Ranking Jason Terry and the Rest of the Arizona Wildcats in the NBA

The University of Arizona basketball program is one of the most elite programs in the nation.

In 1997, Arizona won its first and only national championship.

Having recently encountered some struggling seasons, the program is finally getting back to where it is used to being thanks to head coach Sean Miller.

Five-star recruits are signing left and right, and another national championship could be in the forecast in the next couple of years.

Arizona has also produced some quality NBA athletes, past and present.

Here is my ranking of the current Wildcats in the NBA.

Honorable Mention: Derrick Williams

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

ANAHEIM, CA - MARCH 26: Derrick Williams #23 of the Arizona Wildcats reacts after a dunk against of the Connecticut Huskies during the west regional final of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the Honda Center on March 26, 2011 in Anaheim, Cali

Derrick Williams is projected to either be the top or second pick in this year's NBA Draft.

He was a huge contributor in the Wildcat's run to the Elite 8 and was also a big factor in the turnaround of the program.

Since Williams hasn't yet played a game in the NBA, he is labeled under honorable mention.

Who knows, maybe if this list was made a year from now, Williams could have cracked the top-five with an outstanding rookie season?

11) Luke Walton, Los Angeles Lakers

Chris Trotman/Getty Images

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 11: Luke Walton #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers on the court against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on February 11, 2011 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or

Luke Walton used to have some promise to be a decent role player, but now, all he does is ride the bench.

He does have two rings to be proud of. And by proud, I mean proud of his teammates for getting him them.

10) Mustafa Shakur, Washington Wizards

Rob Carr/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 28: Brian Scalabrine #24 of the Chicago Bulls and Mustafa Shakur #22 of the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center in Washington on February 28, 2011 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that,

Mustafa Shakur has been traveling between the D-League and the Washington Wizards pretty frequently.

It's tough to say if Shakur will stay in the NBA, but he will definitely never start for the Wizards as long as John Wall is in town.

Also, with Jordan Crawford joining the team, Shakur handles the third-string point guard duties.

The future looks gloomy for the former Wildcat unless he can move to a franchise in need of his game.

9) Mike Bibby, Miami Heat

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 02: Mike Bibby #0 of the Miami Heat attempts a shot against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Two of the 2011 NBA Finals at American Airlines Arena on June 2, 2011 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that,

Mike Bibby is definitely coming to the end of his career, and you can see it in the way he plays.

He recently lost his starting job to Mario Chalmers in the NBA Finals and probably won't get it back.

Bibby's best years came with Vancouver, Sacramento and Atlanta.

A retirement could be in the works soon, but I could definitely see Bibby sticking around with Miami as the veteran point guard who wants to win a ring.

8) Jordan Hill, Houston Rockets

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 20: Jordan Hill #27 of the Houston Rockets in action against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena on December 20, 2010 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or us

Jordan Hill put together a couple of good games this season but just never seemed to stay consistent.

He has lucked out with the long injury to Yao Ming, because that is really the only reason he is getting playing time.

Patrick Patterson and Hill will be battling for the backup role to Luis Scola, and if Hill can fill in as a viable role player, his success and potential will surely grow.

Hill needs to start playing with that fire he used to play with down in Tucson.

7) Jerryd Bayless, Toronto Raptors

Warren Little/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 04: #5 Jerryd Bayless of the Raptors in action during the NBA match between New Jersey Nets and the Toronto Raptors at the O2 Arena on March 4, 2011 in London, England. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by

Many thought Jerryd Bayless would come right into the NBA and be a star.

That hasn't been the case so far.

He did show spurts of greatness with the limited playing time he received in Portland, but clearly not enough to want the Trail Blazers to hold on to him.

Now, with the Raptors, Bayless is the backup point guard to Jose Calderon, and since that franchise is in ruins as we speak, I could definitely see Bayless starting at some point next season.

6) Gilbert Arenas, Orlando Magic

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 13: Gilbert Arenas #1 of the Orlando Magic during the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center on March 13, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or usin

Finally healthy for a majority of a season, Gilbert Arenas took a step back in his game.

He started off pretty well for Washington, but after the trade to Orlando, he seemed to just taper off.

He averaged a career-low in points and was not even a spark off the bench.

Arenas better come out stronger next season or he may be riding the pine for quite some time or find himself in a new city.

5) Chase Budinger, Houston Rockets

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 15: Chase Budinger #10 of the Houston Rockets shoots against the Los Angeles Lakers on November 15, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Rockets won 101-91. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agre

Chase Budinger improved slightly from his rookie year, but it was enough to crack the starting rotation.

I think Budinger will only get better and prove to be a second round steal.

The sky is the limit for Chase, and he definitely has the skill set to be a huge contributor in this league.

4) Richard Jefferson, San Antonio Spurs

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 28: Richard Jefferson #24 of the San Antonio Spurs during play against the Los Angeles Lakers at AT&T Center on December 28, 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading

Since coming over to San Antonio, Richard Jefferson has not been the Jefferson we are used to watching.

He doesn't score as much and has lost a step defensively. Obviously, this can be attributed to his age and how explosive he used to be.

At only 31 years old, I still think Jefferson has something to prove. He will never be what he used to be, but he is still a starter. He just needs to figure out his game and transition into more of a shooter and less of a high-flyer.

3) Channing Frye, Phoenix Suns

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 30: Channing Frye #4 of the Phoenix Suns during the NBA game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at US Airways Center on March 30, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Thunder defeated the Suns 116-98. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledge

Channing Frye is coming off his best season in the NBA, which included a couple of game winning shots.

Frye has developed into one of the best three-point shooting big men and a closer for the Phoenix Suns.

Although he will never be a superstar, Frye has proven that he can be a big-time scorer when his shot is falling.

Frye's biggest knock has to be his toughness. With his height, he should be averaging eight rebounds per game instead of 6.7, but he does tend to hang around the arc quite a bit.

2) Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia 76ers

Drew Hallowell/Getty Images

PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 27: Andre Iguodala #9 of the Philadelphia 76ers in action during the game against the Miami Heat at the Wells Fargo Center on October 27, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that

Andre Iguodala also took a step back in his game, like Arenas, but I think Iggy can rebound substantially.

Iguodala is quite a highlight reel when you watch his game. He is one of the better dunkers, a good shooter, and finds the open man.

He has all the tools you need to succeed and more.

Don't look for the end of this season to be a trend for Iguodala. He will come out next year and show the league why he is still one of the best players in this league.

There is a reason why he is the second A.I.

1) Jason Terry, Dallas Mavericks

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

DALLAS, TX - JUNE 09: Jason Terry #31 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts after he made a 3-point shot late in the fourth quarter as Udonis Haslem #40 (L), Mike Miller #13 and LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat walk towards their bench in Game Five of the 2011

Jason Terry is on the top of the world right now.

Having just won the NBA Finals and being a huge contributor, how can you not argue Terry as the best Wildcat in the NBA currently?

Some might think because he doesn't start means he isn't that great, but Terry loves coming off the bench. He is one of the best sixth men in the NBA.

He can definitely be a liability at times, but more often than not, Terry does all the right things.

The JET and his high socks are currently leading the race as best Wildcat, but will this order be the same after next season?

Follow James Sargent on Twitter @Sargentsorders