Position: Forward
Class/Experience: Sophomore/1L
Height: 6-7
Weight: 222
Hometown: Phoenix, Ariz.
High School: Moon Valley HS

General: One of the best athletes on the team, he was one of the three freshmen who were a part of last year's starting lineup... After playing down in the post in high school, had to learn play the three-guard for the Cats last season... Did so with success, as he was a All-Pac-10 Freshman first team performer after averaging 11.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 2.9 apg... Quick first step and has strength that matches his quickness... Big time jumper... Will gain from going against Luke Recker each day in practice... Lute Olson since there wasn't anyone who could match his athleticism last year in practice, it hurt his development... Like Sean Elliott and Mike Bibby before him, a high school player from the state of Arizona who is expected to have a big impact on the Wildcat basketball program... Will be counted on for more production this season and should help form one of the top front lines in college basketball... 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 wasn't a major injury that affected his performance.

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 an 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.

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... Undecided on his 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

Season   G-GS Min. FG-FGA  Pct.  3Pt. Pct.  FT-FTA  Pct.  OR/DR Tot./Avg.  Ast. St. Blk. TO PF-DQ Pts.-Avg.
1998-99 28-26 755 104-210  .495 12-33 .364  97-125  .776  50/84  134/4.8    80  18  11   68 68-5   317-11.3

Season  G-GS Min.  FG-FGA Pct. 3Pt. Pct.  FT-FTA Pct. OR/DR  Tot./Avg. Ast. St. Blk. TO  PF-DQ Pts.-Avg.
1998-99 1-1   27    1-5   .200 0-0  .000   0-0   .000  1/0      1/1.0  1    0   0    0   1-0      2-2.0