Cancel the autopsy. Arizona isn't dead yet.

Cats find right mix

UA puts together complete game vs. Wisconsin

I just keep finding great articles about The Cats' rise from the ashes, Pheonix(sic) style

When Wildcats show up, they can beat anyone

Some folks have noticed that the Cats have turned the corner......or a corner, anyway.

Come out, come out wherever you are. Arizona fans can finally be proud
of this year's edition of the Wildcats and once again show their faces
in public.

Git R Done!

Cats get ready for Nova Cats

The Cats (the Arizona Wildcats, that is) look forward to tomorrow's matchup against the #1 seed Villanova. Maybe this team just hates being a favorite and loves being the underdog. We'll see.

• Did you make your picks based on mascots?  Here's the inside scoop....
• Stoops (remember football?) loses 4 scholarships for next season.  Now that's a difficult choice.
• Wildcat Women win in NCAA Women's tourney....whaaat??
• Shakur proves you can go home again.
• These Cats are dogs.  I think he means that it a nice way.
• Tourney notebook.
  

Philadelphia Kid

Mustafa Shakur went from playground rat to Point Guard U. Read the story here.

No March Sadness for Cats

Who the heck were those guys with the UA jerseys on today? This was the type of game we've been starved for all year. Smiling, laughing, and running away from the Badgers, the Wildcats finally started enjoying the game and playing like there IS a tomorrow. Even Billy Packer had good things to say about Zona as they hit the ground running and never looked back, leaving the Cheeseheads in their dust.  Ahhh - Philadelphia freedom at last.

• "Our fans came here with expectations," `Nova forward Will Sheridan said. "Their fans came here with hope. It's a lot more fun when you're just hoping your team does well."  Yep, and underdog fans throughout the brackets are feeling the love this tourney.  Great match-ups, NCAA, no matter what Nance and Packer have to say.
• "(Shakur) reached back for those first moments on the playground at 10th and Olney and pulled out the spin move that so many of his friends remember him by."  Classic move, classy guy that Staph.  I'll bet he knows a good cheesesteak when he sees one, too.
• "The thing we didn't want to happen happened," UW coach Bo Ryan said. "You can't play from behind. It's very difficult. . . . That was our worst nightmare."  As a Cat fan, it was a dream!
• "Don't tell Nova it was an ugly win."  Okay....we'll let them in our little secret on Sunday.  But how many of us picked the  AZCats to advance to the Sweet 16, or even into the Round of 32?
• "At long last, talented Arizona plays up to its potential."  And gives Lute yet another 20-win season.
• Check it out.....Wilbur made it to the big time world of blogshares and trading.  Stock is rising, IPO to be announced soon.
• Standings after first round games in the Family Bracket Pool:
• Wilbur and Swister Meeney tied for first
• Three ringers from Wilbur's workplace take next 3 spots
• Sparky running a strong 6th.
• 'Nova fails to cover spread (20 points?  Get real) and loses fans against Monmouth.  Monmouth?

What  A  Tourney!!!

Day 1 and Done

And what a day it was. 4 underdogs pulled off the first-round upsets, with 12-seed Montana and Texas A&M leading the way. Some fantastic comebacks by the big boys (Tennessee, Gonzaga, BC) had Wilma pacing around the pad here all day. She'll need her sleep to make it through today.
OOh! Wilbur and Mike's bracket picks lead the way after the first day of play. And, no, I didn't revise any picks as the games went on. Just dumb luck carried me through the day.

• Follow Bob Barker's Bracket here, along with some other celebs here.
  
• News from the Cheeseheads.  Some Philly first-round tidbits, including Lute not getting his car.
• Shedding labels and Hassan Adams.

Good luck, everyone.

I'd trade two Kirk's and an Isiah for one Butch

From the Madison The Capital Times

More unusual tourney stats here

Breaking down March Madness into numbers I can understand, including how many times Bill Raftery will say "...and the kiss."

Top ten first round upsets in the past ten years. AZ nowhere to be found in this list.

Are you part of the problem?

The problem is the $3.8 billion lost in American worker productivity during March Madness.. Hey. It doesn't feel non-productive, man.....plus I got a few bucks riding on it.

Ready or not....

...here we go!  Picks are made, pools are filled, now we can just sit back and watch non-stop college b'ball for awhile.  Wilma is in heaven.

• Cats expecting fewer calls to be made in the "let 'em play" tourney.
  

• Best and worst case scenarios for tourney teams.  Check out Villanova's: "Scud-shooting Villanova is booted before it ever gets to leave Philadelphia by season-long underachiever Arizona. Home crowd does what it does best, booing 'Nova off the floor."

• Badgers?  We don't need to steenking Badgers!  UA and the cheeseheads stumble into the tourney, almost mirror images of each other.  Tony Bennett chimes in here.
  
• Ouch!  This guy really knows how to hurt someone. (1/2 way down page - Minn. bracket)

• Now this guy thinks we can make some noise.  If we show up, that is.  "Another traditional power that has struggled this year, Lute Olson's bunch is seeded eighth in Minneapolis.  While there's been little to indicate Arizona can put together a sustained run, the return to action of wing Hassan Adams -- who was suspended for the Pac-10 tournament -- gives the Wildcats a chance to push Villanova in the second round; that is, if Arizona manages to get by the more local Wisconsin Badgers in Round One."

• Cats accused of living in the past.  Make that 1997, please.

Let's get busy.

Sampson's past will keep him away from Tempe

Violations likely to keep Sampson away from ASU, like they thought they had a chance. Silly Sun Devils.

Can't make up your mind who to pick?

Here's a random bracket generator. This way you can blame it on someone else when your team goes down in flames!

Another bracket contest

The Official NBA Dance Team Bracket. Vote early and often.
Isn't this a fun year?

Cal-Berkley hoopster pranked by UCLA students.

Gabe Pruitt thought he had a hot date lined up last weekend at the PAC10 tourney. See, he'd been chatting online with a UCLA co-ed, Victoria. Turns out, though, that "she" was really a large section of the UCLA student body who had intercepted his messages and set him up.
Priceless.

Check out these bRACKets

If looking at the field of 64 is blurring your vision, rest your eyes by filling out these bRACKets. Additional research encouraged.

On to the Tourney

Well, the Cats managed to keep their nation's longest string of 22 straight tourney appearances intact.  Hassan Adams just might be enough to take them to the second round, probably against Nova.  And Lute's schedule mastery likely paid off, at least for this year.  Who really likes quality losses, anyway?

• Sour grapes from the Northwest.  Get over it, Ducks and Beavs.  Enjoy the NIT.
• Comparing apples to apples, Wildcats to Badgers.
• Philly is hometown to Mustafa Shakur and Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan.  Cheesesteak, anyone?
• Did anybody else catch Billy Packer's slip-of-the-tongue Sunday when he mentioned the AZ/Wisconsin game one bracket too early?
• Tips for winning the pool.  If you need them, that is.
• Cats earn #8 seed the hard way.  They backed into it.
  

NCAA Bracketology

Here's your first cheat sheet for the NCAA tourney. Read it. Learn it. Live it. Send in your money.

Now we'll have to worry about other issues than the spread or whether we can sneak in our peanuts and red vines

FBI warns of possible NCAA tourney threat

Cats cowtow to bRuins

A lack of physicalability (bangability, bruiseability, toughability) caused the Cats to come up short against Ucla last night. It just took too long to adjust to the style of play - "letting them play," as the refs say - and the absence of Hot Sauce spelled doom from the start. Still, we did manage to cut the deficit to 12 by game's end. Little consolation, and look for the Cats to be wearing the road reds in all tourney games. Did I say all?? How far do YOU have them going in your brackets?

• Batcats visit Mississippi State, play grateful guests.
• "And there's also the excitement of disrobing old ghosts like Arizona." Let them gloat while they can.
• Bobby Knight finishes under .500 for the first time in 35 years. Sounds like a perfect fit for Tempe.
• Lute keeps his cool during game, heard muttering "Good Grief!" "My Word!" Still no match for Ryan Radke's "For crying in the middle of the night!"
  
• Fisher-Matlock Final Four Tourney invitations going out soon. Watch out for Sweeney - he's been laid up after his RCT surgery and thinks he has a lock on all the teams.
  

It's Been Real, It's Been Fun...

...and it's been Real Fun. But the days of UA beating up on Rob Evans and his stellar Scum Devil teams have come to an end. Face it - Lute got him fired because his advertising revenues dropped off after Bill Fritter left. Who's next?? Who cares.
Oh, please pick Steve Lavin. Pleeease....

Stanford chopped down, bRuins next on the block

The AZ Wildcat basketball team found a way to beat Stanford yesterday, despite having to leave Hassan Adams at home. Other players picked up his slack (but not his bar tab), and put the game away by shooting 80% from the freethrow line. 23 of 28 in the second half alone?? We could have beat Washington with percentages like that. Tonight, settle in to watch the Cats go for their first win of the year over Ucla, and keep their nation-leading streak of 20-win seasons alive, too. This would make 19 seasons with 20 wins or more. How spoiled are we?
Git R Done, Cats!

• Hot Sauce maxes out his cellphone calling plan in order to amp the Cats up. Can they hear him today?
• Walk-on steps it up, logging 25 crucial minutes in yesterday's game. Thanks, Bret...er, Brent...er, Brett, .....er,...Rudy.
• Ducks beat Dawgs, so Cats will miss possible grudge match against UDub. Pity.
• Stanford bows out gracefully, heads back to the Bay.
  

It's PAC10 Tourney time, it's PAC10 Tourney time (Name that tune)

The Cats limp into the league tourney minus their leading scorer (Hassan Adams - DUI) and missing that swagger we all know and love. It's gotten so bad that Stanford is getting most of the press for our game against the Cardinal on Thursday. Game time is 1:30pm, so plan on taking a late lunch.

• Cats aren't the only bluebloods that have no-showed this year. It really is the Year of the Dog.
• First tip for the Matlock Final Four Pool, brought to you by Wilbur - a little history about seed-by-seed matchups in the past. And speaking of March Madness, watch your e-mail for your invite for the Pool. If you want to be included, and don't happen to be related to a Matlock, leave a comment and we'll be glad to take your money, too.
• Cats RPI drops to 24th, 41st in Sagarin. Still feeling good about getting in? Tempe comes in at 145 in the Sagarin poll, six spots behind those mighty Lumberjacks of NAU. Bye, Rob. Oh - add Rick Majerus to the list of Sundevil coach wannabes. Better stock the First Aid station on the floor level.
• Hey. The softball team continues to win and is ranked #1. Wonder if they can shoot 3-pointers as well as no-hitters?
  
• Don't forget Wildcat golf. And isn't it time for another Matlock Match Play event?

Bear down - and bear with us.

Hot Sauce Hammered - then Nailed

Hassan Adams, leading scorer for the Cats and an All-PAC10 pick, has been suspended for the PAC10 tourney following his DUI last weekend. Hey, I was a little upset after we blew another lead and lost to Washington, but I didn't feel the urge to party then think I could drive. He escaped any disciplinary action last December when he was arrested for disorderly conduct, but this was just a little too much for Lute to let slip by. Anyone who couldn't see this coming, raise your hand. I didn't think so.

Hot sauce HITS the sauce

Things are getting hotter than a habanero after Hassan Adams gets arrested for DUI Saturday night. Sit him down for the PAC10 tourney, coach. This is his second arrest in the past 4 months.

Cats miss the 2-minute warning

For 38 minutes, AZ looked like world-beaters against #14 Washington.  Leads of up to 13 points.  Steals and hustle everywhere.  Stingy ball-handling.  The Huskies never even got a chance to take the lead - until the end.  Two Wildcat turnovers were the undoing when holding onto the ball mattered the most.  So we get to watch another close loss, another "one that got away."  Very puzzling, though, why Adams took control of the ball and the last shot (which fell a good 3 feet short), especially with his bum wing.  Lute should have suited up the kid that won the car at halftime by sinking one from halfcourt. 

• Wait until next year?  I never thought I'd hear that again in reference to our basketball team.  Like I never thought I'd hear "Wait until football season."
  
• Baseball's 5-game win streak ends to Nebraska in DQ Classic.  Peanut Buster Parfaits for everyone, win or lose.
• Completing the trifecta, women get slapped around by Stanford.  Their season mercifully closes.
  
• North Carolina loses seven players from championship team, can still beat Duke in Durham.  I always get some satisfaction when the Dookies lose - at home, on their Senior Day.  Duke goes 0'fer the week.  hehe.
• Cats get Cardinal in PAC10 tourney opener.  Lucky us.
• Hometown press can be cruel.  Especially if you're a Seattle prep star who signed with the Cats.

Saturday - Finally!

Wilbur hopes the rest of you had a better week than he did, but the sun came up today, our son (I hesitate to call him Wilbur Jr.) is flying in for a surprise visit, and the Cats wrap up their regular season with a Red Out Senior Day game against the Huskies. Yeah - it's the weekend.

• Wildcat women break out of slump -- and break into the PAC10 tourney with a win over those angry Beavs. Beaverettes? Is anything PC when their nickname is the Beavers?
• Huskies find their groove -- but they'll be another notch in Wilbur's belt after today!
• The Red Coats are coming -- at least Lute's newly ordered one is for today's game. Put on those shades, folks, this could be tough on the eyes.
• Hot Sauce got chicken winged -- but the sore shoulder won't keep him out of his final home game as a Wildcat. Look for a Basket 'O' Buckets from Sauce.
• DQ Classic features Minnesota meltdown -- Batcats win first game of my new favorite tourney. So how come the local paper doesn't even mention the name of the tourney?

Get yer Red On!

I didn't even know there was a Dairy Queen Classic

The Wildcat baseball team is set to play in the 22nd Dairy Queen Classic in Minneapolis this weekend. This should be real Dilly!

Tempo Busters

Washington State comes in tonight, bringing their slow-down style of play and lameduck coach with them. The Cats managed to put up 70 points earlier this season against the Cougs, but let's not have a repeat of last year's home loss to these snoozers.

Greg Hansen plays "what if?" -- fun to play, but leaves that empty feeling.

How long 'til football? -- Well, the season opener is just 6 months away.

More coffee.....Bear Down....

Put a Fork in them

The signs were there early for a big Wildcat win- Sparky showing up with a football for a basketball game; Zona Zoo members camping out the night before for first dibbs on seats; Rob Evans still "coaching" asu...
Arizona totally cleaned Tempe's clock at McKale, and time may be running out for the Sun Devils' head coach. Too bad the Pep Band didn't play "Goodbye to You" as Evans left Lute and Bobbi Olson Court for what probably was the last time - unless he sells lemonade better than he sold basketball to the Valley of the Stunned.

• Cats' big wn today could help tourney chances. And ease Lute's load.
• Coach Evans' load just got bigger.
  
• Pendergraph fans the flame. Silly freshman.
• Hammerschmidt takes Hammer Time to Stanford. Ex-Cat linebacker on the fast track.

Later.

Was SC really going for a 3-Peat?

These folks don't think so, and present a good case of *gasp* media bias in perpetuating the myth.

After the regular season ended with Texas and USC both undefeated
and playing in the national championship, the media became enamored
with all things Trojan -- ignoring the fact that there was another team
on their way to the championship. ESPN ran a different segment on USC every
night on Sportscenter. Of course, the result of doing something like
that is predictable…they lost. However, even after they lost to
Texas, the media wouldn’t give up their resolve…

Curling Hits the Big Time

That can be the only explanation after the "Golden Palace.com" streaker hits the ice. Is that a chicken in your pocket or is it just that cold?

Frosh Faces

Tomorrow's game against Tempe boasts the 2 top freshmen in the PAC10. Those crazy Sun Devil fans will say anything to think they have a shot at beating the Cats.

For sure the game won't feature the top two coaches. Rather, it will emphasize again the huge gap between the level of play at the two schools. Bye, Rob.

NCAA streak motivating Arizona down the stretch

Expect a highly-motivated Arizona team to take the floor against Tempe tomorrow, as the Cats seek to extend their NCAA streak to 22 years, the nation's longest.

“We know we have to win these last three games,” center Kirk Walters said. “It’s huge. It’s sort of the tradition of Arizona basketball, and we don’t want to be the team that let this down and was the team that didn’t get the 20 wins and that berth in the NCAA tournament. We definitely want to keep that going.”

Look for the Wildcats to do just that

OUR Marcus Williams

The Wildcat freshman is opening quite a few eyes with his play this year. Include NBA eyes, as the rumblings are beginning about an early exit for Marcus. Say it isn't so!

A surprising development that has taken place over the course of the 2005-06 basketball season at Arizona is how the NBA draft stock of freshman wing Marcus Williams has shot through the roof, according to NBA sources involved in scouting and personnel. Although Williams, a 6-foot-8 scoring machine from Seattle, has never publicly declared any plans to leave school early, the buzz his play has generated as the year has worn on may make his decision a lot more complex....Ben Hansen at GOAZCATS.com

NBADraft.net | Stock Watch

Bill Fritter, anyone?

From MSNBC.com comes the question of the day:

"Q: Who’s the next coach that’s gonna get fired? Rob Evans at ASU?
— Marlene, Tempe, Ariz.
A: Probably so. He has had eight years to get competitive with rival Arizona. He has won one game against the Wildcats. Evans has taken ASU to the NCAA Tournament one time (2003).
Hard to believe, but Evans had better success at Ole Miss where he won an SEC championship before he got to Tempe.
A couple of things look apparent. He doesn’t get the good players in the state; Lute Olson does. Southern California is not a recruiting hotbed for him; neither is Texas (except for Ike Diogu).
And, his supporters would rather be outside in the Arizona warmth than inside.
Inside, by the way, is not an arena but a recreation center that could be hurting Evans’ recruiting.
Finally, this is not a good year for the Pac-10 and ASU is in last place.
If a guy can have success at Ole Miss in basketball and not at Arizona State, there is an issue with more than the coach, but firing the coach is the easier solution."

What was I drinking?

Looks like I jumped the gun a bit on the game against Tempe. Tip-off isn't until Saturday, and I apologize to anyone marveling at their great seats tomorrow when nobody else shows up.

• Not much can save Robbie Evans' job after this season, but actually thinking that Huggie Bear, Mike Montgomery, or even the General himself are lining up to replace him seems a little far-fetched to Wilbur. Just how fat are those heads up there?
• Boiling down the PAC10 race. Does anyone want to win it?
  

Tipsy Tree

Almost missed this story. I didn't see Stanford's mascot much today, and one reason might have been it couldn't get off the bar stool. Seems the little lady - you wouldn't expect any self-respecting guy to put on the needles - who served as Stanford's Tree this year was axed after showing up pickled for the Cal game last weekend. Guess she was three sheets to the limbs.

Cats Chop Down Stanford

Desperately needing a split on this road trip, Arizona came up big when it needed to today. A "back-to-form" second half gave the Cats a big W over Stanford after losing to Cal on Thursday. And since the game was on CBS, I actually got to see it in HD! Flippin' sweet. After Tempe's big win over Cal yesterday, Wednesday's game should be doozy for a change. Or not.

• Second half dooms Stanford, leaving them at a loss for words. So much for the "Ivy League of the West."
• We can dream, can't we? Nice headline.
• Nice story on Polky and Senior Day. We could have really used her this season.

Open Your Golden Gate - and Your Pocketbook

The Cats are off to the Bay Area schools, looking for at least a split of the two games. Cal tonight, then the timbers of Stanford on Saturday. Here's hoping they don't slip into that road funk and drop their 3rd road series of the season.

• Ever wonder how much it costs for one of these little trips? Your "Priority Seating" charge at work.
• Chris Rodgers makes the trip. It'll be interesting to see what kind of minutes he picks up.
• Cal rejoices in their lead over the Cats in the PAC10 standings.
• It's the inside job that's getting it done for the Cats. That's good, especially when you're the worst-shooting 3-point team in the league.
• Lute pops the bubble.
• Dickie V puts us back on the bubble.
• The everchanging linup - for AZ and for Cal.

Git R Done, Cats!

Olson Triggers Rodgers' Return

Chris Rodgers' Happy Trail led him right back to practice yesterday, bringing with him that defensive intensity the Cats have been sorely missing the past few weeks. Whether he gets in the game or rides the pine is irrelevant.

Chris Rodgers was reinstated by Arizona coach Lute Olson on Monday
after the senior guard was kicked off the team three weeks ago for
undisclosed disciplinary reasons. Rodgers started 13 of the 16 games he
played before being dismissed, averaging 10.8 points.

Overheard at the Gonzaga/Stanford game...

Student sections at basketball games are close to the teams, which encourages some pretty interesting remarks, chants, and comments to opposing players. That doesn't count the Scum Devils section (all 37 of them), of course, which reached an all-time low jeering Steve Kerr back in the 80's about his father's death, or shouts aimed at Lute about the recent death of his wife, Bobbi. The Kennel Club at Gonzaga has been overheard referencing a current movie about lonely sheepherders in Montana (filmed in Canada), giving new meaning to ASSists and putbacks.

Cats Scratch Beavers

Ivan Radenoic, the cerebral Serbian, led the Wildcats to a solid pounding of the OSU Beavers, 80-58. Looks like the Cats are back, just after we thought they'd slipped into something more comfortable - a coma. Thus, they avenged their two-game sweep by the Oregon schools on the road. Now they need to take their new-found confidence and momentum to the Bay area schools next week, as they ride the slippery slope of The Bubble.

Splash! goes Tempe -- AZ men's and women's swimming and diving teams sweep the Sun Puddles.

Gymcats win -- beating the OSU Beaverettes on the road. Final score - 195.400 to 194.925. Whew!

Softball takes two in tourney -- Alicia Hollowell (how many years of eligibility does she have?) notched her 14th no-hitter.

The NCAA rules on Instant Replay

The Rules Committee of the NCAA has approved the implementation of instant replay, along with a coach's challenge on questionable calls, for the 2006 season. This was tried in a few conferences the past season with varying results and reviews. The proposal now comes up for a full vote in March. Personally, I like the Moutain West Conference twist to the rule: Coaches would call a timeout to make a challenge. If the call was overturned, the team would keep its timeout and retain its challenge until it lost one. If the call was upheld, the team would be charged a timeout and the coach couldn't challenge again.

Other rules changes that are lost in this proposal are aimed at speeding up (why?) the game itself. The clock will start when the ball is kicked on a kickoff, not when the ball is touched. Halftime will be shortened to 15 minutes. The kicking tee will be reduced to 1 inch to reduce the number of touchbacks. Etc.

If you've been following this blog for awhile you'll know I'm most excited about the shortening of halftime. There's only so much Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd being played by bassoons and French horns that I can take.

Trivia: Who was the halftime entertainment at the first Super Bowl?

And when we get behind closed doors

U.S. basketball players experience 2 Irans | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

The story about the banning of the dunk in college basketball

Texas Western's Road to Glory :: The real story behind Don Haskins' history-making college basketball program

Zona Ducks Oregon

For some reason, I didn't turn off the game last night when the Cats trailed Oregon by five points with less than a minute to play. Maybe I was thinking about the Fighting Illini's miracle win last March against my Cats and was hoping somehow McKale could provide such a Miracle. Glad I didn't leave before the Oregon meltdown. Next come the Beavers, smarting from a lopsided loss to (ohmygawd) Tempe. Keep on truckin' Cats!

Off the bubble? -- at least for now. It's still a day-to-day thing.

You're out! -- softball out of the Olympics as of 2012, much to the dismay of Coach Candrea and his ladies.

Football recruit news -- read halfway down the article to find out a little about AJ Simmons.

What about Louis? -- Louis Holmes, the nation's top-ranked defensive end, still has Arizona Stadium on his mind. Now if he can just get past that pesky biology class at Pima College.....

Batcats talent pipeline -- runs through beautiful Santa Rosa CA. Get out and see these guys.

Super Sunday

According to Greg Hansen --
"It would be a total shock if Stoops were unable to keep coveted junior college defensive line recruit Louis Holmes in Tucson until he becomes eligible. Holmes lives here and works out daily with UA football players. He considers himself part of the family and vice versa."

Darryl Lewis update -- the troubled former Wildcat and NFL Pro Bowler will face the judge on felony charges in Cali. Hope he can get the help he needs.

The sun came up again today

While it would have been easy for Olson to rant and rave after the Cats' most recent loss (nine already this season), he took the opposite approach. Don't dwell on the past, but look forward to today and tomorrow. There is still much to gain and accomplish this season. Still opportunities to improve.
If the coach of our beloved and beleaguered Wildcats can be so optimistic, how about the fans? We can start by showing up at McKale this week against the Oregon schools and remind the Cats what it's like to have the homecourt advantage on our side. How about it, folks?

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain

Coach O is going to have become a Wizard himself if he's going to help his troops make to the Big Dance. At least he'll be able to click his Nikes while thinking, "There's no place like home...there's no place like home." The infamous Wildcat swagger looks more like a stagger, and coming home is just what the road-weary Cats need about now. Nothing like some home cookin' with an appreciative crowd to help right the ship.
Anyone else think the emotion that seems to be lacking has anything to do with Chris Rodgers' departure? Just a thought, but we could use someone with a fiery attitude right about now.

Cats drop another one -- down by 24 at one point, they managed a respectable run before running out of gas in the end. Nice try, though.

UA not alone -- they're in good company this year with other powerhouses fighting to stay out of the NIT.

Hitting the skids? -- Corky Simpson thinks so, anyway. Are we that spoiled? Yep.

Two thumbs down

Lute made the boys watch a video replay of Thursday's loss to SC, complete with slo-mo and freeze-frame, and the reviews were unanimous. "Sketchy plot." "Limited action." "Lacks star power." "No continuity." "Would have left early if I could have."
Still better than Breakback Mounting, though.

California Here We Come

Ready or not, the Cats take a big trip to LA to tangle with SC and ucLA. Even though the UA is 3-point favorite tonight against the Trojans, it's a cinch those points won't come from behind the arc. A measly 31% shooting touch from 3-point land has caused Lute to alter his offensive strategery - again. Let's see if he stands by his promise to yank anyone caught taking an ill-advised shot from "downtown." Has anyone else noticed his tolerance this season in letting players play through their mistakes? Maybe it's time to shake up a few egos.

RPI of 16? -- the NCAA released their first RPI rankings, with Arizona holding down 16th place. A few more quality wins would place them even higher. Then again, Tempe is whooping it up with a 191 ranking.

Recruiting -- recruiting, recruiting. Football-style.

100 minutes to SC. Definitely, 100 minutes. Go Cats!

Tuesday at the Wilburs'

Okay, okay. I should have turned off the UNC game after Hot Sauce made a fadeaway jumper then a quick steal and layup put the Cats ahead 4-0 in the first minute. I would feel a lot better about myself and our team, that's for sure. As it was, it was all downhill in Chapel Hill as the Cats took a pounding on national TV. Guess we'll be keeping our low profile a little longer.

Cats in the tourney? -- at least one report has us lacing up our dancing shoes. Hope we don't pull a Master P in LA this week.

Cats stink it up behind the line -- Lute threatens to pull players out for taking the low average 3-point shot. I can see all the collapsing defenses now, just daring any Cat to shoot. Can we resist temptation?

Today's recruiting philosophy -- "Recruiting is like shaving. If you're not doing it every day, you'll end up looking like a bum." Meet the gridiron version of the Barbasol man.

No. 4 cornerback picks Cats -- let's hope he lives up to the hype. The kid sounds awesome.

Stoops piles it on -- notice how much press he's getting with this year's recruits? He's on target to have the #2 class in the PAC10 starting with Signing Day tomorrow.

Conan the Wildcat -- "To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women."

Now, it's off to LA and the Toejams - er - Trojans and bRuins. Tell them, tell the team to Bear Down.

UNC rates AZ as #2 toughest non-conference foe

Indiana ranks number one according to this article from Chapel Hill. Nice ink about the rivalry that's developed over the years between the two powerhouse teams, with the novelty of the "Miles Simon Rule" thrown in for good measure. That reads:

"... that any player who feels slighted during their recruitment by Carolina or wanted to attend Carolina will ultimately come back to haunt the Tar Heels in some fashion."

Good thing we've got Miles sitting on our bench again for this one.

Hat tip to Wilma for tracking this story down. Thanks.

Lute shows his pride

Actually, it's the pride of ex-Wildcats in the NBA that are showing a thing or two to the league. Things like sound fundamentals, good team players, and excellent citizenship. "You can't swing a bat in the NBA without hitting a Cat." Arizona trails only (shudder) Duke and Kentucky (11) for the most current players on rosters with 10 former Wildcats taking it to the next level. North Carolina, tomorrow's opponent, also weighs in with 10 former Tar Heels in the NBA. Look for more stars-in-the-making tomorrow as both teams seek respect. Selection Sunday is only 43 days away.

Kirk the Dominator -- Lute letting him play through his mistakes? Brilliant!

Clark Kellogg's take -- some more nice press for the game and the chance for an attention-getting road win.

Name dropping -- Michael Dickerson's little sister heating it up in Seattle.

Losing irks Tempe freshman - get used to it, Jeffie. It doesn't get any better than this. Take in a few more parties, dude.

Bear Down Arizona. Kick the Heels.

Down goes Tempe. Down goes Tempe

Got to watch the UA/Tempe game last night on the big screen at Rookies in Oceanside CA. The crowd was definitely pro-Wildcats. Well, okay, there were three of us UA fans and nobody for Sparky, no sound on the TV, but it was still a gas. I can't see how Tempe has gotten any better since "Coach" Evans got there, so here's hoping the Regents grant him a contract extension, too. And I was wondering whatever happened to Dave Libby. If he was taking night classes at ref's school he should ask for a tuition reimbursement.....the guy's terrible. He goes both ways - with his bad calls, that is.
Next up - defending NCAA champ UNC for the Wildcats. Evans will be hitting the recruiting trail - flat on his face, of course.

Things can only get better -- thus spake Lute.

Where have all the powers gone? -- UA, Kansas, Kentucky, and UNC not ranked at the same time? Beam me up, Scotty.

Football adds another top recruit -- but can he study? Also recruited by USC, Texas, and Oregon, Devin Ross looks like another real deal.

Sweet Sweep

AZ Basketball seems to have righted its ship, at least for now, and hung in yesterday for a win over Cal at McKale. With four straight road games looming, including one against the NC Tarheels, their team chemistry beaker can't afford a leak or spill.

Cal gave all -- they were within a three-pointer in the closing seconds to send the Cats into yet another OT game. Not this time, though. Make that 12 straight losses at McKale for the Bolden Gears.

Unbeatens no more -- Yesterday saw the last 3 remaining unbeatens going down. Fans rushing the court was the norm of the day.

Thumbs up or down? -- the Chris Rodgers saga continues. Everyone's got an opinion, even Chris, but I gotta admit the Cats have picked it up since CR's dismissal last week. Must trust Lute....must trust Lute...must trust

Team Chemistry 101

One thing we noticed in Thursday's OT win over Stanford was a sudden spike in team chemistry and energy. Long ago I gave up wondering what Lute was going to do with his teams to improve play and togetherness. He is a Hall of Famer after all. With the subtraction of two players and addition of one this week he just might have pulled it off for this season, too. Maybe the Cats NCAA-leading streak of 21 straight tourney appearances is safe for another year after all. Baby steps become big steps today when Cal comes to town.

Teamwork -- Subtract Rodgers and McClellan, add Onobun provides winning formula

Zona's Mystery Men -- Cal must prepare differently now that UA has new look

Cal needs Perfect Storm - from the SF Follicle (thanks, Michael Savage)

More Cat bashing -- let them pounce on us (in the press) while they have the chance

Glory Road -- Kentucky faithful take offense to Rupp's portrayal as a racist. Hey, it's only a movie, folks. Check out the footnotes for mention of Lute's planned contract extention.

Softball, baseball, swimming -- Annual Jim Click Alumni Baseball Game is tomorrow. Wilma and I will be there to check out the Batcats' new pad.

Bear Down Arizona. Turn Powe into a Biff today.

Rodgers gets new number - EIGHTY-SIX

13 proved to be an unlucky jersey number for Chris Rodgers, as he was swiftly booted from the team last night. The Wildcats' "best on-ball defender we've ever had at Arizona (Olson last week)" has already earned his degree and will now pursue a pro basketball career. You remember he flirted with leaving early last year, but was told by NBA minds that he needed some fine-tuning in his game. I guess he was trying to prove that he could over-penetrate, complain to the press, play inconsistently, and shoot with a hand in his face just as well as the next guy.
Best of luck, Chris. We could sure use your defense.

Cats looking like Homer's Doh!nuts

Not only did they put up a big O'fer the Oregon trail, they also have a noticeable hole in the middle where the center should be. Kirk, Isaiah, and Mohamed contributed another zero in the total points they scored. If rebounding was a muscle memory it'd have atrophied by now as those three also combined for 2 total rebounds. Talk about taking up space. Cal and Stanford present this week with a big advantage inside - it'll look like Andre the Giant with some jobber in there. Hope Lute's got a good game plan, and the players decide to work it. Some recent signees can give us something to look forward to.....can't they?
Arizona was in good company this week outside the Top 25, as both Kansas and Kentucky were also unranked. When was the last time that happened?

Let's see what else is going on in the Wildcat Nation:

Caitlin Lowe the go-to girl -- the softball team has some big holes to plug, too, with nine players gone from last year. Are we going to endure a rebuilding year in yet another sport?

Baseball, too? -- With Trevor Crowe, Jeff Van Houton, and Nic Hundley going pro, Bryan Kervin was the top returning hitter. WAS. He's off to TCU and the Horned Frogs. Ouch.

Stoops still scooping up talent -- plenty of help is on the way, as detailed here....and here....and here...how about the new asst. coach?...here...here...you get the idea. Now get your tickets.

Here's a flash -- there are still seats left ("a limited number") to this week's games against Cal and Stanford. What the heck is going on? It's okay to criticize the guys, but don't you think they're even more disappointed than we are? If you've got a ticket, get your butt in the seat and cheer them on. Be a fan.

Bear Down Arizona.

Ay Caramba

After digging themselves into a hole too deep to recover from against the Beavers on Thursday, the Wildcats are looking at wholesale changes in today's lineup against those pesky Ducks. J-Mac could be the answer. Or maybe not. Who knows with this year's team? The Cats are desperately in need of someone to play with more intelligence and less playground mentality, or dropping out of the Top 25 is the least of their worries.
Arizona basketball is not about up-and-down performances, poor decisions, sloppy defense, or a soft inside game. Even Loren Woods would be an improvement to our big-guy rotation. Let's get back to the pressure defense, deadly shooting, and the all-around intimidation that defines our teams.
Go Cats! Kick Ass!

Cats back on track

After losing to UCLA on Thursday, the Wildcats bounced back today with a win over USC. A strong second half effort, and a much-improved game by Shakur, spurred the team to an 11-point victory. Coupled with Cal's loss to OSU today, three teams are atop the PAC10 standings - Cal, UCLA, and AZ. Washington's hanging in there close, too, with a ame tonight against Wazzu. Nice to see "Staf" have a strong game after his sub-par performance against the bRuins. Still too close to call. And how about those bRuins? After knocking UA out with 62% shooting on Thursday, their 36% today was just enough to put Tempe away today. What the hell happened, UCLA?
The coaching line for Tempe starts at the right, guys. Check here for a thoughtful article on beleagured Rob Evans.

Stoops still recruiting -- no rest for Mikey if his plans for the football team are to be realized. Git 'R' Done.

News from the Diamond -- two Wildcat players named to Pre-season All-America team. The Cats as a team are unranked in the Top 25 after losing a buttload of players from last year's record-setting team.

Don't they have something important to protest

Chief Among the Silliness by George Will.............I'm offended that they are offended

Cats on a roll - not hot doggin' it

Arizona finds itself in familiar territory - back in the Top 25, on top of the PAC10, and back in their fans' good graces. With Lute's legacy of always putting a spirited competitive team on the floor, year after year, it just took a little longer than usual for this team to find its identity. Much of the credit goes to Lute himself, the "What? Me retire?" Hall of Famer who worked his magic again in last weekend's Washington trip. Hassan also stepped up his game and provided leadership and an enthusiasm that infected the team. It's too early yet to be euphoric (still 16 league games to go), but the feelings around town (and this humble household) are definitely more positive. It's going to be a wild ride, so hang on and buckle up.

Vote of confidence -- back in the national polls again, unity and a little Hot Sauce go a long way.

Speaking of Hot Sauce -- kudos to the senior forward after being named the PAC10 Player of the Week for the second week in a row. Washington can grouse all they want about a snub of Brandon Roy for last week's honor, but Channing Frey knows just how he feels. Looks like to be the MVP for the week your team has to win both games. Sounds fair. Oh, and way to go to Washington for beating hapless 4-8 Cornell last night. Nice schedule, dawgs. To BE the team you have to BEAT the team. Whooooo.

Bring on the bRuins -- I always think of Steve Allen when I hear UCLA. He did a skit on the Tonight Show when he was the host where people would give him the punchline and he'd make up the joke. When the word was UCLA, he asked, "What happens when the smog lifts?" Classic. Just like Thursday night's game should be.

Don't foul -- Lute explains why he didn't have his players foul at the end of regulation and OT #1 against UDubya Saturday. I know I was wondering why we watched the dawgs put up those 3-pointers. Guess that's why I'm not a coach. Doh.

Who Let the Cats Out?

Lute....Lute..Lute..Lute. Greg Hansen nails it.

Hec-uva Dawgfight

Tenacious defense, timely offense, and a tough mindset led the Wildcats to a sweep of the Washington schools this week. Today's game against the Huskies was one for all-time, and will be in "Save until I erase" status on my DVR for some time. Hot Sauce and Mustafa stepped it up at just the right time, and if Adams isn't the PAC10 player of the week somebody better check what the voters are smoking. Then again, these Cats play much better when suitably pissed off, so what's another little dagger to the ego. And it's kinda fun to be on the OTHER end of stopping a home winning streak, isn't it? This next week rings in the New Year with the LA schools visiting McKale, with UCLA hot off a loss (at home) to Cal. What a wild way to start the conference season.

Huskies gracious in loss -- but who knows what was said behind closed doors. What's it feel like to go from being THE team to being A team, dogs?

Let's hear it for the big guy -- Kirk Walters gets the game-winning point. Somebody check the Gatorade.

What else is new? -- Tempe starts the PAC10 season strong.....in their bid for the bottom of the standings. 0-2...whatchagonnado, Rob? At least the girls can play.....

Lonely at the top -- Cats only team unbeaten after the first weekend of conference play. Guess we know who the Daddy is.

We're Number 10 -- in the latest Sagarin rankings. Washington and UCLA both drop after today's losses. Check out the strength of schedule stats, too: UA (18) UW (319) UCLA (148) Tempe, with a lofty 170th ranking in the poll, has a 228 schedule rating.

Marcus Williams goes home -- and helps shut the door on the Dawg house. Look who's smiling now.

Lute slams "Little Sisters of the Poor" -- Washington's "tough" early schedule included Morgan State, American, Idaho, Eastern Washington and Lehigh. Great idea, Lorenzo.

Merry Christmas

Usually at this time of year all the talk is about Wildcat basketball. Lofty rankings, slashing and dashing offense and defense, a team starting to gel. This year's a little different, though. Lack of senior leadership, a shoot first and pass if you have to mentality, and no true leader emerging have all put the brakes on the team's development this season. It's tough to watch even the games against NAU and St. Marys....and with the Utes looming on the horizon tomorrow (in a national ESPN TV game, no less), I'm seriously thinking about playing golf with Wilma instead. What the heck is going on?

There is plenty of good news coming out of the football sector, though. Top recruits lining up to sign, and even a last second loss to Sparky can't dim the optimism for the future. Heck, they're still taking polls in Tempe about whether or not the Dweebles won the game or not. They can't even be good winners up there.

So here's what's been happening in the Wildcat Nation recently:

Recruits, recruits -- Stoops keeps going up against the big boys in recruiting and coming away smelling like, well, Roses. Most of the new kids are on offense, with a real big gun on defense. Get your seats now.

Team leader? -- Hot Sauce turns Hot Head and gets his ass arrested. He'ss till start, though, against the Utes. Nice. Comes from a good school, though.

Punting as an art form -- Danny Baugher, he of the big foot (and untimely broken leg) named first team All American. Way to go, Danny. see you in the NFL.

Bear Down.

From GOAZCATS

More help in the defensive backfield.....

Nate Ness told GOAZCATS.com last week that he planned on committing to Arizona on this visit this weekend. He held true to his word and on Saturday night at dinner, Ness told UA defensive coordinator Mark Stoops that he would be a Wildcat.

Nate Ness committed to Mark Stoops and Arizona.
Ness, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound safety from El Camino Community College in Torrance, California, is the 40th ranked JUCO player in the country according to Rivals.com. He's been a first-team All-American at his position two years in a row and is expected to make a big impact on the next level.

The commitment is huge for the UA coaches and Ness is excited to come in and make an impact.

"I committed," Ness said on Sunday afternoon. "I'm a U of A Wildcat now. I told Coach (Mark) Stoops on Saturday night. I told Mike Stoops today. He was excited and happy. It's time for a change. The Stoops are aiming for championships and I'm ready to help."

On the trip, Ness hung out with players such as Adrian McCovy, Wilrey Fontenot, Michael Johnson and Mike Thomas.

"I didn't expect to have that much fun," Ness said. "The atmosphere was just amazing. We hung out and they took me out and showed me around. We all just talked about football and what Coach Stoops wants. We instantly had chemistry. We all want the same thing. We want to win and we're going to do it."

Ness plans on bringing help with him. There are several JUCO players that the Wildcats are recruiting and he's going to do his best to help bring them to Tucson.

"I talked to Louis (Holmes) yesterday and I'll talk to Gabe (Long) tonight," Ness said. "When I talked to Louis on Saturday night I told him that I committed and this is the place to be. I've got two teammates at El Camino that hopefully will come with me too."

The Arizona coaches told Ness that he could be a big part of what they're trying to built and he's anxiously awaiting that opportunity.

"I was happy to commit," Ness said. "The coaches told me that this is the right place to be. The Stoops brothers run an excellent program but it's about to change. The list of defensive backs that they've gotten into the NFL is endless so they know how to coach.

"I'll definitely get an opportunity to play. They have three of their four starters coming back in the secondary and I want to start in that last spot opposite Michael Johnson. I just want to be a part of this team."

And when Ness does arrive on Arizona's campus in May, he'll have lofty expectations of the future of the UA program.

"It's all business," Ness said. "I guarantee to be a part of a Pac-10 championship. Maybe not my first year, but definitely by the time I leave."

It's safe to say that Arizona fans are welcoming Nate Ness into their program with open arms.

Up to Speed

Sorry for the lack of news for the Wildcat News recently. Crashed our POS computer importing our CD collection into ITunes. We're up and running now, so let's get busy!

Volleyball to Sweet 16 -- congrats to Coach Rubio and his ladies for making it out of the tiny gym in Utah for the first round and on to Palo Alto for the next round. With Stanford, SC, and Ohio State all losers last weekend the road looks a little less bumpy, but with plenty of potholes nonetheless.

That tweaking sound you hear -- is Lute working on his team and its chemistry. Poor shooting from the field and foul line, lack of scoring, and a piss-poor record (by AZ standards) have caused a return to the 3 guard offense. Now, find 3 guards who can play together. NAU should provide a nice little test tomorrow.

Best worst of last 3 years -- Amanda Branam of the Daily Wildcat reminisces about covering UA sports.

Intercepting expert gives Cats message of his commitment

Wildcat D-backs add JC transfer tops at picking off opposing QBs. If he qualifies, of course.

Definition of "Sore Winners?"

Look up ASU in the dictionary. Reading some of these comments you'd think they lost the game last week to the Wildcats. Check'em out:

Praise for Cats too much -- excuse me, but aren't the Devils packing up their glamorous 6-5 record and hitting the road for the, well, Insight Bowl?

Did ASU win Duel in the Desert? -- duh. They whine even when they win. Get over it and start getting ready for Rutgers. Wow.

"Lowly Arizona" -- grrrrrrrrr....

Egads...

The Monday After......

Cats drop in polls -- all the way to 16 after a tough Maui Tourney.

Thomas is on the Money -- named co-PAC10 freshman of the year.

Upset of the year? -- that's what this paper is calling the Cats' victory over UCLA. It was pretty amazing.

Hoopsters finally find the range -- and break 50% shooting against the Cavs. And find their 6th Man - the ZonaZoo.

Back to work tomorrow. Ugh.

Ultimate tailgate party

Just 'cause she dances, mofo, that don't make her a ho, no....

The gang that couldn't shoot straight

The Wildcats may have shot a miserable 24% against KU but the pressure defense did its job, holding the Jayhawks at bay long enough to put them away. Justg a blip on the radar, but the Cats do lack a go-to-guy when the shots aren't falling. Somebody step up.

Let THE GAMEs Begin

Exhibit A:


"The ASU campus community awoke on Monday to find the 'A' on Tempe Butte red and blue, Arizona's colors. A middle-of-the-night painting of the letter is a semi-annual occurrence before ASU-UA contests, despite the best attempts of locals to protect it.

'I ran into some students last week, and they told me they were going to guard the "A," ' (Tempe coach Dirk)Koetter said. 'They must have failed us. I guess that they have to get in the weight room and bulk up some more.'

Perhaps those students were too busy returning the favor, as the 'A' on a mountain near the Arizona campus was painted maroon and gold. "

Big Monday, Big Week

Today kicks off a big week in sports for the Wildcat Nation and for Wilbur's family, as well. After tonight's Maui Invitational tipoff against Kansas, we pack up and head off to Colorado for family and feasting. It doesn't get better than that!

Corky's take -- CSimpson is always entertaining. Here he looks at the UA/Tempe rivalry.

Miles-stone -- Miles Simons turns 30 today. Hopes to blow out the Jayhawks.

Lute hangs ten -- Don't he look cool??

Hot Sauce heats up -- Hassan gets some well-deserved press.

More UA/Tempe -- this time we hear from our soldiers in Iraq.

Bear Down. Fork Tempe.

The Big Game -- 50 years ago

End earns place in history with the tip of his finger, as the Wildcats denied Tempe a Border Conference championship in 1955. Some things never change.

Remember these plays?

From the AZ Republic, an article about some unforgettable (and forgettable) big plays in the UA/asu rivalry. We were in the endzone when JJefferson made "The Catch," and there for CCecil's intereception return. As for BThompson's TD run in '61, we were in the Knothole section, no doubt. Who's going to be the unsung hero this year?

Here's one for Bumma and Pae - and their famous Whammy!

Cats lasso 'Horns' recruit

Just after landing one of the nation's top QB prospects in Tyler Lyon, Mike Stoops just added the 25th ranked running back in the country. Derke Robinson, who initially commited to Texas, has seen the light and will be a Wildcat next year. Amazing how we are recruiting both California and Texas so well these days, a must to keep up with the big boys in the PAC10.Cats lasso 'Horns' recruit

Quarterback High sends one to Tucson

Tyler Lyon, the 10th ranked QB in the nation this year, has committed to the Wildcats. When was the last time we got one ranked so high? I'll have to check into that one, but I can't remember a one.

Odds and ends from UA athletic dept.

With the football season eyeing their season-ending fracas with ASU, the basketball team just gearing up for another run deep into the NCAAs, and even the soccer team making it to the Sweet 16, let's see what the real sportswriters have to say about the Wildcat Nation.

Run and Stun -- with bench so deep it's almost illegal, Lute plans on employing an all out blitz on the opponents. Let's hope it fares better than last year's short-lived full-time full-court press.

World of talent -- college basketball players now come from all corners of the world, and the rush to find and recruit them is in full swing. English as a second language, basketball as a first.

Soccer in Sweet 16 -- though they face a tough challenge, going up against number 1 ranked and undefeated Portland State, in Portland. Run, Lally, run!

UA/ASU preview -- Corky Simpson always has such an interesting take on all things Wildcat.

Softball signs stars -- four all-star players sign to play for the Cats in 2007. Too bad we have to wait.

Beat the Devils.

No Mercy for Tempe.

From perfect to perfectly awful

In a year when one more loss isn't all that critical (no rankings, no bowl, not ASU), the Huskies throttling of the Cats last night was still a nightmare. No focus, no edge, no spark left from the UCLA game - maybe the team was reading their own press. No turnovers against the Ruins - 5 against the Huskies. Missed routes, tackles, and assignments again were the Cats bugaboos. The good news? We've got two weeks to prepare for those lovable Sun Devils.

The light at the end of the tunnel -- we can still shove Sparky's pitchfork where the bowls don't shine.

Pa-Tuii -- he really is a freshman quarterback. Doh.

No Pitty for the Kitty

The Official Online Store of Arizona State University Athletics...............pretty cute idea for a shirt. Maybe they'll have some ideas for a game plan to stop Willie the Big Bad Kitty.

Game Day vs UDubya

The final home game brings the Huskies to town, another lost-its-luster program searching for past respectability. With the UA nearly a 2-TD favorite, this game looks much different today than it did 2-3 weeks ago, when the Cats hadn't been Willie-sized. What a turnaround, and what a crowd is expected today. The Zona Zoo will be there in full force - and no doubt early and eager. Those seats in the South endzone are going to seem even smaller when all 50,000+ of us try to squeeze in, another gentle reminder that I need to start that diet. Today, though, let that bright AZ sun shine on the Cats, especially on the seniors who have endured the roughest of times to be a Wildcat only to bring us to the brink of the next grand era of UA football.

Cat scratch fever -- five reasons why Arizona football is hot, hot, hot. Check it out - Stoops gets a cool $90K bonus when paid attendance averages more than 45,000/season.

Kick-off return contest -- some lucky fan gets a chance to win a new Kia auto if the Cats return the opening kickoff of either half for a TD. Noone's come close yet, and wouldn't it be sweet for that to happen today? Steptoe steps in.


Bear down - dog down today.

Signed, sealed, delivered

Bayless commits to Wildcat basketball
STEVE RIVERA
Tucson Citizen
Phoenix St. Mary's High junior guard Jerryd Bayless has committed to the Arizona Wildcats men's basketball program for the 2007-08 season.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound guard announced his decision at a press conference Friday in Phoenix.

Scout.com ranks Bayless as the seventh-best high school player for the 2007-08 season.

Aran Smith, a Scout.com writer, called Bayless "a pure scorer who plays hard on both ends of the floor'' after watching him play at the annual Reebok Classic in 2004, when he was a sophomore.

Though UA was a near lock before Bayless committed, other schools reportedly in contention were Texas, Stanford, UCLA and North Carolina.

Senior Day minus one and counting

Signee shines -- UA-bound defensive back helps lead team to league title. Looks for more here.

Jerryd Bayless update -- we'll have the final answer later today. I'll have to tune my radio to 1290AMthesource for the answer.

Read about Willie T -- halfway down the article. Check out the list of other qb's coached by Roger Theder.

More Big Willie -- the folks up north are just a little worried now that the UA has found a top-level quarterback. Meow.

Mallory's foot carries the day -- as the soccer team advances to the second round of NCAA play. Did I just write about soccer??

Bear Down. Huskies in sights.

Paper Bruins boost Cats

The positive press keeps rolling in after Saturday's big game. Seems like the only ones not reading all the good vibes are the Wildcats themselves. Focus power, Cats...

NCAA rejects eligibility appeal of Arizona's McClellan

Second time was not the charm, as Jawann McClellan had his appeal from academic ineligibility rejected by the wise at the NCAA. Now he won't be able to play until mid-December - and miss the Maui trip.
Aloha.

SoCal brothers commit to Stoops

Saturday's rout of the Ruins helped land these two brothers for next year...and beyond. Big boys both. Dare we say we're over the hump?

Well, if you insist.....another look at the Bottom Line.

Super stud basketball recruit to announce decision Friday

Jerryd Bayless of Phoenix St. Mary's HS will announce this week which elite college program he'll suit up for in 2007. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with current team members at Saturday's a**-kicking of UCLA can't hurt Lute's chances.

Redemption!

The wait was a long one, but it was worth it. Worth it for the players, the fans, the coaches, the city. What a Saturday night was had in the Old Pueblo, and the celebrating is likely to continue for some years to come. The Ruins won't be the only ones to get their bells rung.

Tui for Heismann? -- maybe a little premature, but the word is out on Willie.

Cats do their part to clear up the BCS mess:

Miami and Arizona cleared some of the clouds around the national title picture Saturday.

The Wildcats did in the Bruins in resounding fashion - Arizona 52, UCLA 14 was the shocking final.

"I'm just frustrated, that's the biggest thing - to go out there and put on a performance like that," said UCLA quarterback Drew Olson, whose team finally put itself in a hole too deep to overcome.

UCLA's house of cards comes down -- and how. Slipping seven spots in the AP poll should rile them up just a tad in preparation of this week's game against ASU.

"Slowly but surely we noticed them losing their heart" -- while the Cats were just finding theirs. Pack the house for this week's game against Washington.

From OC REgister

Sunday, November 6, 2005
Game was lost cause from the start

By MARK WHICKER
The Orange County Register

TUCSON – Someone told Antoine Cason that the UCLA players complained they hadn't been "flying around."

Cason, the sophomore corner from Los Alamitos, smiled tolerantly, as if he'd just been asked to explain subject-verb-predicate.

"They weren't flying around," Cason said, "because we were."

Fly to the moon, Arizona.

The Wildcats, 2-6 coming into Saturday, threw a Don Larsen at UCLA on Saturday. They played their game. Why didn't UCLA, 8-0 before this, play its game? Go back to the blackboard. The predicate follows the subject and verb. The Wildcats played theirgame, and played it so unusually well that the fans rushed the field and attacked a goalpost. The goalpost, unlike the Bruins, remained standing.

"It was pedal to the metal all night," said UCLA safety Jarrod Page, having had enough time to digest this visceral, 52-14 night at the whipping post - "a humble butt-kicking," as Coach Karl Dorrell called it.

"They just came out and played fast, faster than us," Page said. "They ran some bootlegs and got some of our guys lost in the shuffle with their misdirections. They were sure of everything they were doing."

That's football. Very rarely do two opposing teams reach their happy zone at once and stay there. When that happens, you have something that lives forever, like Dolphins-Chargers in 1981 or Miami-Nebraska in 1983. Otherwise, it's a zero-sum game.

How could Drew Olson get anything established when UCLA had to punt on its first four possessions, all of which began on the 20? How can UCLA win when its longest play of the game is 23 yards?

And every time Olson got the ball back he found himself one floor deeper. Arizona scored touchdowns on its first four trips. It averaged more than 10 yards per playin the first half.

Freshman discovery Willie Tuitama, who was playing at St. Mary's High in Stockton a year ago, completed his first seven passes. The Wildcats outgained UCLA, 193-43, in the first quarter, which ended, 21-0.

That brings up another truism, popularized by Lou Holtz: Football teams either get better or worse. They don't stay on the blackboard, in static chalk.

This Arizona team was within seven of USC after three quarters, and that was before Tuitama. Two weeks ago Tuitama got his first start and Arizona nearly beat Oregon, which has only lost once. Last week, he got his second start and Arizona beat Oregon State.

Arizona dropped a calling card on its first play. Tuitama rolled out left, turned and found Mike Bell down the right side, lonelier than a macarena dancer. Bell ran for 51 yards and might have scored had he not tackled himself. Four plays later, receiver Mike Thomas ran the final 17 yards.

"They had the perfect play called for our defense," said UCLA defensive coordinator Larry Kerr, who faced the music stoically.

"We were in an 8-man front, playing man-to-man to stop the run. They burned us, and one of our linebackers got caught up in the wash, and he lost his man, and that was it. That kind of thing kept happening.

"Our guys seemed to let a lot of little things bother them. We thought we got things settled down at halftime, and then they came out and drove 80 yards to start the third quarter. We hit Tuitama and he throws a flutterball that their guy (Thomas) comes back to catch. Things like that."

Kerr stared and shook his head.

"But if you can't stop the run, it really doesn't matter. They got us blocked, and they did things like run a draw play on third-and-16, and we got four guys with a shot and none of them could make the play. We just could never make a play on defense all night."

Bell (156 yards) and Harris (113) became the first Arizona tandem to break 100 in the same game since Clarence Farmer and Ortege Jenkins did it in 2000, also against UCLA.

There are no turning points in games like this, but there are illustrations.

Arizona led, 31-7, when Gilbert Harris toured right end - and receiver Syndric Steptoe, who later became the first Wildcat in five years to return a punt for a touchdown, held up UCLA safety Dennis Keyes for what seemed like five seconds as Harris rumbled for 12 yards. This is the same Keyes who personally terrorized Oklahoma back in September.

On the next play, Keyes set himself to stop Bell up the middle, and Bell simply somersaulted him and landed in the end zone. One guy was one step, one thought, one twitch ahead of the other guy. All day, all night.

Once Dorrell descended the steps to UCLA's tiny locker room, he told the Bruins, "Remember, we're 8-1, not 1-8." No one cried over the loss of a "national championship"; no one should believe the sheen is gone from the Dec. 3 date with USC.

The Bruins had been living right all season. They could have lost to Washington, Washington State, Cal and Stanford. They didn't have to play Oregon. The time would come when they would fall off their skis. They just didn't expect to run into sharks like this.

Dorrell came back out and said the normal stuff, as if there was any alternative.

"We didn't play well," he said over and over. Asked what he told the team at halftime, he said, "That we didn't play well," and now he broke down - laughing.

That's how you dispense with days like this. Watch the tape, then tape over it. Just don't forget the subject, verb and predicate. One football play, if left unchecked, can infect the next 90.

Or, as one old coach said, "We got a great offense. They just wouldn't let us run it."

No love lost for UCLA

They Warm Up for USC Game by Roasting UCLA -- "they" being USC fans. SC had the best of both worlds yesterday - watching their hated cross-town rival being pummeled by Arizona, then beating up on the same team (Stanford) that the Ruins had rallied against just the week before.

A Last Easy Step Instead Turns Into Tumble for Humbled Bruins - Los Angeles Times

A Last Easy Step Instead Turns Into Tumble for Humbled Bruins - Los Angeles Times

This one looks like the turning point

Welcome to the Tucson Citizen

Cats leave Bruins no escape

Cats leave Bruins no escape

UCLA Ruins

UCLA Ruins - Los Angeles Times

Losing football, but affordable housing

The football team might need a little more seasoning, but the housing market in Tucson ranks #1.


EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- The University of Arizona football team got its first win of the Pacific-10 Conference season last weekend.

Now a real-estate company has given the Wildcats a second win -- most affordable place to buy a house in the Pac-10.

A study released Wednesday by Coldwell Banker Real Estate ranked Tucson as the most affordable, followed by Corvallis, home of the Oregon State Beavers. The Pullman, Wash.-based Washington State Cougars ranked third.

Together, the three schools have twice as many losses as wins this season, but when it comes to buying a house, their locations are smelling like roses.

The company ranked the most and least affordable college markets in the nation by comparing average single-family home values in 59 towns.

They defined these homes as having about 2,200 square feet, four bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, a family-type room and a two-car garage.

Such a home costs $250,800 in the Tucson area and $327,000 in 4th-ranked Eugene, according to the Coldwell Banker College Market Home Price Comparison Index.

The index's average price in Eugene sounds low for the type of home in the survey, said Curtis Irving, owner and broker of Coldwell Banker Curtis Irving Realty in Eugene.

'For a nice, 2,200-foot house in an executive area of Eugene, that's three to five years old? You bet that's low,' Irving said.

Today such a house might sell for $375,000 to $400,000, a sign of just how hot the housing market has been in recent years, he said.

Still, that's not"

UA/UCLA Football Notes

UCLA brings its high-powered game and lofty ranking to Arizona Stadium tomorrow, but don't look for a Bruin cakewalk. The Uclans have had to resort to come-from-behind rallies to win recently and the Cats have new-found confidence after last week's win at OSU. With the Bruins at the bottom of the heap in rushing defense this could be the game Mike Bell has been waiting for. Will Willie Wow? Heck - it's Homecoming. Let's see all that Wildcat Spirit from alums.

Wide receiver recruiting -- on the upswing with the free slinging Willie T.

9.5 point underdogs again -- same spread as last week. Same results?

Cats on defense -- the good news is the news is good.

A tale of two teams -- Is UCLA real good or real lucky?

And who can resist another shot at ASU??

One Arizona team on top, one at bottom -- in preseason PAC10 basketball poll.

Lute Reloads

From all indications after last night's Red/Blue Scrimmage the Cats are "off and running" at another successful hoops campaign and PAC10 title. And who are these new guys, and why are they comparing Marcus Williams to Sean Elliot/Chris Mills/Richard Jefferson already? You gotta feel sorry for the Devils up I-10, though, as in ranked 10th preseason......in the PAC10. That's old news for ASwho, though - they've been ranked at the bottom before....often, in fact.
"Last year, when we were picked to finish last, we put it on our wall," ASU coach Rob Evans said. "It's motivation for those guys. To me, it's a non-issue."
Might be an issue come contract renewal time, Robbie.