RIP Coach Lute Olson, re-watching this classic and one of your defining moments in your honor tonight.

3 #1 seeds beaten by the 3 guard Wildcats! What a amazing run. Without a doubt one of the greatest

I was a high school freshman when the cats won this game. My dad let me and my little brother skip school the next day to go to Arizona stadium and welcome the team back in celebration. Epic game, and epic good rally after. I'm now a double UA alumn ❤

Having attended UK, I had recorded the game to watch later. I wasn't able to watch it before people told me they had lost. I was devastated and never watched the game - I even still have the VHS tape, but no VHS player. Out of respect to coach, I watched it for the first time today. RIP Coach Olson, you lived a helluva life.

RIP Couch O. Thank you for putting Tucson on the Map and all the memories. Now your with Bobbie🐻⬇️

Wow - as a U of A alum (class of 2014) I never knew how crazy of a game this was!

Here after the passing of coach Lute Olson. May he rest in peace. 🙏🙏

... and I headed down to Arizona student union when the final whistle blown... was super lucky to witness the ONLY title AZ had, esp as a foreign student.

RIP COACH O

All credit to Arizona....This was such an earned title. But, it's pretty crazy Kentucky got back to the title game and was favored in it, considering how much it lost from 1996. Delk and McCarty were Seniors, Walker went to the NBA, and then they lost Derek Anderson and Jeff Sheppard to injury. Losing five pieces like that and then almost winning a second title really shows how good a coach Pitino is.

This team struggled all season long. But you could see by the end of the season they were starting to figure it out. Still, I didn't think they would beat Kansas. But when they did, I felt really good about their chances. I felt that this could be an historic tournament run. Which it was. This teams starting five where hands down the fastest starting five in the country. You could plainly see that even the number one seeds in this field simply did not have the legs to deal with Arizona's speed. But they were also good shooters and Mike Bibby was a freshman playing like a senior. I still like watching this from time to time. It was a magical run.

Every time I watch the games from this tournament, makes me so proud of what this team did, Lute Olson was a fantastic coach who put the Arizona Wildcats and Tucson on the map. RIP coach.

03/31/1997 - 27 years ago

Coach Pitino was PURE CLASS at the end of the game- many other coaches would have wrung that ending to the very last drop. He showed a humility not often seen in these ranks. Cheers to everyone in this Championship.

Could've had a rematch in the 98 final if only Arizona had been able to solve Utah's triangle and 2 defense in the regional final. Credit to coach Majerus in that one. They completely shut down the defending champs

Arizona was the last #4 seed to win a national title (Michigan - 2013 was the last #4 seed to play in a title game).

Bear down best team ever! loved the run they had!

RIP, Lute

Miles Simon was such an under appreciated talent

so many NBA players on these two teams

12 years later, Pitino coached against Arizona at nearby Lucas Oil Stadium in the Sweet 16. I think a reason why Arizona-Kentucky never happened between Pittsburgh-born coaches John Calipari and Sean Miller had to do with a lack of uniqueness other than the program names. The previous time Calipari and Miller coached against each other was 2008 when Xavier beat Memphis in a nonconference game. Both coaches were a game from facing each other but Miller lost each time: 2007 - Elite 8 loss to UCLA 2011 - Elite 8 loss to UConn 2014/15 - Elite 8 loss to Wisconsin 2018 - Round of 64 loss to Buffalo

Who else did the passing of Mr Olsen brought them here?

That was a tough game to lose. It came down to attrition as Kentucky just ran out of players, and it prevented what would have been a three-peat (96 through 98).

The 1st quote from billy packer is referring to the three refs who had the same 1st letter T

If u get a chance too could you put Kentucky's national championship game against Kansas 2012 really enjoy the old games hope you and your family are safe during these crazy times

I remember this game, i truly believe to this day if Derrick Anderson was able to play they would have won this game in regulation, and 3 peated. That was a really good Arizona team though, they fought hard and earned it, just so happened that Kentucky was down their best defensive guard on the team. Those UK teams were special, 96,97,98 with 96 being the best team ive ever seen in college basketball.

This made me a wildcats fan

Sad days....as a CATs fan, I shouldn't be watching classics to see my team play in March

Man I’m a diehard UK fan and I remember watching this in the 7th grade. This one hurt, not only because they lost in OT but mainly it was the end of the Pitino era. I still believe if he didn’t go to the Celtics the following year he would STILL be coaching UK and have multiple championships.

who would have thought that this would be the Pac 10/12's last Mens Basketball national championship team with Arizona

97 Arizona.. still the only team to beat three #1 seeds in the same tournament.

This was a heck of a game and I had to watch to the end. This was also the first time I saw the Foamposite sneakers.

Bear Down!

So crazy to see how jerseys were so big in the 90’s after being short in the 80’s.

A team that finished 5th in the Pac 10 defeated 3 number one seeds (including defeating the defending champion Kentucky)the thing I remember is what Billy Packer says at the end of the telecast "Simon says Championship"

THE CATFIGHT

Arizona with a who’s who list of iconic sneakers

WHAT !!!!! OVERTIME uoa uoa uoa uoa I was in prison.

1:07 the first points ever scored by a player wearing a pair of Nike Foamposites.. Somehow Mike Bibby got to wear them before Penny did, and they were his shoes!

Pretty amazing that the only points Arizona scored in OT were free throws

Simon says championship. So famous

Bibby was poised Simon was senior Olsen out coached Patino Arizona's big men played harder point blank period

This is my earliest college basketball memory, I'm glad Arizona kind of won even though I was rooting for Kentucky very hard, Kentucky was like the Chicago Bulls of the time, later on I figured out the Phoenix Suns lost to the Chicago Bulls in the 1993 NBA finals so I was kind of even more happy that they won the 1997 national championship yeah I'm glad the Diamondbacks more than 2001 one series

That was something when the late Billy Packer said these 3 words after Arizona won their 1st National Championship “Simon Says Championship”.

"Simon says Championship" lol

As an Arizona fan, I'd like to thank the University of Minnesota for draining Ron Mercer of his usual explosive energy. Even still he made the shot of the game 57:05.

thanks for game

RIP Lute Olson

It's so wild - 1997 Arizona = 2014 UConn - WILD backcourts who struggled in season figure it out - they're like mirror images of each other

The 1998 Team was actually better than this one. It's a shame that the didn't win back to back titles. They surely could have

Kentucky was so dang close to 3-peating…

My goodness was the officiating one sided in this game. 41 free throws to 17!! and the game still went to OT!

Need more games!! Nothing from the 2001 tournament!????

Simon says championship.

Kentucky had the best basketball team then..

KENTUCKY WILDCATS ARE MY MAIN TEAM & THEY MADE THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME 1996-98!

Wish Derek Anderson could’ve played but understand why he didn’t

Those were some feerless cats.

Here before we make a run to the 2024 final four

Love college basketball

Three number one seeds in one tourny. Arizona was as hot as the sun in this tourny.

Why was Derek Anderson dressed to play if he wasn’t able to?

This was a great game $

Mike Bibby!

If Derek Anderson would have played, UK wins

Kentucky SG Derrick Anderson was hurt...It's the only reason Arizona won that game

🐻⬇️

If nazr Muhammad had shot 50% from the free throw line UK would have won 2 in a row… 3 in a row if 98 played out the same way it did with UK winning that one too.

The charge at end of regulation should've put Kentucky, Mohammed on line, with 2 seconds left. Ran over Mohammed.

A million fouls, dozens of turnovers, bad shot making, no game flow… college basketball folks.

If we had DA, UK wins by 10pts+

its insane that Simon shot 17 Fts.... UK fouls: 29 Zona:16. UK FTA: 17 Zona: 41 In no world does that not scream refs hate UK, always have always will. And you can watch this entire game and see the hilarious phantom fouls that Zona was getting and see some of the no calls UK was getting. Ron Mercer couldn't even play because of the BS fouls he got. It was so blatant. Not to mention if Pitino gets over himself and plays Derek Anderson, UK wins handedly. Nonetheless congrats Zona, forever the 2nd best Wildcats.....we had more chips from 96-98 than Zona has in history.

If Derek Anderson would have played, UK wins