Arizona Faces USC Tonight With Sean Elliott Still Leading Charge

After leading Arizona’s basketball team to the Final Four last season, Sean Elliott decided against making himself eligible for the National Basketball Assn. draft.

The 6-foot 8-inch All-American forward returned for his senior season because his mother wanted him to graduate.

“Basketball is a pastime,” said Odiemae Elliott. “Sean has his whole life ahead of him after basketball. Basketball careers only last 9 or 10 years if you’re a little guy, and Sean, for all practical purposes, is a little guy.

“At 31, what will he do if he has no education? I didn’t raise my child to be idly rich. Even if he plays 10 years and comes out with plenty of money, he still needs something to do to be productive.”

Spoken like a true mother.

But just to be on the safe side, Mrs. Elliott took out a $1-million insurance policy on her son. If an injury ends his career before he reaches the NBA, he’ll collect.

A nurse who has brought up three sons alone, she got a bank loan to pay the premium.

“Lloyd’s of London wouldn’t write the type of policy we needed,” she said. “A friend of mine had the policy written just for Sean.”

Elliott, who will lead the Wildcats into tonight’s game against USC at the Sports Arena, is convinced that he made the right move.

“I had more reservations about going than staying,” he said. “I know that that kind of life (the NBA) would be waiting for me. I wasn’t sure if I could handle it. A lot of guys get out there and have a pocketful of money and so much free time that they end up getting into sticky situations, such as drugs. The money will always be there when I go to the NBA.”

Lute Olson, Arizona’s coach, believes that Elliott made a wise choice.

“He’s still only 20 years old and from a mental standpoint, the rigors of the NBA would have been very difficult for him to handle,” Olson said. “Physically, he needed to get stronger. I think his total game will develop much better. This was the best thing for him in the long run.”

Elliott’s pro stock has risen this season.

“He’s a really intriguing player,” Jerry West, Laker president, said of Elliott. “He should be a real fine NBA player. He can create things on his own and make shots for other people.”

After averaging 18.2 points and 5.7 rebounds in his first 3 seasons at Arizona, Elliott has taken his game to another level this season. He is averaging 20.8 points and 7.8 rebounds.

Tonight’s game matches teams with records among the best and worst the Pacific 10 Conference.

The Wildcats, 11-2 overall and 6-1 in the Pac-10, lead the conference and are ranked ninth in the Associated Press poll. After starting 4-0, the Trojans have tapered off to 7-8 and 0-4, and have lost 4 straight.

“Arizona scares me the most of any team in the league,” USC Coach George Raveling said. “They have the best player in the country in Elliott.”

Jerry Tarkanian, Nevada Las Vegas coach, is also a big fan of Elliott, who scored 32 points in Arizona’s 86-75 victory over UNLV last month.

“He’s a phenomenal player,” Tarkanian said. “If you’re starting a team, I don’t know how you’d start with anybody but him because he can do everything for you. He’s one of the best college players I’ve seen in a long, long time.

“He creates shots. He rebounds. There isn’t anything he can’t do. A guy like him comes along about once in a lifetime.”

Olson said that Elliott is the best player he has coached in 32 years.

“He’s a lot like Magic Johnson,” Olson said. “When I was at Iowa, we played against Magic when he was a freshman and sophomore. Right now as a senior, he’s doing everything for us that Magic did for Michigan State.”

Jim Harrick, UCLA coach, said Elliott’s greatest strength is his versatility.

“He can probably play 4 positions now . . .,” Harrick said. “He shoots the 3-point shot like it’s nothing. If you close in on him, he can drive right or left. There aren’t a lot of guys who can do it all. He can do it all and he’s just going to get better and better and better.

“He’s in a class with Michael Jordan. He’s not Michael Jordan, but he’s up there on that ladder.”

Elliott said it’s absurd to rate him alongside Jordan and presents evidence.

For the last 2 years, Elliott has attended Jordan’s basketball camp, where he has played against Jordan.

“He scored about 5 or 6 straight baskets on me and I was trying my hardest,” Elliott said. “I didn’t get down because he does that to everybody. But there were a couple of times I took him to the hole.”