Houston, We Have A Solution

Nic Wise wasn't playing up to his potential last year. So over the summer, he went back to H-Town to work out with some of his people. Now he's in the Sweet 16.

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Nic Wise goes up and under.

Arizona may want to send Indiana Pacers point guard T.J. Ford and a few other pros a basket after the NCAA Tournament.

Ford starred at Texas and even lost twice to Arizona twice during his own college days, but it didn't stop him from taking Wildcats junior point guard and fellow Houston native Nic Wise under his wing this past summer.

Working out with Ford, Damon Stoudamire, Sam Cassell and a handful of other present and former NBA stars under the direction of former NBA player and coach John Lucas, Wise took his game to another level. He found an extra gear in the open court, learned to run an offense at any speed, improved his shot and was pushed to compete by Ford and others who have been receiving paychecks for their point guard play.

In turn, Wise went back to Arizona and inserted his polished game into the Wildcats' offense. The result: career-high averages of 15.7 points and 4.6 assists and a spot in the Sweet 16.

"All of those guys have been the sum of what Nic has become," said Lucas, who trains college and pro players in Houston. "He can really run a team."

It has been a process for Wise to become Arizona's floor general. He played sparingly for Lute Olson as a freshman. As a sophomore, his minutes increased to nearly 30 a game, but the Wildcats' slower style of play under Kevin O'Neil wasn't a perfect fit for the speedy 5-foot-10 guard.

This season—with head coach Russ Pennell returning Arizona to an up-tempo pace along with Wise's improved overall game—the Wildcats have everyone on the same page.

"He never really got comfortable," said Nic's father Greg Wise, a basketball coach at Yates High School in Texas, recent state title winners. "With all the changes, it made it hard on him because he's a point guard. He came in with one system and then had to learn another. He's been getting better as the season's progressed. He now seems to know when to get everyone involved and when to set up himself."

Arizona and Wise really got into synch toward the end of January. Beginning with a win over Houston on Jan. 24, Wise has scored 20 or more points eight times. Twice, he's gone for 29. He's also dished out seven ore more assists five times.

"That's Nic. Ever since high school, he's been making big plays."

"We kind of pushed the tempo on the offensive end, started creating more havoc on the defensive end," Wise said. "We found ourselves in that Houston game, went on a 7-0 stretch where we beat some big-time teams. That's where we knew we could make a run like this. We were trying to find ourselves in the beginning of the season, trying a lot of different things. We knew we had the talent to do it, but we just had to find, you know, that scheme that best fits our style."

It was that style and Olson's history with cultivating point guards that convinced Wise to commit to Arizona back in 2003 when he was a high school freshman. While that decision never wavered through four years of high school, the uncertainty of the Wildcats' future following Wise's sophomore season did put him on the fence whether he'd back this year.

In late May after talking with Olson, Wise released a statement that he was staying. Later, when Olson announced his retirement in October, Wise opted to still remain.

"It was hard," said his father. "He did go to play for coach Olson. It was his dream to play for coach Olson. He didn't want to go through what he did last year again. He thought coach Olson was going to be back. When he found out that he wasn't going to return, he wanted to stay because he didn't want to let any of his teammates down. I think he's been loyal to Arizona as you can be."

That loyalty paid off for the Wildcats especially last week. During Arizona's unexpected path to the Sweet 16, it's been Wise who has showed off his big-game prowess. He had 29 points against Utah in the opening round and 21 points, eight assists and five rebounds against Cleveland State. In the NCAAs, he's hit 17-of-17 free throws and has shot 15-for-26 from the field.

"He's a big-game player and a shot-maker," Lucas said. "I've been watching him play for five years now, and I've noticed that he doesn't shy away from the ball at the end of games."

Greg Wise said, "That's Nic. That's the way he's been playing all his life. Ever since high school, he's been making big plays."

Don't expect any different against top-seeded Louisville either. Just sneaking into the NCAA Tournament and advancing all the way to the Sweet 16 does nothing for Wise and his teammates.

"We feel like we have unfinished business," Wise said. "We're not satisfied."

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