1987–88 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team

1987–88 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball
1987–88 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball
Great Alaska Shootout champions; Pacific-10 Regular-Season Champions; Pacific-10 Tournament champions
NCAA tournament, Final Four
Conference	Pacific-10
Ranking
Coaches	No. 2
AP	No. 2
Record	35–3 (17–1 Pac-10)
Head coach	Lute Olson (5th season);
Assistant coaches	Ricky Byrdsong (6th season); Kevin O'Neill (2nd season);
Home arena	McKale Center (Capacity: 14,545)
	Seasons ← 1986–87 1988–89 →

1987–88 Pacific-10 Conference
men's basketball standings
	Conf				Overall
Team	W		L	PCT	W		L	PCT
No. 2 Arizona †	17	–	1	.944	35	–	3	.921
Oregon State	12	–	6	.667	20	–	11	.645
UCLA	12	–	6	.667	16	–	14	.533
Stanford	11	–	7	.611	21	–	12	.636
Oregon	10	–	8	.556	16	–	14	.533
Washington State	7	–	11	.389	13	–	16	.448
Arizona State	6	–	12	.333	13	–	16	.448
USC	5	–	13	.278	7	–	21	.250
California	5	–	13	.278	9	–	20	.310
Washington	5	–	13	.278	10	–	19	.345

† Conference tournament winner As of April 15, 1988^[1] Rankings from AP Poll

The 1987–88 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Arizona during the 1987–88 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Lute Olson. The team played its home games in the McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona, and was a member of the Pacific-10 Conference. In the Pacific-10 Basketball tournament, Arizona beat Oregon State by a score of 93–67 to claim its first Pac-10 title. The Wildcats built on that momentum by reaching the Final Four of the NCAA tournament.

Roster

Players

Coaches

Pos.	#	Name	Height	Weight	Year	Previous school	Hometown
F	00	Anthony Cook	—	—	Jr	Van Nuys HS	Los Angeles, CA
PG	11	Kenny Lofton	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Jr	Washington HS	East Chicago, IN
G	20	Craig McMillan	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	—	Sr	Cloverdale HS	Cloverdale, CA
C	23	Tom Tolbert	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	Sr	Cerritos College
G	25	Steve Kerr	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	RS Sr	Palisades Charter HS	Los Angeles, CA
SF	32	Sean Elliott	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	Jr	Cholla HS	Tucson, AZ
SF	35	Jud Buechler	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	So	Poway HS	Poway, CA
G	44	Harvey Mason	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	—	RS So	Crescenta HS	La Crescenta, CA
F	33	Joe Turner	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	—	Sr	Foothill HS	Bakersfield, CA
PG	24	Matt Muehlebach	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	—	Fr	Stillwell HS	Rockhurst, KS
F	34	Mark Georgeson	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	Fr	Marina HS	Huntington Beach, CA
C	45	Sean Rooks	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	250 lb (113 kg)	Fr	Fontana HS	Fontana, CA
F	31	Craig Bergman	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	—	So	Cloverdale HS	Cloverdale, CA

Head coach

Lute Olsen

Assistant coach(es)

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
(W) Walk-on

Injured
Current redshirt

Schedule and results

The victory over Long Beach State in the home opener at McKale Center began a 71-game home court winning streak.^[2]

Date time, TV	Rank^#	Opponent^#	Result	Record	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Site (attendance) city, state
Non-conference regular season
11/27/1987*	No. 17	vs. Duquesne Great Alaska Shootout	W 133–78	1–0	–	–	–	Sullivan Arena Anchorage, AK
11/28/1987*	No. 17	vs. No. 9 Michigan Great Alaska Shootout	W 79–64^[3]	2–0	18 – Tolbert	11 – Tolbert	–	Sullivan Arena Anchorage, AK
11/30/1987* ESPN	No. 17	vs. No. 1 Syracuse Great Alaska Shootout	W 80–69^[4]	3–0	16 – Elliott	–	–	Sullivan Arena Anchorage, AK
12/4/1987*	No. 9	Long Beach State	W 94–62	4–0	–	–	–	McKale Center Tucson, AZ
12/5/1987*	No. 9	Pepperdine	W 73–68	5–0	17 – Tolbert	–	–	McKale Center Tucson, AZ
12/8/1987*	No. 4	Northern Arizona	W 77–59	6–0	–	–	–	McKale Center Tucson, AZ
12/12/1987* 6:05 pm	No. 4	at No. 3 Iowa	W 66–59^[5]	7–0	18 – Tolbert	–	–	Carver-Hawkeye Arena Iowa City, IA
12/16/1987*	No. 2	Arkansas-Little Rock	W 77–59	8–0	–	–	–	McKale Center Tucson, AZ
12/20/1987	No. 2	at Washington	W 110–71	9–0 (1–0)	–	–	–	Hec Edmundson Pavilion Seattle, WA
12/22/1987	No. 2	at Washington State	W 89–55	10–0 (2–0)	–	–	–	Friel Court Pullman, WA
12/29/1987*	No. 1	Michigan State Fiesta Bowl Basketball Classic	W 78–58	11–0	–	–	–	McKale Center Tucson, AZ
12/30/1987* 8:00 p.m.	No. 1	No. 9 Duke Fiesta Bowl Basketball Classic	W 91–85^[6]	12–0	31 – Elliott	–	–	McKale Center (13,270) Tucson, AZ
1/2/1988*	No. 1	at New Mexico	L 59–61^[7]	12–1	27 – Elliott	–	–	The Pit (18,100) Albuquerque, NM
Pac-10 regular season
1/7/1988	No. 3	California	W 80–51	13–1 (3–0)	–	–	–	McKale Center Tucson, AZ
1/9/1988	No. 3	Stanford	W 90–65	14–1 (4–0)	–	–	–	McKale Center Tucson, AZ
1/14/1988	No. 1	Oregon State	W 70–48	15–1 (5–0)	–	–	–	Gill Coliseum Corvallis, OR
1/16/1988	No. 1	Oregon	W 70–54	16–1 (6–0)	–	–	–	McArthur Court Eugene, OR
1/21/1988	No. 1	USC	W 92–48	17–1 (7–0)	–	–	–	McKale Center Tucson, AZ
1/24/1988	No. 1	UCLA Rivalry	W 86–74	18–1 (8–0)	–	–	–	McKale Center (13,258) Tucson, AZ
1/28/1988	No. 1	Arizona State Rivalry	W 99–59	19–1 (9–0)	–	–	–	McKale Center Tucson, AZ
1/30/1988*	No. 1	No. 13 Illinois	W 78–70	20–1	–	–	–	McKale Center (13,227) Tucson, AZ
2/4/1988	No. 1	at Stanford	L 74–82^[8]	20–2 (9–1)	22 – Elliott	–	–	Maples Pavilion (7,500) Stanford, CA
2/6/1988	No. 1	at California	W 74–62	21–2 (10–1)	–	–	–	Harmon Gym Berkeley, CA
2/11/1988	No. 3	Oregon	W 89–57	22–2 (11–1)	–	–	–	McKale Center Tucson, AZ
2/14/1988	No. 3	Oregon State	W 77–62	23–2 (12–1)	–	–	–	McKale Center Tucson, AZ
2/18/1988	No. 3	at USC	W 103–68	24–2 (13–1)	–	–	–	Los Angeles Sports Arena Los Angeles, CA
2/20/1988	No. 3	at UCLA Rivalry	W 78–76 ^OT	25–2 (14–1)	–	–	–	Pauley Pavilion (12,037) Los Angeles, CA
2/24/1988	No. 3	at Arizona State Rivalry	W 101–73	26–2 (15–1)	–	–	–	ASU Activity Center Tempe, AZ
3/3/1988	No. 3	Washington State	W 79–41	27–2 (16–1)	–	–	–	McKale Center Tucson, AZ
3/5/1988	No. 3	Washington	W 89–71	28–2 (17–1)	–	–	–	McKale Center Tucson, AZ
Pac-10 Tournament
3/11/1988*	(1) No. 3	(9) California Pac-10 Tournament Quarterfinal	W 88–64	29–2	–	–	–	McKale Center Tucson, AZ
3/12/1988*	(1) No. 3	(4) Stanford Pac-10 Tournament Semifinal	W 97–83	30–2	–	–	–	McKale Center Tucson, AZ
3/13/1988*	(1) No. 3	(2) Oregon State Pac-10 Tournament Championship	W 83–67	31–2	–	–	–	McKale Center Tucson, AZ
NCAA Tournament
3/18/1988* CBS	(W 1) No. 2	vs. (W 16) Cornell First Round	W 90–50	32–2	24 – Cook	5 – Tied	5 – McMillan	Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA
3/20/1988* CBS	(W 1) No. 2	vs. (W 8) Seton Hall Second Round	W 84–55	33–2	20 – Cook	6 – Cook	3 – Tied	Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA
3/25/1988* CBS	(W 1) No. 2	vs. (W 5) No. 17 Iowa Sweet Sixteen	W 99–79^[9]	34–2	25 – Elliott	9 – Tolbert	8 – Tied	Kingdome Seattle, WA
3/27/1988* CBS	(W 1) No. 2	vs. (W 2) No. 7 North Carolina Elite Eight	W 70–52	35–2	24 – Elliott	6 – Tolbert	3 – Tied	Kingdome Seattle, WA
4/2/1988 6:12 pm, CBS	(W 1) No. 2	vs. (SE 1) No. 4 Oklahoma Final Four	L 78–86^[10]	35–3	31 – Elliott	13 – Tolbert	5 – Kerr	Kemper Arena Kansas City, MO
*Non-conference game. ^#Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.

Sources^[11]

NCAA basketball tournament

Seeding in brackets

West
- Arizona (1) 90, Cornell (16) 50
- Arizona 84, Seton Hall (8) 55
- Arizona 99, Iowa (5) 79
- Arizona 70, North Carolina (2) 52
Final Four
- Oklahoma 86, Arizona 78

^[12]

Rankings

Awards and honors

Sean Elliott, Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball tournament Most Valuable Player
Sean Elliott, Pacific-10 Player of the Year

Team players in the 1988 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	NBA Club
2	34	Tom Tolbert	Charlotte Hornets
2	50	Steve Kerr	Phoenix Suns

^[13]

References

^ "2017-18 Men's Basketball Media Guide". Pac-12 Conference. p. 72. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
^ "Arizona Men's Basketball 2018–19 Media Guide" (PDF). University of Arizona Athletic Department. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
^ "Arizona Upsets Michigan, Faces Syracuse in Shootout Final". Los Angeles Times. November 29, 1987. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
^ "Elliott Powers Arizona Past No.3 Syracuse 80-69". Sun-Sentinel. December 1, 1987. Archived from the original on February 24, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
^ "Olson's Return To Iowa City A Rousing Success For Arizona". Chicago Tribune. December 13, 1987. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
^ "MVP Elliott scores 31 as Arizona rolls past Duke for 12th straight". Arizona Republic. December 31, 1987. Retrieved September 19, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
^ "No. 1 Arizona Loses First Game, 61-59, in New Mexico's Pit". Los Angeles Times. January 3, 1988. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
^ "Arizona Loss May Mean a Shuffle at Top: Stanford Stuns the No. 1-Ranked Wildcats, Hands Them Their First Pacific 10 Loss". Los Angeles Times. February 5, 1988. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
^ "Arizona Flattens Another Opponent". The New York Times. March 26, 1988. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
^ "Oklahoma's Fire Melts Arizona, 86-78". The Washington Post. April 3, 1988. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
^ "1987-88 Arizona Wildcats Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
^ "RotoWire Fantasy Football, Baseball, Basketball and More".
^ "1988 NBA Draft on Basketballreference.com". Archived from the original on March 17, 2010. Retrieved May 5, 2009.

[1] "2017-18 Men's Basketball Media Guide". Pac-12 Conference. p. 72. Retrieved February 16, 2018.

[2] "Arizona Men's Basketball 2018–19 Media Guide" (PDF). University of Arizona Athletic Department. Retrieved July 21, 2019.

[3] "Arizona Upsets Michigan, Faces Syracuse in Shootout Final". Los Angeles Times. November 29, 1987. Retrieved February 23, 2018.

[4] "Elliott Powers Arizona Past No.3 Syracuse 80-69". Sun-Sentinel. December 1, 1987. Archived from the original on February 24, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018.

[5] "Olson's Return To Iowa City A Rousing Success For Arizona". Chicago Tribune. December 13, 1987. Retrieved February 21, 2018.

[6] "MVP Elliott scores 31 as Arizona rolls past Duke for 12th straight". Arizona Republic. December 31, 1987. Retrieved September 19, 2020 – via newspapers.com.

[7] "No. 1 Arizona Loses First Game, 61-59, in New Mexico's Pit". Los Angeles Times. January 3, 1988. Retrieved September 19, 2020.

[8] "Arizona Loss May Mean a Shuffle at Top: Stanford Stuns the No. 1-Ranked Wildcats, Hands Them Their First Pacific 10 Loss". Los Angeles Times. February 5, 1988. Retrieved September 19, 2020.

[9] "Arizona Flattens Another Opponent". The New York Times. March 26, 1988. Retrieved February 21, 2018.

[10] "Oklahoma's Fire Melts Arizona, 86-78". The Washington Post. April 3, 1988. Retrieved August 30, 2020.

[11] "1987-88 Arizona Wildcats Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. Retrieved February 21, 2018.

[12] "RotoWire Fantasy Football, Baseball, Basketball and More".

[13] "1988 NBA Draft on Basketballreference.com". Archived from the original on March 17, 2010. Retrieved May 5, 2009.

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v t e Arizona Wildcats men's basketball
Venues	Bear Down Gym (1926–1973) McKale Center (1973–present)
Rivalries	Arizona State UCLA
Culture & lore	Bear Down Wilbur and Wilma "Fight! Wildcats! Fight!" 2017–18 corruption scandal
People	Head coaches NBA draftees Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
NCAA national championship in bold; NCAA Final Four appearances in italics