The Arizona Wildcats basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific Ten Conference (Pac-10) of NCAA Division I. For the 2008-2009 season, Russ Pennell will serve as Arizona's interim head coach.
While Arizona has a long and rich basketball history, the program came to national prominence under the tutelage of former head coach Lute Olson, who since 1983 has established the program as among America's elite in college basketball. Known as "Point Guard U" by fans and foes alike, the school has produced spectacular guards and NBA stars like Sean Elliott, Steve Kerr, Khalid Reeves, Damon Stoudamire, Mike Bibby, Jason Terry, Richard Jefferson, Gilbert Arenas, and Jerryd Bayless.
As of 2008, the Arizona basketball team has reached the NCAA Tournament for 24 consecutive years, which is the longest active streak, and second only to the North Carolina Tar Heels' 27 year streak from 1975-2001. The Wildcats have reached the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament on four occasions (1988, 1994, 1997, and 2001). In 1997, Arizona defeated the University of Kentucky, the defending national champions, to win the NCAA National Championship. In Pac-10 play, Lute Olson holds the record for most wins as a Pac-10 coach at 327. In addition, the team has won 11 Pac-10 regular season titles and 4 Pac-10 tournament titles. Arizona also holds the distinction of recording 5 out of the 7 17-1 Pac-10 seasons (one-loss seasons). No team has gone undefeated since the formation of the Pac-10. Arizona has spent 110 weeks in the top 10 which is 8th all-time.
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Arizona Wildcats Basketball
