Saturday, March 31, 2018

Tucson Roadrunners clinch playoff berth with win vs. Iowa

The Roadrunners are heading to the postseason for the first time in team history.

Hockey season in Tucson will last just a while longer this year. With a road win over the Iowa Wild, the Tucson Roadrunners have officially clinched a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Tucson only needed a single point on Saturday to clinch a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs (a minimum overtime loss), but the Roadrunners defeated Iowa, 4-3, in the Wells Fargo Center.

What began with a slow start in the first half of the first period, Iowa was to first to strike, scoring a power-play goal 10:53 into the first period.

It didn’t take too much long after until Tucson’s Carter Camper found the back of the net from near the blue line at 14:55, tying the game at one apiece.

The Wild would answer right back just three minutes later, leaving the first period with a 2-1 lead.

That early slow flow from the first period carried over into the second period. No team found the net, while the Roadrunners were only held to 5 shots — as opposed to Iowa’s 11 — in the second.

The third period was quite the change for both teams. Three goals were scored in the first few minutes. Tucson went right out of the gates with two back-to-back goals from Micheal Bunting within the first 1:46, and just 40 seconds apart to give Tucson the 3-2 lead.

The Roadrunners momentum was immediately shot right back down, however, when the Wild answered right back just seconds after, tying it at three.

The two teams continued to fight back and forth on the ice, without a score for much of the frame. It didn’t end in regulation tied, however, with just 36 seconds remaining in the game, Lane Pederson scored the game winning goal that launched the Tucson Roadrunners into the Calder Cup playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

Roadrunners goaltender Hunter Miska had quite the performance, setting aside 24 of the Wild’s 27 shots. While his three goals allowed is more than his usual in the last couple of games, Miska made quite a few acrobatic style diving saves.

Tucson’s appearance in the 2018 postseason is also a testament to how quickly things can change in the American Hockey League. In their inaugural season, the Roadrunners finished with only 29 wins and sixth in the Pacific Division. They fired their head coach and GM, and looked to start fresh.

And now, just one year later, and with 82 points (38-19-5-1 record) on the season, the Roadrunners have become the first team in the Western Conference to clinch a playoff berth — they are the sixth team in the entire American Hockey League to do so.

The Roadrunners have just five games remaining now, including a three-game series against their I-8 Border Rival, the San Diego Gulls.

In these upcoming games, Tucson will be battling to clinch both the Pacific Division title, as well as home ice advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs.

The Roadrunners return home this weekend, hosting the Grand Rapids Griffins this Friday and Saturday at 7pm.

Follow Rob Leano on Twitter @RobLeano1



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posted by Unknown @ 6:46 PM   0 Comments

Arizona interested in Albany grad transfer Joe Cremo

The 6-foot-4 Cremo averaged 17.8 PPG this season

Surprise, the Arizona Wildcats have been connected to another graduate transfer.

This time it’s Albany’s Joe Cremo, according to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman.

The 6-foot-4, 190-pound junior was an elite scorer in the America East, averaging a team-high 17.8 points per game while shooting 46 percent from the field, 46 percent from 3, and 82 percent from the free-throw line.

He averaged 5.2 3s and 5.0 free-throw attempts per game. Cremo has been a double-figure scorer all three seasons at Albany and did that with tremendous efficiency.

Cremo mostly plays the 2 and the 3, per KenPom, but did spend some time at the point. The well-rounded Scotia, New York native averaged 4.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.1 turnovers per contest this season.

Albany, which went 22-10, allowed 101.3 points per 100 possessions but surrendered 104.4 with Cremo on the court. He had a -0.9 defensive box plus/minus, which ranked sixth on the Great Danes.

Cremo will be eligible to play immediately at his new school and clearly will have plenty of suitors.

Cremo would be a proven commodity for an Arizona team that doesn’t have many heading into the 2018-19 season.

The Wildcats are set to lose their entire starting five, only return six scholarship players, and currently have zero incoming recruits.

Cremo could compete with Brandon Randolph, Dylan Smith, and Emmanuel Akot for a starting spot on the wing, or he could beat out Alex Barcello to be the team’s starting point guard.

Either way, Arizona needs talent and Cremo would be just that.

Other grad transfers Arizona has been linked to are:

Follow Ryan Kelapire on Twitter at @RKelapire



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posted by Unknown @ 6:36 PM   0 Comments

Arizona completes sweep of No. 22 Cal in comeback fashion

Alyssa Denham was outstanding out of the ‘pen

Alyssa Denham tossed 6 1⁄3 scoreless innings in relief as the Wildcats were able to erase an early three-run deficit

Alyssa Denham texted Mike Candrea on Friday night with a simple message: she was ready.

The sophomore right-hander, once an ace at Louisiana-Lafayette, had only pitched 38 innings entering Saturday’s series finale vs. Cal, and was patiently waiting for her chance to shine.

Well, she got that opportunity and could not have capitalized any better.

Denham tossed 6 1⁄3 scoreless innings in relief and Arizona erased an early three-run deficit as it completed the sweep of No. 22 Cal with a 7-3 victory.

The Wildcats improve to 27-6 overall and 6-3 in the Pac-12, just a half-game behind UCLA and Washington for second in the conference.

“She came in a did a helluva job,” Candrea said. “Sometimes you have these breakout moments as players, and I thought today was one for her.”

Things were spiraling out of control early for Arizona before Denham provided a steady hand of out the ‘pen.

Denham (4-0) entered in the first inning after Cal had plated three runs on four hits off freshman Hanah Bowen, who struggled in her Pac-12 debut.

Denham retired the first 13 batters she faced, and allowed just one hit which was nullified by a double play.

“We had decided that we were going to start Bowen because of her screwball and their lefties and it didn’t work out that way,” Candrea said. “But (Denham) came in and shut the door down. That’s a big thing for us. I told her I hope I never have to take her out of another game.”

In all, Denham faced 19 batters and got 19 outs. Only three came via strikeout as she induced plenty of soft contact.

“I was just hitting my spots, really,” Denham said. “I took control of every count. I think I only fell behind in the count maybe once or twice, and I knew I was going to make them earn it. I wasn’t going to give them any freebies.”

As Denham stymied the Bears, the Wildcats’ bats got going and they were able to dig themselves out of the early hole.

Jessie Harper grounded into a double play in the first to score Arizona’s first run, then Aleah Craighton homered and Carli Campbell ripped an RBI single to tie the game in the second.

Alyssa Palomino then homered to left-center in the third to give Arizona the lead. That forced a Cal pitching change, which didn’t exactly stop the bleeding.

Malia Martinez roped an RBI single to right off Kamalani Dung, then Tamara Statman lined an RBI single to left to extend the lead to 6-3.

Harper added a solo homer in the fifth, her Pac-12-leading 12th of the season. Arizona tallied 11 hits and its seven runs were the most it had scored since March 18.

“I’m just really pleased with our fight, but more importantly our quality of at-bats throughout the day,” Candrea said. “I thought we really did a good job sticking to a plan, some of things we’ve been trying to work on all week came to fruition in this game. And we had some really good at-bats, a couple long balls, but it was fun to see that we could put up seven runs again. It’s been a while since we’ve been able to do that.”

Now winners of three straight, Arizona will head to Eugene for a three-game series against Oregon.

The Ducks are ranked fifth in the country, and the Wildcats were swept by Washington in their first Pac-12 road series, so Candrea hopes his team can carry its momentum into next weekend.

“There are lot of things for us to be happy about,” he said. “Now we just have to get ourselves prepared to go to Eugene and get after Oregon. They’re a good team, good pitching. Maybe this will help us have little bit of a plan when we walk up there.”

Follow Ryan Kelapire on Twitter at @RKelapire



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posted by Unknown @ 2:46 PM   0 Comments

Samajie Grant signs with British Columbia Lions

The former Wildcat is heading to the Canadian Football League

After being out of football for a year, former Arizona Wildcats receiver and running back Samajie Grant has signed with the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League, he announced on Twitter.

Grant was a three-star prospect coming out of Colony High School (Ontario, CA), ranked No. 678 overall, No. 89 as a receiver, and No. 73 overall in the state of California. He chose Arizona over UCLA, Utah and Washington State, among others.

He caught passes from six different quarterbacks during his time at Arizona, contributing mostly at wide receiver as early as his true freshman season. In 50 games at Arizona, Grant accumulated 145 catches, 1,639 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Halfway through his senior season, he made the switch to running back out of pure need, and he stepped up.

Nick Wilson had been banged up, Orlando Bradford had been dismissed from the team, J.J. Taylor suffered a season-ending ankle injury to start Pac-12 play, Tyrell Johnson had even given the role a whirl, but Rich Rodriguez ultimately decided to have Grant make the transition and fill the void.

With the depleted depth, Grant finished the final five games of 2016 with 74 carries for 461 yards and six touchdowns, an average of 6.23 yards per carry.

Grant capped his Arizona career off with 19 carries for 176 yards and three rushing touchdowns in a 56-35 win over Arizona State, helping break the school rushing record for yards in a game. Arizona did not attempt a single pass in the second half.

The 5-foot-9, 175 pound utility back was invited try out with the Detroit Lions after going undrafted in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Since being let go by the Lions, Grant had spent his time continuing to train back at home in Compton, California and Tucson for a career in football.

Now, Grant will take his talents north of the border, and will restart his professional career with the Lions. The rookie minimum is $54,000 a year in the CFL. Their season begins on June 16 as they take on Montreal Alouettes.



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posted by Unknown @ 12:41 PM   0 Comments

Friday, March 30, 2018

Scott Kingery has eventful MLB debut

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posted by Unknown @ 8:49 PM   0 Comments

Former Arizona track coach Craig Carter found guilty of two assault charges

He faces 15-23 years in prison

Former Arizona Wildcats track coach Craig Carter has been found guilty of two charges of assault by a Pima County jury on Friday evening.

The charges of aggravated assault and assault with a dangerous instrument were brought by former Arizona thrower Baillie Gibson after Carter threatened her with a box cutter in his McKale Center office in April 2015.

Carter admitted to the incident to UAPD detectives. That video was played for the jury for a second time on Friday.

According to Kevin Adger of Tucson News Now, Carter pointed at Gibson and said something to her as he was being handcuffed and taken into custody on Friday.

Carter’s sentencing is scheduled for May 14th. He faces between 15 and 23 years in prison.

Gibson, along with her ex-teammate and roommate Julie Labonte, testified against Carter this week to the jury. Carter himself never took the stand in his own defense.

This case gained a lot of national attention after Outside the Lines spotlighted Gibson’s history with Carter in the piece “Track and Fear”. In addition to painting a bad picture of Carter’s character, it also shows how poor of a job former Arizona athletic director Greg Byrne and current track and field head coach Fred Harvey did when confronted with this situation.

Carter was offered a plea deal before the trial began this week, and then his lawyers asked for a mistrial twice over the course of the past several days. Obviously both requests were denied.

Gibson also filed a civil suit against Carter and the University of Arizona, which has cost Arizona taxpayers over a million dollars. Since Carter was an employee at the school when the suit was filed, the state is required to pay for his defense.

The school is also facing a Title IX lawsuit in which players in the football program have been accused of gang-raping female students and staffers.



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posted by Unknown @ 6:14 PM   0 Comments

Reyna Carranco’s return date is unclear; Jenna Kean stepping up in her absence

The Wildcats might be without their steady second baseman for a while

The Arizona Wildcats are currently without star second baseman Reyna Carranco, and it’s unclear when she will return to the lineup.

The sophomore took a 70 MPH fastball to the face last Friday when the Wildcats in Washington.

The blow left Carranco with a concussion and facial fracture, which required surgery.

“The concussion is the one thing that’s holding her back,” Arizona head coach Mike Candrea said. “I think once she gets cleared from the concussion, she can start doing some stuff.”

Candrea is encouraged by the progress Carranco has made since the injury, but admitted it could take some time for her to regain her usual form.

“Let’s face it, you get hit by a 70-mile an-hour pitch, it’s going to take a little while to get her comfortable and back,” he said.

Then again, maybe not. Carranco is described as a “flatliner” by Candrea, so stepping back into the box after such a horrifying incident might not faze her like it would others.

“She’s a different kid,” he said. “She doesn’t show any emotion so she may be one of those kids that can come back and just take off where she left it. But that was a scary moment.”

It could have been scarier had Carranco not been wearing a mask. The pitch from Washington right-hander Taran Alvelo got wedged between the mask and brim of Carranco’s helmet, limiting the overall damage.

“I’ve never seen a ball get stuck in a mask,” said Candrea, who’s been the head coach at Arizona since 1986. “It’s crazy because for lots of years we played without masks. And you look at baseball, you don’t see a mask in baseball. But the last six or seven years, I’ve seen more kids get hit in the face. And the thing that’s scary about it is the concussion part.

“I don’t know if you remember back when Stacie Chambers was here, Stacie swung at a pitch and it came up and hit her without a mask, and it took her a year to get back to normal.

“You think it’s easy to sit there and turn your head when you see a ball coming at you, but Reyna takes pitches differently, so she had no chance of getting her head turned. But I’m just glad where she’s at right now. I think she’ll be fine.”

In the meantime, Candrea has to figure out how to replace one of Arizona’s most consistent players as it continues Pac-12 play.

Carranco, who normally bats second, is hitting .388 with eight doubles, two homers, and 21 RBIs, along with a .459 on-base percentage, all while providing steady defense.

With her out, Arizona’s positioning has been a game of musical chairs.

Senior center fielder Ashleigh Hughes has shifted to second base, forcing right fielder Aleah Craighton to slide over to center. Freshman Jenna Kean, who hadn’t been playing much when Carranco was healthy, now patrols right field.

“First thing you have to look at is defensively where we’re going to be the best,” Candrea said after Thursday’s 3-0 win vs. Cal. “And what caused that to happen is having some maturity on the field, and Ashleigh has played second. I mean, she’s comfortable there. And right now with all the young kids that we have, it’s just the right thing tonight to put some stability there. That then forced me to use Jenna in the outfield.”

Of course, Arizona’s lineup has changed, and thinned, too.

Hughes has been moved from the nine-spot in the order to No. 2 in Carranco’s stead, while Kean has taken Hughes’ place at the bottom of the order.

The left-handed Kean is batting just .242 this season, and said she has been struggling at the plate.

So have most of UA’s 7-8-9 hitters this season.

“For a while, we have been absolutely vacant down there,” Candrea said. “It’s been maybe one runner on base throughout game.”

They did show life in Thursday’s win, though.

Redshirt freshman left fielder Carli Campbell, who hits eighth, had a hit, a walk, and scored a run. No. 7 hitter Tamara Statman walked and her pinch runner, Jaycee Lindley, later scored.

Kean, who changed her approach by swinging instead of slapping, went 1-for-2 with two key RBIs.

“She stepped up for sure,” Hughes said.

“Jenna is going to be a good player,” Candrea added. “She’s just young and has a hard time slowing the game down. As do lots of our young kids right now.”

For Kean, the pair of RBIs — which were the first two of her career — were a much-needed confidence boost.

Arizona, now 4-3 in the Pac-12, needs her to produce until Carranco returns, whenever that may be.

“It’s funny about this game sometimes, because a lot of times you can look at the bottom of the order and when 7-8-9 hitters are on-base, good things happen,” Candrea said. “...So hopefully they’ll stay hot and continue to find a way.”

Follow Ryan Kelapire on Twitter at @RKelapire



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posted by Unknown @ 3:14 PM   0 Comments

Arizona to pursue Idaho State grad transfer Novak Topalovic?

Pac-12 schools will supposedly be after the Serbian center

One Serbian center out, another one in?

Idaho State 7-footer Novak Topalovic will be a graduate transfer this offseason, and Pac-12 schools are expected to pursue him, according to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman.

Arizona, which is graduating Serbian big man Dusan Ristic, is not explicitly listed as one of those Pac-12 schools, but the Wildcats’ recruiting woes put them in play for every grad transfer since they have to replace seven scholarship players this offseason.

Topalovic averaged 10.7 points and 6.8 rebounds with Idaho State this past season. He’s not quite as offensively gifted as Ristic, though, as he shot just 53 percent from the field and 55 percent from the free-throw line.

Topalovic did shoot 62 percent as a sophomore, but also just 40 percent from the free-throw line — and he has only taken three 3s in three collegiate seasons, so he doesn’t offer much as a shooter.

However, the Serbian was a positive on defense. Idaho State allowed 1.05 points per possession this season, and that number improved slightly to 104.8 with Topalovic on the court.

The big man averaged 1.1 blocks per game both as a junior and sophomore.

As a grad transfer, Topalovic is eligible to play immediately at the new school of his choice. He would give Arizona a third big man to complement Chase Jeter and Ira Lee, who are currently in line to start for the Wildcats.

Other grad transfers Arizona has been linked to are:

Follow Ryan Kelapire on Twitter at @RKelapire



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posted by Unknown @ 8:04 AM   0 Comments

Thursday, March 29, 2018

Closing arguments in trial of former Arizona track coach Craig Carter coming Friday

Craig Carter mugshot

Carter did not testify in his defense

Nearly three years after his arrest, former Arizona Wildcats track coach Craig Carter is on trial in Pima County for assault charges brought by UA thrower Baillie Gibson.

The case garnered national attention when Gibson shared her story with ESPN’s Outside the Lines in 2017 for a piece called “Track and Fear”. Gibson and her former roommate/teammate Julie Labonte detail some of the horrific acts that Carter engaged in with Gibson.

The one that the trial is centered around was an incident in Carter’s office on April 20th, 2015.

This was three years after a sexual relationship between Carter and Gibson started and a year and a half after a meeting involving Greg Byrne and track head coach Fred Harvey with Carter. However Byrne and Harvey, as well as the rest of the athletic department, never met with Gibson even after Byrne wrote in his notes that Gibson “comes to (Carter) for support” and Carter saying “I can imagine people speculating because we have been alone together, talked a lot, I’m not denying that.”

Gibson requested to transfer in 2014 but never got the opportunity due to injuries. Then in 2015, things turned violent between the student-athlete and assistant coach.

This is what Gibson told UA police of that fateful day in Carter’s McKale Center office:

“He jumped up and he grabbed my shirt and I pulled and then he pulled the front end like where my bra and like upper shirt was, pulled it and then like put me on the couch. Put his hands around my neck, or his hand around my neck and then the razor blade was in his right hand because he was facing me, but in his right hand and he said, ‘I should just cut your face up and cut your eyes so that no one can see those pretty eyes.’ And he was choking me but I was like, I felt my head was like filling with blood. And it was like, it was starting where I couldn’t breathe and then he like let go and then he kind of collapsed on my side and like started crying.”

In court on Wednesday, video was played of Carter admitting to the attack to UAPD detectives according to the Daily Star’s Caitlin Schmidt:

“I got the box cutter out of my pocket and I said ‘I’ll freaking hurt you’ and I, you know after how long, maybe five seconds of that, it was kind of like I thought ‘what are you doing?’ I let go, I put the box cutter down and I told her not to leave, said I was sorry and I was going to just stick it in my neck because I knew I was pretty screwed right then.”

Gibson testified on Wednesday, and then Labonte and the officers that were investigating the incident testified on Thursday.

Carter did not take the stand in his own defense.

Essentially the defense is arguing that what happened does not meet the criteria for “aggravated assault” but are not denying that the incident happened.

According to the Daily Star, the state of Arizona has now spent nearly $1 million on Carter’s defense because he was a UA employee when a civil suit was filed.

“It’s very disappointing that the state is paying nearly $1 million to defend a coach that admitted to assaulting a former Wildcat,” Gibson’s attorney, Lynne Cadig said. Cadig tried to have the civil suit put on hold to save taxpayer money while this criminal trial proceeded, but the judge denied that request.

That figure has now gone over $1 million.

Be sure to follow Caitlin Schmidt for updates as we get closer to a verdict. This comes just four months after former Arizona running back Orlando Bradford was sentenced to five years in prison aggravated assault and a month after the football program was added to a Title IX lawsuit that alleges the players gang-raped female students and staff members.

The Byrne era at Arizona will certainly not be remembered fondly.



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posted by Unknown @ 5:34 PM   0 Comments

Arizona looks to snap three-game losing streak vs. No. 22 Cal

The Wildcats are back at home after being swept by No. 1 Washington

Since Arizona’s 2017 season ended in late-inning heartbreak, its motto this season is to finish games strong — grab a lead and keep it, or make a late push in a comeback effort.

But sometimes that is easier said than done, as evidenced last weekend in Seattle against No. 1 Washington.

Arizona held a one-run lead in the sixth inning in games one and two of the series, but wound up losing both in walk-off fashion in extras, before dropping the third game, 2-0.

The Wildcats were handed three losses by a total of four runs, and now sit in fifth in the Pac-12, despite sweeping Utah to begin conference play.

“That was a tough weekend,” Arizona head coach Mike Candrea said. “I knew we were going to have some adversity with the weather. It was in the 30s Friday with the wind blowing, but we played well enough to win. We could have won every game we were in, we just could not get the key stop when we needed it. Sometimes you can’t get the key hit. Well, this time we just couldn’t get the key stop when we needed to.”

Maybe it had something to do with the team’s youth — Arizona only starts two seniors and mostly relies on sophomores — but mostly the Wildcats think it was just bad luck.

“I think sometimes the softball gods don’t fall your way,” said UA left-hander Taylor McQuillin, who was tagged with the loss in all three games of the series. “And I think it’s part of the game. It happens.”

Which is why the 11th-ranked Wildcats (24-6, 3-3 Pac-12) aren’t panicking as they head into a three-game home series against the No. 22 California Golden Bears.

“Our team can definitely hang with the best of them,” said UA first baseman Alyssa Palomino, who is hitting .475 in her last 13 games. “That was the No. 1 team in the nation and we stuck with them. … It’s definitely a learning experience knowing that we can hang with good teams like that, we just have to keep pushing.”

Cal (24-8, 1-5 Pac-12) enters Thursday’s series-opener coming off a miserable weekend of its own. The Bears were swept at home by ASU and, like Arizona, lost two games in extra innings.

Cal features a 1-2 punch of Kalamani Lung (14-1, 1.69 ERA) and Zoe Conley (10-7, 2.26 ERA), who are holding opponents to a .200 batting average this season.

They are buoyed by an offense that leads the Pac-12 in stolen bases and relies on the short game to pump out runs. The Bears have hit half as many homers as Arizona this season (21).

“Cal’s a good team,” Candrea said. “If you look at the Pac-12, every team is good. So you gotta come and bring your A-game, you gotta play the game well, you gotta pitch well, you gotta play good defense, and you gotta hit. And I don’t think that will change any week from here on out. That’s what softball’s all about.

“But it seems like this year that there’s a pretty good stable of pitchers in the Pac-12 that are having some success, so therefore you’ve got to work twice as hard and in the games there becomes a much finer edge between winning and losing. It’s either get the key hit or get the key stop. That becomes very important so we hope that we can use our home-field advantage, make it an advantage, and we’re working hard to try to get our kids offensively to be a little more aggressive. We took a lot of good pitches at Washington.”

Arizona has one of the better offenses in the Pac-12 — it is third nationally in home runs per game (1.40) — but it was limited to just four runs against Washington.

UA’s pitching staff allowed eight — normally a solid number against the nation’s No. 1 team — but half were scored in the sixth inning or later, leading to blown leads and subsequently a three-game losing streak.

Now the reigning conference champions have to prevent that from snowballing into something much worse.

“We can’t let up just because we had a rough weekend,” McQuillin said. “The past is the past and we gotta move on because we’re not going to see any light games for the rest of the season. As the road keeps going, it’s just going to be harder and harder.

“This year’s motto is to finish and that’s kind of thing that had lacked last weekend. We were so close, but we didn’t emphasis the finish. We knew it was there, but we didn’t really capitalize on it. That’s something that we have to start doing and continue doing throughout the rest of the season.”

No regrets

Maybe Arizona would have won game two against Washington if not for a late pitching change.

Candrea swapped Alyssa Denham for McQuillin as the Wildcats nursed a 3-2 lead at the start of the sixth inning, and McQuillin served up a game-tying homer to the first batter she faced. Eventually the Wildcats fell in eight innings.

Denham had tossed four scoreless innings after surrendering two first-inning runs, but Candrea still believes McQuillin was the better option in the late goings.

“They were starting to square some balls up, and you’re sitting there with your ace with a one-run lead with two innings to go,” he explained. “I have a lot of confidence in (McQuillin) and felt that if you look at the numbers, that was the right thing to do. It just didn’t work out, and I haven’t thought any more of it.”

Trainer’s table

UA second baseman Reyna Carranco is unlikely to play this weekend, as she continues to recover from a concussion and facial fracture she suffered Friday in Seattle when she was struck in the face by a 70 MPH fastball.

“Reyna is going to see a doctor (Thursday) and has got a fracture,” Candrea said. “And we’ll just take it day to day from there.”

The left-handed-hitting Carranco, who usually bats second, has been a staple of Arizona’s lineup this season, hitting .388 with two homers, eight doubles, and 21 RBIs.

Ashleigh Hughes, who normally plays center field, started at second Saturday. Then Hanah Bowen, who doubles as Arizona’s No. 3 pitcher, started at second Sunday.

“The opening at second base definitely affects what we do,” Candrea said. “You lose a kid like Reyna, she’s hitting .400, you hate to lose someone like that offensively. But we have some kids that are ready to step in and we’re just going to have to try to put the pieces together that we can to be successful that day. It could be a variety of people. It could be Ivy Davis, it could be Hanah Bowen, it could be putting Ashleigh Hughes out there.”

Arizona-Cal series schedule

Game 1 — Thursday, 6 p.m. PT

Game 2 — Friday, 6 p.m. PT

Game 3 — Saturday, 12 p.m. PT

All three games will be live streamed here.

Follow Ryan Kelapire on Twitter at @RKelapire



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posted by Unknown @ 3:19 PM   0 Comments

‘Real possibility’ Pitt forward Ryan Luther transfers to Arizona

Luther missed the majority of his senior season with a foot injury

Pittsburgh Panthers forward Ryan Luther is considering transferring to the Arizona Wildcats, per a report from Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh.

Luther, a 6-foot-9, 225-pound senior from Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, was granted his release from Pitt after it fired head coach Kevin Stallings, though it’s still possible he returns to UP to play under new coach Jeff Capel.

If Luther does decide to leave, he would likely be considered a graduate transfer, but he would need to be granted a hardship waiver to receive a fifth year of eligibility, which is expected to happen.

Luther sat out all but 10 games of his senior year because of a foot injury.

When he was healthy, he averaged 32.5 minutes per game and led the Panthers in scoring (12.7 PPG) and rebounding (10.1 RPG), and was one of just four players in the ACC to average a double-double.

Luther also showed the ability to stretch the floor, shooting 39 percent from 3.

He would provide depth and a complementary skill-set to an Arizona frontcourt that is only set to return Chase Jeter and Ira Lee.

Follow Nate Airulla on Twitter @nateairulla.



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posted by Unknown @ 8:04 AM   0 Comments

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Arizona re-entering Jordan Brown’s recruitment, but FBI investigation is a factor

Brown has one official visit left, and the Wildcats are emerging as an option

Jordan Brown still has one official visit left at his disposal, but he has no plans to use it.

Yet.

“If I have to and I really want to check out a school, then I will,” he told Eric Bossi of RIvals.com. “Otherwise, I’m going to keep it and hold onto it for now.”

Brown has taken official visits to Cal, UCLA, St. John’s, and Louisiana-Lafayette, where his father, Dion, spent his collegiate career.

If the McDonald’s All-American does use that fifth visit, Arizona could be the destination.

The Arizona Wildcats have re-entered Brown’s recruitment after it had been “on and off” with him throughout the process.

On the court, there is no denying Brown’s fit with them.

The lanky 6-foot-10 big man could immediately compete for a starting job in Tucson, as Arizona is only set to return Chase Jeter and Ira Lee in its front court next season.

Brown, the No. 16 player in the 2018 class, could very well be the most talented of the three.

And from Arizona’s perspective, it needs all the talent it can get right now, seeing that it lost seven scholarship players and currently has zero incoming recruits.

Of course, the reason Arizona’s 2018 class is barren is because of its involvement in the FBI’s investigation into college basketball, which led to the decommitments of Jahvon Quinerly, Shareef O’Neal, and Brandon Williams.

Nobody knows what else will come of that investigation — a scholarship reduction or postseason ban, etc. — or when the next shoe will drop, so it’s something Brown will have to address before Arizona becomes a serious option for him.

“You do want to take it into consideration,” he told Bossi. “They haven’t talked with me about it officially, but I feel like if we continue to explore that option, then that has to be something that has to come up.”

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posted by Unknown @ 2:34 PM   0 Comments

Arizona hosts several 2019, 2020 recruits

It was a big weekend of recruiting for the Wildcats

It may be the middle of spring practice for the Arizona Wildcats, but there is always time to recruit. For new head coach Kevin Sumlin and his staff, this weekend was an important step in the 2019 and 2020 classes.

On Saturday, the ‘Cats hosted a junior day and it was dubbed “A-Day.” From everything I’ve seen it was a success and an overall positive experience for everyone involved. Below is a list I’ve been able to comprise of the recruits that were on campus.

Noa Pola-Gates

Position: Safety

Class: 2019

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 200 pounds

High School/Hometown: Williams Field High School (Gilbert, Arizona)

Ranking: 4-star in 247Sports (200th player nationally and 12th safety); 4-star in Rivals (137th nationally and 9th safety)

Arizona Offer: Yes

2017 Stats: 46 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 3 INT, 3 PBU

Notes: Arizona was the first school to offer Pola-Gates before his recruitment took off. He participated in the futures combine during the Army All-American game and his performance garnered him national attention. He now holds offers from the likes of Alabama, Washington, and Utah to name few. There are many things to like about his game but one thing that stands out is his speed. As of now Alabama is thought to be the favorite but there is plenty of time in his recruitment.

Bralen Trice

Position: Defensive End

Class: 2019

Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 225 pounds

High School/Hometown: Sandra Day O’Connor High School (Phoenix, Arizona)

Ranking: 3-star in 247Sports (440th nationally and 29th weak side defensive end); 0-star in Rivals

Arizona Offer: Yes

2017 Stats: 75 tackles, 28.5 TFL, 14.5 sacks, 5 PBU, 5 fumble recoveries

Notes: Trice is probably the best pass rusher in Arizona. His speed and savagery coming off the ball is what makes him as effective as he is. It would not surprise me to see his recruitment blow up over the summer and into his senior season. He does have other schools involved, such as Washington and California, but Arizona should be right in the mix for his commitment.

McKade Mettauer

Position: Offensive Guard

Class: 2019

Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 310 pounds

High School/Hometown: St. Pius X High School (Houston, Texas)

Ranking: 3-star in 247Sports (882nd nationally and 33rd offensive guard); 3-star in Rivals

Arizona Offer: Yes

Notes: Mettauer is a large human being and has the strength to back up his size. He has amazing leg drive and knows how to use his hands. One part of his game that sticks out to me is his vision. He is able to transition from one defender to another with ease. He does need to work on his quickness a little bit but he still moves well for someone his size. This was his first trip out to Tucson and it should go a long way for the Arizona in his recruitment. Other schools pursuing Mettauer include California, Purdue, Boston College, and Houston to name a few.

Khyheem Waleed

Position: Wide Receiver

Class: 2019

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 180 pounds

High School/Hometown: Casteel High School (Queen Creek, Arizona)

Ranking: 3-star in 247Sports; Unranked in Rivals

Arizona Offer: Yes

2017 Stats: 14 rec, 358 yds, 8 TD (incomplete)

Notes: This was Waleed’s second trip of the week to Tucson. The first was with his quarterback Gunner Cruz. Waleed appears to have become a priority for UA and there’s no wonder why. Even though he missed 6 games his junior season, he still was able to showcase what he can do. He has the size and speed combo that coaches love outside receivers to have. As of now he has 3 Power Five offers with California and Iowa State joining Arizona on his list. UNLV and Northern Arizona finish off his offer list. He is someone I could see picking up steam during his senior season.

Austin McNamara

Position: Punter

Class: 2019

Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 165 pounds

High School/Hometown: Highland High School (Gilbert, Arizona)

Ranking: 5-star in Chris Sailer Kicking (3rd punter nationally); 5-star in Kohl’s Kicking (4th punter nationally)

Arizona Offer: Yes

2017 Stats: 47 punts, 1,866 yds, 39.7 avg, 18 inside the 20, 74-yd long

Notes: I know I’ve said it before but McNamara is one of the best punters in the nation. And when you look at his stats and highlights, it’s not hard to see why. He has a massive leg and booms the ball down the field. Because of this he is able to flip the field easily, something Arizona fans haven’t had since Drew Riggleman. This past weekend was McNamara’s second time on campus in March and Arizona has prioritized him. For good measure, he competed in the Chris Sailer Kicking Arizona Camp where he took home the Punter Championship. If he chooses to go to UA, he could literally turn the entire punting game around from what it has been the past couple of seasons.

Bijan Robinson

Position: Running Back

Class: 2020

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 200 pounds

High School/Hometown: Salpointe Catholic High School (Tucson, Arizona)

Ranking: 5-star in 247Sports (30th nationally and 4th running back); Unranked in Rivals

Arizona Offer: Yes

2017 Stats: 189 car, 2,023 yds, 26 TD; 8 rec, 136 yds, 3 TD

Notes: I don’t need to say much about Robinson as most Tucsonans know who he is. He is without a doubt the best running back from the state since Ka’Deem. His game backs up his 5-star rating and he absolutely teed off on everyone last year, racking up over 2,000 yards on the ground. The ‘Cats are going to prioritize him, if they haven’t already. They will have to hold off schools such as Washington, USC, Arizona State, and Utah.

Sam Adams

Position: Running Back

Class: 2020

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 198 pounds

High School/Hometown: Eastside Catholic High School (Sammamish, Washington)

Ranking: 4-star in 247Sports (239th nationally and 26th running back); Unranked in Rivals

Arizona Offer: Yes

2017 Stats: 14 car, 65 yds, 1 TD; 1 rec, 37 yds, 0 TD (Incomplete)

Notes: Adams is the son of former NFL defensive lineman Sam Adams Sr. Yes, there is plenty of time left in his recruitment but it was a good move for the Wildcats to start getting involved. Right now California is the only other school who has offered Adams, but I don’t expect that to be the case for much longer. He is the full package at running back and does a great job of catching passes out of the backfield. His stats are incomplete and don’t give him the credit he deserves.

Lathan Ransom

Position: Safety

Class: 2020

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 183 pounds

High School/Hometown: Salpointe Catholic High School (Tucson, Arizona)

Ranking: Unranked in 247Sports and Rivals

Arizona Offer: Yes

2017 Offers: 48 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 5 INT, 3 PBU, 1 forced fumble

Notes: Ransom is another Pac-12 player at Salpointe for the 2020 class. He has the length and size that Arizona wants in its defensive backfield. He diagnoses plays quickly and effectively and doesn’t shy away from contact. As a matter-of-fact, one could say he loves contact as he, on more than one occasion, violently collides with the ball carrier. His tackling ability is another part of his game that stands out. It is way advanced for someone going into their junior season in high school.

Andrew Rumary

Position: Offensive Tackle

Class: 2020

Height/Weight: 6-foot-7, 295 pounds

High School/Hometown: Valley Vista High School (Surprise, Arizona)

Ranking: Unranked in 247Sports and Rivals

Arizona Offer: Yes

Notes: Rumary is just going into his junior season and is already sitting at 6-foot-7 and near 300 pounds. He already looks the part physically, now for him it’ll be about working on his technique and body control. He has the raw talent already so once he gets those few things down he is going to be a monster. Arizona became his first offer when he was on campus this past weekend.

Ayden Hector

Position: Cornerback

Class: 2020

Height/Weight: 6-foot, 180 pounds

High School/Hometown: Eastside Catholic High School (Sammamish, Washington)

Ranking: 4-star in 247Sports (205th nationally and 17th cornerback); Unranked in Rivals

Arizona Offer: No

2017 Stats: 43 tackles, 5 INT, 25 PBU

Notes: Another Eastside Catholic prospect that made his way to Tucson this past weekend was Hector. He is a physical corner who loves contact. He also has impressive man-to-man skills for someone his age. He is garnering plenty of attention but only holds offers from USC and California. It would not surprise me to see Arizona extend an offer to the talented corner.

Brayden Rohme

Position: Offensive Tackle

Class: 2019

Height/Weight: 6-foot-6, 250 pounds

High School/Hometown: Perry High School (Gilbert, Arizona)

Ranking: 3-star in 247Sports (1,246th nationally and 101th offensive tackle); Unranked in Rivals

Arizona Offer: No

Notes: Rohme is an interesting prospect. He has the base talent needed for the next level but is still a little raw. He has the frame at 6-foot-6 to add more weight and more strength. He’ll need both to compete at the next level. Now that doesn’t mean he isn’t a good offensive lineman. He is incredibly effective at disrupting the pass rush and getting in the way of defenders so the ball carrier can take off. As of now he has one offer from UCF.

Brandon Babcock

Position: Offensive Guard

Class: 2019

Height/Weight: 6-foot-6, 274 pounds

High School/Hometown: Casteel High School (Queen Creek, Arizona)

Ranking: Unranked in 247Sports and Rivals

Arizona Offer: No

Notes: Babcock is a big, strong human being. He has a violent side to his game and has great leg drive. He has the talent and massive upside that a college coach can mold and build upon. He does play a little high and needs improvement on his footwork but the talent is there. This past weekend was his second time on campus in March and it seems he is another in-state lineman that the UA staff likes. As of now he holds offers from Army and Northern Arizona.

Casey Clanton

Position: Tight End

Class: 2019

Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 230 pounds

High School/Hometown: Central High School (Phoenix, Arizona)

Ranking: Unranked in 247Sports and Rivals

Arizona Offer: No

2017 Stats: 18 rec, 325 yds, 7 TD

Notes: Clanton is someone who fits the tight end mold, though Central lines him up in the slot. This creates mismatches for him and he takes full advantage when he can. His blocking could use some work but his pass catching ability is pretty solid. He has three offers so far with Kansas, Air Force, and Ohio offering.

Jacob Golden

Position: Offensive Tackle

Class: 2019

Height/Weight: 6-foot-6, 260 pounds

High School/Hometown: Peoria High School (Peoria, Arizona)

Ranking: Unranked in 247Sports and Rivals

Arizona Offer: No

Notes: This past weekend was Golden’s second trip out to Tucson. He is someone I can see landing an offer from the ‘Cats down the line and is underrated in my opinion. He is very mobile for someone his size and has a violent side to his game. He has the raw talent that college coaches love.

Riley Kinney

Position: Pro-style Quarterback

Class: 2019

Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 180 pounds

High School/Hometown: Loveland High School (Loveland, Colorado)

Ranking: Unranked in 247Sports and Rivals

Arizona Offer: No

2017 Stats: 45-for-72, 1,063 yds, 17 TD, 2 INT; 78 car, 433 yds, 4 TD

Notes: Kinney’s stats aren’t anything to scream about but that is the product of his team’s Wishbone-style offense. He does possess arm strength, accuracy, and touch to his passes when he does throw. He is also mobile enough to make plays with his legs if he needs to. He is someone I can see becoming a solid prospect with some good coaching.

Juwaun Price

Position: Running Back

Class: 2019

Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 180 pounds

High School/Hometown: Peoria High School (Peoria, Arizona)

Ranking: Unranked in 247Sports and Rivals

Arizona Offer: No

2017 Stats: 151 car, 1,463 yds, 19 TD; 7 rec, 160 yds, 1 TD

Notes: I thoroughly enjoy watching Price play. Almost every, if not every, time he steps on the field, he is the fastest individual out there. I laugh just out of pure enjoyment watching him outrun defenders time and time again. He has such speed to him that he can turn the corner, own that corner, and outrun everyone down the sideline for a touchdown. He doesn’t have any offers yet but he is one I can see Arizona offering in the future. Below are his track meet highlights with shoulder pads.

Daniel To’oto’o

Position: Defensive End

Class: 2019

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 230 pounds

High School/Hometown: Skyline High School (Mesa, Arizona)

Ranking: Unranked in 247Sports and Rivals

Arizona Offer: No

2017 Stats: 33 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1 INT, 1 forced fumble (incomplete)

Notes: This is not the first time that To’oto’o has been on campus. He has been on quite a few visits and the interest seems to be reciprocated by the staff. If no offer comes, I can see To’oto’o getting a preferred walk-on spot for the ‘Cats. Position wise, I see him fitting in as a Stud linebacker.



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posted by Unknown @ 11:04 AM   0 Comments

Noel Mazzone brings wealth of Pac-12 experience to Arizona’s coaching staff

Will the Wildcats’ offense take a jump up in 2018?

After a successful 2017 season on the offensive side of the ball, the Arizona Wildcats will kind of wipe the board clean with a new offensive coaching staff.

Leading the way is a familiar face in Noel Mazzone, who has been roaming the opposing sideline in Arizona Stadium plenty of times before, but now he’ll move over to the friendly confines of the east side to lead the Wildcats offense.

Mazzone is a pioneer of the one-back spread offense, and has his own website where you can buy his zone read concept and implement it for your team, and even offers year-round support for his product. He is certainly one of the most well-respected offensive coaches in the game right now.

Playing career

Mazzone played quarterback for the New Mexico Lobos from 1975-79 before staying at the school as a grad assistant. UNM went 2-1 against Arizona in that time frame, and Mazzone’s 22 career passing TDs are 8th-most in school history.

He was not an accurate passer, completing just 179 of his 378 attempts for the Lobos, good for a completion percentage of 47.4%. He did run the ball 382 times for 1,262 yards and 11 TDs. His seven rushing TDs in 1976 were the third-most by a WAC player that season.

Coaching career

  • 1980–1981 — New Mexico (GA)
  • 1982–1986 — Colorado State (QB/WR)
  • 1987–1991 — TCU (QB)
  • 1992–1994 — Minnesota (QB)
  • 1995–1998 — Ole Miss (OC/QB)
  • 1999–2001 — Auburn (OC)
  • 2002 — Oregon State (OC)
  • 2003–2004 — NC State (OC/TE)
  • 2005 — Ole Miss (OC/QB)
  • 2006–2008 — New York Jets (WR)
  • 2009 — Panther Creek (North Carolina) HS (OC)
  • 2010–2011 — Arizona State (OC)
  • 2012–2015 -- UCLA (OC)
  • 2016–2017 — Texas A&M (OC)

There is no debating that Mazzone brings with him the kind of experience you want from an offensive coordinator in the Pac-12.

He also has plenty of Pac-12 experience, spending seven years as an offensive coordinator in the conference at three different schools. Combine that with ten years in the SEC and two in the ACC and I’d say you have someone that’s seen it all.

But how good are these offenses? Here’s a list of where he’s ranked in S&P+ each year since 2005 according to Football Outsiders.

*Arizona’s ranking that year in ():

  • 2017 Texas A&M — 49th (8th)
  • 2016 Texas A&M — 29th (61st)
  • 2015 UCLA -- 21st (28th)
  • 2014 UCLA — 11th (32nd)
  • 2013 UCLA — 20th (42nd)
  • 2012 UCLA — 42nd (12th)
  • 2011 ASU — 44th (38th)
  • 2010 ASU —38th (29th)
  • 2005 Ole Miss — 109th (70th)

So Arizona finished higher in S&P+ offensive ratings in five of these nine seasons. The encouraging part is Mazzone’s final three years at UCLA, doing it with two different quarterbacks who are both NFL-caliber in Brett Hundley and Josh Rosen.

And then halfway through this year, Dallas Morning News writer Ben Baby offered up this:

Take a look at the track record. When he was at UCLA, QB Josh Rosen threw for more than 3,600 yards and was dubbed one of college football’s top quarterbacks. In his first year at A&M, Mazzone turned Trevor Knight into a quarterback with accuracy issues into a guy who is currently on an NFL roster. And then there’s freshman quarterback Kellen Mond. Mond, who was 3 of 17 passing against UCLA in the opener, had a better completion percentage and more passing yards than Alabama’s Jalen Hurts last weekend.

Despite all the youth on the team, the Aggies are fourth in the SEC in scoring offense, which is pretty remarkable.

Arguably the most interesting thing for 2018 Arizona football will be how the offense can build off of what it did last year with an almost entirely new staff on that side of the ball. Will Mazzone help Khalil Tate develop into a pro prospect? Will Arizona’s offense churn out yards and points the way it did last year or will it suffer a setback?

That’s what Mazzone faces in his first year in Tucson.

Recruiting footprint

With his extensive coaching history, Mazzone has ties pretty much all over the country. However, he’s going to be focusing on “Phoenix and all quarterbacks” it seems.

Mazzone has already made moves in the quarterback race, extending an Arizona offer to now-formerTexas A&M commit Grant Gunnell, the No. 2 pro-style QB in the 2019 class, pretty much right away. And Arizona added Kevin Doyle on National Signing Day this year, giving Jamarye Joiner a running partner in his class.

Doyle’s high school coaching staff knows Mazzone very well.

“His head coach and I are good friends, and his athletic director,” Mazzone said of the relationship. “They called and we talk all the time anyway and then they’d been sending me his film. And then when this happened and we ended up coming here, you know he had some other schools he was looking at, and then I watched him on film, got a chance to meet him, he came out and visited us and I really liked the kid, so that’s how he ended up here.”

It’s also worth noting that two of Mazzone’s biggest commits have come from IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL. So perhaps that’s a school that Arizona tries to get back in with as well.

Quotable

  • “If he doesn’t win the Heisman it’s my fault, right?” - on working with Khalil Tate this year.
  • “I was gonna be cleaning pools in Arizona this year” - joking about what he would have done had Kevin Sumlin not taken this job.

Personal

Mazzone already owned a home in Arizona, so he was going to be moving to the state before Sumlin was named Rich Rodriguez’s successor. I think Mazzone’s ties to the state and his familiarity with everything around Arizona and the conference make him almost the perfect fit as an offensive coordinator at this school at this time.

Arizona Football’s new offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone talks spring practice, Khalil Tate, steaks, and more

Posted by AZ Desert Swarm on Monday, March 26, 2018


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posted by Unknown @ 8:14 AM   0 Comments

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Malachi Flynn transferring from WSU; Carlos Johnson leaving UW

One of the Pac-12’s top point guards is heading elsewhere

Another key player is leaving the Washington State Cougars.

Sophomore point guard Malachi Flynn announced Tuesday on Twitter that he is transferring from the program.

Flynn averaged 15.8 points. 4.3 assists, and 3.4 rebounds in Pullman this season, proving to be one of the best young players in the Pac-12.

His decision to transfer comes just a day after the Cougars’ best player, junior forward Robert Franks, declared his intention to hire an agent and enter the 2018 NBA Draft.

The Cougars went 12-19 this season, including a paltry 4-14 mark in the Pac-12 and now 2018-19 figures to be an even rougher year on the Palouse.

A Tacoma, Washington native, Flynn will certainly have a long list of suitors, and it would not be surprising if Arizona is one of them — head coach Sean Miller has praised the WSU guard several times the last two years and the Wildcats need a point guard— but intra-conference transfers are rare, and sometimes prohibited.

Either way, Flynn will have to sit out the 2018-19 season, which means the Pac-12 has lost yet another one of its top underclassmen.

Other notable players that have left the conference early are: Arizona’s Deandre Ayton, Rawle Alkins and Allonzo Trier, USC’s Chimezie Metu, and UCLA’s Aaron Holiday.

Carlos Johnson transfers from Washington, more moves expected.

Washington sophomore forward Carlos Johnson will transfer, it was announced Tuesday.

The 6-foot-3 guard from Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix averaged 3.8 points per game in 8.5 minutes this season, a sizable decrease from the 17.9 minutes and 5.9 points he averaged under Lorenzo Romar as a freshman.

Johnson is the first player to transfer from UW this offseason, but more are expected to follow.

The Huskies have five recruits in their 2018 class, but have a bit of a roster crunch, and will likely need another player or two to leave the program so they can accommodate their incoming freshmen.

Ryan S. Clark of the Tacoma News Tribune has a good breakdown of Washington’s situation here.

The Huskies have the No. 28 recruiting class in the country, per 247Sports.

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posted by Unknown @ 3:48 PM   0 Comments

Rawle Alkins declares for NBA Draft, will hire agent

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posted by Unknown @ 2:13 PM   0 Comments

Deandre Ayton named first-team AP All-American

Ayton is one of three freshman to make the first team

Arizona Wildcats freshman forward Deandre Ayton was named to the AP All-America team on Tuesday.

He becomes the 30th All-American in Arizona history. The 7-foot-1, 260-pound Bahamian averaged 20.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game on 61 percent shooting.

Ayton, who will likely be a top-three pick in June’s NBA Draft, was Pac-12 Player of the Year and Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. He also recorded a school-record 24 double-doubles.

The rest of the AP All-America first team is comprised of Villanova’s Jalen Brunson, Oklahoma’s Trae Young, Duke’s Marvin Bagley III, and Kansas’ Devonte’ Graham.

It’s the first time three freshmen — Ayton, Young, and Bagley — have been named to the AP All-America first team in its 70-year history. Ayton received 61 first-place votes and 317 points. Only Brunson garnered more.

Arizona guard Allonzo Trier was an honorable mention. Here is the full roster:

First Team

Jalen Brunson, Villanova, 6-3, 190, junior

Deandre Ayton, Arizona, 7-1, 260, freshman

Trae Young, Oklahoma, 6-2, 180, freshman

Marvin Bagley III, Duke, 6-11, 234, freshman

Devonte’ Graham, Kansas, 6-2, 185, senior

Second Team

Keita Bates-Diop, Ohio State, 6-7, 235, junior

Trevon Bluiett, Xavier, 6-6, 198, senior

Jock Landale, Saint Mary’s, 6-11, 255, senior

Miles Bridges, Michigan State, 6-7, 225, sophomore

Jevon Carter, West Virginia, 6-2, 205, senior

Third Team

Keenan Evans, Texas Tech, 6-3, 190, senior

Carsen Edwards, Purdue, 6-1, 200, sophomore

Mikal Bridges, Villanova, 6-7, 210, junior

Luke Maye, North Carolina, 6-8, 240, junior

Kyle Guy, Virginia, 6-2, 175, sophomore

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posted by Unknown @ 10:03 AM   0 Comments

Monday, March 26, 2018

Sean Miller’s teams have overachieved in the NCAA Tournament, per a study

The numbers say Miller’s teams have fared well in the tournament, contrary to a popular narrative

There’s a perception around college basketball that Sean Miller-coached teams underperform in the NCAA Tournament.

That, despite consistently having lottery picks like Lauri Markkanen, Aaron Gordon, and Deandre Ayton on his roster, Miller’s squads always seem to find a way to fall short of expectations in the postseason.

I mean, there’s a reason Miller has never reached a Final Four, right?

And Miller’s shortcomings in the NCAA Tournament were certainly on display this season, as his fourth-seeded Arizona Wildcats lost by 21 points to the 13th-seeded Buffalo Bulls in the first round.

In actuality, though, Miller’s teams have actually overachieved in the NCAA Tournament, according to a study by FiveThirtyEight, which can be found here.

The analytics site used its Elo ratings to generate pregame win probabilities for each NCAA Tournament game since 1985, then compared the expected results of each game to the actual results.

Miller has a career 19-11 record in the NCAA Tournament, which is actually 2.3 wins better than expected, per the study. That mark ranks 31st among all coaches since 1985, a very solid rating and one that shatters the narrative that he can’t effectively coach in March.

Interestingly enough, Arizona legend Lute Olson had a 34-21 record in the NCAA Tournament (since 1985), which was 1.2 wins worse than expected, per the study.

That number puts Olson at 520th (of 550) among all coaches, meaning he is considered one of the most underachieving coaches in the NCAA Tournament in the last three decades.

Olson did coach Arizona to one of the worst losses of all-time in 1993, when it fell to 15th-seeded Santa Clara in the first round, as well as eight other first-round exits during his 24-year tenure in Tucson.

Then again, he also led Arizona to four Final Fours, and an improbable national championship run in 1997 that included three wins over No. 1 seeds — the only coach to accomplish such a feat.

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posted by Unknown @ 4:03 PM   0 Comments