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.