Three Arizona seniors make their second trip to Final Four

SAN ANTONIO - Only three players in Arizona basketball history can claim to have been part of two Final Four runs.

So when seniors Justin Wessel, Gene Edgerson and John Ash begin preparing for their NCAA Semifinal game against Michigan State Saturday, they'll have a bit of wisdom to impart to their younger teammates.

"We're at the Final Four, but not at our goal quite yet," Wessel said. "The last thing we want to do is let up on our intensity. Now is the time to really turn it up."

The differences between the 1997 team and the 2001 Wildcats couldn't be greater. The 1997 "Cardiac Cats" upset three No. 1 seeds to win a National Championship, while this year's team has been seen mostly as a disappointment after starting the season ranked No. 1 in the country.

The 1996-1997 Arizona team journeyed from being a squad mired in obscurity to the sweetheart of the NCAA Tournament. As a No. 4 seed in the South Region, the Wildcats downed three top seeds, all the while claiming hearts as a Cinderella team.