Arizona's McConnell expects emotions to flow for final game in Tucson
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arizona senior guard T.J. McConnell is hoping tears don't flow Saturday when he finishes up his regular-season career at the University of Arizona. But he knows they will, even for a tough, hard-nosed player who relies on grit and guts.
How could they not?
"There's no place like this in the country, and I love playing for this school," McConnell said in preparation for Saturday's season finale vs. Stanford and his swan song in McKale Center. "It's going to be an emotional day for me because I don't want to leave this place, ever."
Arizona will honor seniors Matt Korcheck and Drew Mellon as well.
"All are great kids," head coach Sean Miller said. "There's no drama with them. They take care of business off the court . . . They care a lot about the team."
To say McConnell appreciates Arizona, its fans and Tucson and all that comes with playing for the Wildcats would be an understatement.
"Playing in McKale has been unreal for me," said McConnell, who is one of three UA players who has never lost a game in McKale Center. (Matt Muehlebach did it for four years and Brian Williams for two. )
McConnell, a 6-foot-1 guard from Pittsburgh, transferred to Arizona from Duquesne midway through his college career. He is being talked about as a front-runner for Pac-12 Player of the Year and has made such a mark on the program in his two seasons that his name is being tossed about with some of the best point guards in Arizona history: Mike Bibby, Damon Stoudamire, Jason Terry, Jason Gardner and Steve Kerr.
"He's in the pantheon of point guards at Arizona," said Muehlebach. "He's had an incredible two-year career at UA."
Who knew he'd have such an impact? Coach Sean Miller had an inkling, saying earlier this season that McConnell had such a way about him when he was sitting out as a redshirt that he made everyone better on the practice court.
"I thought T.J. would be an all-conference player (and) one of the great point guards to play here," Miller said this week. "And I say that in the context of he's not going to be Damon (Stoudamire), where he's going to play in the NBA for 13 years or be an NBA All-Star, but I'm talking about the impact on the teams he's played on here at Arizona.
"Whether it's winning or his assist-to-turnover ratio, I always believed that's who he is. Once in a while, you get 'em right, and that was a great decision on our part to get T.J. to come here."
It came more than three years ago after Duquesne had fired its coach and McConnell wanted a fresh start. It came just months after McConnell had played against Arizona in McKale Center and saw the strong fan base and Arizona's potential under Miller.
"When you see a guy live, you recognize his talent," said Miller, who did not recruit his future star guard out of high school.
After a visit to Virginia, McConnell decided on Arizona.
It's been a match made in basketball heaven. The Wildcats are 60-8 with him as their starting point guard. He helped them to the Elite Eight last season and has his designs on grander accomplishments this spring before he leaves.
McConnell ranks 14thnationally in assists per game (6.1), 15th in assists-to-turnover ratio (3.17-1). He leads the Pac-12 in both categories and is third in steals (2.07).
"It's been amazing," junior forward Brandon Ashley said of playing with McConnell after Thursday's 11-assist, no-turnover night. "He's one of the first true point guards I've played with my whole career. To have someone who is so unselfish is just fun. He makes the game so much more fun."
Ashley then waxed poetic: "He's a good guy, a fantastic teammate. I'm going to miss this guy."
If McConnell were to follow Nick Johnson as Pac-12 player of the year (Utah's Delon Wright and Oregon's Joseph Young are considered his main competition), it would be Arizona's first back-to-back winners since Bibby and Terry in 1998-99.
"There (are) a lot of very good players, but T.J. is one of them," Miller said. "What he has going for him is that he led us to the championship, an outright championship. In our biggest moments of the season, he's been at his best. He does it on defense just as much as he does it on offense."
McConnell's scoring average is just 9.6 points a game, but he's stepped it up to 11.2 in conference games even though that's not his primary role as an old-school pass-first point guard.
"He has a great basketball IQ," said former Arizona player Corey Williams, a college basketball analyst. "He makes up for his athleticism with heart.
"T.J. is a great defender. which is a lost art. He's a level-headed leader and is the main reason Arizona is on top now. He creates the opportunities for the other guys to be athletic, and without him they are lost."
Another former Arizona player, point guard Matt Othick, said despite the accolades McConnell is receiving, he's "definitely underrated."
"He completely understands the rhythm of the game," Othick said. "He keeps everyone in the offensive flow and takes and makes big shots without dominating the ball. He is one of the best on-ball defenders U of A has ever had at the point guard position. He has a bright future."
Where that leads him is anyone's guess. Miller has long said his guard is NBA-worthy for his instincts and leadership alone. If not the NBA, maybe he'll follow in his father's footsteps as a coach.
"When it all settles," Miller said, "I think he'll be a great coach."
Maybe even working for Miller.
This much seems certain: There will always be a welcome mat for him in Tucson.
Predicted Muehlebach: "He'll be the coach of the year in 2038, at Arizona, of course."
Arizona sophomore Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was back at practice on Friday getting ready for Saturday's game with Stanford. Hollis-Jefferson appeared to injury his right shoulder late into Thursday's game with California, but was said to be "fine" by Miller in the postgame press conference.
"He's getting ready for practice and has no lingering effects," said Cory Walton, UA's basketball information specialist.
Hollis-Jefferson had 10 points, four steals and two rebounds in the 99-60 win against California.
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