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This year’s countdown to tipoff includes an overall look at the best play in Arizona Wildcats history, which will be determined as the days leading up to tipoff. Today marks 46 days until Arizona starts its 2014-15 season against Mount St. Mary’s on Nov. 14 at McKale Center. Along with the mentioning of the top plays, the countdown will once again display the top players who wore the number that corresponds with the day. The following is the next top play (they will be listed randomly during the countdown until a determination is made in a bracket):
Khalid Reeves knew something good was going to happen when he raced downcourt with five seconds left at Stanford in 1992
A year after Arizona’s Sean Rooks stunned the Maples Pavilion crowd at Stanford with a last-second game-winning bank shot, Khalid Reeves made another of the Wildcats’ most significant plays on The Farm.
Reeves drove the length of the court and made a layup as time ran out to give No. 7 Arizona a 72-70 victory over rival Stanford on Feb. 6, 1992.
“I don’t think there’s many people who can stay with (Reeves) in the open court,” Arizona coach Lute Olson told the Associated Press after the game.
Stanford had a chance to win with 5 seconds remaining and Adam Keefe, an 83-percent free-throw shooter, on the line for two shots. But Keefe missed his first attempt and never shot a second because Brent Williams was called for a lane violation.
Reeves, who scored 13 of his 19 points in the second half, took the inbounds pass, dribbled quickly down the court and scored as time expired to give Arizona (16-3) its sixth consecutive victory over all and eighth in a row over Stanford (12-5).
“I knew when I got the ball something good was going to happen,” Reeves told the AP. “Five seconds is a long time. I was either going to pull up for a jumper or lay it in. I knew I was going to have time.”
Stanford coach Mike Montgomery took the blame for Williams’ lane violation. He motioned for Williams to leave the lane and go to the top of the key after Keefe was handed the ball by a ref for the second attempt. Montgomery wanted Williams to defend against a possible fast break if Keefe missed the second shot.
“We could have taken our last timeout to prevent them from doing what they did,” Montgomery lamented.
The Wildcats overcame 29 points and 16 rebounds by Keefe. Rooks scored 19 for Arizona.
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ARIZONA’S TOP PLAYS LISTED SO FAR (Click on link to access blogs that pertain to the following)
— Steve Kerr’s first shot after father’s assassination, a 25-foot jumper against ASU, gives him hero status in Tucson and contributes to Arizona’s emergence in the Pac-10.
— Sean Rook’s last-second bank shot at Stanford in 1991 gives the Wildcats a 78-76 victory.
— Salim Stoudamire’s game-winning jumper against Oklahoma State in the 2005 Sweet 16.
— Sean Elliott’s free throw breaks Lew Alcindor’s conference scoring record in 1989.
— Craig McMillan’s McClutch shot at the buzzer from full-court pass from Steve Kerr against Oregon State in 1986.
— Arizona 6-10 center Bob Elliott’s 35-foot jumper at the buzzer beats Kansas State in 1973.
— Sean Elliott downs Duke with three-pointer over Danny Ferry in last minute in 1989.
— Miles Simon’s 65-foot bank shot as time expired to beat Cincinnati in Phoenix in 1996.
— Tom Tolbert’s no-look, twisting shot against North Carolina in the 1988 Elite Eight.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson wants fans to cut out his cartoon from #arizonawildcats schedule poster "because I look good" http://t.co/7J1lz6A56b
— Bruce Pascoe (@BrucePascoe) September 26, 2014
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1 of the best backcourts the last 20 yrs in college basketball!!! Me and my boy Khalid Reeves!!! pic.twitter.com/KwtOsMRyWi
— Damon Stoudamire (@Iambiggie503) April 21, 2014
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Watch || @RealDwill7 discusses his offseason workout & more following day 2 of Training Camp: http://t.co/t5NVC97d2c pic.twitter.com/01zp88Hci1
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) September 28, 2014
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He also writes articles for Bleacher Report and Lindy’s College Sports.
