Renz
An Army of One
For those who may have missed it. 
Pipeline to the pros
With 10 former Arizona Wildcats starring in NBA, Lute Olson's program is among nation's college elite
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 23, 2006 12:00 AM
To get Philadelphia 76ers teammate John Salmons to understand his point, Andre Iguodala put it in a perspective best suited for a University of Miami (Fla.) product.
"We're like the 'U' and the NFL," Iguodala explained to Salmons.
"We," being the Arizona Wildcats basketball program where Iguodala's game was bred. The "U," being a Miami football program that has been as much of an NFL draft staple as Mel Kiper.
The current Wildcats basketball team may have been eliminated from the 2006 NCAA Tournament but there is a much more impressive team of Wildcats still playing.
How about a starting lineup of Mike Bibby and Gilbert Arenas at guards, Iguodala and Richard Jefferson at forwards with Channing Frye in the middle? And that's leaving out Jason Terry.
With Frye, whose injured knee will keep him out the rest of this season, and Salim Stoudamire entering the league with an impact, the Arizona basketball brand is stamped on the NBA like never before. Only Duke's 11 NBA players outnumber Arizona's bunch, which has 10 as do Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina.
To a man, the UA contingent scoffs that it has become like Duke or North Carolina. With seven players considered stars on their teams, they feel they surpassed the elite programs.
"They don't like to hear that," UA coach Lute Olson said. "But Duke and North Carolina feel like that about their programs, too.
"It's an indication of what a great job the assistants have done in recruiting, the style of play, the work with them individually and making sure they leave as team-oriented people because the NBA wants those people. They have too many problems with too many guys. They know if they get a guy from Arizona, they're going to be ready to play and put team ahead of individual accomplishments."
Bigger things
It is more than the talent. It is a program that does not force square pegs into round holes to satisfy a winning formula. It is the up-tempo play. It is a program that NBA scouts voted the NBA-friendliest program in a Sports Illustrated survey.
"Lute Olson teaches the NBA system," said Arenas, who is fourth in the league in scoring (29.1) at 24 years old. "If you look at his players, they may not be dominant in college but they're going to make a bigger impact in the NBA just because of the way they play up and down. Players learn and develop and make mistakes and learn for themselves."
Arenas wears No. 0 as a reminder of how many minutes friends and foes said he would play at a big-time school such as UA. Olson had to battle only Cal State Northridge to recruit Arenas.
Iguodala hails from Springfield, Ill., but did not get recruited by Illinois. Frye was rated as the 178th high school senior by one recruiting service coming out of Phoenix's St. Mary's High but wound up being the June draft's eighth overall pick and likely will be an All-Rookie team choice for New York.
For as many NBA surprises like them and Steve Kerr, Tom Tolbert and Damon Stoudamire, there are the blue-chippers who could have been stars elsewhere but chose UA's ensemble cast and track record.
"It's definitely a mind-set," said Terry, averaging 17 points for Dallas this season. "From Day 1 when you stepped on campus, you knew what you were preparing for. Lute is training you to be a professional, not only in the sports world but life in general. He always taught us to be responsible for our actions."
Without prodding, the NBA's Wildcats give credit to where their NBA family tree got its roots. They talk about Kerr and Sean Elliott with reverence.
"They paved the way and started the tradition," said Jefferson, who averages 19.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in his fifth New Jersey season. "It's our job to be good players and good people for the ones who will follow us."
"Once you get a tradition started, the younger guys want to do the same thing," Iguodala said. "The city we live in (Tucson) revolves around the basketball team and there's a lot of pressure to succeed. We take a lot of pride in that."
Family feel
It's a fraternity that helps its brothers. Players stay in contact. They return in the summers to Tucson. Damon Stoudamire is the glue, connecting to the older and younger sets as a 32-year-old in an 11th NBA season cut short by a ruptured patella tendon.
Olson keeps the connection to the past alive, teaching the program's history right along with fundamentals.
"What we tell our guys is you owe things to this program," Olson said. "The way they conducted themselves made the reputation of the program and, with your ability, is what gives you this opportunity."
Even Kerr, who left UA in 1988 before winning five NBA titles over 15 NBA seasons, passes credit to Pete Williams. Before a 58-game NBA career, Williams starred for Olson's first two UA teams - the 11-17 one in 1983-84 and the 21-10 NCAA tourney edition in 1984-85.
"It started almost right away with Coach Olson," said Kerr, now a Suns investor/consultant. "There were plenty of us but not nearly the caliber of players he's producing now. He pays a lot of attention to detail and fundamentals and the basics of the game. He's good at that, but at the same time, he lets players get out and run. It's a great combination."
Marcus Williams looks like the best pro candidate on the current team, although Kerr said Hassan Adams would make it and Chris Rodgers' defense gives him a chance. It is hard to project upside with UA players after seeing Arenas go from college off-guard to NBA point guard and Jefferson go from a non-shooter in college to a NBA career 48 percent shooting clip.
Of course, there are more coming, especially guards with NBA aspirations such as St. Mary's junior Jerryd Bayless.
"If you want to go to the NBA and you're a guard, go to Lute Olson," Arenas said.
Pipeline to the pros
With 10 former Arizona Wildcats starring in NBA, Lute Olson's program is among nation's college elite
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 23, 2006 12:00 AM
To get Philadelphia 76ers teammate John Salmons to understand his point, Andre Iguodala put it in a perspective best suited for a University of Miami (Fla.) product.
"We're like the 'U' and the NFL," Iguodala explained to Salmons.
"We," being the Arizona Wildcats basketball program where Iguodala's game was bred. The "U," being a Miami football program that has been as much of an NFL draft staple as Mel Kiper.
The current Wildcats basketball team may have been eliminated from the 2006 NCAA Tournament but there is a much more impressive team of Wildcats still playing.
How about a starting lineup of Mike Bibby and Gilbert Arenas at guards, Iguodala and Richard Jefferson at forwards with Channing Frye in the middle? And that's leaving out Jason Terry.
With Frye, whose injured knee will keep him out the rest of this season, and Salim Stoudamire entering the league with an impact, the Arizona basketball brand is stamped on the NBA like never before. Only Duke's 11 NBA players outnumber Arizona's bunch, which has 10 as do Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina.
To a man, the UA contingent scoffs that it has become like Duke or North Carolina. With seven players considered stars on their teams, they feel they surpassed the elite programs.
"They don't like to hear that," UA coach Lute Olson said. "But Duke and North Carolina feel like that about their programs, too.
"It's an indication of what a great job the assistants have done in recruiting, the style of play, the work with them individually and making sure they leave as team-oriented people because the NBA wants those people. They have too many problems with too many guys. They know if they get a guy from Arizona, they're going to be ready to play and put team ahead of individual accomplishments."
Bigger things
It is more than the talent. It is a program that does not force square pegs into round holes to satisfy a winning formula. It is the up-tempo play. It is a program that NBA scouts voted the NBA-friendliest program in a Sports Illustrated survey.
"Lute Olson teaches the NBA system," said Arenas, who is fourth in the league in scoring (29.1) at 24 years old. "If you look at his players, they may not be dominant in college but they're going to make a bigger impact in the NBA just because of the way they play up and down. Players learn and develop and make mistakes and learn for themselves."
Arenas wears No. 0 as a reminder of how many minutes friends and foes said he would play at a big-time school such as UA. Olson had to battle only Cal State Northridge to recruit Arenas.
Iguodala hails from Springfield, Ill., but did not get recruited by Illinois. Frye was rated as the 178th high school senior by one recruiting service coming out of Phoenix's St. Mary's High but wound up being the June draft's eighth overall pick and likely will be an All-Rookie team choice for New York.
For as many NBA surprises like them and Steve Kerr, Tom Tolbert and Damon Stoudamire, there are the blue-chippers who could have been stars elsewhere but chose UA's ensemble cast and track record.
"It's definitely a mind-set," said Terry, averaging 17 points for Dallas this season. "From Day 1 when you stepped on campus, you knew what you were preparing for. Lute is training you to be a professional, not only in the sports world but life in general. He always taught us to be responsible for our actions."
Without prodding, the NBA's Wildcats give credit to where their NBA family tree got its roots. They talk about Kerr and Sean Elliott with reverence.
"They paved the way and started the tradition," said Jefferson, who averages 19.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in his fifth New Jersey season. "It's our job to be good players and good people for the ones who will follow us."
"Once you get a tradition started, the younger guys want to do the same thing," Iguodala said. "The city we live in (Tucson) revolves around the basketball team and there's a lot of pressure to succeed. We take a lot of pride in that."
Family feel
It's a fraternity that helps its brothers. Players stay in contact. They return in the summers to Tucson. Damon Stoudamire is the glue, connecting to the older and younger sets as a 32-year-old in an 11th NBA season cut short by a ruptured patella tendon.
Olson keeps the connection to the past alive, teaching the program's history right along with fundamentals.
"What we tell our guys is you owe things to this program," Olson said. "The way they conducted themselves made the reputation of the program and, with your ability, is what gives you this opportunity."
Even Kerr, who left UA in 1988 before winning five NBA titles over 15 NBA seasons, passes credit to Pete Williams. Before a 58-game NBA career, Williams starred for Olson's first two UA teams - the 11-17 one in 1983-84 and the 21-10 NCAA tourney edition in 1984-85.
"It started almost right away with Coach Olson," said Kerr, now a Suns investor/consultant. "There were plenty of us but not nearly the caliber of players he's producing now. He pays a lot of attention to detail and fundamentals and the basics of the game. He's good at that, but at the same time, he lets players get out and run. It's a great combination."
Marcus Williams looks like the best pro candidate on the current team, although Kerr said Hassan Adams would make it and Chris Rodgers' defense gives him a chance. It is hard to project upside with UA players after seeing Arenas go from college off-guard to NBA point guard and Jefferson go from a non-shooter in college to a NBA career 48 percent shooting clip.
Of course, there are more coming, especially guards with NBA aspirations such as St. Mary's junior Jerryd Bayless.
"If you want to go to the NBA and you're a guard, go to Lute Olson," Arenas said.
