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The cover of the Arizona basketball media guide of Lute Olson’s first year at Arizona (Javier Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)
Feeling nostalgic? Check out our Throwback Thursday segments.
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The first media guide of the Lute Olson era in 1983 had a succinct cover: A simple mug shot of the smiling first-year coach amid a light blue background under a bold heading of “Arizona Basketball”.
The blue color on the media guide resembled that of the sky, fitting inasmuch as Olson dreamed of heavenly things for the Arizona basketball program after athletic director Cedric Dempsey hired him away from Iowa 32 years ago.
“We will play hard, play well together, play with intelligence and represent the university in a manner we should expect them to represent the university both on and off the court,” Olson is quoted as saying in the media guide. “I don’t think anyone will be critical of our lack of effort.”
Although Olson was only three years removed from taking Iowa to the Final Four, he was not much of a household name in Tucson, which sadly lost faith in the basketball program after a disastrous 4-24 season under Ben Lindsey in 1982-83.
Only a handful of media showed up for Olson’s introductory press conference at McKale Center. The first media guide of the Olson era devoted the first eight pages to the 1983-84 schedule, athletic department directory, media information guidelines and McKale Center history with no mention of Olson.
If Arizona knew then what it knows now, it would not take the ninth page to introduce him. But who could fault the school, which was holding on mostly to what McKale Center meant to the program under Fred Snowden?
The media guide that year gave us a glimpse of what was ahead with Olson’s recruiting principles. The story goes that his late wife Bobbi had the final say on recruits based on the player’s character.
“I have always been a firm believer that you build a program with good people,” Olson is quoted as saying. “We never recruit the great players who are questionable people. We would rather have a good player who is a good person.”
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Site founder and award-winning sports journalist Javier Morales has published his first e-book, “The Highest Form of Living”, a fiction piece about a young man who overcomes a troubled upbringing without his lost father and wayward mother through basketball and hope. His hope is realized through the sport he loves. Basketball enables him to get past his fears. His experience on the court indirectly brings him closer to his parents in a unique, heartfelt way. Please order it at Amazon (for only $4.99) by clicking on the photo:
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Lute Olson let it be known his principles from the start (Javier Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)
Feeling nostalgic? Check out our Throwback Thursday segments.
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.[/tps_footer]
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