SEASON IN REVIEW 2008-09 SEASON IN REVIEW 2008-09 SEASON IN history. The streak trails only North Carolina, which made 27 Season Data straight appearances from 1975-2001. Regarding active numbers Under the direction of Russ Pennell, Arizona (21-14, 9-9 Pac-10) of appearances, here are the leaders, three of which were found won 21 games, advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 25th at the Midwest Regional: Arizona 25, Kansas 20, Duke 14 and consecutive season (28th appearance in school history) and Michigan State 12. finished the season ranked 24th in the country ... UA’s 25 straight NCAA Tournament appearances is the longest active streak in all Upholding Tradition NCAA divisions and is the second-longest streak in Division I history Arizona captured its 20th and 21st wins of the season during the ... Despite being seeded 12th, UA advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament to post the 31st 20-win 13th time in school history ... Two Wildcats earned All-America season in school history and the 21st in the last 22 seasons. Only accolades, while four received all-Pac-10 Conference honors. last year’s club, which posted a 19-15 record, failed to win 20 games in that span. Since the start of the 1984-85 season, the Wildcats The Rankings have averaged 24.8 wins per season. The program has also won The Wildcats finished the season ranked No. 24 in the final 41 NCAA Tournament games – sixth-most nationally – since its ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Top-25 Poll. It marked the only time current streak started in 1985. during the 2008-09 campaign in which Arizona was nationally ranked and continued a streak that has seen the program earn Arizona In The National Statistical Rankings a national ranking in 22 consecutive seasons dating back to 1987-88. Additionally, the end-of-year ranking marks the first As a team, Arizona ranked in the top 60 nationally in four time in four years that Arizona closed the season with a national statistical categories: three-point field goal percentage ranking. (.387/21st), field goal percentage (.474/27th), free throw percentage (.738/32nd) and assist:turnover ratio (1.1:1/52nd). Individually, three Wildcat players ranked in the top 100 in five Excellence Sustained categories: Chase Budinger, scoring (18.0 ppg/67th); Jordan As mentioned above, Arizona made its 25th consecutive NCAA Hill, scoring (18.3 ppg/55th), rebounding (11.0 rpg/11th) and Tournament appearance in 2009, which is the longest active streak field goal percentage (.537/53rd); and Nic Wise, free throw Jordan Hill and second longest tournament appearance streak in NCAA percentage (.848/39th) and assists (4.6 apg/77th). 78 www.arizonawildcats.com REVIEW 2008-09 SEASON IN 2008-09 Arizona Honors All-Conference Four Wildcats were honored with Pac-10 postseason honors, as Chase Budinger Chase Budinger (1st), Jordan Hill (1st) and Nic Wise (2nd) were all • John R. Wooden Award preseason watch list named all-conference, while Kyle Fogg was an honorable mention • Honorable mention Associated Press preseason All-America all-Freshman pick. It marks the 26th consecutive season that UA • Naismith Trophy preseason watch list has had at least one all-Pac-10 player and the 25th time with at least one first-team selection. • U.S. Bank Pac-10 Player of the Week (Feb. 2) • First-team All-Pac-10 • USBWA All-District IX Sweet 16 • NABC Second-team All-District 20 The 71-57 win over Cleveland State on March 22 clinched • Honorable mention Associated Press All-America Arizona’s 13th regional semifinal appearance in program history. Arizona advanced to five Sweet 16 berths in the last 10 seasons, but this was the first for the program since 2005. Arizona’s first Kyle Fogg NCAA Tournament appearance as a No. 12 seed turned out to • Honorable Mention Pac-10 All-Freshman Team be productive, as the Cats were the lowest seed remaining in the event. It was the lowest seed for the program since seeding was Jordan Hill introduced to the tournament in 1985. • U.S. Bank Pac-10 Player of the Week (Dec. 15) • John R. Wooden Award midseason top-30 list Recognized • First-team All-Pac-10 When it comes to Pac-10 Players of the Week, no school was • Pac-10 All-Defensive Team honored more often than Arizona. Four Wildcats – Jordan Hill • USBWA All-District IX (Dec. 15), Jamelle Horne (Dec. 29), Chase Budinger (Feb. 2) and • The Sporting News Third-team All-America Nic Wise (Feb. 16) – each earned the weekly distinction from • John R. Wooden Award Final Ballot honoree the conference office (see complete list at left). Two of those • NABC First-team All-District 20 players, Horne and Wise, were honored for the first time in their Chase Budinger • Honorable mention Associated Press All-America collegiate careers. Gardner, in minutes played per game (35.4) in a career, fifth in Feel the Burn three-point field goal attempts (496) and sixth in three-point Jamelle Horne field goals made (190). • Desert Diamond Fiesta Bowl Classic MVP It’s been a season-long trend so it wasn’t surprising when Arizona’s • U.S. Bank Pac-10 Player of the Week (Dec. 29) “Big Three” of Chase Budinger, Jordan Hill and Nic Wise logged 91.4 percent (329 of 360) of the possible minutes during the NCAA Late Bloomer Tournament. Only one other player, freshman Kyle Fogg (101), It was often said that few players, if any, came as far as quickly Nic Wise broke the 100-minute barrier in the postseason. Each member of as did Jordan Hill, who worked himself into one of the nation’s • U.S. Bank Pac-10 Player of the Week (Feb. 16) the Big Three played more than 1,200 minutes during the regular best big men. With per game averages of 18.3 points and 11.0 • Second-team All-Pac-10 season and the trio ranked first, fourth and seventh on the Pac-10’s rebounds, the 6-foot-10 Hill became the first Arizona player to minutes played list. Budinger’s 1,317 minutes played in 2008-09 average double figures in both points and rebounds in the same were the most for a single season in school history. season since Larry Demic in 1978-79. Incidentally, Demic, who All-America averaged 19.3 points and 10.3 rebounds, was Arizona’s first NBA first-round draft choice in 1979. Two Wildcats garnered All-American honors for their efforts during Strong to the Finish the 2008-09 campaign. Jordan Hill was a third-team All-American Junior forward Chase Budinger capped his collegiate career with as selected by The Sporting News and an honorable mention pick by a 22-point, three-assist effort against Louisville that included Solid Sophomore Season the Associated Press. Chase Budinger earned honorable mention him delivering 14 of Arizona’s 28 first-half points. The 6-foot- Forward Jamelle Horne enjoyed a productive campaign in 2008-09, kudos from the Associated Press as well. Hill and Budinger are the 7 junior closed his UA career by finishing 11th on the school’s averaging 6.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, figures that ranked 23rd and 24th Wildcats to earn a total of 89 All-America honors points scored list with 1,697. Only two players – legendary fourth and third on the club, respectively. The 6-foot-6 Horne started since 1950-51. Additionally, they are the first Cats to claim All- Wildcats and NBA veterans Sean Elliott (1,820) and Bob Elliott in 22 of 35 appearances and averaged better than 28 minutes per America honors in the same season since Channing Frye and Salim (1,701) – scored more points in their first three collegiate game. He finished in double figures eight times in 2008-09, including Stoudamire in 2004-05. seasons. Additionally, Budinger ranks second, behind only Jason a 19-point, 13-rebound performance vs. Kansas on Dec. 23. 79 RECORD: OVERALL HOME AWAY NEUTRAL ALL GAMES 21-14 14-3 2-9 5-2 CONFERENCE 9-9 7-2 2-7 0-0 NON-CONFERENCE 12-5 7-1 0-2 5-2 DATE TIME OPPONENT SCORE ATTEND HIGH POINTS HIGH REBOUNDS 11/17/08 9 p.m. MST ^ FLORIDA ATLANTIC W 75-62 13006 (21)Budinger, Chase (10)Hill, Jordan 11/18/08 9:30 p.m. MT ^ UAB 71-72 L 13124 (27)Budinger, Chase (22)Hill, Jordan 11/24/08 5:45 p.m. ET ~ vs Mississippi Valley State W 86-52 4599 (24)Budinger, Chase (10)Hill, Jordan 11/25/08 5:45 p.m. ~ vs Santa Clara W 69-66 4207 (22)Budinger, Chase (9)Hill, Jordan 11/30/08 2 p.m. MST NORTHERN ARIZONA W 74-57 12204 (23)Hill, Jordan (10)Hill, Jordan 12/2/08 7 p.m. MST LOYOLA MARYMOUNT W 84-57 12339 (17)Johnson, Zane (17)Hill, Jordan 12/5/08 8:30 p.m. CT # at Texas A&M 66-67 L 10393 (20)Hill, Jordan (8)Hill, Jordan 12/10/08 7 p.m. MST SAN DIEGO STATE W 69-56 13156 (25)Hill, Jordan (14)Hill, Jordan 12/14/08 4 p.m. MST ! vs Gonzaga W 69-64 6207 (22)Hill, Jordan (6)Budinger, Chase (6)Hill, Jordan 12/20/08 Noon PST at UNLV 64-79 L 16667 (22)Budinger, Chase (13)Hill, Jordan 12/23/08 8:30 p.m. MT % KANSAS W 84-67 14156 (23)Hill, Jordan (13)Horne, Jamelle 12/29/08 6:30 p.m.