UConn and Arizona are two of college hoops’ ‘new-bloods,’ programs that have achieved immense national success in a period of time that just barely predates “NBA Jam.”
Both spawned into annual contenders in the late 1980s, thanks to serendipitous hires who went on to become Hall of Fame coaches.
Huskies fans know all about Jim Calhoun, who took over in 1986 and had UConn in the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight as a No. 1 seed by 1990. Lute Olson performed a similar, remarkable build on the other side of the country, taking over in 1983-84 and leading the Wildcats to a top seed and Final Four berth by 1988.
Arizona went on a seven-year run of earning at least a top-three seed in the Big Dance from 1987-94, and then won the national title as a 4-seed in 1997.
Olson took the Wildcats to four Final Fours and finished with a record of 587-190 at the school, and while the program has stayed nationally relevant under Sean Miller and current head coach Tommy Lloyd, they’re still looking to get back to that level of success.
Like a lot of programs (we’re looking at you, Duke)– Arizona could have considered UConn a “bogey” team, as they lost each of their first five meetings with the Huskies, including one in 2011 with a trip to the Final Four on the line. UConn is 5-2 all-time against the Wildcats.
Here’s a look back at the history between these two.
Dec. 7, 1999No. 6 UConn 78, No. 2 Arizona 69
The first meeting between the two schools came the season after the UConn men captured their first-ever national championship, in a preseason event called the “Great Eight.” Khalid El-Amin drained four threes and led the way with 23 points, outdueling Arizona freshman Gilbert Arenas, who scored 18.
“El-Amin knows how to run his team very well,” Arenas said after the game, according to ESPN. “When things would get a little out of control, he would take his time just like he did last year when they won the national championship.”
Both teams went on to win 25-plus games, but each bowed out in the NCAA Round of 32.
Dec. 9, 2000No. 13 UConn 71, No. 5 Arizona 69
Just like you’d find if you walked past Gampel right now, students were camping out ahead of this game, which featured a top-five Wildcats squad including future NBA star Richard Jefferson coming to Storrs. They saw a classic, rushing the court after the Huskies took down the Wildcats, thanks to a controversial goaltending call that gave guard Tony Robertson the winning basket with 1.8 seconds left. UConn erased an eight-point lead in the final three minutes, and a freshman Caron Butler racked up 16 points in the win.
Jan. 26, 2002No. 25 UConn 100, No. 10 Arizona 98 (OT)
Freshmen Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon were massive in this one. Gordon scored a team-high 23 points and Okafor amassed 19 and nine blocks, as UConn escaped Tucson with a two-point victory in an overtime thriller. Okafor became the third Husky in history to block nine or more shots in a game. “This is another step on the ladder to believe we can beat any team in the country,” Calhoun said after the win. The Huskies would go on to reach the Elite Eight that season before losing to eventual national champion Maryland.
Nov. 22, 2005No. 3 UConn 79, No. 9 Arizona 70
This meeting came in the semifinals at the Maui Invitational, and the defending national champion Huskies used a 15-1 late run to push past the Wildcats. Denham Brown led the way for the Huskies with 17 points, and Craig Austrie added 15, while Rashad Anderson, Josh Boone and Hilton Armstrong made big plays down the stretch. UConn would go on to defeat Gonzaga to win the Maui title.
March 26, 2011No. 3 UConn 65, No. 5 Arizona 63
This is clearly the most memorable of all the matchups between these two schools, as Kemba Walker scored 20 points to help the Huskies outlast Derrick Williams and the Wildcats, and send UConn to the Final Four. It was the ninth straight win for UConn in a run of 11 straight that captured the Huskies perhaps the most stirring of their six national titles. Arizona fans will certainly remember the lasting image of a missed Williams 3 in the dying moments as the Huskies held on for the win and a fifth Final Four appearance.
Dec. 21, 2017No. 18 Arizona 73, UConn 58
UConn dropped to 7-4 with this loss to Arizona in Tucson, their first-ever defeat at the hands of the Wildcats. The game came in the final year of the Kevin Ollie era, and the Huskies would go on to finish 14-18. Terry Larrier led UConn with 18 points.
Dec. 2, 2018Arizona 76, UConn 72
This certainly wasn’t a game between vintage UConn and Arizona teams, as the Huskies were in their first year under Dan Hurley and ended up finishing 16-17. Brandon Randolph scored 20 for the Wildcats, as they won in Hartford despite not making a field goal in the final six-and-a-half minutes. Jalen Adams led the Huskies with 21 points.
