Arizona basketball: On Terry's honor, Zeus' dunks and Rondae

Honoring JET 

It was a JET-filled evening, to say the least, at McKale Center.

That is, Jason Eugene Terry, the ex-Wildcat star.

Thursday, he had his Wildcats jersey retired, in white, and put up toward the top of McKale Center.

A few hours before the game, white towels with the No. 31 and TERRY, in red lettering, were placed on every single seat in the arena. So close to 15,000 towels, if you’re counting.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson decided to show up and help out placing the towels, going even up as high as the upper-level, nosebleed seats.

Hollis-Jefferson joked with an Arizona Athletics employee that it was the highest he’d ever been at McKale.

All for Terry, who Hollis-Jefferson honored by wearing Terry’s signature CATS knee-high socks, and later by celebrating a Stanley Johnson three-pointer with Terry’s classic jet celebration.

T.J. McConnell, Dusan Ristic, Matt Korcheck and Drew Mellon also all wore those same socks, and the ZonaZoo brought out a special Terry big-head.

For Terry, it was his first time back at McKale Center since the recent renovations.

“I haven’t seen new McKale yet,” Terry said before the game. “I heard a lot about it, seen pictures. It’s gonna be great to get in there.”

And he seemed to enjoy himself, as Terry seriously rivaled the famed superfan Phyllis in enthusiasm throughout the game. Standing up, cheering, clapping, calling out fouls. The works.

Also, at one point in the first half, Terry put a baby bib over his suit, and held his daughter, born in December.

Terry certainly was happy to be back.

“This is huge for me,” he said. 

Big number 

31 — Terry’s jersey number, which joined the likes of Jason Gardner, Steve Kerr, Mike Bibby and Sean Elliott in retirement. Although, the number itself isn’t technically retired — reserve forward Matt Korcheck wears No. 31 — but the jersey itself. 

Zeus, god of dunks 

Kaleb Tarczewski, the Wildcats center, has struggled at times this year, but he opened Thursday’s game against USC with authority. He dunked on the first play of the game, was fouled, and made the free throw. Later, he threw it down, posterizing USC’s Nikola Jovanovic in the process. Soon after that, off a steal, T.J. McConnell passed Tarczewski the ball, and he slammed it home again.

With more than seven minutes left in the first half, Tarczewski already had 13 points and four rebounds. He finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and a block.

As Bill Walton, who was an analyst for Thursday’s game, would say… throw it down, big man, throw it down. 

Rondae dance watch 

A dancing Hollis-Jefferson has returned. With 8:54 left in the first half, Hollis-Jefferson started shaking his shoulders, moving his hips, and breaking it down to the classic DJ Kool song “Let Me Clear My Throat”. It’s a song Hollis-Jefferson has made a routine of jamming out to. We approve. 

Special guests 

There was more than just Jason Terry in the house. And his family, of course.

The ZonaZoo had four special guests — MLS players Graham Zusi, Matt Besler, Chance Myers and Seth Sinovic, who play for Sporting Kansas City. They were in town for the Desert Diamond Cup.

Also at the game: Quynn Tebbs, who played with Terry in 1997-98, the year Terry won national player of the year, before transferring to Weber State after the season. 

Dunk city? 

Andy Enfield brought “Dunk City” to Florida Gulf Coast, as his high-flying team somehow made it to the Sweet 16 as a 15-seed. Dunks were the squad’s calling card. Enfield was promptly hired by USC, and expected, at least by fans, to bring that “Dunk City” persona to Pasadena.

Well, that hasn’t really happened. USC has only averaged a little more than one dunk per game in Pac-12 play this year. On Thursday, the Trojans had one.

Arizona had four, including three by Tarczewski alone. Dunk City seems to have relocated to the Old Pueblo.