Arizona Basketball

A look at Arizona Wildcats’ top scoring recruiting/signing classes

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Brandon Ashley has 804 points in his three-year Arizona career (ESPN screen shot)

Brandon Ashley has 804 points in his three-year Arizona career (ESPN screen shot)

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ARIZONA BASKETBALL RECRUITING/SIGNING CLASSES WITH MULTIPLE PLAYERS SCORING 800 OR MORE CAREER POINTS

Class of 1947
Bob Honea 857
Leon Blevins 852

Class of 1949
Roger Johnson 1046
Bill Kemmeries 814

Class of 1967
Tom Lee 962
Eddie Myers 832

Class of 1969
Bill Warner 1462
Bruce Anderson 806

Class of 1972
Al Fleming 1765
Coniel Norman 1194
Jim Rappis 953
Eric Money 891

Class of 1973
Bob Elliott 2131
Herman Harris 1158

Class of 1985
Sean Elliott 2555
Anthony Cook 1590

Class of 1986
Jud Buechler 1144
Tom Tolbert 954

Class of 1988
Sean Rooks 1497
Matt Othick 1055
Brian Williams 829

Class of 1990
Khalid Reeves 1925
Chris Mills 1619

Class of 1991
Damon Stoudamire 1849
Ray Owes 1178

Class of 1992
Joseph Blair 1086
Reggie Geary 894

Class of 1994
Michael Dickerson 1791
Miles Simon 1664

Class of 1995
Jason Terry 1461
AJ Bramlett 1098

Class of 1997
Rick Anderson 968
Richard Jefferson 944

Class of 1999
Jason Gardner 1984
Luke Walton 1179
Gilbert Arenas 1105

Class of 2001
Salim Stoudamire 1960
Channing Frye 1789

Class of 2003
Mustafa Shakur 1318
Ivan Radenovic 1300

Class of 2006
Chase Budinger 1697
Nic Wise 1285
Jordan Hill 1208

Class of 2009
Solomon Hill 1430
Derrick Williams 1227

Class of 2012
Kaleb Tarczewski 805
Brandon Ashley 804

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Kaleb Tarczewski

Kaleb Tarczewski

According to the Arizona record book, 448 players have scored in the history of the Wildcat basketball program that spans 111 seasons.

Of those players, 74 have achieved at least 800 career points. Arizona juniors Kaleb Tarczewski and Brandon Ashley are among that 16.5 percent of Wildcats who have scored that much.

After Sunday’s win at Washington State, Tarczewski, who has 805 career points, is tied at No. 72 on the school scoring charts with Bill Davis (1966-68). Ashley is at No. 74 with with 804.

They have a reasonable chance to join the 900-point club by season’s end. That club presently has only 59 players or 13.2 percent of those who have scored wearing the Arizona uniform.

With both potentially foregoing their senior seasons for professional basketball, they probably won’t join the 1,000-point club, an elite group that comprises 49 players (upper 10.9 percent).

Brandon Ashley

Brandon Ashley

Breaking it down further to recruiting/signing classes — Tarczewski and Ashley are part of the Class of 2012 — the frontcourt duo comprises one of 21 groups that have multiple members with at least 800 career points. Note: I write “recruiting/signing classes” because some transfers who were not part of a recruiting class, such as Brian Williams and Chris Mills, were prolific scorers for Arizona.

Only 15 classes have multiple players with at least 900 points. The number dwindles to 13 at the 1,000-point mark.

The most impressive scoring recruiting class was Fred Snowden’s first in 1972. Four players had at least 891 points by the end of their Arizona career — Al Fleming (1,765), Coniel Norman (1,194), Jim Rappis (953) and Eric Money (891). Norman and Money only played two seasons before declaring hardship for the NBA.

Lute Olson attracted three signing groups with at least three players who finished with more than 800 points. Those groups:

Class of 1988 — Sean Rooks (1,497), Matt Othick (1,055) and Brian Williams (829).

Class of 1999 — Jason Gardner (1,984), Luke Walton (1,179) and Gilbert Arenas (1,105).

Class of 2006 — Chase Budinger (1,697), Nic Wise (1,285) and Jordan Hill (1,208).

In case you’re wondering, Gabe York, who was also a part of the Class of 2012, cracked the 500-point mark Sunday and is at 505 for his career. If he returns, as expected, next year, he has a shot to reach the 800-point plateau.

That means Tarczewski, Ashley and York can become one of only five recruiting/signing groups in the history of Arizona’s program that has at least three members with 800 or more career points.

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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He has also written articles for Bleacher Report and Lindy’s College Sports.

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