The Student News Site of University of Arizona

The Daily Wildcat

86° Tucson, AZ

The Daily Wildcat

The Daily Wildcat

 

    Super NBA Showdown

    Who would win in a battle of current NBA

    stars from UA and UNC?


    Lute Olson

    Andre Iguodala

    Gilbert Arenas

    Channing Frye

    Richard Jefferson

    Mike Bibby

    On the Bench

      Luke Walton
      Jason Terry
      Damon Stoudamire
      Salim Stoudamire
      Hassan Adams
      Celebrity Alum: Jennie Finch
      TV analyst: Steve Kerr

    VS.


    Dean Smith

    Raymond Felton

    Rasheed Wallace

    Brendan Haywood

    Vince Carter

    Antawn Jamison

    On the Bench

      Jerry Stackhouse
      Marvin Williams
      Sean May
      Jeff McInnis
      Rashad McCants
      Celebrity Alum: Michael Jordan
      TV analyst: Hubert Davis

    The lowdown

    After UNC head coach Dean Smith echoes Kobe Bryant’s statement that Gilbert Arenas’s shot selection is unconscious, Arenas vows to score 70 on the Tar Heels.

    The plan backfires, as Arenas goes 2-of-10 in the first quarter, and UA head coach Lute Olson benches him in favor of guard Jason Terry, who offered to come off the bench so the Wildcats would have more height up front with forward Andre Iguodala.

    Terry sparks a 16-0 second-quarter run, and Arizona takes a 48-42 lead going into halftime.

    UNC guard Vince Carter catches a lob from Raymond Felton in the third quarter, makes a 520-degree turn in mid-air and dunks over UA center Channing Frye, prompting both benches to stand up in awe. Smith is visibly upset; he takes out Carter and slips in Jerry Stackhouse.

    Stackhouse increases the Tar Heels’ effort, considering that Carter was only giving 60 percent, but UNC can’t stop Arizona’s persistent fast break. The Wildcats end the third quarter up 72-62.

    UNC makes a comeback in the fourth.

    Smith yells at forward Rasheed Wallace to stop hanging out at the 3-point line and tells him to go inside on the block. Wallace abuses Richard Jefferson in the low post, and UNC outscores Arizona 14-2 to take a 90-88 lead.

    But Wallace picks up a technical foul for yelling at the official, who happens to be from the Pacific 10 Conference. Mike Bibby makes both free throws to tie the game with two minutes left.

    Olson then puts Arenas back in. He immediately takes two ill-advised jumpers, which lead to easy Tar Heel dunks on the other end.

    Forward Luke Walton, inserted into the game at the quarter’s start for his passing ability, drives and gets swatted by Brendan Haywood.

    Smith tells the Tar Heels to run the four-corners-stall offense but forgets that there’s a 35-second shot clock. Arizona gets the ball back with a minute left.

    Bibby makes a jumper to cut the lead to 94-92. Iguodala gets a steal after Olson decides to run a full-court press, and Arizona holds the ball for the last shot.

    Bibby dribbles as the clock winds down and runs a handoff play for Arenas, who takes a fadeaway 3-pointer that hits nothing but nylon.

    Arizona 95, North Carolina 94.

    – Roman Veytsman

    More to Discover
    Activate Search