Wildcats in the NBA Trivia Quiz

Answer: Brian Williams

Brian Williams left the U of A in 1991 and was drafted by the Orlando Magic. He was a bit of a journeyman, playing for several teams. He won a ring with the 1997 Chicago Bulls, and walked away from professional basketball after 2 years with the Pistons.

He renamed himself Bison Dele, in honor of his slave and Native American heritages in 1998. He disappeared in July of 2002, along with his girlfriend, his brother, and 3 crewmembers of his boat, the Hakuna Matata. Two months later, his brother reappeared with the boat (which had been renamed and reregistered). No one else from the boat has been heard of since.

His brother was the main suspect in the case, which remains unsolved.

Answer: Sean Elliot

Sean Elliot was the first of Arizona's prolific scorers in the Lute Olsen era. He led the U of A to a #1 ranking in the polls and to its first final four appearance. In 1989, he was the Wooden Award winner as best college player of the year, consensus All-American, and was the PAC-10 career scoring leader.

He was the 3rd pick by the San Antonio Spurs, where spent all but one year of his career, picking up a World Championship in 1999 with former teammate Steve Kerr. After the season, he underwent a kidney transplant and returned to play in March of 2000.

He retired in 2001.

Answer: Steve Kerr

Steve Kerr was another member of Arizona's first final four team, playing with Cats from 1984 to 1988. He was known as a sharp 3-point shooter, and in 1988 made 57.3% of his attempts. He continued that trend in the NBA, playing first for the Suns and eventually ending up on the Chicago Bulls, where he won 3 straight championships, adding a 4th straight ring with the 1999 San Antonio Spurs.

He added a fifth ring in 2002 with San Antonio. He finished his career with several NBA records, including highest career 3-PT percentage (45.9%) and highest single season 3-PT percentage (52.4%).

He retired in 2003.

Answer: Luke Walton

The son of basketball great Bill Walton, Luke joined the U of A in 1998 (he redshirted his freshman season). He made his name at the U of A as a passer, but could score as well. He was one of the first three PAC-10 players to tally 1000 points, 500 assists, and 500 rebounds. He was drafted in 2003 by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Answer: Mike Bibby

Mike Bibby, son of USC head coach Henry Bibby (who also played 9 seasons in the NBA), joined the Wildcats in 1996 and led the Wildcats to their first NCAA Championship. He returned his sophomore year and led the Wildcats to the Elite Eight, but was unable to repeat as champion.

After just 2 seasons he already ranked #30 in all time scoring at the U of A. He left after his sophomore season and was drafted by Vancouver, where he led all NBA rookies in assists and was 3rd in scoring, assists, and double-doubles.

He was traded to Sacramento in 2001, where he has proved instrumental to their championship hopes.

Answer: Tom Tolbert

Tom Tolbert played for the Wildcats from 1986-1988, and was part of the U of A's first final four team. He was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets and played for four teams over his seven year NBA career. After retiring, he began hosting a popular Bay area sports talk show and had gone on to join ABC sports, and ESPN as an analyst known for his witty and insightful commentary.

Answer: Michael Dickerson

Michael Dickerson had an immediate impact at the U of A, coming off the bench in Freshman season in 1994 to average 11.4 points. He became a starter his Junior year and led the team in scoring in 1996 and 1997, earning First Team PAC-10 honors both years. Along with Mike Bibby, he lead the U of A to its first NCAA Championship.

He was first draft choice of the Houston Rockets, and traded to Memphis in 1999. He suffered from sports related hernia and groin injuries, and retired in in 2003 after playing just six games in the 2002-2003 season.

Answer: Richard Jefferson

Richard Jefferson joined the U of A in 1998 and was known for his defensive intensity. However, he could also score. He left the Cats after his junior year, and was picked 13th by the Houston Rockets. He never played a game for the Rockets, being traded to New Jersey almost immediately.

There he emerged as a surprising offensive weapon, and was selected to the National Team. In 2004, he was picked for the Olympic team as well.

Answer: Kenny Lofton

Kenny Lofton was the explosive sixth man on Arizona's 1988 Final Four team, and was a point guard with the U of A from 1986 to 1989. He started at point in 1989, and finished his career with the PAC-10 record for career steals with 116 and as an NCAA player of the year.

He began playing baseball for the Wildcats in 1988, and was drafted by the Houston Astros. In his first game as an Astro, he went 3 for 4 and scored 3 runs. He made his mark with the Cleveland Indians, becoming the one of baseballs most feared lead-off hitters, and set an AL rookie record of 66 steals his rookie year (1992). Beginning in 1993, his incredible speed helped lead him to four straight Golden Glove awards.

Answer: Damon Stoudamire

Damon Stoudamire was a Wildcat guard from 1991 to 1995, finishing as only the second player in PAC-10 history to score 1800 points while recording 600 assists and 400 rebounds. He also was the co-Player of the Year in the PAC-10 and a Consensus All-American.

He was drafted by Toronto in 1995 and posted Toronto's first ever triple double in just his 11th game as a pro, on his way to becoming Rookie of the Year. At 5-10, he was the smallest player to ever win that award. He was traded to Portland in 1997 and became a team leader.

He has been troubled by drug charges, and was accused of trying to pass a half-ounce of marijuana through a Tucson International Airport checkpoint.