Popcorn Vendor Leads Ua Into Hec Ed

Jason Terry, current University of Arizona guard and former popcorn salesman, returns to his old business place today.

Some former customers figure to be there.

“Popcorn, popcorn,” Terry said of Arizona’s basketball game today at the University of Washington’s Hec Edmundson Pavilion, where he worked as a vendor a few years ago. “I know I’ll be hearing that.”

The way it’s been going, it wouldn’t surprise anybody if Terry sold a few kernels between going for steals, serving as the playmaker, working as the shooting guard and filling whatever other role is asked.

It’s a cliche, all right. But, rarely, is it such a perfect fit. Terry has been an all-purpose player in a season that began with him virtually forgotten amid attention on freshman Mike Bibby.

After all, Bibby is a playmaker, Terry’s usual position. See ya’. But it didn’t happen that way, in large part because of Terry’s willingness to fulfill other responsibilities in his sophomore season.

For him, it’s been a learning process. A crash course. But he has learned so quickly that it is no overstatement to credit him with much of Arizona’s success this season.

“If anything, I think I’ve grown as an individual,” said Terry, who worked at Washington games while emerging as major-college prospect at nearby Franklin High School. “I think I’ve grown a lot.”

He had to.

First, there was Bibby, who was destined to become Arizona’s primary ball handler.

Then, there was Miles Simon’s academic ineligibility. With Simon on the shelf for Arizona’s first 11 games, Terry was forced to play shooting guard, Simon’s position.

In assuming the role, Terry also began to take on some of the leadership that had been expected from Simon, a team captain.

Terry leads Arizona in playing time with 34 minutes a game. His steals, 2.7 a game, sum up the aggressive, ball-hawking defense that characterizes the Wildcats. He also averages 12.3 points on 44 percent shooting.