University of Arizona Athletics

#44 Position: Forward    Class/Experience: Junior/2L Height: 6-7 Weight: 222 Hometown: Phoenix, Ariz.    High School: Moon Valley HS

General: One of the most athletic players in the country, he looks to rebound from a sophomore season that saw him miss most of the Pac-10 Conference schedule after suffering a stress fracture in his right foot (fifth metatarsal)... Sidelined for 13 games after going down with the injury three minutes into the UAs upset of No. 1 Stanford at Maples Pavilion on Jan. 8... That was the second game of the league schedule... Came back at Oregon State on March 2... After playing down in the post in high school, he has moved his game to the perimeter in college... Quick first step and has strength that matches his quickness... In 49 collegiate games, he has started 43 times... Big-time jumper who may be the best dunker in the land... Makes regular appearances on Plays of the Week... Like Sean Elliott and Mike Bibby before him, a high school player from the state of Arizona who will make a big impact on the Wildcat basketball program.

1999-00 (Sophomore): Before going down with the injury in Arizonas 15th game of the year, he had started at the three-position in every outing... Played in 21 games and started 17 times overall... Had been one of Arizonas most consistent players, scoring in double figures in all but three games... Averaged 11.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg and 2.8 apg... Even though he missed 13 games, he was still second on the team in blocks with 24... Finished the season shooting over 50% from the floor (84-167/.503), over 40% from the three-point line (17-40/.425) and over 70% from the free throw line (45-63/.714)... Was the teams leading scorer heading into Pac-10 play... Was averaging 12.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, and 3.3 apg before sustaining his injury... Was also the squads top three-point shooter (.452/14-31) and third overall in field goal percentage (.532)... Was back to his old self in the win over second-ranked Stanford at McKale Center on March 9... Scored 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting... His play in 21 minutes off the bench sparked the Cats... In the regular season finale, scored seven points and was big on defense, blocking a career-high four shots... In the NCAA Tournament first round win over Jackson State, scored 14 points to go with five rebounds and three blocks... Best game of the year was in the win at No. 9 Texas... Went for 19 points, five rebounds and four assists... Scored all 19 points in the decisive second half on an 8-of-10 shooting display... Had a double-double in the first game of the season, with 15 points and 10 boards versus Kansas State... In the win over fifth-ranked Michigan State in Tucson, he had 18 points, six rebounds and six assists and what was one of the finest dunks of the year - a double-pump reverse breakaway slam... Was 4-of-6 from the three-point line against IUPUI and 10-of-12 from the free throw line against New Mexico... Named the Preseason NIT All-Tournament team after averaging 14 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 4.5 apg in wins against Notre Dame and Kentucky in Madison Square Garden... Was also on the Bank One Fiesta Bowl Classic All-Tournament team after averaging 13.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 2.0 apg in wins over UNC-Wilmington and Delaware.

1998-99 (Freshman): Member of the Pac-10's All-Freshman team after averaging 11.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 2.9 apg... Started the second-most games on the team (26)... Was in the starting five at either the two or three spots, with the majority coming at the three... Stepped up his play during the Pac-10 season, averaging 12.8 ppg and 5.2 rpg... Scored in double figures 17 times and led the team in scoring twice (at USC/at Oregon State)... Second leading assist man on the squad (80, 2.9 apg) and had seven games with five or more... Breakout game of the season was at USC when he went for a then career-high 24 points with eight rebounds and six assists... Was 7-of-11 from the floor and 9-of-11 from the free throw line... One game later, he bettered that outing with the first double-double of his career -- 25 points and 12 boards against Washington State in Tucson... The following game versus Washington, he grabbed a Jason Terry shot that was short of the rim on the way down and put it in the basket as time expired to give the Cats an 88-86 win... Had 13 points in that outing... In the four-game homestand (Arizona State-Oregon) in mid-February, he averaged 11.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 5.8 apg... In the final game of that stretch, he scored 18 points to go with five assists and four rebounds against Oregon... Named to the Fiesta Bowl Classic All-Tournament team after averaging 14 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in wins over Holy Cross and Florida International... Scored 17 in the title game against FIU... Scored in double figures seven straight games that he played in from UC-Irvine through Washington (missed the Iowa State game) early in the season... Averaged 16.3 during that stretch... Went for a team-high 20 points in the loss at Oregon State... Career-high eight assists to go with 11 points in the win over LSU...  Underwent surgery at the end of last season to repair a stress fracture in his left foot... The injury was initially detected prior to the start of his freshman season, but doctors waited until the end of the year, as it wasnt a major injury that affected his performance.

High School: A McDonald's All-American from Phoenix's Moon Valley High School...  Led Moon Valley to the state 4A championship game as a senior... Arizona state 4A Player of the Year as a senior... That season, he averaged 25 ppg, 13 rpg, 4 apg, 3 spg and 4 bpg... Led his senior squad to a 27-3 record... Averaged 27 ppg, seven rpg and six apg as a junior... Played in the Eddie Jones Classic in April of his senior year at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles... Stock rose in the summer of 1997 when he played well for the Arizona Stars in a Las Vegas tournament... Was the subject of a Sports Illustrated feature as a result.

Personal: Richard Allen Jefferson... Son of Richard Jefferson and Meekness LeCato... Born 6-21-80 in Los Angeles, Calif... A family studies major at the UA... Both parents attended Arizona State... Parents are also missionaries who, along with their son, have traveled around the world.
 

Jefferson's Career Statistics

Postseason Statistics