From winning a midseason tournament in Anaheim, to getting bumped out of the top four in the Pac-12, here's a chronological recap of Arizona's season that was abruptly ended by the global COVID-19 outbreak:
Nov. 6: Zeke Nnaji scores 20 points and grabs four rebounds as Arizona opens the 2019-20 season with a 91-52 win over Northern Arizona in McKale Center
Nov. 17: Nnaji scores a team-high 19 points and Kentucky transfer Jemarl Baker adds 16 points as the 19th-ranked Wildcats beat New Mexico State 83-53.
Nov. 28: Nico Mannion hits a running layup with 4 seconds remaining and the 14th-ranked Wildcats edge Pepperdine 93-91 at the Wooden Legacy in Anaheim, California.
Dec. 1: Dylan Smith scores 20 points, Chase Jeter adds 17 and the 14th-ranked Wildcats beat Wake Forest 73-66 for the Wooden Legacy championship.
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Dec. 7: MaCio Teague scores 19 points as No. 18 Baylor beats No. 12 Arizona 63-58 in Waco, Texas. Josh Green misses what would have been a game-tying 3-pointer in the closing seconds.
Jan. 4: The 25th-ranked Wildcats open Pac-12 play with a 75-47 win over rival Arizona State in McKale Center. Nnaji records 17 points and 11 rebounds, and bench players combined for 20 points.
Jan. 9: Will Richardson scores the game-winning basket in overtime and No. 9 Oregon beats No. 24 Arizona 74-73. The Cats have a six-point lead in the final 1:47 of regulation and a one-point lead in the final 20 seconds of overtime before letting it slip away. “There’s no shame in the way we played. It’s just, obviously, you know, the objective is to win and we didn’t. — UA coach Sean Miller
Arizona guard Dylan Smith (3) goes sprawling in pursuit of a loose ball against Oregon State in the first half of their Pac-12 game at Gil Coliseum, January 12, 2020.
Jan. 12: Arizona is outscored 33-16 in the final 12 minutes as Oregon State beats the 24th-ranked Cats 82-64. Tres Tinkle pours in 20 points, including three 3-pointers.
Jan. 25: ASU overcomes a 22-point deficit in the second half and stuns the 20th-ranked Wildcats 66-65.
Alonzo Verge’s layup with 11 seconds left gives ASU the lead.
Jan. 30: Arizona earns its first true road win of the season in Seattle, with Baker scoring a game-high 17 points and securing the 75-72 victory with a 3-pointer with 42 seconds left.
“We’ve been in so many close games — ASU, Oregon — it’s been literally one play away,” UA senior Stone Gettings says. “It was just really nice to be able to pull one out.”
Feb. 6: Mannion hits two late free throws for No. 23 Arizona, which outlasts USC 85-80 after a furious Trojans rally.
“We have a very young group. We have a group with a lot to learn,” Miller says. “We’re very fortunate to win tonight.”
It's a hot night for Arizona forward Ira Lee (11) and the Wildcats against UCLA at McKale Center, February 8, 2020 Tucson, Ariz.
Feb. 8: Arizona posts its worst shooting performance in the 47-year history of McKale Center —25.4% — in a 65-52 loss to UCLA.
Feb. 22: No. 24 Arizona loses control of a four-point lead in the final minute of regulation and falls to No. 14 Oregon 73-72 in overtime. Oregon’s Shakur Juiston hits the game-winner with under 2 seconds left. The Ducks are led by Payton Pritchard, who posts a monstrous 38-point night.
Feb. 29: Miller is ejected in the second half of what would become a 69-64 UCLA win in Los Angeles. Associate head coach Jack Murphy runs the team for the remainder of the night.
Arizona guard Nico Mannion (1) drives his way past Washington State center Volodymyr Markovetskyy (15) for a scoop-n-score in the second half of their Pac12 game at McKale Center, March 5, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
March 5: Arizona goes on a 26-0, second-half run to rout Washington State 83-62 in McKale Center. Mannion scores 23 points, his best night since Nov. 28.
“When we’re locked, we’re a really confident group, getting stops, getting out in transition. That’s when we’re at our best,” Mannion says.
March 7: Arizona’s shooting woes resurface in a Senior Night loss to Washington. The Wildcats shoot just 35% in a 69-63 defeat at the paws of the Huskies.
March 11: The Wildcats avenge their loss to Washington thumping the Huskies 77-70 in the Pac-12 Tournament’s first round in Las Vegas. Josh Green leads the way with 19 points, while Mannion and Smith add 14 apiece. The win earns Arizona a matchup against USC in the quarterfinals, but the game — and the tournament — is canceled due to coronavirus fears.
Alec has been with the Star since October 2019. He’s currently a senior at the University of Arizona and previously worked as sports editor for the Arizona Daily Wildcat.
Alec White
Digital Sports Producer & Reporter
