What condition is Arizona’s offensive line in?

We check on each position group to give it a condition of either strong, stable, unstable, serious, or critical.

Welcome to a new series in which we try to determine if the Arizona Wildcats’ position groups are in strong, stable, unstable, serious, or critical condition heading into fall camp. Next up is the offensive line.

Projected Starters: Layth Friekh, Michael Eletise, Nathan Eldridge, Bryson Cain, Cody Creason

Backups: Thiyo Lukusa, Josh McCauley, Jon Jacobs, Alex Kosinski, Edgar Burrola, Tyrell Aponte, Tyson Gardner, David Watson, Steven Bailey, Donovan Laie

Nathan Eldridge is really the glue that holds this line together at center, entering his third season as a starter. In my opinion, he’s one of the most overlooked players on the roster.

Layth Friekh be facing a two-game suspension to start the season due to his fifth year of eligibility being granted, but has put in three solid years of work as the blindside tackle.

At the other tackle spot, Cody Creason looks to fully take over the position. He was essentially a co-starter on the line with Gerhard de Beer’s injuries throughout the past two years, which makes it a little easier to feel good about replacing three starters.

Bryson Cain suffered a season-ending injury last season and projected best as a tackle, but has filled in at right guard now. This spot is probably the most concerning, only because it’s a spot that never had any concern with four-year starter Jacob Alsadek there. The position as a whole, had no true immediate backup either.

Lastly on the line is the most prized recruit of these five, Michael Eletise. We’ve been waiting to see what he can do and he looks to start at left guard. He sets up nicely sitting between Friekh and Eldridge on the line, which will help his progression as he gains game experience.

The most trustworthy backup seems to be Thiyo Lukusa, the Michigan State transfer who had suddenly left football, but decided to come back to it and play at Arizona. He was projected to start at left tackle for the Spartans before he decided to leave, but Friekh has much more experience. We’ll get to see what Lukusa can do early on, as he’ll likely fill in for Friekh during his suspension. Lukusa can also push Creason at right tackle.

Josh McCauley and Jon Jacobs are two walk-ons to consider as backups at guard. The line depth just doesn’t have a whole lot of guards to begin with, but these are also fairly talented walk-ons. Still, it’s telling that of the last staff that there is a clear lack of scholarship depth.

Alex Kosinski is really a utility guy. He is likely behind Eldridge at center and can play either guard spot.

After sitting out his freshman year due to a shoulder injury from high school, Edgar Burrola made some progress at left tackle behind Friekh. He ws raw coming out of high school but has great size to develop into depth.

Arizona brought in three linemen in the 2018 class. David Watson, a Tucson product, enrolled early and is projecting at right tackle. Donovan Laie has arrived to campus and can likely play either tackle position. Steven Bailey, a junior college transfer, can rise up the depth chart and fill in at guard due to the poor depth.

Tyrell Apone and Tyson Gardner will serve as reserves.

Condition: Unstable

I’m just not comfortable saying this unit is stable, although unstable makes it sound a little harsh.

On paper, the line doesn’t look bad. Friekh is a three-year contributor, Eleitse was a highly ranked prospect, Eldridge is two-time Remmington Award Watch List center, Cain has the upside and Creason has played in a handful of Pac-12 games.

But it’s the depth that really gets you worried. Arizona can’t really afford to take any injuries because of the inexperience or lack of talent. You have to hope that the guards can hold up, with Eletise living up to his recruiting hype and Bryson Cain filling in some big shoes.

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Aaron Gordon seeking max contract, wants to stay with Orlando Magic

Report: Warriors finalizing extension with Steve Kerr

New commit Joshua Szott boosts Arizona’s receiving corps

Szott calls his opportunity “a dream come true”

The Arizona Wildcats received an unexpected commitment on Wednesday evening, as 2018 receiver Joshua Szott tweeted his decision to join the program.

After speaking with Szott, he informed that he will be entering as a preferred walk-on, but a scholarship will be available for him in the spring, which gives Kevin Sumlin and his staff flexibility when it comes to the scholarship class distribution.

Szott hails from Princeton, New Jersey, playing for Hun High School. He caught 41 passes for 1,021 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior, averaging just over 25 yards a catch for the fifth ranked team in the state.

The commitment came as a surprise, but Szott has known the staff for quite some time, and has two connections to Arizona that helped get him to Tucson.

The primary connection is between his father, Dave, a 14-year NFL veteran, and UA offensive coordinator/QB coach Noel Mazzone. They spent two years together with the New York Jets, Dave as the team chaplain and Mazzone as the receivers coach.

Dave was later promoted to the Director of Personal Development and still holds that role. Meanwhile, Mazzone has had stops with ASU, UCLA and Texas A&M since then.

“The Mazzone family, Taylor and Noel, were instrumental in my recruitment. I really felt a strong bond with them, they’re great people,” Joshua said of his relationship.

Dave and Mazzone had talked about opportunities to walk-on at A&M, which later culminated into Arizona once Mazzone followed Sumlin.

“When the staff got hired at Arizona, they started to reach out to me more and there was more concrete opportunity at Arizona than A&M,” Joshua added.

The relationship between Dave and Mazzone helped create the initial conversation, but it was the second connection that became a big swing factor to commit to Arizona.

The Szott’s are family friends with Robert Congel, Arizona’s newest offensive tackle who walked on at A&M and eventually followed Sumlin to Arizona as well.

“The Congel family just helped sway me to Tucson,” Joshua said.

Szott will now be flying out to Tucson on July 6 to join the program for summer activities. He said it’s a “dream opportunity to play for a Power Five school” and “a dream come true.”

As for how Szott fits in at Arizona, the receiving corps is filled with inexperience, and the depth chart is really unclear. While Szott is inexperienced himself, he posseses a lot of quality attributes you want a receiver.

He is 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, explosive off the line of scrimmage, creates separation, uses his hands well and gets up for a jump ball. He has some really good film out of high school, and it makes you wonder how he went undiscovered.

Arizona has a lot of options to fill the void at receiver, but Szott is a legitimate threat at wide receiver and might be one of the most well-polished receivers already. It comes down to how fast he can pick up the speed of the game, but he has a great shot at seeing the field in 2018.

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Arizona target Nico Mannion to make ‘huge announcement’ in July

Arizona women’s golf coach Laura Ianello receives 5-year extension

Ianello led Arizona women’s golf to its third national championship

The Arizona Wildcats have given women’s golf coach Laura Ianello a five-year extension that will keep her in Tucson through the 2023 season, it was announced Friday.

Ianello led the Wildcats to their third national championship in 2018.

“We could not ask for anyone better to lead our women’s golf program than Laura Ianello, and because of that we are both incredibly proud and excited to announce this five-year extension,” UA athletic director Dave Heeke said in a statement.

“The remarkable performance of this year’s national championship team exemplifies how fortunate we are to have Laura as our head coach. As both an outstanding player and coach for this program, Laura is dedicated to continuing the championship culture this program has developed over decades. We look forward to continued excellence from our women’s golf team on the course, in the classroom and in the community for many more years to come.”

Under Ianello, Arizona has reached the NCAA Regionals in each of her eight seasons with six trips to the NCAA Championships, including this year’s title, as well as a conference championship in 2015. In that time frame, the Wildcats have had nine All-Americans, 22 members of the All-Pac-12 team, 26 members of the Pac-12 All-Academic team, a Freshman of the Year and a Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Ianello played at Arizona from 1998-2003 and won a championship in 2000. She became an assistant at the UA in 2008 and was named the head coach in May of 2010.

“I am incredibly honored that athletic director Dave Heeke, senior associate athletic director Erika Barnes and President Robert Robbins have been so gracious with this extension to provide me an opportunity to continue coaching at such a special place,” Ianello said in a statement.

“Arizona has been great to me as both a student-athlete and coach, and there is nowhere else I’d rather be. The belief our administrative team has in me and my staff with coach Derek Radley is truly amazing. We are excited to return our national championship team, which had no seniors, to carry us into a bright future for Arizona golf. I am ecstatic to continue the championship tradition we have built at Arizona, graduating our student-athletes and seeing successful young women come out of our program.”

Ianello’s salary in 2017-18 was $84,738. The terms of her new contract have not been disclosed yet, but she will likely receive a raise.

The five golfers that led the Wildcats to a national championship — Haley Moore, Gigi Stoll, Bianca Pagdanganan, Yu-Sang Hou, and Sandra Noordas — are all underclassmen, so Arizona is expected to be a top team in the country in 2018-19.

However, Moore and Stoll are contemplating going pro, which would alter the team’s potential.

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What condition are Arizona’s quarterbacks in?

Jordin Mayes to play for Uganda in FIBA World Cup Qualifiers

Nick Johnson will be suiting up for Team USA

Former Arizona Wildcats guard Jordin Mayes will play for Uganda in the third window of FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Qualifiers.

Uganda faces Nigeria on June 29, Mali on June 30, and Rwanda on July 1 in Lagos, Nigeria. The Ugandans are 1-2 in the qualifying rounds so far, sitting in second in Group B.

“It is going to be a great environment of basketball. I want to just go out there and compete at the highest level against three great teams and leave it all out there on the floor and leaving Nigeria qualified for the next round of play,” Mayes told FIBA.basketball.

“Going out there and competing as long as we compete, we are going to have a great chance at winning all three games. We know the other teams are going to come out ready we have to maximize their intensity and make sure we execute the game plan the coach has for us each game.”

Arizona to Nigeria #FIBAWC @Mike_Schmitz ⬇️ !!! pic.twitter.com/mt5t82vBev

— Jordin Mayes (@jordin_mayes) June 27, 2018

Mayes played at Arizona from 2010 to 2014. His career path was odd. The Los Angeles native had his best season as a freshman, when he was a key reserve on an Arizona team that reached the Elite Elite.

Mayes averaged 4.9 points per game that year, and was a terrific shooter, draining 45.3 percent of his 3s off the bench.

Mayes made 16 starts as a sophomore, but his productivity declined. He averaged 4.7 points per game and saw his field-goal percentage dip to 35.1. He only shot 29 percent from 3.

He then averaged 2.8 points per game as a junior and 1.3 as a senior.

Mayes, 26, currently plays for the City Oilers in Uganda where he is averaging 13.1 points per contest.

”It is an honor to be playing for the national team and having the support of Uganda and the team behind me and welcoming me to be a part of something special to come,” Mayes said.

Mayes’ former teammate, Nick Johnson, is playing for Team USA in third window of the qualifying rounds. You can read more about that here.

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Arizona a finalist for 3-star safety Quinten Johnson

The D.C.-based DB is set to decide during The Opening Finals

The Arizona Wildcats have made another talented player’s final list of schools. This one comes from a school that UA fans have started to become familiar with.

Tuesday evening, three-star safety Quinten Johnson announced on Twitter that he will be announcing his commitment during The Opening Finals, and Arizona joins Michigan, Penn State, Alabama, Boston College, and Maryland as his finalists.

The Opening Finals are being held in Dallas from June 30 to July 3.

Johnson is from powerhouse St. John’s College High School and is a former teammate of Wildcat freshman quarterback Kevin Doyle, who has been recruiting him and made it known his sentiments when Johnson released his list.

#BearDown little bro‼️ everybody follow him! He’s a must get! ⚠️ https://t.co/R0b3CtKV5M

— Kevin Doyle Jr (@Kevin_Doyle_13) June 26, 2018

Johnson is ranked as the 37th safety nationally and is the 470th player overall, according the the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Johnson is an explosive athlete, able to play safety or receiver if needed. Like Doyle said, he is huge get for any program.

Johnson will be a tough haul for Arizona, as Michigan is garnering all the attention. He recently took a visit to Ann Arbor so that also is going against Arizona.

Below are his junior highlights.

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What condition are Arizona’s cornerbacks in?

What condition is Arizona’s wide receiver corps in?

Chase Jeter appears in 2019 NBA mock draft

What condition is Arizona’s defensive line in?

We check on each position group to give it a condition of either strong, stable, unstable, serious, or critical.

Welcome to a new series in which we try to determine if the Arizona Wildcats’ position groups are in strong, stable, unstable, serious, or critical condition. First up is the defensive line.

Projected starters: Justin Belknap, PJ Johnson, Dereck Boles,

Backups: JB Brown, My-King Johnson, Adam Plant, Nahe Sulunga, Sione Taufahema, Mykee Irving, Finton Connolly, Kurtis Brown, Jalen Cochran

Justin Belknap is a seasoned veteran, entering his third season as a starter. The former walk-on has a lot of youth behind him with two 2017 recruits in JB Brown, My-King Johnson and two 2018 members in Adam Plant and Nahe Sulunga. That is a young group, with Brown as the only experienced end, but the other three have the ability to contribute in 2018. Jalen Cochran redshirted and suffered an injury his first two years, but serves as solid depth.

PJ Johnson has incredible size at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds and put himself in position to start after just one spring. And it shouldn’t be a knock to the rest of the defensive line, it’s just how well he played.

The hope is that Sione Taufahema is healthy for this season and is ready to take over the No. 2 spot at 6-foot-1, 330 pounds. Mykee Irving, a 2018 signee, could see time as a true freshman at 6-foot-4, 330 pounds.

Redshirt senior Dereck Boles leads the line with experience and will shift to defensive tackle. Finton Connolly has increased his role over the last few years, and Kurtis Brown came away with a surprising freshman campaign considering his torn meniscus late in his high school career.

Condition: Strong

This is without a doubt Arizona’s deepest position group. There are 12 legitimate scholarship players available and that doesn’t include the hybrid defensive line/outside linebacker stud position. The group is still extremely young, many have never played a down in the Pac-12, but it has a whole lot of upside, and talent level at the position is higher than it’s been in several years.

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Roundtable: Did Rawle Alkins and Allonzo Trier leave Arizona too early or too late?

Or did they leave at the right time? Let’s discuss.

Rawle Alkins and Allonzo Trier went undrafted, joining Kobi Simmons, Chance Comanche, and Brandon Ashley as Arizona Wildcats who left school early to go unselected in the NBA Draft.

Would Alkins and Trier have been better off returning to school? Should they have left the UA sooner than they did?

Our staff discussed it.

Zant Reyez: I was surprised about Rawle Alkins not being taken. I saw plenty of mock drafts have him as a second round pick. The odds were slim for Allonzo Trier to be picked, as his name was rare to find on any mock draft. I think both of them had maxed out what they could do at U of A, and it was the right move to move on.

I’ll be interested to see if Alkins is close to 100 percent when he arrives in Toronto. If he can work on consistently finishing at the rim and boost his 3-point percentage, I think he’ll find a role in the league.

Say what you will about Trier, and Twitter always did especially come March (hello, Xavier Sweet-16 game). I was surprised when he came back for his junior year considering what he went through with the NCAA as a sophomore.

I know many fans want to see players stay in school for more than a year, but Trier is a prime example of the downside of staying too long. A lot of misfortune happened to him during his time in Tucson, but I think players should to go to the NBA if they feel it’s the best time for them to do it. Go get paid either in the NBA or overseas or the league LaVar Ball is going to create one day.

I’m not going to fault Trier for sticking around with the ‘Cats for as long as he did, but the goal for the majority of players isn’t college; it’s the NBA. If you want to go pro and you feel it’s the right time, do it.

Alec Sills-Trausch: We knew this would happen. Maybe not specifically Rawle Alkins and Allonzo Trier, but in general, basic math told us top collegiate players might not be drafted due to there only being 60 picks and over 75 underclassmen vying to be drafted. I will say I figured Alkins would be drafted but wasn’t shocked at all Trier was on the outside looking in.

If we’re looking at this as a zero-sum game where getting drafted is a success and not getting drafted is a abject failure, then yes, they did leave too early. However, they are now going to get paid to play basketball. They no longer have to play school and can focus full time on their sport. So I’m not sure we can say it either way. Would UA be better off if they returned? Definitely. But one could argue the Wildcats need a fresh start after last season and their three-headed monster of a lineup needed to move on to greener pastures.

More concerning, however, is why weren’t two of the three best players on Arizona drafted? Their skillset is there which makes you wonder if there’s an underlying issue at play here that came out during internal investigations or one-on-one interviews. I’m not saying there is anything there but for Alkins to be flirting with a late first-round selection all season and in the lead up to the draft to then be left on the outside looking in, it’s puzzling.

Gabe Encinas: I’m always a fan of leaving as soon as you can when it comes to basketball. The evaluations seem to focus so much on how young a player is and their ability to grow, unless you come out with a godly NCAA performance or produce every night for three or four years.

Add in the fact that in college you have to go to class, have hour restrictions with practice, and don’t have nearly the same resources, the NBA is way better place to develop, especially if you can get a first-round grade.

In Trier’s case, he was widely regarded as a first round pick after his freshman season. So for as much as people don’t like his demeanor and hero ball mentality (myself included), it sucks to see him go from first rounder to being suspended to being out of the draft as a whole.

I’m still mildly surprised he didn’t get selected, despite him being in absent in mock drafts. The bottom half of the second round is virtually useless with a few exceptions, and it only takes one team to like his shooting ability.

Alkins graded as a mid-high second round pick and didn’t even come away with a two-way deal, which is puzzling. The big knock was that he’s not great at any one thing, but there are plenty of guys in the league who are like that as well, or even have more severe deficiencies in an area.

Even if Trier and Alkins don’t stick in the NBA, plenty of guys have had success overseas.

But overall I stick with the Kobi Simmons route, just knowing you’re going pro no matter what after one year whether that’s the league or overseas, have the entire fan base hate on you when you buy your mom a Range Rover, and appear in a couple of NBA games here or there as a 20 year-old, develop against better talent, use the resources and time, and work your way up.

Ryan Kelapire: I agree with Alec in that it’s not totally accurate to simply say that if you get drafted, you made the right decision and if you didn’t, you made a mistake.

But if we’re using that line of thought, then I think Rawle Alkins left both too early and too late. Yes, that’s possible. Let me explain. Knowing what we know now, his best move would have been to leave after his freshman season or return for his junior season.

Entering the draft after a sophomore season in which he didn’t show much, if any, improvement — which was partly because of his foot injury — clearly hurt his draft stock.

If Alkins returned as a junior, he would have been the featured option on the team, and could have played his way into the second round, maybe even the first round since the 2019 draft is believed to be weaker.

If Alkins left as a freshman, he would have had a great shot of being drafted since he was coming off a great season, had more upside (he was younger), and had a strong showing at the NBA Combine.

As for Trier, he stayed too long in hindsight. He was a constant presence in 2016 mock drafts, because his upside was considered higher as a 19-year-old freshman, so you have to think he would have gotten drafted then.

Leaving after his sophomore season would have been risky because teams only had half a season of game tape on him that year, plus he didn’t play his best coming off that 19-game suspension.

But when deciding between returning for his senior season or leaving as a junior, I think Trier made the right call. I’m not sure how much more he had to prove in college. I mean, he averaged over 18 points per game and did it while nearly shooting 50/40/90. Good luck topping that.

And if he would have returned to Arizona for his senior season and posted similar numbers, his draft stock would be the same or lower than it was this year, and he would have passed up on a year of making money to boot.

And if Trier’s game regressed as a senior? He’s a non-prospect.

The only way returning to school would have been the best option is if Trier improved incrementally on defense, and I just don’t think that’s ever going to happen, whether he’s playing in college or the G League. At some point, players are who they are.

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Khalil Tate named No. 4 player, top QB in college football by Sports Illustrated

Has an Arizona player ever received this much hype?

The anticipation for Khalil Tate to roam the gridiron this fall continues to build as more pre-season accolades become attached to the Arizona Wildcats’ junior quarterback.

Sports Illustrated named Tate as the fourth-best player and top quarterback in its list of the Top 100 College Football Players of 2018. No other QB made the top-10.

“When he captivated the college football-viewing masses by repeatedly shredding Pac-12 defenses last season, Tate was a revelation—an out-of-left-field jolt for a team that had dropped two of its first four games and looked destined for a dismal season,” wrote SI.

Tate was topped on the list by Clemson’s Christian Wilkins, Stanford’s Bryce Love and Houston’s Ed Oliver. Wilkins and Oliver man the defensive line for their respective teams. Arizona will face Oliver in Week 2. Love, a running back, is considered by many the early favorite to hoist the Heisman Trophy in December.

Tate only started in eight games in 2017, but ran for 1,353 yards and 12 touchdowns, while competing 61 percent of his passes for 1,289 yards and nine touchdowns to eight interceptions.

He was the first player to Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week in four straight weeks.

SI wrote that Tate was not a “one-season wonder,” and despite teams having plenty of footage to scheme for him now, it won’t be a hindrance for the QB, who Wildcat fans believe can lead the program into uncharted waters in the desert.

“The Wildcats may have changed head coaches this offseason, with Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin replacing Rich Rodriguez, and defensive coordinators around the Pac-12 have plenty of tape on Tate now. But that doesn’t change what makes him such a devastating playmaker: the pinpoint passes into the outstretched arms of wide receivers, the searing sprints into open space, the ankle-breaking body feints in tight quarters,” wrote SI.

“... Tate’s assault on Pac-12 opponents will continue in 2018, and unlike last season, he’ll be leading Arizona’s first-team offense from the jump. The coaching swap shouldn’t be an obstacle, either; it wasn’t that long ago that Sumlin helped turn a gifted dual-threat quarterback in the SEC into a national phenomenon.”

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Deandre Ayton forgot to edit a promotional tweet, and it was hilarious

It happens.

Deandre Ayton has been a busy man the last few days.

He signed a multi-million dollar endorsement deal with Puma and is completing the pre-draft process in New York, which includes a countless number of interviews and public appearances. And Thursday, he will walk across the stage at the Barclays Center as the No. 1 overall pick, barring a major surprise.

So forgive Ayton for making a careless, but hilarious, error on Twitter.

The former Wildcat forgot to edit the text in a promotional tweet for Call of Duty Black Ops 4, leading him to post a tweet that read: “All he needs to tag is #BlackOps4 and #CallOfDutyPartner and the rest can be in his words.”

DeAndre Ayton really is about shamelessly securing the bag at all times and you have to respect it pic.twitter.com/4vsrx7Hrz2

— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) June 20, 2018

Ayton eventually fixed the mistake, but not before it created quite the laugh on the internet.

Lucky for him, he isn’t the first one to make this mistake.

Former No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz did the exact same thing last year, when he tweeted, “Excited to head to (city) and join the (team name)” while promoting Tissot watches.

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Rawle Alkins ‘will not fail’ in the NBA, per The Ringer

One expert thinks Alkins will have a nice career no matter where he’s drafted

Rawle Alkins will have a successful career no matter where he’s selected in Thursday’s NBA Draft.

At least that’s what Chris Vernon of The Ringer thinks. Vernon listed Alkins as one of nine prospects that he is “100 percent confident” will not fail in the NBA.

Here is his explanation:

Brooklyn in the house! Alkins was a high school force of nature who won three city titles and two state championships in New York. He had a foot issue that hampered his career at Arizona, but this kid has so many attributes that I love. Unstoppable motor, built like a linebacker, good-looking shot, and do-or-die playing style. He has been projected too low since this process started. Alkins will be a fan favorite wherever he plays. You want a Marcus Smart, Tony Allen, or P.J. Tucker–type player when you need a big play in a big game. I see that with Alkins.

Alkins is widely projected to be a second-round pick. Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated, for instance, has the UA guard going 37th overall to the Sacramento Kings.

Generally, most second-round picks have unimpressive NBA careers. Using past data, here’s the expected value of the 37th pick, according to a chart on 82games.com:

• 10 percent chance of becoming a star
• 10 percent chance of becoming a solid player
• 30 percent chance of becoming a role player
• 25 percent chance of becoming a deep bench player
• 25 percent chance of becoming a bust

Using these numbers, there’s a 50 percent chance Alkins has an uneventful NBA career.

Alkins does have a well-rounded skill-set like Vernon mentioned, but he doesn’t have an elite skill that sets him apart from other prospects, which many believe could lead to his demise.

Vernon isn’t worried.

“I care about one thing when it comes to the draft,” he wrote. “Getting a player who does not suck.

“Some of these guys will be stars, some might end up just being role players, but I am 100 percent confident none of them will fail.”

You can see the rest of Vernon’s list here.

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Deandre Ayton says his time at Arizona was ‘rough’

“Tucson was great but the outsiders made it kind of difficult,” he told Sports Illustrated

Deandre Ayton is probably the most talented player to ever suit up for the Arizona Wildcats, but his college career was marred by a first-round exit and plenty of controversy.

Everyone knows the story by now. In late February, ESPN reported that FBI wiretaps have UA head coach Sean Miller offering $100,000 to former ASM employee Christian Dawkins for Ayton’s services.

The story’s validity has been shaky at best, and Miller and Ayton have strongly denied it, but Ayton’s college career was never the same after the report broke even though his production on the court never wavered.

Anytime Ayton was interviewed, he was peppered with questions about the story. Anytime he stepped in a visiting arena, he was jeered and booed.

Ayton became a villain, and his once-in-a-generation skillset, as Miller calls it, became secondary.

“The exposure I wanted in college wasn’t the exposure I got,” Ayton told Sports Illustrated. “Me and my family did not expect that.”

Many refer to their college days as the best time of their life, but Ayton told SI that his year at Arizona was “rough.”

“Tucson was great but the outsiders made it kind of difficult,” he said. “When I saw my name was being thrown in there like that, it was crazy. Everyone’s calling your name. The media’s out to get you. You’re trending. It hurts.”

Ayton is trending for much different reasons these days.

He inked a lucrative endorsement deal to become the face of Puma basketball, and Thursday he will likely be selected No. 1 overall by the Phoenix Suns, an ideal destination since it allows him to begin his pro career near his family.

So better days are ahead for Ayton, and his tumultuous time at the UA might make him cherish them a little more.

“All the adversity to overcome really made me a better person,” he said.

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Deandre Ayton explains why he signed with Puma

Business is business

Deandre Ayton has never been one to take conventional routes.

The big man left the Bahamas to go to two different high schools in the United States, became the highest-rated recruit to ever sign with the Arizona Wildcats, and now is one of the first basketball players to sign an endorsement deal with Puma since 1998. (Duke’s Marvin Bagley III is joining him.)

Ayton’s partnership with the brand was officially announced Monday on Twitter. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, though Michael Scotto of The Athletic is reporting Ayton will be the highest paid player by a shoe brand in his draft class.

@PUMA Life’s Good pic.twitter.com/VxkLMDhnlq

— Deandre Ayton (@DeandreAyton) June 18, 2018

But why did Ayton sign with Puma and not one of the traditional basketball apparel companies like Nike, Adidas, or Under Armour?

Ayton explained in an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report, which is definitely worth reading:

Puma was the best deal. To me, anybody can make your shoe. Anybody can make the best shoe for you and put the right fit in the shoe. We were dealing with Nike people, Under Armour and all the other shoe companies for a pretty long time. We ain’t really got bad blood with any of them, but it’s not bad to start something new. We just thought Puma was the right fit. My mom had a friend at Puma, but we didn’t really know she was with Puma. But as I started to get more exposure to the world and basketball, she told us she was with Puma and knew people there. Just knowing all of these people personally, my mom felt comfortable. Another thing is that all these other brands got all these other superstars. It’s good that I’m one of the few that’s signed with Puma.

Ayton later added this:

Nike is Nike. Adidas is Adidas. I’ve played in their circuits and stuff like that, but now it’s a business. You don’t want just product. You’re not a kid anymore. You’re really trying to get bank.

... Anybody can really make your shoe. We’re not kids anymore. We’re not looking for product. Of course, the brands are going to do their best to give you the best product they have. At the end of the day, it’s a business. You’ve gotta take care of your people, so that’s involved. Of course, if Adidas is giving you like $2 mil and Nike is giving you $1 mil, who would you pick? If you have history or chemistry with Nike, I can see that. But when it comes to business, business is business.

Ayton then said this about Puma in an interview with ESPN:

As I’ve been in the States, I’ve seen what they do with entertainers and always liked that. I see someone like Rihanna recently -- who is a lot like me, we have a similar background -- and she’s putting her stamp on the brand. That’s something that appeals to me from a creative side. Eventually I want to be a part of bringing this new style of Puma to my people.

Ayton is going to take another major step in his career Thursday when he is expected to be selected by the Phoenix Suns with the No. 1 overall pick.

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Ask an expert: How’s Luke Walton doing with the Lakers?

The former Wildcat just finished his second season as L.A.’s head coach. How’s it going so far?

Luke Walton just completed his second season as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, leading a young team to a 35-47 record.

That was a nine-win increase from Walton’s first year, and now the Lakers have an intriguing offseason ahead of them.

They are rumored to be contenders to sign top-flight free agents like LeBron James and Paul George, as well as a trade candidate for disgruntled Spurs superstar Kawhi Leonard.

And if the cards fall in the Lakers’ favor, Walton could be at the helm of the next great superpower in the Western Conference (aside from Steve Kerr’s Golden State Warriors, of course).

But before free agency rolls around in July, we wanted to find out more about the job Walton has done with the Lakers, so we asked Christian Rivas, a senior writer at Silver Screen and Roll, for some insight.

Here is our Q&A.

What’s been the fanbase’s overall impression of Luke Walton so far?

When the Lakers first brought on Luke Walton in 2016, you would have been hard pressed to find a more popular guy in Los Angeles not named Kobe Bryant or Magic Johnson. However, now with two years under his belt, Walton has more than a handful of doubters.

It’s a mixed bag, really, but I’d say that the fanbase is hopeful, which is more than they could have said two years into Byron Scott’s coaching tenure. With an 18-win improvement over the last seasons, I’d argue Walton has earned Lakers fans’ attention.

The Lakers have a really young team but improved by nine wins this season. How well has Walton meshed with L.A.’s young core, and how much credit do you give him for the team’s improvement?

A term you often hear used to describe Walton is “player’s coach” and for the young players on the Lakers’ roster, I think it’s resonated pretty well. It can be really hard to keep a group of young players together through adversity, but I think Walton has done a fantastic job of doing that. You can say a lot of things about Walton, but you can’t say he’s not a leader (unless you’re LaVar Ball, of course).

Walton had never been a head coach before coming to the Lakers. He was only an assistant for two seasons. How has he handled that transition?

Walton has said this several times before, but I think his brief stint as the interim head coach with the Warriors helped with his transition a ton. He was in the locker room when the Warriors were at their highest in 2015 and when they were at their lowest in 2016. He’s seen it all from a coaching perspective and that’s helped him a lot.

Every coach has a style. Has Luke developed one yet? If so, what is it?

That’s probably the fanbase’s biggest criticism of Walton to date: his style, or lack thereof. Now, if we’re talking about “style,” I have no problem saying Luke is a handsome guy that knows how to dress himself, but if we’re talking about “team style,” Walton has a lot of room for improvement in that regard.

When the Lakers brought him on, the expectation was that he’d bring a modern, Warriors-esque offense to Los Angeles. In his defense, the Lakers do play small and fast, but beyond that, his offensive scheme leaves a lot to be desired. Hopefully by bringing in more talent this summer, Walton will be able to implement a more complex offense.

Is Walton the kind of coach that you could see sticking around the Lakers for a long time, or is he just the right person for the team’s rebuild?

If Luke Walton can will a banged-up band of misfits to a 35-win season with a struggling offense, I’d be interested to see what he could do with legitimate NBA talent and I imagine the front office feels the same way.

If the Lakers do make some big-time acquisitions this offseason and go into win-now mode, how do you think Walton will handle a team full of superstars?

The easiest answer here is “the same way he did with Golden State” and frankly, it might be the best one. Although he was only with the Warriors for two seasons, Walton seemed to have made a lasting impression on them, particularly Draymond Green, who credits Walton for pushing him to become the player he is now.

Even players that haven’t played for Walton respect what he’s done with the Lakers, like LeBron James and Kevin Durant. We’ll see how much of that praise was hot air this summer and the summers that follow.

Like Walton, Miles Simon is an Arizona graduate. What type of impact has he made in the organization?

Miles Simon was tasked with working with Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and Kyle Kuzma this past season and if their individual success is any indication of the type of impact Simon made, he’s off to a great start. But the real place Simon can show his value is this summer, where he’ll have the opportunity to work alongside the three aforementioned rookies in their first NBA offseason.

Jud Buechler is leaving Walton’s coaching staff, so which UA alum are the the Lakers going to hire to replace him? This is a joke. Kind of.

Richard Jefferson. This is also a joke, kind of.

Thank you Christian for answering our questions. Be sure to check out Silver Screen and Roll for in-depth coverage of the Lakers and the exciting offseason they have ahead.

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UA making several changes to try to improve fan experience at Arizona Stadium

Does macaroni and cheese in an ice cream cone peak your interest?

The Arizona Wildcats averaged 42,632 fans at their home games in 2017, which was easily their lowest amount in over a decade, as well as one of the worst marks in the Pac-12.

There were many reasons for that, including late kickoff times, a mediocre team, and the unimpressive fan experience at Arizona Stadium.

Those first two problems are difficult to fix and not entirely in the athletic department’s control, but that third one is.

With TV competing with ticket sales, schools have to create a game-day atmosphere that trumps the experience one can get from watching games at home or a local restaurant.

Clearly, such an atmosphere was lacking at the UA last season, so here are some alterations it is making this fall.

Less DJ, more band

One of the biggest gripes among fans was that the music at Arizona Stadium was too loud, played too often, and the song choices were bad.

Those complaints were heard, as were the suggestions that the UA band should be more prominent. This is college football, after all.

“If you attended the final home game of the 2017 football season, you might have noticed some adjustments we made with the volume level and band to DJ music ratio,” athletic director Dave Heeke wrote in a recent Wildcat Wednesday newsletter.

“This was a change based on the feedback we had received earlier in the season. Our postseason surveys echoed the same sentiment. Expect to hear more of the Pride of Arizona next season. The music played by the DJ serves a purpose and won’t completely go away, but fans should notice the band receiving more air time. When the DJ plays, we will continue to do our best to adjust the volume to reach a level that satisfies the majority of the stadium.”

More stats and out-of-town scores

The internet connection at Arizona Stadium is notoriously bad, so if you have gone to a game recently, you know how difficult it is to keep up with the rest of the college football scene.

It’s also a challenge just to keep track of stats from Arizona’s game, since they were only displayed intermittently at the stadium.

Arizona is trying to remedy that by posting more stats and out-of-town scores on the videoboard.

“There is nothing like being in the stadium to enjoy the full excitement and energy of a game,” Heeke wrote. “In addition, we want the fan experience to challenge what you get with TV and these changes will help us take steps to reaching that goal.”

The internet problem has not been mentioned, and that is probably something Arizona should work on, if it’s not already.

Watching sports while being plugged into social media is important for younger sports fans, including those in the ZonaZoo, which struggled to fill up last year.

New PA Announcer

Arizona is replacing public address announcer Jimmy Zasa with Jeff Dean. Dean does PA for men’s basketball games in McKale Center.

It remains to be seen if the third-down siren will still be a thing. (Hopefully not.)

Ticket prices

The classic battle athletic departments have is getting fans to pay to go to games instead of watching them on TV.

So here’s a crazy concept: How about charging fans less to get into the stadium? Arizona is trying that.

Season tickets now start at $70 (lowered from $99) for the upper level and $100 (lowered from $150) for the lower bowl south end zone. Youth season tickets (ages 3-12) are $35 (lowered from $50).

Concessions improvements

Credit cards will now be accepted at all concessions stands in Arizona Stadium (it seems ridiculous that they weren’t before), and there will be new food vendors, too.

“We’re working with the University’s Student Unions team on a request for proposals (RFP) for the 2018 season,” Heeke wrote last month. “Specifically, we are looking for food vendors from the following food categories: shaved/frozen ice, Italian/pizza, Mexican, BBQ, and sub sandwiches. These categories were determined by the feedback we received from a survey of football season ticket holders.”

We got a sneak peek at some of those options and OMG IS THAT MACARONI AND CHEESE IN AN ICE CREAM CONE!?

This just might work.

Taste testing for new concession stand options at Arizona Stadium for @ArizonaFBall ✅

Thank you to Chef Omo and his team for helping us upgrade the Arizona game day experience! #BearDown pic.twitter.com/GmNXN3Dxz3

— Arizona Athletics (@AZATHLETICS) June 7, 2018

The next step is probably going to be selling alcohol stadium-wide, but we’re not there just yet.

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Ira Lee returning to the Drew League

The Arizona forward is heading home to get some work in

Ira Lee has an important offseason ahead of him, and he’s planning to get some work in at the Drew League this summer.

Lee announced Saturday that he is “back in the Drew tomorrow.”

Back in the Drew tomorrow

— Ira Lee (@iramandoesit) June 16, 2018

The Drew League is a reputable pro-am league based in South Central Los Angeles that features “local kids, streetball legends, and professional stars together,” according to its website.

Lee, an L.A. native, played in the Drew League last year, suiting up for the Clozers.

Sometimes NBA superstars like James Harden and Chris Paul participate. Rosters aren’t posted online and they are constantly changing, so it’s hard to tell who’s playing this year.

Nonetheless, the competition is strong and it’s a good opportunity for Lee to get some game experience in the dog days of summer.

Lee had an uneventful freshman season last year, averaging roughly two points and two rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game.

But the Arizona Wildcats’ frontcourt will be a lot thinner in 2018-19, so Lee should see an uptick in playing time, perhaps a significant one.

His ability to rebound and defend will be crucial for a team that only has one player — Chase Jeter — who is 6-foot-10 or taller.

And if Lee can polish his offensive game and avoid foul trouble on top of that, he could become one of Arizona’s best players.

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Has Kevin Sumlin’s recruiting at Arizona been underwhelming?

It’s early, but the level of recruiting isn’t quite what most would have expected

Kevin Sumlin is compiling his first true recruiting class for the Arizona Wildcats, and so far he has secured four commitments. The class is currently ranked 66th in the nation, and seventh in the Pac-12.

For many, aside from four-star quarterback Grant Gunnell, this class looks underwhelming and that’s extremely fair.

Even with Gunnell, some might not be as impressed as they once were. He was ranked No. 47 in the nation a few months ago, he now sits at 134th in the nation and the sixth-best pro-style quarterback. He had a poor showing at the Elite 11, which was largely due to a knee injury that he had been dealing with.

Still, Gunnell remains one of the top quarterbacks in the class in a very down year for quarterbacks, making it a solid win for Arizona. On top of that, his commitment opens up the floodgates for top-tier Texas recruits.

But the remaining commits are understandably not generating much excitement, especially considering the lofty recruiting expectations that Sumlin comes with given his track record at A&M.

So now on to Michael Wiley, a three-star running back out of Houston. This is a commitment that I was very disappointed with. There’s not too much upside on film that makes you think that Arizona can’t do better. However, he can catch out of the backfield, a specialty in Mazzone’s offense.

Kyle Ostendorp is a two-star prospect out of Desert Vista High School who jumped on his first offer, which was from Arizona. I applaud Sumlin and the staff for at least addressing the special teams issue, something Rich Rodriguez took for granted when he had Casey Skowron and Drew Riggleman.

But I can’t help but think that Arizona could have waited on Ostendorp, and still pursued Highland (Gilbert, AZ) punter Austin McNamara, the No. 1 punter in the nation, according to 247Sports composite rankings, and No. 2 by Chris Sailer. Ostendorp ranks 66th in Chris Sailers’ books. McNamara’s other offers are Arizona State and Missouri, along with a preferred walk-on offer to Nebraska.

With that group, you would have liked Arizona’s chances to get one of the best kickers in the nation.

Then comes Jordan Morgan, a hometown three-star offensive lineman with offers to NAU and South Dakota State. This is probably a head-scratching commitment for most, but it’s one I can fully get behind.

At 6-foot-5, 270 pounds, Morgan is really lean and athletic. He didn’t have much film as a junior, but is now projected to start as a senior. He seems like a late blooming project that has a lot of upside.

The offensive line is easily Arizona’s worst position group right now. So the initial reaction would be to say that Arizona can’t afford to be taking in projects, and needs someone ready to go. But realistically, an offensive lineman isn’t going to be playing for the first year or two, maybe three.

Coming from Southern Arizona it’s hard to get noticed to begin with, but I think Morgan has a fairly high ceiling and will begin to get some stronger offers — like from Boise State, Utah, Washington State — once the season rolls around.

Arizona has already lost a commitment in this cycle too, as three-star corner Logan Wilson suddenly decommitted from the program, despite recently helping the recruiting efforts for Texas based players.

He will still consider Arizona, but wants to open up his process to see what else is out there. Wilson would shape up to be one of my favorite recruits of the class, no matter how it finishes, and corner is a position of need, making it a big loss for now.

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Kevin Sumlin’s recruiting expectations coming in

Overall, the way the class looks now, it’s going to take a lot of development to get this class going — not necessarily what you would have expected from Sumlin. I feel like most fans automatically expect top-30 recruiting classes, a handful of four-stars and guys ready to go as true freshmen.

His staff was offering some big time, top 600 recruits on a regular basis. While there would be more misses because of this approach, it seemed as if the recruiting floor would be much higher under Sumlin.

Now we’re starting to get into my recruiting ranking philosophy, where I try to look past a lot of it outside the top 800 recruits or so. After that, it just starts to get arbitrary, and the recruiting class rankings are mainly driven by quantity and not necessarily quality. There are also just so many recruits to watch across the country, that a guy can go from unranked to three-star prospect ranked inside the top 1500 in a matter of minutes.

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Rich Rodriguez’ recruits

This now leads into my thoughts about Rich Rodriguez’ recruiting. Rodriguez took a lot of heat for the level at which he recruited. Realistically, it was his inability to recruit positions adequately, maintain depth, and develop his players.

You can point at the recruiting rankings that pegged his classes around 40th just about every year. But the ones that actually stuck with the program and ended up contributing, were not top 1000 recruits with Power Five offers.

Will Parks ranked outside the top 1300 with offers to Buffalo, UConn, Pitt and Temple. Everyone points to Scooby Wright as the two-star poster child with no Power Five offers. Nate Phillips had Air Force, North Dakota and NAU on his tail as a top 1100 recruit. Jacob Alsadek was outside the top 1000 with ASU, Colorado and Oregon State.

The 2014 class was ranked 31st, and it was actually loaded with highly ranked recruits, and while a lot of them didn’t pan out, the ones who actually became big time contributors like those mentioned above, were inside the top 1000.

Heading into 2016, Justin Belknap was a walk-on, who has now become a legitimate starter. Nathan Eldridge, ranked 1201st, had Air Force and NAU offers. Dane Cruikshank, a junior college transfer had BYU, Iowa State Utah and Utah State

The 2017 class has already proven to be his strongest class, ranked 45th in the nation, and 10th in the Pac-12. While a lot of these members were ranked inside the 1000, they didn’t came away with a loaded offer sheet.

Colin Schooler was a top-500 recruit, but only had Buffalo, College of Charleston, Fresno State, Nevada, New Mexico and UNLV knocking on his door. Tony Fields had Boise State, BYU, Cal, Illinois and Missouri offers. Bryce Wolma’s only Power Five offer was Northwestern. And of course another two-star Scoob type guy is Kylan Wilborn, ranked 1342nd in the nation with Hawaii and Idaho offers.

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Kevin Sumlin’s to-do list

I don’t think it’s fair to panic just about Sumlin’s initial recruiting class. For now, I’ll reserve judgement as a whole until I actually see that this doesn’t work out.

But what’s important to remember is his recruiting and development success at A&M. He was surrounded by five-star caliber talent and NFL Draft picks, playing in the SEC. I trust that he knows all of the right attributes in a player that he wants to build up. Also, I trust his staff more than I do the previous staff to coach and develop players.

There are plenty of programs who do more with less in recruiting. You think of programs like Boise State, Cal, FAU, UCF, Washington State, Western Michigan and Wisconsin, who don’t pull in top 35 classes reguarly, most of which are outside the top 50, but have the right guys leading, motivating and developing their talent internally.

Rodriguez failed to do that at Arizona and still managed to pull off five winning seasons, albeit the weak non-conference certainly helped quite a bit. If Sumlin can just develop his talent and build depth, Arizona is already in a much better spot.

In three Crystal Ball predictions, Arizona is projected to land inside linebacker Derrion Clark, receiver Don Champan and corner Devyn Butler. All are low-end three-star prospects. Butler is a head-scratching recruit, one I don’t think is Power Five material. The others seem to have a solid base.

But there are still a handful of high-end three-stars that seem to be on the radar for Sumlin, and he will have to start to focus higher in the rankings to please the fans and continue to build on this #EraZone movement in Tucson.

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Q&A with 3-star WR Khyheem Waleed, one of Arizona’s top targets

The talented in-state prospect updates his recruitment and spring progress

The Arizona Wildcats are looking to add some receivers to the roster for 2019, and at the top of the list is in-state prospect Khyheem Waleed

The 6-foot-3 three-star receiver from Casteel High School (Queen Creek, Arizona), quickly became a priority for the Arizona staff and continues to remain so. I spoke with him earlier this spring about his recruitment and thoughts on the Arizona program.

We recently caught up with Waleed again to discuss the evolution of his recruitment and how his spring has progressed.

(The conversation was lightly edited for clarity.)

AZ Desert Swarm: The last time we talked you were up to five offers. You’ve added quite a few since then. Who have you added?

Khyheem Waleed: I know Michigan State I’ve added. Oregon, Oregon State, Air Force, Yale, ASU, Boise State, SMU, and Vanderbilt. There’s a few more but I don’t know them off the top of my head.

Last time we spoke you mentioned Arizona and Cal as the two recruiting you the hardest and standing out the most. Is that still the case or have any of your new offers started standing out as well?

Waleed: That’s mostly still the case you know. Arizona and Cal still reach out the most and show a lot of love. But Boise State does also. Also Oregon, they show love.

Who came by and saw you at your school during spring besides the schools that have offered you?

Waleed: Stanford, they’re just waiting for my SAT scores and stuff. Texas, UCLA, Rice, and UC Davis were also there.

Who from Arizona came by to see you?

Waleed: Taylor Mazzone and the offensive coordinator, Noel Mazzone.

Last time we spoke you had taken your two visits down to Arizona and you visited Cal. Have you taken any other visits and who else are you looking to visit?

Waleed: We are definitely going to visit Oregon and Oregon State. Also Iowa State and then try to make it out to Vanderbilt.

How was your visit out to Cal?

Waleed: I liked it. It had to be short because my plane ended up getting delayed twice. So we missed the spring game actually. But we were able to still be there for like 4 or 5 hours. So we still got a tour of everything, took pictures, got to meet a lot of the coaches and things like that. I also talked to the head coach (Justin Wilcox). I like the coaching staff. It’s just a great feeling that they really showed love to me. But you know probably going to back up there sometime in June.

How is your relationship with Taylor Mazzone and UofA?

Waleed: It’s going good. We talk almost every day. I [took] a visit there on June 4, and I’m going to go back up there probably a few more times over the summer since they are down the street and it’s not that far.

It seems Arizona has made you a priority. Do you feel that way?

Waleed: Yes, yes definitely. They’ve let me know, they’ve talked to me, that I’m one of the number one receivers that they’re recruiting in this class. I’m definitely feeling the love.

Moving to spring, have you guys (Casteel High) had your spring game yet? How do you feel you’ve done this spring? What do you feel you’ve improved on?

Waleed: Yes. And definitely routes and things like that, that’s the main thing. Then softening my hands. Doing the little things, getting those together, working with my coach. Coach (Bobby) Newcombe, he’s one of the best receiver coaches that I’ve ever worked with. He gets me right and helps me out with a lot of things.

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Waleed will undoubtedly see his recruiting take off as he takes to the camp circuit and goes into his senior season. Arizona is in a great spot in his recruitment and continues to make him a priority. As of now, Cal and Oregon seem to be the biggest competition for the ‘Cats for his services.

Waleed visited the UA in early June and, as mentioned, will be on campus multiple times throughout the summer and into the season. His continued relationship with wide receivers coach Taylor Mazzone, and even head coach Kevin Sumlin, will be a major factor in his recruitment moving forward.

Waleed wasn’t able to play in every game last season, appearing in 9 of 14 games. But with a full season for the Colts, he’ll really be able to showcase his talent. Expect him to be an extremely productive receiver as a senior, especially with the work that he has put in this offseason so far.

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Arizona football: 5 breakout candidates in 2018

A lot of youth can step up for Arizona this season

The Arizona Wildcats are heading into the full swing of summer including classes and lifting.

There is a lot of excitement surrounding Kevin Sumlin’s first season, and the young talent that surrounds him.

There’s a strong core on both sides of the ball for Arizona, but there are also some guys who could be flying under the radar, and poised to break out as big time role players in 2018.

Let’s identify who some of them are...

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Tony Wallace

Arizona’s cornerback depth is weak and you’re going to have to rotate someone between Jace Whittaker and Lorenzo Burns.

Tony Wallace is a guy who boomed very late in the recruiting process with offers to Nebraska, Oregon and USC, but stuck to his commitment with Arizona.

Wallace has the athleticism and the tools to be a lockdown corner, and naturally someone is going to have to step up ‬and make plays at corner.

Wallace is probably the most complete package at corner, and while Jhevon Hill is an intriguing 6-foot-3 freshman coming in, I can’t see him beating out Wallace as that rotational corner.

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Jalen Harris

Jalen Harris might be one of the most pure pass rushers for Arizona. Even with a lanky frame — 6-foot-4, 211 pounds — Harris can close in on a quarterback and disrupt an offense.

Kylan Wilborn got a lot of usage last season, almost too much. Harris can help alleviate that workload and do some damage as a rotational stud, either as standing up or getting down on the line.

Harris looked good this spring and got some quality reps in the spring game that show he’s made some progression in the off-season, after redshirting his first year on campus.

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Stanley Berryhill III

My spring game crush was Stanley Berryhill III, a redshirt freshman walk-on originally from Tucson High.

He made some big plays after the catch and overall I think he’s a guy who can be used perfectly in Noel Mazzone’s short and screen pass offense. At 5-foot-9, 179 pounds, Berryhill fits that elusive slot receiver mold that plays like Desean Jackson.

Arizona doesn’t have a lot of depth for the slot. Shun Brown is the primary slot target, and Tony Ellison can work inside too, but in a standard four-receiver set, I think the spring success for Berryhill actually carries into the season.

His name came up a bit last year in practice, and now with a year under his belt and a weak depth chart at receiver, Berryhill has a good shot at becoming a top target for Khalil Tate this season.

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Jarrius Wallace

Jarrius Wallace took over the starting free safety role for an injured Scottie Young and Isaiah Hayes late in the season, and came away with a lot of big plays by closing the distance between the ball and a receiver.

Young‘s status with the program is still unclear, and Hayes has already had a significant injury that kept him away from football for a season. So Wallace is the most experienced free safety as a redshirt sophomore.

With him will be Tristan Cooper, who should reclaim his starting spur role, and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, who is back at bandit and entering his fourth year as a major key to the secondary. It sets Wallace up nicely down the middle.

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Nathan Tilford

This is the breakout player everyone is hoping for this season. After burning a redshirt for just 13 carries, the former four-star running back did not get as many opportunities as most would have thought.

The new coaching staff has said Tilford has all of the tools, he‘s just still trying to learn a lot. He had a couple of strong runs during the spring game as well, including one that featured a juke, spin and stiff arm.

J.J. Taylor is the No. 1 back, and he’ll be taking a decent workload with Khalil Tate. But Tilford can enter as the power back with blocking, earning some carries and finding the endzone.

Gary Brightwell fits the offense well because of his pass catching abilities. Converted safety Anthony Mariscal had an extremely strong debut at running back and shouldn’t just be glossed over because of a position change halfway through his career. Branden Leon has the ability to get some well-earned reps, too.

The backfield is crowded, but Tilford is just too talented to stay off the field and not be utilized. He might not get 20 carries a game, but he’s an overall balanced back that I think can get a couple of hundred rushing yard games.

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Some other guys I struggled with and wanted to include: JB Brown (DL), Brian Casteel (WR), Michael Eletise (OG), My-King Johnson (DE) and Kurtis Brown (DT)

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Arizona’s Jace Whittaker, Lorenzo Burns led Pac-12 CBs in plays on the ball, per PFF

The Wildcats’ cornerbacks are quite the ballhawks

The Arizona Wildcats struggled on defense in 2017, but if there was one thing they could hang their hat on, it was their ability to create turnovers.

Arizona was fourth in the conference in takeaways (25), thanks to a league-best 19 interceptions.

Its cornerbacks, in particular, were ballhawks. According to Pro Football Focus, redshirt sophomore Lorenzo Burns and junior Jace Whittaker both led the Pac-12 in plays on the ball, each with 12.

A pair of returning Arizona CBs lead the conference in combined plays on the ball from last season pic.twitter.com/2VV28FrhhX

— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 13, 2018

Burns, UA’s No. 2 corner, had a league-high five interceptions and seven pass breakups. Whittaker, the No. 1 corner, had three picks and 13 pass breakups. (I’m not sure why PFF only credits him with 12 plays on the ball, but I digress.)

But with any stat, context is needed. The Wildcats allowed a league-worst 286.1 passing yards per game last season, and teams threw 493 passes against them, which was the highest mark in the Pac-12.

That means Burns and Whittaker simply had more opportunities to make plays on the ball than other cornerbacks in the conference.

Still, it is encouraging to see them get recognition like this, and there is still something to be said for cornerbacks that can force takeaways, especially since Arizona only forced 14 turnovers in 2016.

Whittaker and Burns are both returning in 2018, so it will be interesting to see if they can keep this up under a new coaching staff.

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Arizona junior RHP Michael Flynn signs with Pirates

Arizona offers 2020 5-star forward Jalen Johnson

Sean Miller on Chase Jeter: “I love the way he defends”

Comparing Justin Coleman and Parker Jackson-Cartwright

Arizona signee Matthew Liberatore to ink contract with Tampa Bay Rays

Not surprising

Matthew Liberatore had been the prized possession of the Arizona Wildcats’ 2018 baseball recruiting class since the day he pledged to Jay Johnson’s staff, but the lefty from Glendale, AZ will not see campus.

After being selected 16th overall by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2018 MLB Draft, Liberatore has decided to go straight from high school to professional baseball.

Jon Heyman was the first to report that the Rays and Liberatore came to terms on a deal with a $3.5 million signing bonus. It is just under the slot value of $3,603,500.

Matthew Liberatore, the No. 16 overall pick, will sign with the rays. Expected to get $3.5M. Terrific HS lefty from AZ.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 9, 2018

#Rays have come to terms w 1st Round pick Matthew Liberatore. Bonus set for $3.5MM, which is just under the slot-value. @JonHeyman first to report

— Kris Dunn (@KRSDunn) June 9, 2018

Liberatore was a high school teammate with current Arizona infielder Cameron Cannon at Mountain Ridge where the left-handed pitcher was named Arizona’s Gatorade State Baseball Player of the Year for 2017-18.

This was also probably the most high-profile pitcher committed to Arizona since Michael Kopech, who did what Liberatore and went straight to Minor League Baseball from high school. Kopech is now the No. 8 prospect in all of baseball, and Liberatore is likely to join him in the top 100 right away.

2018 MLB Draft prospects that will make the top 100 right away, via FanGraphs

33. Casey Mize
35. Nick Madrigal
60. Joey Bart
71. Travis Swaggerty
93. Alec Bohm
96. Matthew Liberatore
99. Nolan Gorman
100. Jarred Kelenic

103. Jonathan India
106. Carter Stewart
109.Trevor Larnach

— Patrick Brennan (@paintingcorner) June 4, 2018

It’s also likely a matter of time before Nolan Gorman, the Arizona signee picked 19th overall, agrees to a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals.

It’ll be interesting to see how the 2019 Arizona baseball roster shakes out with many guys leaving and the high-profile recruits not making it to campus.

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Arizona not in Sports Illustrated’s early preseason Top 25

No one in the national media is expecting much from Arizona this season

The Arizona Wildcats are usually mainstays in the Top 25 — they were ranked for 100 straight weeks before losing three games in three days in the Bahamas last November — but they will likely find themselves on the outside looking in to begin the 2018-19 season.

Sports Illustrated released its preseason Top 25 on Friday (post-NBA draft decisions), and Arizona was left out.

It’s another example of the national media having low expectations for the Wildcats next season. UA was not included in Andy Katz’s preseason Power 36, and CBS predicts Arizona will miss the NCAA Tournament. ESPN has them as a No. 10 seed.

Do these projections matter? Not really. It’s too early for them to carry any weight. But it is interesting to see that nobody is expecting much from this roster.

There’s clearly upside, as there are several former highly-rated recruits on the roster, along with two graduate transfers, but the lack of proven production is probably what is scaring the pundits off.

The last time Arizona started a season unranked was 2010-11. Since then, it has been ranked no lower than 16th to begin a year. The Wildcats have started in the Top 10 in four of the last five seasons.

SI has Oregon at No. 15 and UCLA at No. 18.

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