Sean Elliott
Then
Sean Elliott, the Tucson local hailing from Cholla High School, was a small forward for the Arizona Wildcats. Elliott was instrumental in making the Wildcats what they are today achieving multiple accolades during his time in McKale Center, including being named a two-time All-American, the 1989 John R. Wooden Award winner, the 1989 Adolph Rupp Trophy, the 1989 NABC Player of the Year, 1989 AP Player of the Year and two-time Pac-12 Player of the Year (1988–1989). After graduating, he was drafted third overall in the 1989 draft by the San Antonio Spurs. Elliott made history in 2000 by becoming the first ever NBA player to return to their sport after a kidney transplant.
Now
After retiring from professional basketball in 2001, Elliott has turned to the world of sports journalism and is a TV analyst for the Spurs at Fox Sports Southwest.
Tom Tolbert
Then
The 6-foot-7 forward played two years at UC Irvine before transferring to Arizona in 1986 and playing for two seasons. Tolbert played only eight games in his two years as an Antelope, but went on to play a total of 68 with the Wildcats. He averaged 13.9 and 14.1 points per game while at Arizona.
Now
Tolbert is a part of a Bay Area radio show but recently took some time off due to an emergency surgery for his heart. Tolbert mentioned on his show that his wife rushed him to the hospital late one night, and he was operated on due to a thoracic aortic aneurysm.
Tolbert returned to the air on Oct. 12.
Besides his radio show, Tolbert is also a part of the Golden State Warriors’ broadcasting team and does color commentary for the radio broadcast.
Anthony Cook
Then
Anthony Cook was a 6-foot-9 forward for the Wildcats for four years. He averaged under 10 points per game in his first two seasons but jumped up to 13.9 and 17.5 as a junior and senior. Cook went on to play for the NBA, where he played with the Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks and Portland Trail Blazers. He was rather unlucky with injuries, which limited his career to just four years.
Now
It is unknown what his status is today.
Steve Kerr
Then
While on the Arizona Wildcats, Kerr was one of the greatest guards in program history, and he continues to be a beacon of pride for the UA. After being drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 1988 and getting traded around, he signed with the Chicago Bulls in 1993 and proceeded to win three titles with the team. He was later traded to San Antonio, where he won two more championships.
Now
Since his retirement, Kerr has had his hand in several aspects of the game. Kerr has been a TV analyst featured on various 2K games, as well as working as a general manager and now as a head coach. Since 2014, he has been the head coach for the Golden State Warriors and has been a key part to the team winning two championships in three years.
Craig McMillan
Then
Craig McMillan was a senior guard when the Wildcats made it to the Final Four. He was a star, and Fox Sports cites his layup to give Arizona the OT win over Oregon State as one of the best finishes in Arizona history.
Steve Kerr was interviewed by the Tucson Citizen about the play and called McMillian “Mr. Clutch.”
Now
With his dad being a basketball coach, it was no surprise that McMillan made an easy transition fom player to coach. He was an assistant coach for a couple college teams in the U.S., but he became a head coach for the first time overseas. He coached in Kuwait for three years, and then in Lebanon for one. He came back to the U.S. to coach at Santa Rosa Junior College, a community college in California. McMillan mentioned to the college’s student newspaper that his players are excelling both on and off the court, which is very important to him. His team, the Bear Cubs, were ranked high in their conference last season.
Ken Lofton
Then
Kenny Lofton was an Arizona Wildcat for four years, all of which he spent on the basketball team, along with two on the baseball team. In his time with the Wildcats, he set a record for most career steals. Lofton went on to play professional baseball for 11 different teams throughout 17 seasons — most notably the Cleveland Indians. He played with the Indians for nine and a half years.
Now
In 2010, three years after his final MLB game, Lofton was inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame. Now, Lofton focuses on film endeavors after starting his own film company, FilmPool Inc.
Jud Buechler
Then
The 6-foot-6 guard was present for the ‘88 Final Four run but had his best seasons the two years following the run. Besides playing on the Arizona basketball team, Buechler was also a volleyball player and was named an All-American in the sport.
Now
Just before the start of the 2016–2017 NBA season, Buechler was named an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers. Before that, the Lakers wrote that Buechler left basketball and spent almost all his time focusing on his two daughters and partaking in their sports as a coach. But now that both his daughters are in college, he’s decided to become an NBA assistant coach.
Harvey Mason Jr.
Then
Harvey Mason was a guard from the Boston area with a musical background. Mason left the team after four years and began working in the music industry. Mason worked as both a songwriter and producer and worked with names like Destiny’s Child, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson.
Now
Mason is still pursuing music but has also focused some of his attention on films. In 2008, he launched his own company, Harvey Mason Media, which is an umbrella for all of his multi-media works. In terms of music, he worked with popular early-2000s artists like Chris Brown and Britney Spears and was a mentor on both “American Idol” and “The X Factor.” His company also produced a successful documentary called “More than a Game” about LeBron James and his teammates in high school and their rise to fame.
Joe Turner
Then
Joe Turner played at Arizona as a forward for four years, from 1984–88. His best season was his last; in ‘88 he had 3.9 points per game in 38 games.
Now
Most of the talk about Turner is regarding one of his five kids, Jade. Jade is a redshirt junior for the Wildcats volleyball team. In an interview with the Daily Wildcat last season, she said her dad was a big reason for her being a Wildcat and being where she is now.
“My father is my biggest inspiration,” Jade said.
Matt Muehlebach
Then
Matt Muehlebach was a guard who was a freshman during the Final Four appearance. That year he averaged just 1.5 points per game, but that would rise to 11.3 his junior year.
Now
Muehlebach did not pursue a professional basketball career and instead graduated with a law degree from the UA. For years he was part of a firm in Tucson, but recently became part of the 5Lights Group, a company that helps entrepreneurs. The company’s website describes Muehlebach’s duties as, “… managing, supporting and effecting all legal functions and matters within 5Lights and across portfolio companies and private equity investment activities.” Muehlebach is also an analyst on the Pac-12 Networks basketball coverage.
Follow Rachel Huston on Twitter
