March 31, 1997: No. 4 seed Arizona takes down the defending champion Kentucky to win its first NCAA title in program history.
Arizona, led by Miles Simon, beats Kentucky, 84-79, in overtime. Simon finished with 30 and received Most Outstanding Player honors.
He and freshman Mike Bibby led their team past star Ron Mercer and the other Wildcats. Bibby had 19 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists in the title game.
Arizona took down three No. 1 seeds (Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky) on the way to the championship.
Simon made 14 of 17 free-throw attempts. As a team, Kentucky made 17 free throws. All 10 of Arizona's overtime points came on foul shots.
Kentucky lost its best player, Derek Anderson, to a knee injury in January. Anderson was cleared to return, but coach Rick Pitino thought it was better to protect his pro prospects. Anderson was a first-round pick, played 10 seasons in the NBA and won a championship with the Miami Heat.
