'It never gets old': Miles Simon reflects on Arizona's 1997 national championship

Nowadays, Miles Simon is "living the dad life." 

Simon helps coach his 12-year-old son's AAU basketball team and supports his flag football- and volleyball-playing teenage daughter. Simon's oldest daughter lives in Phoenix. 

"They keep us busy," Simon said. "Travel sports, games every weekend, practices every day. My wife and I look at the calendar and figure out who's taking who today." 

In addition to dad life, Simon is also an ESPN college basketball broadcaster following NBA coaching stints with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns. 

This week, Simon will be watching the Arizona Wildcats potentially become the first UA team to win a national championship since Simon led the Wildcats to the 1997 title — the last time a West Coast team has won a national title. Simon and the Wildcats took down three No. 1 seeds — an unprecedented feat — en route to the national championship. 

The backcourt of Simon, freshman point guard Mike Bibby and shooting guard Michael Dickerson led the Wildcats and their Hall of Fame head coach Lute Olson to their first national title. 

Arizona is returning to the venue that hosted the 1997 championship, which was then called RCA Dome, for the program's first Final Four appearance since 2001. The top-seeded Wildcats will take on No. 1 seed Michigan at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday. 

Simon joined "Spears & Ali" on ESPN Tucson to reflect on memories of playing in the Final Four, the celebration in Tucson after winning a national championship, and his assessment of the current rendition of Arizona basketball, as the Wildcats gear up for Indy. 

What are your thoughts on the current version of the Wildcats and their dominant season?

A: "This Arizona team, they are so fun to watch. It starts with the leadership of Jaden Bradley and Tobe Awaka. Those guys are absolute studs any time they step on the court.

"Awaka with that physicality, just throwing his body around and getting rebound after rebound. I call Jaden Bradley the closer; he makes big shot after big shot multiple times this year.

"The presence of all the freshmen, from (Ivan) Kharchenkov, to Koa Peat, to Brayden Burries, and they never shy away from the moment and continue to rise to the occasion. Tommy Lloyd has put together one heck of a team, man.

"I think they're a team destiny, because they're healthy, they're tough, they play the right way, they defend every time they're out there on the court, they have unbelievable chemistry.

"It's a super fun group to watch, man. They're having a special, special season for Arizona and the Arizona community."

The veteran-freshman dynamic between Bradley and Burries, do you see any similarities in the chemistry you and Bibby had at Arizona? 

A: "Our relationship was great. Mike was such a cerebral player and had a high IQ. Those are things that I value. He was a great teammate, and he was all about winning. Mike came out of Shadow Mountain (High School in Phoenix) and won back-to-back state titles and was the No. 1 point guard in the country, but he had no ego about him, and that's what made him so easy to play with and get along with.

"We had such a great relationship the two years we played together. That was the type of players Lute Olson recruited: good people that were going to fit into a certain culture and system in the Arizona program.

"I see some of that balance with Jaden and Brayden, how they play together, how unselfish they are. One night, Jaden might get going, and then Brayden has a tough game. Two nights later, it's the Brayden Burries show and he's scoring 25 (points) or 30 and doing all of the dynamic things he does on the court.

"You almost have to have a yin and yang in the backcourt, and they continue to pick up each other and play for each other." 

As a former shooting guard, what is your scouting report on Burries, and how has he transcended into a high-level NBA Draft pick?

A: "I was fortunate enough to coach him this summer at the Nike Basketball Academy, where all the best college players were invited. ... The thing that stood out is his size. For a freshman, he has these big shoulders and is super strong.

"The way he took the coaching in the atmosphere, it's a three-day camp. Just gave him pointers on how to defend better or be more physical during the scrimmages. He didn't shoot the ball well those few days, but he did so many other intangible things.

"The first two or three weeks of the season, he struggled. All of a sudden, the light clicked on. Man, that guy has taken off and he hasn't landed since. It's really special to watch." 

This year is always a special time for you, because the memories of 1997 are always brought up. How do you reflect on that moment in time?

A: "Some of the most fun memories was just being at the hotel with all the fans that were there supporting us. Wildcat Nation is one of the best fan bases in all of the country.

"Walking out to practice or the games, there were hundreds and thousands of fans. It was awesome. Being in my room playing video games with Justin Wessel was amazing. We had a lot of fun in our downtime.

"Coach had this relationship with Jaleel White, which is Steven Urkel from 'Family Matters.' He was this big Arizona fan and was hanging out in our room during the Final Four. I think he also went to a team dinner. That was also a crazy memory, because he was one of the biggest actors in the ’90s with 'Family Matters.'

"Game-wise, just playing in front of 50,000 people, that was surreal. Most importantly, just getting it done for Lute Olson. ... He's obviously one of the greatest coaches of all time.

"The fact that we got it done for him to cement his legacy as the legend that he is. Bennett Davison messing up his hair, which was never out of place, those are just awesome times." 

How was the celebration in Tucson when the team returned?

A: "That was awesome. They picked us up at the airport. At that time, it wasn't normalized to fly private. We got the plane back from Indianapolis, and when we landed, the streets were just lined with people.

"They had all of the convertibles out for us. We went straight to (Arizona Stadium) and there were so many people in the stadium just going crazy.

"It's something I cherish, and it's something I'll never forget. The love and support from people of Tucson and Arizona Wildcat fans, people bringing up those memories is special. It never gets old.

"In the tournament, I was shaving my head for whatever reason. I had a teacher that told us when we were going into the Final Four, that if we won, he would allow me to shave his head. He was an older guy and he let us do it. We won on a Monday and we did it on Wednesday. It was awesome."