1997 Arizona Wildcats National Championship Team Fun Facts & More

[WILD]

1997 Arizona Wildcats National Championship Team

Starters:

Mike Bibby | Freshman | Guard | 6'2" | PPG: 13.5

Miles Simon | Junior | Guard | 6'3" | PPG: 18.4

Michael Dickerson | Junior | Guard/Forward | 6'5" | PPG: 18.9

Bennett Davison | Senior | Forward | 6'8" | PPG: 8.6

A.J. Bramlett | Sophomore | Forward/Center | 6'10" | PPG: 8.1


Reserves:

Jason Terry | Sophomore | Guard | 6'2" | PPG: 10.6

Donnell Harris | Sophomore | Forward | 6'10" | PPG: 3.9

Eugene Edgerson | Sophomore | Forward | 6'6" | PPG: 2.6

Justin Wessel | Freshman | Forward | 6'8" | PPG: 2.0

John Ash | Senior | Guard | 6'0" | PPG: 0.8

Josh Pastner | Junior | Guard | 6'0" | PPG: 0.3

Quynn Tebbs | Freshman | Guard | 6'1" | PPG: 0.5

Jason Stewart | Freshman | Guard | 6'0" | PPG: 0.2

Ortege Jenkins | Freshman | Guard | 6'1" | PPG: 0.0 (limited minutes, primarily a football player)

Head Coach: Lute Olson Record: 25–9 (11–7, 5th in Pac-10 MBB)

NCAA Tournament:(#4 seed in Southeast)

Won Southeast First Round (65–57) vs. #13 South Alabama
Won Southeast Second Round (73–69) vs. #12 College of Charleston
Won Southeast Regional Semifinal (85–82) vs. #1 Kansas
Won Southeast Regional Final (96–92) vs. #10 Providence
Won National Semifinal (66–58) vs. #1 North Carolina
Won National Championship (84–79, OT) vs. #1 Kentucky

Player Stats Leaders:PPG:
Michael Dickerson (18.9)
RPG: A.J. Bramlett (9.0)
APG: Mike Bibby (4.7)
SPG: Mike Bibby (2.2)
BPG: A.J. Bramlett (1.1)

Individual Honors:

Mike BibbyAll-Pac-10 First Team
NCAA Tournament All-Region (Southeast)

Miles Simon NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player, All-Pac-10 First Team
NCAA Tournament All-Region (Southeast)

Michael Dickerson All-Pac-10 First Team

A.J. Bramlett All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention

FUN FACTS

Historic Underdog Feat: The Wildcats became the first and only team in NCAA history (since the 64-team bracket began in 1985) to defeat three No. 1 seeds—Kansas, North Carolina, and Kentucky—en route to the national title.

Point Guard U: The 1997 team featured Mike Bibby and Jason Terry, two of Arizona's many standout guards, contributing to the program's nickname "Point Guard U." Both went on to long NBA careers, with Terry winning an NBA title in 2011.

Food Fight Fun: The night before the championship game, the team was so relaxed that they had a food fight at their hotel, showcasing their loose, confident mindset going into the high-stakes final against Kentucky.

Comeback Kings: Arizona trailed by double digits in their first two tournament games against No. 13 South Alabama and No. 12 College of Charleston but rallied to win 65–57 and 73–69, respectively, setting the tone for their resilient run.

The Practice Court Curse: Arizona's McKale Center practice court was notoriously slippery in 1997 due to poor maintenance. The team credited their agility in games to dodging slick spots during drills, which sharpened their footwork against bigger opponents.

Mike Bibby's Sneaker Switch: Freshman point guard Mike Bibby wore mismatched shoes during the NCAA Tournament due to a sponsorship quirk. He sported one Nike shoe and one Adidas shoe in some games, a subtle nod to the era's sneaker wars, as Arizona was transitioning sponsors.

Mike Bibby's Pre-Game Ritual: Freshman Mike Bibby had a quirky habit of eating exactly three peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before every tournament game, claiming it gave him "steady energy." Teammates teased him but never messed with his ritual.

Bennett Davison's Unsung Role: Senior forward Bennett Davison, often overshadowed by stars like Miles Simon and Mike Bibby, was a defensive spark plug. His hustle plays, including diving for loose balls, earned him the nickname "The Garbage Man" from teammates for cleaning up the boards.

A.J. Bramlett's Nickname: Forward A.J. Bramlett earned the nickname "The Lumberjack" from teammates for his rugged rebounding style and because he once jokingly tried to chop wood during a team retreat, only to miss the log entirely.

Jason Terry's "Flu Game": Sophomore Jason Terry played through a severe flu during the Elite Eight game against Kansas, scoring crucial points off the bench despite being dehydrated and feverish, a testament to the team's "next man up" mentality.

Donnell Harris' Surprise Contribution: Little-known reserve Donnell Harris, who averaged under 10 minutes per game, made a critical defensive stop in the Sweet 16 against College of Charleston, helping preserve a narrow lead in a game Arizona nearly lost.

Michael Dickerson's Quiet Stardom: Wing Michael Dickerson, often overlooked among flashier teammates, was a clutch performer. He scored 19 points in the Elite Eight against Kansas, including a dagger three-pointer, but his reserved personality meant he rarely got the spotlight.

Lute's Locker Room Playlist: Coach Lute Olson, known for his calm demeanor, surprised the team by allowing a boombox in the locker room before games. The team blasted Tupac Shakur's "All Eyez on Me" to hype up, a rare glimpse of Olson embracing the '90s vibe.

The "Popcorn Guy" Motivation: During the tournament, a Kansas fan taunted the Wildcats by throwing popcorn at them during warm-ups for their Sweet 16 game. The team, especially Miles Simon, used it as fuel, channeling the disrespect into their upset win over the No. 1 seed Jayhawks.

The Team Bus Incident: On the way to the Final Four in Indianapolis, the team's bus got stuck in traffic due to a local parade. The players turned it into a bonding moment, blasting music and joking around, which helped keep their nerves calm before facing North Carolina.

Tucson's Radio Chaos: During the championship game, Tucson's local radio coverage became so frenzied that broadcasters were screaming over each other, and one station briefly lost its feed due to overloaded phone lines from fans calling in during the overtime excitement.

Tucson's Airport Frenzy: When the team returned to Tucson after the championship, the airport was so mobbed that police had to escort the players through a back exit. Fans climbed fences to catch a glimpse, and one player's shoe was stolen in the chaos.

Tucson's Wild Celebration: After the victory, Tucson went wild. Fans flooded Fourth Avenue, chanting "U of A!" and some even flipped parked cars. Over 45,000 fans packed Arizona Stadium the next day to welcome the team home, where Simon declared, "I want to know where the party will be at. All night. Nothing's closing."

Dean Smith's Final Game: Arizona's Final Four win over North Carolina (66–58) marked the last game coached by legendary Tar Heels coach Dean Smith, who retired shortly after the 1997 tournament.

Lute Olson's Premonition: Before the season, Coach Lute Olson had a gut feeling about the team's potential despite their youth. He reportedly told assistants that the 1997 squad's chemistry reminded him of his 1988 Elite Eight team, a hunch that proved prophetic.

The Forgotten Bet: Assistant coach Jim Rosborough made a bet with the team that if they won the title, he'd shave his head. After the victory, the players held him to it, shaving his head in a Tucson barbershop while fans cheered outside.


Hope you enjoyed this and leaned something new about your favorite team. Feel free to add an other fun facts you know.

BearDown!

[Cactus🌵Cat]

Approximately 21% of the U.S. population was born after 1997

[WILD]

[WILD]

Arizona is still the only team to defeat three No. 1 seeds in the same NCAA Tournament (Kansas, North Carolina, and Kentucky), a feat that solidified their place in college basketball history & led to them being nicknamed "America's Team" 🇺🇸

[FOOS]

Arizona is still the only team to defeat three No. 1 seeds in the same NCAA Tournament (Kansas, North Carolina, and Kentucky), a feat that solidified their place in college basketball history & led to them being nicknamed "America's Team" 🇺🇸

An amazing run that would be so hard to duplicate.  I have friends from Kansas that are still pissed lol

[arxpert]

Won Southeast First Round (65–57) vs. #13 South Alabama
Won Southeast Second Round (73–69) vs. #12 College of Charleston

Both 2nd half comebacks I believe down 10pts or more... First round they needed a 17-0 run in the 2nd late to polish off South Bammers who we were 10pt favorites (-10).. won by 8.. and then Round 2, was Arizona -4.5 vs CoC, final score a 4pt win, barely. Both games went UNDER as well... Vegas stuff....

The Big Dance is not something that anyone should expect to perform well in.

[arxpert]

Approximately 21% of the U.S. population was born after 1997

I guess that is why we don't have that many reliable plumbers and electricians left to go around.

The Tik Tok and Barista Era is real.

Maybe leadership will take us into another 20 year war that leads no where just to get some of the influencers off the streets

[Cactus🌵Cat]

Approximately 21% of the U.S. population was born after 1997

I guess that is why we don't have that many reliable plumbers and electricians left to go around.

The Tik Tok and Barista Era is real.

Maybe leadership will take us into another 20 year war that leads no where just to get some of the influencers off the streets

Please, no politics

[arxpert]

Approximately 21% of the U.S. population was born after 1997

I guess that is why we don't have that many reliable plumbers and electricians left to go around.

The Tik Tok and Barista Era is real.

Maybe leadership will take us into another 20 year war that leads no where just to get some of the influencers off the streets

Please, no politics

Oh yeah, that is what the CBOX is for.

[WILD]

Check out Bennett Davison's comments on BDU's instagram post.



This is Awesome!