Seniors leave championship legacy

That's what a lot of people may be asking themselves as the 1997-98 men's basketball season continues on to the Final Four this weekend without the Arizona Wildcats.

Yet even with the pain of a 25-point loss to Utah in the Elite Eight still lingering in the locker room, the men's basketball team was able to reflect on what it accomplished, rather than what it had not.

"I told them they have a championship," Arizona head coach Lute Olson said. "That's something a lot of people don't have."

Utah's victory put to rest any hope Arizona had of defending its crown, but at 30-5 in a season that included the senior's first Pacific 10 Conference title, the Wildcats certainly had nothing to be ashamed of.

But good luck convincing them of that.

"Hopefully (we'll get over it) quickly," Arizona guard Josh Pastner said. "We're just going to have to fight through it."

With the conclusion of the season, the Wildcats lost the services of senior guard Miles Simon and forwards Michael Dickerson and Bennett Davison. Simon and Dickerson were voted to the Associated Press All-America team along with sophomore guard teammate Mike Bibby, who said after the game that he has yet to make a decision on whether he will make himself available for the NBA Draft.

"They set a standard that every kid that steps into this program has to live up to," Olson said.

Should Bibby leave early, that would leave one starter - junior center A.J. Bramlett - to return to next year's squad along with junior guard Jason Terry and forwards Donnell Harris, a junior, and sophomore Eugene Edgerson. Also expected to see increased playing time are forwards Justin Wessel and Dion Broom and guard Quynn Tebbs.

The senior standard includes a four year run of:

• 104 victories

• a Pac-10 title

• three-straight Sweet Sixteen appearances

• one national championship.

The incoming freshman class, which many have called Olson's finest class ever, includes McDonald's All-American forward Richard Jefferson - the McDonald's game will be played tonight at 6 on ESPN - forwards Michael Wright, Luke Walton, Ricky Anderson and guards Ruben Douglas and Traves Wilson.

Bramlett for one is ready. As he watched the media crowd around Simon after the Wildcats' Sweet Sixteen win over Maryland, he stopped to offer a thought.

"That's going to be me and J.T. next year," he said, smiling.

But it's a safe bet he didn't think next year was coming so quickly.