Arizona Basketball Top Five All-Time Centers

Arizona basketball has turned itself into a national brand and has had sustained success dating back to when legendary head coach Lute Olson had his first winning season in his second-year at the helm going 21-10 during the 1984-85 season.

Three years later, Olson and the Wildcats made the first Final Four in program history during the 1987-88 season going an incredible 35-3 and dominating the competition. After that, the rest is history as the program established itself as a national power.

However, even before the first Final Four and coach Olson, Arizona had a period of success that could be looked at as the blueprint that helped build the powerhouse fans know today. That all started during the Fred Snowden era when Tucson first fell in love with the game of basketball.

The history of Arizona hoops is rich and filled with memorable moments and players. But, who are the best players at every position?

Well, we will be breaking down the top five Wildcats in the history of the program at every position. And yes, you can argue basketball is a positionless game in today’s era.

However, we are going to turn back the clock with the idea of positions and break down the legends that helped build this great program.

To get things started, we will be taking a look at the center position, which is loaded with talent dating back to the 70’s. Now, there will be names that miss the cut, but that’s what happens when a program is loaded with talent.

5. Sean Rooks (1988-92)

There was an era of Arizona basketball where the big man was everything and the Wildcats had two on the court at the same time calling the unit “City Skyline” and one of the main guys on that roster was center Sean Rooks.

Rooks is sixth all-time in blocked shots with 142 and was able to rack up 1,497 career points averaging 11.6 throughout his time in Tucson.

In 1991, Arizona faced off against LSU, which was led by legend Shaquile O’Neal, who dominated the Wildcats the previous season in Baton Rouge scoring 29 points and collecting 14 rebounds, six blocks and five steals.

This time, Rooks and the other Wildcat big men held O’Neal to just 10 points and four rebounds in just 22 minutes on the court. They were able to cause foul issues ending his night early with a fifth foul.

The only thing that is glaring when it comes to Rooks’ career at Arizona was his low rebounding numbers where he averaged 4.9 per game in four seasons.

4. Loren Woods (1999-2001)

One of the greatest teams in the history of Arizona is the 2000-01 squad that made it all the way to the National Title game where the Wildcats fell 82-72 to Duke. Although that team lost, it featured five NBA Draft picks and four players that had long careers in the league.

One of the key players was center Loren Woods, who transferred in to Arizona after spending two seasons at Wake Forest. Woods quickly became an important player on the roster and was the defensive anchor in the middle of the paint.

In just two seasons, Woods sits with 186 blocks with the most coming in his first season with the program where he totaled 102, which is tied for the most in a single season.

3. Anthony Cook (1985-89)

The team that changed the course of Arizona basketball history was the 1987-88 team that went an impressive 35-3 making it to the FInal Four for the first time in program history. Although the team was led by forward Sean Elliott and point guard Steve Kerr, the defensive mastermind was center Anthony Cook.

The all-time leader in blocked shots is Cook, who recorded 278  for an average of 69.5 blockers per season. From the time he was a freshman he started off playing 26 minutes per game in an era where freshmen weren’t guaranteed major minutes.

Although his offensive game was a work in progress, Cook improved his points per game average each season. By the time he was a senior, he was averaging 17.5 PPG while snagging 7.2 RPG.

2. Channing Frye (2001-05)

The last great Olson team before his retirement was the 2004-05 WIldcats that lost to Illinois in the Elite Eight. The team was well balanced and featured three of the Top 10 points leaders in program history. One of those players was also a highly skilled big man in center Channing Frye.

Not only does Frye sit at No. 9 all-time in points with his 1,789 career total, he is No. 2 all-time in blocked shots at 258 swats. 

That’s 20 fewer from the all-time record held by Cook, who started in 123 games compared to Frye’s 119 career starts.

Frye was a complete player, who also finished third in rebound with 975 for his career at Arizona.

1. Bob Elliot (1973-77)

Although the Olson era is what helped create a national powerhouse and improve the brand of Arizona, it all started in the 70’s with Snowden and his team’s that sparked the passion for basketball in the desert.

In that era, the greatest player in the history of the program at the time was center Bob “Big Bird” Elliot, who was the star of that team and helped lead the WIldcats during the 1975-76 season to the program’s first Elite Eight.

By the time all was said and done, Elliot finished No. 1 in career points with 2,131, which stood until Elliott came around and broke the by 424 points.

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