These Players Weren’t All Wanted, but Their Record Certainly Is : Arizona--A Perfect Blending

Anthony Cook was looking bored, staring at nothing in particular over the heads of reporters and the tops of television cameras, when he suddenly snapped to attention at the mention of his name. His coach had just come out of nowhere with one of those familiar jabs.

” . . . and we’re stuck trying to play with guys, like Anthony Cook, that nobody else wanted,” Arizona Coach Lute Olson was saying.

Cook tried to be cool, but that lasted about two seconds. He clapped a big hand over his mouth to hide the smile that wouldn’t go away. Finally, he went face down on the table. But the smile still showed.

He loved it. It was a delicious moment. He rolled his head to one side so he could peak at the coach, who was openly laughing at his reaction.

So what was that all about?

It was all about the University of Arizona basketball team.

For starters, they tease a lot. It’s a sign that this group really is as fun-loving and close-knit as they say.

And then there’s that underdog game that they play. You know, Olson trying to revive a dead program with a bunch of castoffs. That pulls them together, too.

Then, too, there’s the secret that they shared for a few years. It’s no secret, anymore. Everyone knows that they really are a good team.

And, finally, there’s the goal that they’ve shared: The mission. The national title.

Now that Arizona is in the Final Four, just two games away from the title, those playful little barbs are starting to let the rest of the world see the pride the Wildcats shared in their rise from such humble beginnings.

It all starts with Steve Kerr, the celebrated former UCLA ball boy from Pacific Palisades who was still available for the asking in August, 1983. When Kerr was asked, during his freshman year, if he held a grudge against UCLA for not recruiting him, he said in that disarmingly honest way of his: “Why should I single out UCLA? I’m not holding a grudge against the hundreds of other schools that didn’t recruit me.”

Actually, Kerr, a fifth-year senior, did have an offer from Cal State Fullerton and was considering it when Olson discovered him in the summer leagues.

Kerr has always had a beautiful shot, and he has developed into the consummate point guard, but Olson never had any illusions about Kerr’s physical abilities. He comments on Kerr’s limited abilities constantly. In fact, Olson has said, “You could not win with five Steve Kerrs . . . but you need a Steve Kerr on your team.”

Forward Sean Elliott, the one player with undeniable superstar talent, says of Kerr: “Steve is the ultimate thinker. He’s invaluable. It’s like having Coach Olson on the floor--only Steve has more physical ability.”

That’s a counterpunch from Elliott on behalf of Kerr. These guys stick together.

Elliott, the Pacific 10’s player of the year--and the only Arizona starter not from California--has heard enough rave reviews on his own play lately to fill a couple of scrapbooks.

The question these days is not so much why he chose Arizona as when is he leaving Arizona for the National Basketball Assn. After working with Elliott at a camp last summer, Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls concluded: “He’s a first-class NBA player right now.”

How did Olson get Elliott? Well, Elliott was right there in Tucson, seeing a little earlier than the other high school superstars what Olson had in the making. The year that Elliott graduated from Cholla High School in Tucson, Olson was in his second season with the Wildcats and was putting together a 21-10 record.

The next season, with Elliott starting as a freshman, Arizona won the Pac-10 title.

Cook was a freshman that year, too. He had good numbers at Van Nuys High School, but he wasn’t rushed by national recruiters. His decision was between Arizona and Loyola Marymount. He chose Arizona against the advice of his family.

Olson saw Cook play at the Basketball Congress International tournament in Tempe. He told Arizona reporters: “I felt he would be one of those players where people in L.A. would say, ‘Where did this guy come from?’ I was convinced he was one of those who, in the end, would turn out to be an outstanding player.”

Cook is in his third year as a starting forward for Arizona and he has become the leading shot blocker in the history of the Pac-10.

Cook said this week: “We’re not surprised to be in the Final Four. It’s something we’ve been talking about since our freshman year. We had six freshman coming in then, and we felt that if we worked together, things would take their course.”

Craig McMillan, a 4th-year senior who starts in the backcourt with Kerr, said much the same thing. “We’ve had people like Steve, Sean, Anthony and myself who came in here and started playing right away. We all played as freshmen, so we’ve played quite a bit. As each of us has gotten better, the team has gotten better.”

McMillan was not exactly an unknown at little Cloverdale High School. He was a McDonald’s All-American and was considered one of the top guards in the country. But he wasn’t the type who needed to call a press conference when he chose Arizona over UCLA, either.

Arizona’s starting center took a roundabout route to Arizona. From Artesia High School in Lakewood, he went to UC Irvine, then to Cerritos College and, finally, after making a name for himself as a community college offensive threat, chose Arizona over Nevada Las Vegas.

Tolbert started 21 games for the Wildcats last season, but didn’t really come into his own until this season. And, especially, in this tournament run.

But for every rebound he grabs, every shot he denies, Tolbert still takes a round of gibes from his fellow Wildcats and his coach, along with the compliments.

His teammates thought it was hilarious when, in answer to a question about how Tolbert was recovering from his twisted back in the Cornell game, Olson said, “Knowing Tom, I’m sure it won’t affect his shot. But he might have trouble getting back to play defense.”

And they all love to ride Tolbert about his willingness to say absolutely anything, regardless of tact or tactics. Olson and Cook caught their breath when Tolbert was asked about the relative strengths of Pac-10 basketball and East Coast basketball. After Tolbert had disappointed reporters with an evasive non-answer, Olson and Cook exchanged thumbs-up signs.

All in fun. If the Wildcats didn’t like Tolbert, he wouldn’t be on the team.

It is true, Olson continually insists, that having a bunch of guys who get along is so important to his philosophy of teamwork that he does give his players veto power when he recruits.

“Every player who comes in here is in contact with all of our players,” Olson said. “We think it is very important to get a feel for how our players feel about a kid. Once in a while, you run into a situation where they won’t want us to recruit a kid.”

And the coaches listen. Why trade camaraderie that works for a 36-inch vertical jump that might jump out of sync?

“The atmosphere that we create here is that we’re a team,” Olson said.

A happy team. A 35-2 team.

It just all came together. Kerr, the most important element, would have graduated last season if he had not suffered such a serious knee injury with the U.S. national team and had to redshirt last season. That gave him a year to hone his coaching senses while Tolbert found his niche with the team and Cook and Elliott each got a year older and better.

“It’s a case here where the chemistry developed perfectly,” Olson said. “We had an in-town kid, in Sean, who was not well known, and a leader, in Steve, who was not recruited. We’ve had some good breaks on some of the other kids, too. Fortunately, we have some kids here who fit hand in glove.”