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Perhaps the most impressive link connecting Tucson to NCAA Tournament history doesn’t include the names Miles Simon, Lute Olson or Sean Elliott.

It’s that McKale Center has played host to 59 NCAA Tournament games, the fifth most in modern history, dating to 1970.

The University of Dayton Arena leads with 137 games, followed by Utah’s Huntsman Center with 81 games, Madison Square Garden with 80 games, the Greensboro Coliseum with 69 games, the RCA Dome in Indianapolis with 60 games and McKale at 59.

If that doesn’t suggest Tucson is a basketball town, what does?

The UA has played host to 10 first/second round weekends, trailing only Salt Lake City’s 12, also dating to 1970.

But ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ hasn’t hosted an NCAA Tournament weekend since 2011, a lapse few could see coming. What happened? Former ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ coach Sean Miller asked former UA athletic director Greg Byrne not to bid for NCAA Tournament games because he believed it diminished the number of fans who traveled to watch ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥.

Miller further persuaded Byrne not to host NCAA games because it meant it would leave just one Western city available for potential UA games, also eroding potential in-arena fan support and the forfeit of a so-called home court advantage.

Miller’s argument had no weight. His three Elite Eight ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ teams — 2011, 2014 and 2015 — all lost those games with ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥-stacked fans in the greater Los Angeles area.

Byrne’s successor, Dave Heeke, also failed to bid to host NCAA Tournament games. Western host sites the next three years will be in San Diego, Portland, Spokane, Sacramento, Salt Lake and Seattle.

Miller’s argument that hosting an NCAA weekend shrinks the UA’s "home court" advantages also doesn't hold up against history.

When ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ hosted in 1997, it won the national championship playing in Memphis and Birmingham.

When ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ was a host in 2005, the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ reached the 2005 Elite Eight via Boise and Chicago.

During the years Tucson hosted an NCAA regional, the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ have gone 17-6.

So much for losing an advantage by being a tournament host.

The history created by 59 NCAA games in Tucson is enduring.

In 1974, No. 1 UCLA required three overtimes to beat Dayton 111-100, a game that many say was one of Bill Walton’s best-ever games, with 27 points and 19 rebounds. What is forgotten is that Dayton’s Mike Sylvester had a 36-11 double-double that night.

Tucson games have seen Oregon State All-American Gary Payton score 31 points in a stunning loss to Evansville. We have seen Michigan’s Fab Five hold off UCLA in an overtime classic, Stanford upset Wake Forest and its All-American center Tim Duncan, and Gonzaga rise to power by winning here in 2000 and 2005, with Tommy Lloyd on its coaching staff.

Perhaps the best of the 59 NCAA games played in Tucson was a 1991 classic between defending national champion UNLV and mighty Georgetown. Rebels coach Jerry Tarkanian beat Hoyas coach John Thompson, who started the 1-2 inside punch of Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning, 62-54.

New ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois told me she would educate herself on the history of the NCAA Tournament in Tucson and examine the merit of bringing March Madness back to McKale Center when the next openings occurred in 2029.

Houston’s excellence includes Tucson connections

If the favorite won the NCAA championship each year, this year’s No. 1 seed Houston would have banners for the 1968 and 1983 seasons. Alas, that’s not how it works in March Madness. Cinderella often rules.

The Cougars were No. 1 most of the ’68 and ’83 seasons, which included rousing victories over ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥. Indeed, if you were to ask who was the best player ever matched against the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ in Tucson it would probably be Houston center Elvin Hayes, the Big E.

On Dec. 22, 1967, Hayes had a 28-15 double-double in an unexpectedly close 81-76 victory over the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ at Bear Down Gym. The Cougars were so good that year that their average game score was 98-72. Two things about that game stand out: A capacity crowd of 4,100 filled Bear Down Gym long before tipoff; fire marshals turned away an estimated 750 more fans.

And one of the two officials was Ollie Mayfield, the Hall of Fame football coach at Tucson High School. That wouldn’t work today.

On Nov. 26, 1982, first-year ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ coach Ben Lindsey was in the wrong place at the wrong time when the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ opened the season at Houston, losing 104-63. That was the year the No. 1 Cougars were known as "Phi Slama Jama."

Lindsey became so frustrated in his UA debut that he walked slowly to mid-court to argue with a referee as Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon had a 14-11 double-double. Lindsey was given a technical foul for walking too far onto the court. "I had to get their attention," said Lindsey, whose club went 4-24, leading to his dismissal after one season.

Unfortunately for Houston, the Cougars of ’68 lost in the Final Four to UCLA’s John Wooden, holding Houston to 28% shooting and limiting the Big E to 10 points. In ’83, Houston again lost in the Final Four, this time to Cinderella North Carolina State, coached by Jim Valvano, ending the season 31-3.

Love’s NCAA numbers good, bad

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ senior Caleb Love has already played in 10 NCAA Tournament games, including the 2022 national championship game with North Carolina in a loss to Kansas. Love has not been shy with the ball in his hands.

He has attempted 92 3-pointers in the Big Dance, or nine per game, an NCAA record. Love twice attempted 13 3s in a game, making six in a 2022 victory over Marquette and also six a week later in a victory over UCLA.

He has also had his struggles, going 0 for 9 in ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥â€™s elimination loss to Clemson last season and 1 for 8 in the ’22 championship game against Kansas.

If ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ makes a deep run this season, Love could surpass Miles Simon’s NCAA Tournament school scoring record. Love has 183 points, Simon scored 260 for ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥. Sean Elliott scored 236 and Jason Gardner, the UA’s player relations director, scored 189.

Love has shot 29% on 3-pointers in the NCAA Tournament. By comparison, Mike Bibby shot 45% for ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ in the NCAA Tournament.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥â€™s transfers had so-so regular seasons

Four of the eight basketball players who transferred from ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ are in the field for the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The four not to make it are Adama Bal of Santa Clara, who had a productive season, averaging 12.9 points, and Shane Nowell of Portland State, who started 10 games and averaged 6.2 points after leaving UNLV.

At Boise State, Dylan Anderson started 10 games early in the season. Anderson, a 7-footer from Phoenix, slumped and finished with a 3.5 scoring average and 1.7 rebounds. He did not play in 11 games. The Broncos, on the bubble, did not make the NCAA Tournament.

Center Oumar Ballo, who transferred to Indiana, is not in the field of 68 teams. The 7-foot senior’s numbers were similar to those of his junior year at ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥: he averaged 13 points and nine rebounds and improved his foul-shooting from 49% at ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ to 56% for the Hoosiers. He had a career-high 25 points against another of his former schools, Gonzaga.

Here is how the ex-ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ in the NCAA Tournament have fared this season:

• Kerr Kriisa, Kentucky.ÌýThe fifth-year senior point guard played just four games, averaging 4.4 points, before a foot injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. Krissa could return for a sixth season in 2025-26.
• Kylan Boswell, Illinois. He scored a career-high 24 points in a Big Ten Tournament victory over Iowa but struggled otherwise, shooting 22.4% on 3-point shots and averaging 11.4 points for the Illini.
• Paulius Murauskas, Saint Mary’s. He scored 30 points in a victory over Washington State and zero in the WCC tournament championship game against Gonzaga. Overall, Murauskas averaged 12.5 points and eight rebounds in a strong sophomore season.
• Filip Borovicanin, New Mexico. As the Lobos’ sixth man, Borovicanin averaged 6.1 points and 4.6 rebounds. His best game was an 18-point outing against Boise State.

UA women’s transfers productive in ’25

Six of the nine women’s players who transferred from ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ will play in the women’s NCAA Tournament. Most had productive seasons. Here's a list of the ex-ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥:

• Madison Conner, TCU. The senior shooting guard led the NCAA in 3s (118) and averaged 14.6 points for the Big 12 champs, making the all-conference team. TCU is a No. 2 seed.
• Anna Gret Asi, Oklahoma State. She averaged 11.7 points for the 25-6 Cowboys. Oklahoma State is a No. 7 seed.
• Aaronette Vonleh, Baylor. The ex-Wildcat and ex-Colorado Buffalo scored 14.5 points and 5.6 rebounds, making the all-conference second team. The Bears are a No. 4 seed.
• Koi Love, UT-Arlington. At her fourth school (ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥, USC, Vanderbilt and UT-Arlington), Love finished her college career averaging 16.3 points and 6.8 rebounds.
• Gisela Sanchez, Kansas State. Helping the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ to a 26-win season, Sanchez averaged 4.5 points. KSU is a No. 5 seed.
• Lemyah Hylton, Miami. The point guard helped the 14-14 Hurricanes by averaging 2.6 points. The Hurricanes did not make the NCAAs.
• Kailyn Gilbert, LSU. The first player off the bench for the Top-10 Tigers, Gilbert averaged 9.7 points; she averaged 15.1 at ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ last season. LSU is a No. 2 seed.
• Paris Clark, Virginia. In her second season at Virginia, Clark averaged 10.3 points for the 17-15 Cavaliers, who did not make the tournament.
• Courtney Blakely, Middle Tennessee State. Returning to her original school, Blakely averaged 9.2 points per game. She will play in the WBIT.

Big 12 commissioner favors expansion to 76 teams

Those who cherish the NCAA Tournament format, those who insist expansion to 76 or 90 teams will ruin the chemistry and history of March Madness, probably didn’t like what Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said last week in Kansas City.

Yormark said, "I’m in favor of expansion to 76 teams;" he predicted a decision would be made in 90 days.

Why mess with success?

The NCAA began with an eight-team field in the 1930s, and over the years went to 16, 22, 23, 24, 32, 48, 52, 64 and now 68 teams. That’s almost a century of experimenting. Why dilute what works?

Those teams who would get berth Nos. 69-76 or so, would be on-the-bubble types. Sometimes "new" isn’t good.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ played in its first NCAA Tournament in 1951. There were 16 teams. The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ won the Border Conference and therefore got a spot in the first-ever "Sweet 16" against Kansas State in, of all places, Kansas City.

KSU won 61-59, beating coach Fred Enke’s team that is totally unlike those of Lute Olson, Sean Miller and Tommy Lloyd. That is, Enke fielded an all-ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ team.

The starters included Marana High’s Bob Honea, Tucson High’s Roger Johnson and Jack Howell, former Phoenix Union High School standouts Dave Schuff and Jerry Dillon. Other key players included Amphitheater’s Sid Kain and Thatcher’s Leo Johnson.

The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥-KSU game didn’t enjoy massive TV coverage. The game was broadcast locally on KTUC radio, but announcer Stan Norman didn’t attend the game. He "re-created" the game from KTUC’s studio, responding to minute-by-minute updates over the wire and by telephone.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥â€™s first appearance in the Big Dance inspired talk of building an arena to replace Bear Down Gym, then 26 years old.

Wrote Daily Star columnist Abe Chanin: "Although it won’t be here for several years, the new gym at ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ would have a capacity of no less than 10,000 and probably more."

It took 22 more years to build McKale Center. By then, the NCAA Tournament had expanded from 16 to 32 teams. Growth of the Big Dance was just getting started.