting a perfect 3 for 3 from behind the arc.
“Kerr is the glue,” Olson said. “There’s never any confusion when he’s on the court. And he’s never afraid to take the tough shot. I can’t imagine a team having more confidence in one player. If he said oranges are green, everybody—players and coaches—would agree.”1
Tolbert would have a double-double against the strong Wolverines. Leading Arizona with 18 points and 11 rebounds in the 79-64 victory.
But let’s get back to those alleged Michigan fur coats.
“I remember the next day playing them and just kicking their rears, and remembering those fur coats and remembering all their jewelry. Remembered how they looked at us when they got off the bus. And I don't know if everybody else was thinking that, but I definitely was thinking that when we were taking it to them.” Mason said.
“We had played a lot of top-ranked teams tough but we hadn’t beaten them,” Kerr said. “Now we’ve broken through.”2
Those young Wolverines would end up winning the National Title in 1989 but fun-loving Bill Frieder wasn’t so lucky.
Before the 1989 NCAA Tournament, Frieder had announced he was taking his talents to Tempe. Michigan athletic director Bo Schembechler was not amused. Steve Fischer took over the Wolverines and guided them to their last title.
Frieder went to the school up North and the Olson/Frieder competition was back on.
Next Up: November 30 vs. #3 Syracuse in the Great Alaska Shootout Championship
Blog content and original interview quotations © Waterfoot Films 2022.
Jack Rickard, “UA shoots for the best: Cats challenge Orangemen,” The Tucson Citizen, November 30 1987, Page Two—Section B.; Tommy George, “U-M is buried in Alaska,” , Detroit Free Press, Nov 29 1987, Page One and Ten—Section D.; Jay Gonzales, “UA beats Michigan, plays Syracuse next: Shootout,” The Arizona Daily Star, November 29 1987, Page One and Eight—Section E.; Dana Cooper, “Memories ‘88”.
Jack Rickard, “UA shoots for the best: Cats challenge Orangemen,” The Tucson Citizen, November 30 1987, Page Two—Section B.
Jack Rickard, “UA shoots for the best: Cats challenge Orangemen,” The Tucson Citizen, November 30 1987, Page Two—Section B.