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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 35 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):
This is a best-play series, but what about a sequence of plays on the same possession?
Loren Woods’ three blocked shots in succession — like rapid fire, one after the other — against Oregon on Feb. 3, 2000 qualifies for the list.
Woods, a 7’1″ center, blocked three shots by three different players within five seconds the first time Oregon had the ball.
“Loren sent a message on the first possession,” Arizona coach Lute Olson told the Associated Press.
The message didn’t get through to Oregon, which inexplicably kept attacking him. Woods responded by swatting shots away until he tied the NCAA record with 14 blocks in the No. 9-ranked Wildcats’ 77-71 victory over the No. 23 Ducks.
Woods equaled the NCAA record set by David Robinson of Navy in 1986 and tied by Shawn Bradley of Brigham Young in 1990 and Roy Rogers of Alabama in 1996.
Woods also had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Arizona’s first triple double since Damon Stoudamire had one against Oregon in 1995.
“They were not afraid to bring the ball inside,” Woods, a junior transfer from Wake Forest told the AP. “They kept coming at me.”
ARIZONA’S TOP PLAYS LISTED SO FAR (Click on link to access blogs that pertain to the following)
— Michael Wright’s shot in the lane with three seconds left topples No. 1 Stanford at Maples Pavilion in 2001.
— Eddie Smith’s game-winning three-point play with two seconds left caps a furious last-minute rally at ASU in 1985.
— Eddie Smith’s bank shot at the buzzer beats ASU 65-64 in Tempe in 1984 and sets Lute Olson’s dominant program in motion.
— Salim Stoudamire’s jumper with six-tenths of a second left beats ASU in Tempe in 2005.
— Nick Johnson gives Arizona fans Christmas Day gift with game-saving blocked shot against San Diego State in 2012.
— MoMo Jones’ 16-foot bank shot at the buzzer in 2010 adds to New York flavor of Arizona winning shots at Stanford’s Maples Pavilion.
— Chris Mills’ buzzer-beating jumper in regulation gives Arizona life in its 105-94 overtime victory over UCLA in 1991.
— Kenny Lofton’s behind-the-back, double-pump dunk caps rout of Oregon in 1988, ranks as one of college hoops’ best dunks of that season.
— Salim Stoudamire’s game-winning long-distance three-pointer downs UCLA in 2005.
— Derrick Williams’ emphatic blocked shot against Washington in 2011 saves game for Arizona.
— Khalid Reeves’ coast-to-coast game-winner with less the five seconds left beats Stanford at Maples Pavilion in 1992.
— Steve Kerr’s first shot after father’s assassination in 1984, 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.
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Here is a video capture of each blocked shot by Loren Woods against Oregon in 2000 (watch the video by clicking here):
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.@ESPNCBB: @eamonnbrennan ranks the current top-ten courts in college basketball: http://t.co/OZ7gCe2Fzw – #APlayersProgram court is #5
— Arizona Basketball (@APlayersProgram) October 9, 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.
