Former Arizona Wildcats Star TJ McConnell Set for Ring of Honor Induction
The Arizona Wildcats 2024-25 season has not gotten off to the kind of start the team was hoping for. 3-4 out of the gate, Tommy Lloyd has some things to work out with his squad over the next few weeks before starting Big 12 play.
Three out of their next four games are against mid-major schools, with a rivalry matchup against the UCLA Bruins mixed in. That game is going to draw a lot of attention, but the one that Wildcats fans could be most excited about is December 18 against the Samford Bulldogs.
That evening will be a special one as former star point guard T.J. McConnell will be in town for his induction into the Ring of Honor.
On December 18, the legend, @tjmcconnell, will be inducted into the πππ£π π€π ππ€π£π€π§ π»β¬οΈ pic.twitter.com/WLKC9i1ztF
β Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) December 5, 2024
After playing the first two seasons of his collegiate career with the Duquesne Dukes, playing locally in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he made the jump from the A-10 to the Pac-12, joining the Arizona program.
McConnell made an incredible impact during his two years with the Wildcats. He started 38 games in both campaigns, producing on both ends of the court.
He averaged 9.4 points, 5.8 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 31.4 minutes per game across 76 contests. During his senior season, he averaged 6.3 assists per game, which was tops in the conference along with his 238 total.
During his time in Tuscon, the menβs basketball team experienced a ton of success.
They went 33-5 in his junior year, earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament but falling in the Elite Eight to the No. 2 seeded Wisconsin Badgers.
In the next year, they went 34-4 but this time earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Alas, the outcome was the same, as they were eliminated in the Elite Eight by the Badgers once again, who were the No. 1 seed in the region.
Despite not being selected in the 2015 NBA Draft, McConnell carved out a role for himself right away. As a rookie, he appeared in 81 games with the Philadelphia 76ers, making 17 starts as the franchise was in the middle of a multi-year tank job.
It worked out for the pesky point guard, who was able to cement his status as a reliable point guard in the NBA, turning into one of the better backups in the league.
McConnell is in his 10th season as a pro, playing in Year No. 6 with the Indiana Pacers after playing the first four seasons with the 76ers.
