ARIZONA BASKETBALL

Jason Terry’s career with the Arizona Wildcats: By the Numbers

Feb 19, 2015, 2:00 PM | Updated: 2:00 pm

Before he was an NBA champion and Sixth Man of the Year, he was an NCAA champion and Player of the Year.

Thursday, former Arizona Wildcat guard Jason Terry will become the fifth men’s basketball player to have his number hoisted up the McKale Center rafters by UA, joining Sean Elliott, Steve Kerr, Jason Gardner and his former teammate, Mike Bibby.

Alongside Bibby and Miles Simon, Terry guided the Wildcats to their first and only NCAA men’s basketball championship in 1997, capping an improbable tournament run that included wins over three No. 1 seeds.

In 1999, Terry was a consensus first-team All-American and earned NCAA Player of the Year honors from CBS and Sports Illustrated.

Terry went on to have a successful NBA career — a career that’s not over yet. Only eight current NBA players are older than Terry, who has averaged seven points in 50 games this season with the Houston Rockets.

And yet, Terry still found time to achieve an academic goal he didn’t get the chance to finish during his collegiate career.

Terry is the only Arizona Wildcat to win an NCAA championship and an NBA championship. He got himself a ring in 2011 with the Dallas Mavericks, who needed six games to upend LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

Terry is averaging 15 points and 4.3 assists per game in his 16-year NBA career, following up averages of 13.8 points and 3.8 assists per game during his four years as a Wildcat.

Here’s a closer look at Terry’s time in Tucson — with an emphasis on his remarkable senior season — by the numbers:

2.8

Terry led the Pac-10 in a number of statistical categories in his final collegiate season, including steals. His 2.8 thefts per game in 1998-99 topped his mark of 2.5 in his sophomore campaign.

5

Terry was more of a role player during the Wildcats’ championship season, but he played a key part in the ’97 title game against Kentucky, dishing out a team-high five assists in UA’s 84-79 overtime win.

Comments

Comment guidelines: No name-calling, personal attacks, profanity, or insults. Please keep the conversation civil and help us moderate comments by reporting abuse.
comments powered by Disqus

Arizona Basketball

Kylan Boswell #4 of the Arizona Wildcats reacts as he walks off the court after losing to the Clems...

David Veenstra

Former Arizona basketball guard Kylan Boswell commits to Illinois

Former Arizona Wildcats guard Kylan Boswell has committed to Illinois, he announced across his social media accounts on Sunday.

2 days ago

Arizona point guard Kylan Boswell vs. Long Beach State in the NCAA Tournament...

Arizona Sports

Kylan Boswell hitting transfer portal after up-and-down year at Arizona

Arizona Wildcats sophomore guard Kylan Boswell is entering the transfer portal, reports On3's Jamie Shaw and 247 Sports' Jason Scheer.

7 days ago

South Carolina celebrates winning an NCAA Championship...

Associated Press

NCAA women’s title between South Carolina, Iowa was most-watched hoops game in 5 years

South Carolina's victory over Iowa in the women's NCAA championship game had a preliminary audience average of 18.7 million on ABC and ESPN.

7 days ago

UConn wins 2024 National Championship...

Bailey Leasure

UConn becomes 1st back-to-back national champion since 2007 with win over Purdue

UConn defeated Purdue to win its sixth championship in program history Monday at State Farm Stadium.

7 days ago

Zach Edey...

Arizona Sports

Zach Edey keeps Purdue in championship game against UConn

Purdue star Zach Edey led both teams in scoring with a 37-point output in the national championship game as UConn won its second in a row.

7 days ago

Dylan Anderson...

Arizona Sports

Arizona Wildcats center, former Perry standout Dylan Anderson enters transfer portal

Wildcats center Dylan Anderson, the two-time Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year, has entered the transfer portal, according to reports.

7 days ago

Jason Terry’s career with the Arizona Wildcats: By the Numbers