Monday, December 31, 2018

Nick Foles cleared to start for Philadelphia Eagles in playoff opener vs. Bears

It’s going to take more than bruised ribs to keep Nick Foles from defending his Super Bowl MVP crown.

The former Arizona Wildcats standout will start for the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday against the Chicago Bears in an NFC Wild Card game. His status for that playoff opener was in doubt after he left the regular-season finale against the Washington Redskins with a rib injury, but not before tying the NFL record for consecutive completions with 25.

Foles has been masterful since stepping in for injured starter Carson Wentz, leading the Eagles to three consecutive wins to sneak into the playoffs at 9-7. He threw for a franchise-record 471 yards in a Dec. 23 win over the AFC South champion Houston Texans, this coming a week after helping Philly upset the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams on the road.

Against the Redskins, Foles was 28 of 33 for 221 yards and two touchdowns before leaving in the third quarter.

Foles’ run is eerily reminiscent of his play last season after Wentz tore his ACL in early December. Foles started the final three games of the regular season then carried the Eagles through the playoffs and earned MVP honors after throwing for 373 yards and three TDs in the Super Bowl LII win over the New England Patriots.



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Pac-12 not represented in AP Top 25 for first time since 2011-12

It has been a rough season for the Conference of Champions

Every Pac-12 school has at least one thing in common — none of their men’s basketball teams are ranked.

For the first time since 2011-12, zero Pac-12 schools find themselves inside the AP Top 25. The Arizona State Sun Devils, who were ranked 17th last week, were upset at home by Princeton and subsequently fell out of the polls.

Perhaps even more shuddering is that ASU is the only Pac-12 school to have even received votes this week, as it garnered 116, the most among non-ranked teams.

The Pac-12 ranks as the sixth-best conference in the country by KenPom, the worst among the major conferences. The so-called Conference of Champions has a losing record against the West Coast Conference this year.

Some embarrassing results for the Pac-12 this week included UCLA losing at home to Liberty by 15 points (then firing Steve Alford), Washington State falling to Santa Clara in Spokane, and Cal losing at home to Seattle, the Redhawks’ second win over a Pac-12 school.

As of Dec. 27, ESPN projected that two Pac-12 teams will make the NCAA Tournament this season — ASU and Oregon. However, that was before the Sun Devils lost to Princeton.

KenPom rates the Ducks as the conference’s best team ... all the way down at No. 39. Them and ASU are the only Pac-12 teams rated inside KenPom’s Top 50. One-third of the conference — Stanford, Utah, Washington State and Cal — ranks outside the Top 100. Cal ranks outside the Top 200.

Every Pac-12 team has at least three losses heading into conference play, which mercifully begins this week.



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Arizona receives votes in AP Poll after big win vs. ASU

The Wildcats have won 10 straight, including a 12-point win over ASU

After its biggest win in years, the Arizona women’s basketball team is receiving some national recognition.

The Wildcats received 15 votes in the latest AP Poll that was released Monday, placing them as the No. 30 team in the country. Arizona did not receive any votes through the first eight weeks of the season.

Arizona (11-1) used a stingy defensive effort to top Arizona State on Sunday to open Pac-12 play. The Sun Devils, who were ranked 17th, fell to 22nd. Oregon (5), Stanford (6), Oregon State (11), and Cal (18) are also ranked inside the Top 25.

Arizona has won 10 straight, which ties the longest winning streak in school history. The Wildcats rank No. 1 in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (49.2 PPG). They have been paced on both sides of the ball by sophomore point guard Aari McDonald, who is averaging 24.2 points per game, the best mark in the Pac-12 and the fourth-best mark in the entire country.

McDonald scored 24 points in the win vs. ASU, and is the first Wildcat to ever score 15 or more points in the first 12 games of a season.

Arizona will head to the Rocky Mountains this weekend to face Colorado in Boulder on Friday, Dec. 4, and then Utah on Sunday, Dec. 6 in Salt Lake City.

The Wildcats then return home to host the Bay Area schools. Arizona drew 5,006 fans to Sunday’s game vs. ASU, the largest crowd of the season.



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Wildcat Wrap: Arizona women’s basketball is surging, Nick Foles keeps winning

It’s Monday, so it’s time to reflect on all that happened surrounding the Arizona Wildcats last week. Let us know in the comment section if we missed anything!

Women’s Basketball

Volleyball

UA Athletics at large

Football

Men’s Basketball



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Report: UCLA set to fire Steve Alford

As if the Pac-12 wasn’t already having an embarrassing college basketball season so far, one of its most high-profile programs—and arguably the Arizona Wildcats’ biggest conference rival—appears to be on the brink of a shocking midseason coaching change.

Numerous outlets are reporting the UCLA Bruins are about to part ways with coach Steve Alford, buying out his contract midway through what’s been a horrible sixth season at the helm.

UCLA is 7-6 entering Pac-12 play, having lost four straight including Saturday’s 73-58 home setback to Liberty.

Alford is 124-63 with the Bruins, going 55-35 in league play, but he has finished no better than second place in the standings with one conference title in his first year on the job in 2013-14. UCLA has made the NCAA tournament in four of Alford’s five full seasons, reaching the Sweet 16 in 2014, 2015 and 2017.

UCLA is Alford’s fourth Division I coaching stop, having previously run programs at Missouri State, Iowa and New Mexico. His career record is 587-298, which includes 78 wins at a Division III school in the early 1990s.

Arizona is 7-4 against Alford at UCLA, beating the Bruins in the last two Pac-12 tournaments, but UCLA has won at McKale Center in its last two visits including last February.



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Sunday, December 30, 2018

What we learned from Arizona’s win vs. No. 17 ASU

The Wildcats celebrate on the bench during their victory over No. 17 ASU

The Arizona women’s basketball team upset No. 17 ASU on Sunday in Tucson to begin Pac-12 play.

The Wildcats have won 10 straight, improving to 11-1. Our full recap can be found here, and here are some additional takeaways:

Non-conference? Who cares?

Arizona coach Adia Barnes got asked about her easy non-conference schedule. A lot. She had to feel at least a bit vindicated by her team’s performance against the No. 17 Sun Devils.

“I was asked (about the easy non-conference schedule) several times, and I did not care” Barnes said. “The reason why is that I have a plan. And if we had been getting crushed in the non-conference, we don’t play like this.

“So, we have confidence. We’re on a 10-game winning streak. We’re playing some good basketball. So, that’s exactly where I wanted to be. Tonight showed me where we’re at.”

The Wildcats seized the opportunity when they finally got their shot at a ranked team, showing the potential to “surprise some people,” as Barnes as said.

“Arizona State is a great team,” Arizona guard Aari McDonald said. “They were ranked. And I definitely think that this win proved that we can do some big things in the conference.”

Can anyone guard Aari McDonald?

McDonald, who entered as the nation’s third-leading scorer, spent her evening blowing by Sun Devil defenders on the way to the rack, finishing with 24 points on nine made field goals. No one could stay in front of her. Kiara Russell and Reili Richardson both tried, but neither were up to the task.

“She’s one of the best guards in the country,” Barnes said. “I knew she would be. That’s why I recruited her to Washington. She’s hard to guard. A lot of times, she would go through the first defense. The second line could not guard her, because they were on their heels. And she’s still unselfish.”

Barnes believes it’s a matter of time before teams start throwing a zone at the Wildcats to try to contain McDonald. Then, they will need to be able to shoot better from the outside. San Diego State was able to stymie Arizona a bit with the zone during the first half of their non-conference matchup.

It all flows from the defense

At Friday’s press conference, Barnes was asked whether she thought offense or defense was stronger going into Pac-12 play. She replied that her team was much stronger defensively. The victory over the Sun Devils backed her up.

“We played a really good defensive team, and we played good defense,” Barnes said. “So, it shows me that we’re going to be one of the best defensive teams in the conference also. We have a chance to be. Now we just have to sustain that.”

ASU shot only 23.2 percent for the game, including 4 for 23 from outside. While some of that was just poor shooting on the part of the Sun Devils, Arizona’s relentless defense had a great deal to do with it.

The Wildcats had five blocks and 10 steals as a team. They turned 17 Sun Devil turnovers into 12 points.

“We had some awesome defensive stops,” Barnes said. “Our defense was spectacular.”

McDonald agreed with her coach, attributing the victory to “just guarding our yard.”

“This one right here,” Sam Thomas said in reference to McDonald, “her on-ball defense is amazing. She’s like one of the best that I’ve ever seen.”

Record wins

The 10-game winning streak tied the longest such streak in program history. Arizona had 10-game streaks in both the 1996-96 and 2003-04 seasons. They will get the chance to extend the streak when they travel to Utah and Colorado next weekend.

Fouls

Barnes has spoken about cleaning up the “silly fouls” her team was committing in the last few non-conference games. For most of the game, the Wildcats avoided them against the Sun Devils. Cate Reese had to sit on a few occasions, and Destiny Graham had three fouls by halftime. Overall, though, the team seemed to avoid the reach-ins that often plagued them during the pre-conference season.

In the fourth quarter, they started to pile up, though. By the end of the game, both Reese and Dominique McBryde had four. McDonald, Graham and Lucia Alonso all ended the game with three.

“This was probably a very tough game to officiate,” Barnes said. “It was very physical. Everyone was hand-checking. It’s a tough game to officiate, but I think we weathered that. At times, we were in foul trouble. It limited Cate. It limited Destiny. It limited Dominique at times. But we still found a way.”

View of an ASU fan

One Sun Devil fan stopped to talk as he was leaving McKale. He said, “I can’t remember the last time ASU looked so bad.”

While the Sun Devils did have two losses coming into tonight, they were both to top 5 teams and they weren’t dominated in either game. Early in November, they lost to Baylor after leading at the half. Later in the same month, they lost by two against Louisville.

In contrast, Arizona handled ASU from the start on Sunday. Out of the gates, they rushed out to a 7-0 lead and never really looked back. While the Sun Devils were able to tie it up in the first half, they couldn’t get over the hump and take the lead at any point.

Community support

The game drew just over 5,000 fans despite being aired on the Pac-12 Networks. While there was also a good crowd who made the drive down from Tempe, the number of Wildcat fans in attendance dwarfed anything but the School Day Game earlier this month.

“The crowd was amazing,” Barnes said. “To come here for our rivalry and support us. In a perfect situation, you don’t want a 20-27 half. That kind of sucks for a crowd. But the way that we were both playing defense and the hustle and intensity, it was kind of like a rugby match the first half. And the fans...it was so loud sometimes, I couldn’t call a play.”

“They put the hard work in,” Barnes said about her team. “We need the city to come out and support us. And it’s happening. It’s what I expected. I didn’t expect anything else. When I played here, we had 3-to-4,000 a game.”



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Arizona upsets No. 17 ASU to open Pac-12 play

Aari McDonald burst past a sea of Sun Devils, laid the ball in, stole the ensuing inbounds pass, and promptly knocked down a mid-range jumper before flexing and shouting.

She means business. So do these Wildcats.

McDonald, the nation’s third leading scorer, dropped 24 points and Arizona used a stellar defensive effort to beat the No. 17 Arizona State Sun Devils 51-39 on Sunday in Tucson to open Pac-12 play.

It’s the first time Arizona has won its conference opener since 2012-13, and its first time beating a ranked team since the 2015-16 season, the strongest proof yet that Adia Barnes is lifting the UA program out of a decade-long abyss.

The Wildcats held a usually-potent ASU team to 23 percent shooting, their defensive effort never wavering. Arizona, which forced 17 turnovers, was tough, quick, and willing to battle for every loose ball.

It was the Wildcats’ first game against a major-conference opponent, leading some to question if they were ready to play a Top-20 team like the Sun Devils.

They were. The Wildcats were the aggressors early, jumping out to a 9-2 lead, thanks to seven quick points by McDonald.

ASU clawed back to tie the game at 11 then 13, but McDonald scored, stole the inbounds pass and scored again to push UA’s lead to 17-13 at the end of the first.

Tee Tee Starks made a similar play late in the second quarter, extending the Wildcats’ lead to nine with 31 seconds left in the first half. ASU’s Kiara Russell knocked down two free throws to cut the deficit to 27-20 heading into the locker room.

3-point shooting was at a premium, with both teams going a combined 5 for 31, but Sam Thomas made UA’s first triple with 5:34 left in the third to put the Wildcats up 30-23.

Thomas, who finished with 11 points, scored again to make it 34-25, then Destiny Graham notched her first points to extend the lead to 11 with 3:28 left in the third.

ASU whittled the deficit to seven a few times in the fourth, but Arizona always responded. McDonald blew past a defender for an uncontested layup to put Arizona up nine with 3:08 left.

Dominique McBryde, who poured in six points, drained a mid-range jumper to put Arizona up 11 in the final two minutes. Thomas converted a breakaway layup to make it a 15-point game in the final moment.

This story will be updated.



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Nick Foles guides Eagles to playoffs, leaves game with injury, ties NFL record for consecutive completions

Former Arizona Wildcats quarterback and hero to the City of Brotherly Love Nick Foles etched another chapter into his legacy on Sunday, helping the Philadelphia Eagles defeat the Washington Redskins, 24-0.

With the Minnesota Vikings’ loss to the Chicago Bears, the Eagles secured a wild card spot in the NFC playoffs and a chance to defend their Super Bowl title.

Foles, who’s starting in place of the injured Carson Wentz at the end of the season for the second straight year, finished the game with 221 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on Sunday. He also completed a wildly efficient 28-of-33 attempts through the air.

However, Foles left the game in the third quarter after tying the NFL record for consecutive completions with 25, joining Philip Rivers and Ryan Tannehill with the record.

Foles reportedly suffered bruised ribs, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Eagles are hopeful last year’s Super Bowl champion gunslinger will be ready for next week’s playoff matchup against the Chicago Bears.

In a bit of tough news for the Arizona alum, Foles’ deal with the Eagles stipulated that had he appeared in 33 percent of the team’s plays over the course of the regular season, he’d be due a $1 million bonus.

Because Foles left the game with an injury, he only appeared in 32 percent of the team’s plays and thus missed out on a cool million.



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Report: Rich Rodriguez taking Ole Miss offensive coordinator job

Former Arizona Wildcats head coach Rich Rodriguez, fired at the end of last season to make way for Kevin Sumlin, has reportedly found a new gig in the SEC.

According to Bruce Feldman of CBS Sports, Rodriguez will be hired onto Matt Luke’s staff with the Ole Miss Rebels as their new offensive coordinator.

It’s the second former head coach at Power Five conference that Luke has added to his coaching staff. Former Colorado Buffaloes head coach Mike MacIntyre, fired in November, was hired as the Rebels’ defensive coordinator.

During his head coaching tenure at Arizona, 2012-17, Rodriguez guided the Wildcats to a 43-35 record, including a Pac-12 South Championship and Fiesta Bowl appearance in 2014. He led one of the top offenses and rushing attacks in the country during his stay.

Ole Miss finished this season 5-7 overall, one win short of bowl eligibility. The Rebels struggled in SEC play, going 1-7.



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Arizona Wildcats to watch in 2019

Keep an eye on these student-athletes as the calendar flips to 2019

The new year is right around the corner, so it is time to take a look at some Arizona Wildcats student-athletes to watch in 2019. If you missed it earlier, we profiled the student-athletes who shined in 2018. That article can be read here.

Chase Jeter, men’s basketball

After two tough years with Duke, Jeter is making a name for himself in Tucson, emerging as Arizona’s most valuable player in the 2018-19 season. The big man is averaging 12.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game on 66 percent shooting heading into the new year, a major upgrade from the numbers he posted with the Blue Devils. Jeter‘s ability to draw charges has been second to none, too.

It will be interesting to see how Jeter closes the year against Pac-12 competition, and he could have a difficult decision to make once the season concludes.

Jeter, a redshirt junior, is graduating this academic year, so it would not be surprising to see him forgo his fifth and final year of eligibility to pursue professional opportunities. Jeter is unlikely to be drafted into the NBA — no mock drafts currently include him — but he would likely garner some sort of interest from the pros, whether that be as an undrafted free agent in the NBA or from clubs overseas.

Arizona does not have a clear cut replacement for Jeter should he leave, so keeping him on campus for another year will be paramount for the 2019-20 squad, which will have legitimate Final Four aspirations.

Honorable mentions: G Brandon Williams, G Nico Mannion

Cate Reese, women’s basketball

2018 was kind to Reese, who averaged 14.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in the non-conference portion of her freshman year, looking like everything she was hyped to be as the program’s first-ever McDonald’s All-American. We knew the high-energy forward could rebound and score inside, but she has also shown the ability to handle the ball and shoot 3s.

That said, 2019 will provide a more realistic look at Reese’s talent, since it will mark the first time she will play against major-conference competition. Some growing pains are to be expected, but she and speedy sophomore point guard Aari McDonald are forming a duo that should be fun to watch the next several years.

Honorable mentions: PG Aari McDonald, F Sam Thomas

Khalil Tate, football

Tate’s 2018 campaign was disappointing, but he is returning for his senior season with a chance at redemption.

It will be Year 2 of the Tate-Kevin Sumlin pairing, and perhaps the familiarity will yield better results. Tate also dealt with an ankle injury early in the 2018 season, and looked like a much better player in the second half of the season after he took a week off against UCLA.

Still, he was never able to recapture the rushing ability he showed as a sophomore, and getting that aspect of his game going again will be crucial for the Wildcats in 2019, as they look to compete in what should be a wide open Pac-12 South race.

Maybe true freshman Grant Gunnell or rising redshirt freshmen Jamarye Joiner and Kevin Doyle can push Tate for the starting job, but it is the senior’s spot to lose.

Honorable mentions: DT PJ Johnson, RB J.J. Taylor

Paige Whipple, volleyball

Star senior Kendra Dahlke will not be back in 2019, so Arizona will need someone to claim the role as the team’s primary outside hitter.

Whipple, a soon-to-be junior, looks like the obvious candidate, finishing second on the team in kills in 2018 with 347.

Whipple’s hit percentage was a little low (.173), but she also dealt with some adversity to begin the season, when she suffered an umbilical hernia in the spring, which required surgery and set back her development.

But Whipple continually improved as the 2018 season wore on and, assuming she is healthy in 2019, appears on track for a breakout season.

Honorable mentions: S Julia Patterson, MB Devyn Cross

Amanda Porter, soccer

On the first day of the 2018 season, assistant coach Paul Nagy told me that Porter looked like a completely different player as a sophomore.

His claim turned out to be true.

By the end of the season, Porter finished tied for the team lead in points with 15 after posting six points as a freshman.

The Littleton, Colorado native tallied four goals and poured in seven assists in 2018, using her left foot to carry Arizona’s offense for stretches at a time. Porter did not score her first goal until Oct. 13 against Cal, but then scored four times in the final eight matches, plus recorded a pair of assists during that span. Early in the season Porter was an assist machine, tallying five in Arizona’s first eight games.

And it wasn’t just the numbers that made Porter’s sophomore season impressive. She also played several positions, shifting from forward to midfield to defense when the team needed her to, like the time she moved to outside back for a couple weeks when starter Sabrina Enciso went down with an ankle sprain during the meat of Pac-12 play.

Porter, known for her pink hair, is also the one who takes free kicks for the Wildcats when they are within shooting range. She netted one in the NCAA Tournament against Denver that was an absolute rocket:

Honorable mentions: F Brooke Wilson, GK Kendyll Humphreys

Randy Labaut, baseball

Labaut’s sophomore season was quite the roller coaster. The southpaw was terrific when healthy, posting a 1.60 ERA in 33.2 innings of work, including five starts. The problem is Labaut missed nearly the entire second half of the season after having emergency surgery in March for compartment syndrome in his left leg.

Labaut was initially ruled out for the year, but wound up returning in the final weekend of the season, logging two 1-2-3 innings.

Arizona’s pitching will be a big question mark in 2019 after it lost several of its top arms to the MLB Draft, so Labaut figures to be an important piece for the Wildcats, who are looking to return to the NCAA Tournament after missing it in 2018.

Honorable mentions: 3B Nick Quintana, IF Cameron Cannon

Marissa Schuld, softball

Led by Taylor McQuillin and Alyssa Denham, UA softball had great, but not elite, pitching in 2018, ranking a notch below schools like Washington, Oregon, ASU and UCLA in ERA. That, plus some inconsistent situational hitting, prevented the Wildcats from reaching the Women’s College World Series for the eighth straight year.

McQuillin, a senior, and Denham, a junior, return in 2019, so there is hope those two can take a step forward and join the conference’s elite arms.

But perhaps it will be the pitching staff’s lone addition, freshman Marissa Schuld, who can make the Wildcats’ rotation one of the best in the Pac-12.

Schuld, FloSoftball’s National Player of the Year, led Phoenix’s Pinnacle High School to the 6A state championship as a senior, going 11-1 with a 0.74 ERA and 151 strikeouts in 76 innings.

She might be able to boost UA’s offense, too. Schuld hit .574 with 16 home runs and 57 RBI at Pinnacle last season.

Honorable mention: 1B Rylee Pierce, OF/1B Alyssa Palomino



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Saturday, December 29, 2018

Report: Rich Rodriguez interviewing for offensive coordinator position at Ole Miss

The SEC is calling

Rich Rodriguez was abruptly fired by the Arizona Wildcats about a year ago amid sexual harassment and hostile work environment allegations from a former assistant.

Now, it appears as if he might be back in the coaching circuit mix, this time with an SEC program.

Rodriguez is currently in Oxford, Mississippi, interviewing with Ole Miss head coach Matt Luke for the offensive coordinator, per 247Sports and confirmed by Football Scoop. Ole Miss’ previous OC left for North Carolina to work under Mack Brown.

Rodriguez spent this past offseason in Tucson studying his football philosophies, as well as visiting other college football programs and friends.

During his six seasons at Arizona he led the Wildcats to a 43-35 record, including a Pac-12 South Championship and Fiesta Bowl berth, leading one of the top offenses and rushing attacks in the nation during his time.

Rich’s son, Rhett, will be a junior quarterback at Arizona in 2019, and his daughter, Raquel, a former cheerleader, will start a new position at news station KVOA in Tucson.



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Roundtable: What will Arizona’s record be in the Pac-12?

We’re less than a week away from the Arizona Wildcats’ Pac-12 opener against Colorado, so it is time to make some more predictions.

This time the question is, what will UA’s Pac-12 record be this year?

Brian J. Pedersen — 12-6

With a 121-41 record in Pac-12 Conference play since arriving at Arizona in 2009-10, and never worse than a 12-6 mark since his first season, Sean Miller has a track record of winning in league play. This is his worst team in several years, though, so it’s hard to imagine Arizona being near the top of the standings when the regular season is over in early March.

Then again, the Pac-12 might be at an all-time low in terms of overall quality, so …

(insert Spider-Man pointing at Spider-Man meme here)

This conference slate is going to be unlike any other in the Miller era because of the combination of his team’s ability and that of the opponents. There aren’t likely to be any laughers, nor are there any games the Wildcats will have no shot to win, making for 10 weeks’ worth of coin flips.

That being said, a hot start isn’t out of the question. The opening weekend, against Utah and Colorado, followed by a trip to the struggling Bay Area schools, could give Arizona some nice early momentum. Oregon’s injuries make it vulnerable when it comes to Tucson on Jan. 17, making a 6-0 start not unfathomable.

But then comes the gauntlet: from Jan. 24-Feb. 7 the Wildcats play USC, UCLA and Arizona State (all on the road) and then host Washington. Losing all four is entirely possible.

The season-ending swing at the Oregon schools and the finale at home against ASU is another tough stretch. That’s where the six losses are most likely to come from, though look for Arizona to win a couple of those and trade off with a few unexpected losses to get to 12-6.

Christopher Boan — 12-6

Arizona is a mediocre team in the sea of broken dreams that is the Pac-12. That said, they still have one of the better scoring combos in the conference, in sophomore guard Brandon Randolph and Duke transfer Chase Jeter. It’s hard to see this team doing much against actual competition, but not so much against the powderpuff level stuff they’ll face in the Conference of NIT Champions. I’ll guess that Miller’s team will beat USC, Oregon State, CU, Utah and Cal at least once, with the rest as toss-up games, given how weak the conference is. The fact that KenPom has ASU as the conference’s torch-bearer, at the 44th position, tells you all you need to know about the state of affairs in Larry Scott’s nightmare of horrors.

Ronnie Stoffle — 10-8

This pains me to say but I have a really bad feeling about conference play. The way non-conference play wrapped up is less than ideal and the bench play continues to be a nightmare. I understand the argument that the Pac-12 as a whole is nothing to be excited about and I don’t disagree. The reality is this will be a very average UA team playing other very average Pac-12 teams.

There is only one sure-fire win that I can see on this schedule and that is when Cal comes to Tucson on February 21. Seeing how that’s several weeks away, I could actually be talked out of it.

The best thing this team has going for it is strong defensive play coupled with veteran leadership in the form of Justin Coleman and Chase Jeter. The Brandon’s are capable of combining for 50+ points in any given night but unfortunately the floor could be a combined 20 in any given night. This volatility could be smoothed over if there is reliable scoring off the bench but that has basically been nonexistent over the first 13 games.

I’m going to guess a 10-8 conference record understanding that Sean Miller’s coaching, a true home-court advantage and strong defensive play/leadership can carve out 10 wins. If this estimate proves true, the Wildcats will need to run the conference tournament because an at-large big will most definitely be off the table.

Zant Reyez — 11-7

Arizona isn’t good this year. Let’s just get that out of the way.

However, this Arizona team should be able to finish no worse than fourth in a dismal conference.

Most of these Pac-12 games will be close, and will have fans recalling times when Deandre Ayton, Lauri Markkanen, made winning in conference as near a given as it could be.

This season isn’t going to bring much joy to fans, but fans should be wanting to see improvement over the season from guys that’ll most likely be back next season. Yes, I’m looking ahead to next season, but come February, most fans will be too. The Brandons will be the duo I’ll be tracking to see how they grow. I think they’ll be vital for UA next year.

Ezra Amacher — 11-7

With the anticipation of a question like this looming, I spent the last three weeks watching every Pac-12 team play at least once. The overall consensus from that brief study is that the conference would be lucky to field more than two teams in the NCAA Tournament, ASU being one of them. Arizona has the talent to win 13, maybe 14 games this year, but that would require at least a few lucky bounces and off nights from opponents.

The difference between a 13 win vs. an 11 win conference season will come down to whether Arizona can go 4-0 in California compared to splitting the Bay Area and southern California trips. I don’t have much faith in Arizona’s ability to sweep either one of those trips, and ultimately a loss to a Stanford or UCLA will be what dooms Arizona’s chances come Selection Sunday.

At 11-7, I think Arizona barely earns a crucial bye in the Pac-12 Tournament, where the Wildcats will almost certainly need to cut down the nets if they want to hear their name called come March 17.

Ryan Kelapire — 12-6

I guess I am more optimistic than most, but Arizona only playing USC, UCLA and Washington once will help them avoid an additional loss or two.

But I see Arizona losing to ASU, UCLA, Oregon, Oregon State, and Colorado on the road and then dropping one game at home, most likely to Washington, Oregon or ASU.

I think 13-5 is best-case scenario and 10-8 is worst-case scenario. And if the Wildcats go 12-6 as I predict, they will fail to make the NCAA Tournament unless, of course, they win the conference tournament.



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Friday, December 28, 2018

Jason Terry to join Pac-12 Networks as analyst

Terry becomes the latest former Wildcat to enter the broadcasting industry

The University of Arizona is a broadcaster’s program.

Former Arizona Wildcats guard Jason Terry will join the Pac-12 Networks as an analyst and make his debut Saturday on the Pac-12 Network Basketball Pregame Show at 11:30 a.m. MT, it was announced Friday.

Terry joins a long list of UA alumni to make their mark in the broadcasting industry, a list of which you can find below

This likely signals the end of Terry’s playing career. The 41-year-old said earlier in the month that he planned to retire from the NBA unless the Lakers, Mavericks, and Warriors offered him a contract.

The 19-year veteran spent the last two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks where he averaged 3.8 points across 125 games.

Terry was the No. 10 overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the 1999 NBA Draft and averaged 13.4 points per game across 1,410 career games. The Seattle native won a championship with the Mavericks in 2011 and was the Sixth Man of the Year in 2009.

Terry spent four seasons at the UA, helping the Wildcats capture their lone national championship in 1997. In 1999, he was Pac-10 Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American.



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What should Arizona women’s basketball expect in the Pac-12?

In a nutshell

After winding up the non-conference slate with a win against Northern Arizona, the Arizona Wildcats are staring down the next phase of their journey: Pac-12 play. It will be a huge step up in competition for a team that has played the No. 281 schedule in the country.

Arizona coach Adia Barnes isn’t worried about that, though. She has said several times that it was necessary for her young Wildcats to learn how to win in pre-conference precisely because they will be facing a difficult task once league play starts. Now, she thinks it’s time to rely on the defense and exceed expectations.

“It’s going to be really tough, but I think we can surprise some people,” Barnes said. “I think we can make some noise. We’re very capable. I think on any given night we can beat anybody. I really do, because I think our defense is one of the best in the Pac-12. Now, we have to consistently do that. We’re starting to create our identity, and now it’s doing that.

“But for me, the most important thing is that we don’t know how to win. So, learning how to win, getting that confidence was the most important thing for me in the non-conference. It wasn’t about who we played, playing ranked teams or not. It was about us getting better and finding our rhythm and learning and feeling good. And now we will take care of business, and I think we have a chance to surprise some people and do better than people anticipate.”

The Pac-12 currently has five ranked teams and another two receiving votes in the Associated Press poll. Two of those teams are ranked in the Top 10. National analysts have suggested that three teams have a legitimate shot at reaching the Final Four. The Pac-12 coaches are all ready for a fight.

“I definitely think we’re the best conference in the country, one through twelve, hands down” said Arizona State coach Charli Turner Thorne. “It’s going to be such a great, brutal Pac-12 season.”

Are the Wildcats prepared to face the top league in the country? How will things unfold for them?

Based strictly on “who’s better on paper” in each match-up, a reasonable expectation is that they will go 7-11 in conference. While that doesn’t sound encouraging, it’s a vast improvement from their 2-16 conference record last season and would put the Wildcats at 17-12 for the season. That would qualify them for the WNIT, giving them their first postseason appearance since Ify Ibekwe wore cardinal and navy in 2010-11.

“We have ways to go, we have to get better in the Pac-12,” Barnes said. “We’re going to learn real fast.”

Let’s get to know the teams they will be facing to find out why a 17-12 record is likely in Arizona’s future. The teams are listed in the order that Arizona will face them.

Breaking down the teams

Arizona State Sun Devils

What’s their record and who have they played?

The Sun Devils ended the non-conference slate at 9-2. Both losses were neutral-site games against teams ranked in the top five at the time. In the second game of the season, ASU lost to Baylor by six after leading in the first half. Later in November, they dropped a two-point game to Louisville at the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout in Las Vegas. They have played the No. 55 schedule in the country according to BennettRank.

Who are their top players?

All five Sun Devil starters are shooting better than 37% from the field, led by Charnea Johnson-Chapman at 54.5%. Johnson-Chapman also leads the team in rebounding with 6.9 per contest.

Courtney Ekmark is their strongest outside shooter. She leads the team with 23 made threes on 37% shooting from beyond the arc.

What are their strengths?

The Sun Devils take very good care of the ball, ranking eighth in assist-to-turnover ration. They also rank in the top 20 in opponents’ points per game, defensive rebound rate, total rebound rate, and turnovers per game.

What are their rankings?

ASU is ranked No. 17 in the AP poll and No. 18 in the USA Today/WBCA poll. They are No. 24 in the RPI. The coaches predicted they would finish fifth in the Pac-12 preseason poll.

When do they play and how can you watch?

Arizona will kick off the Pac-12 season at home against ASU on Dec. 30 at 5 p.m. MST. The Wildcats will face the Sun Devils again on Feb. 1 at Wells Fargo Arena. That game will start at 6 p.m. Both games will be televised on Pac-12 Arizona. Fans can also follow along via Arizona Live Stats.

What are Arizona’s chances?

ASU has shown that they are competitive against the top echelon of women’s college basketball. It’s probably too early to expect the Wildcats to upset them. The Sun Devils won both games by 24+ points last season. While Arizona got better, ASU did, too. Competing well and closing the gap would be a positive going forward. Doing so in the first match-up is especially important, since this will be the first big test of the season for Arizona. Prediction: 0-2

Colorado Buffaloes

What’s their record and who have they played?

The Buffaloes went 10-1 in the lead-up to Pac-12 play. Their lone loss came in Coral Gables, Fl against the Miami Hurricanes. The Hurricanes were ranked No. 20 and 21 in the polls at the time. Colorado’s schedule is ranked No. 212 according to BennetRank.

Who are their top players?

Kennedy Leonard is leading the Buffaloes in both scoring (13.9 points per game) and assists (7.3 per game). The senior guard is second all-time for Colorado in assists, and is shooting over 35% from three. She ranks seventh in the country in assists per game this season and 26th in steals (3.2 per game).

Mya Hollingshed is pacing the Buffaloes in rebounding with 7.3 per game, and comes just behind Leonard in scoring at 12 points per game on 50% shooting. She is also accounting for 0.6 blocks per contest.

What are their strengths?

Colorado has excelled on the defensive end of the court. They rank in the top 50 in opponent field goal percentage, steal rate, and opponents assist-to-turnover ratio. They are also effective on the boards, pulling down 15.9 rebounds per game (28th in the country) and 44.3 total rebounds per game (23rd in the country).

What are their rankings?

The Buffaloes are No. 44 in RPI. They were picked to finish ninth in the preseason poll, one spot above Arizona.

When do they play and how can you watch?

The Wildcats will travel to Boulder on Jan. 4. The game gets started at 7 p.m. MST and can be viewed on Colorado Live Stream. The return game will be played at McKale Center on Feb. 17 at noon. It will be aired on the Pac-12 Networks. As with all Arizona games, fans can follow along on Arizona Live Stats.

What are Arizona’s chances?

The teams split their games last season, each winning at home. Arizona is a much better team than the one that lost in Boulder by 19. They also have more quality depth, although they only have a roster of 10 now. The Wildcats have nine players who can play meaningful minutes if they are called on. They should take at least one, and have a decent shot at sweeping the Buffs this season. The biggest thing in Colorado’s favor might be the altitude rather than the team. Prediction: 2-0

Utah Utes

What’s their record and who have they played?

The Utes are a perfect 11-0 going into conference play, but that record comes against the No. 276 strength of schedule. Only Arizona had a lower strength of schedule in the conference. The Utes’ best wins were against Alabama (8-5) and BYU (8-3).

Who are their top players?

Utah has a strong class of freshmen. They’ve won the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week four times this season, with three of those going to forward Dre’Una Edwards. Edwards is ninth in the conference in rebounding, securing 8.4 per game. She also averages 12.4 points per game on 51.8% shooting.

But the team relies on senior Megan Huff, who is playing in her second season since transferring from Hawai’i. Huff is fifth in the conference with nine rebounds per game. She backs that up with 20.4 points per game, good for fourth in the Pac-12. She was an All Pac-12 performer last season.

What are their strengths?

The Utes are strong shooters. They rank in the top 20 in field goal percentage (47.9%), free throw percentage (79.7%), 2-point percentage (54.1%), effective field goal percentage (54.4%), points per scoring attempt (1.15), and points per play (0.96). They are also in the top 40 in 3-point percentage (36.6%).

What are their rankings?

Utah is No. 85 in RPI. They were selected No. 8 in the preseason conference poll.

When do they play and how can you watch?

The Wildcats visit the Utes on Jan. 6 at noon MST. The game will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks. The return visit will take place in McKale Center on Feb. 15 at 6 p.m. MST. It can be viewed on Arizona Live Stream.

What are Arizona’s chances?

Arizona lost big in both games last season. With a much-improved roster this year, they stand a solid chance of at least splitting. Like Arizona, Utah is untested, so it isn’t easy to determine how good either team really is. Prediction: 1-1

California Golden Bears

What’s their record and who have they played?

The Golden Bears are 9-1 with their only loss coming against the nation’s No. 1 team, Connecticut. Their schedule ranks No. 26 in the land. They still have one more non-conference game to play, with a contest against Harvard scheduled for Dec. 30.

Who are their top players?

When talking about Cal, the focus will always be on Kristine Anigwe. The senior leads the league with 13.7 rebounds per game. She also accounts for 1.7 blocks per game. Her 17 blocks are good for second in the Pac-12. She’s tops on the team with 10 steals this season, good for 1.0 per game. In scoring, she trails only Arizona’s Aari McDonald with 22.2 points per game. She is efficient, as well, shooting 61.8% from the field.

Anigwe is followed closely by Asha Thomas. Thomas averages 11.2 points per game on 42.1% shooting. She has 19 made 3-point shots this season while shooting 39.6% from distance. She’s second on the team with 36 assists against only 13 turnovers. She’s also second on the team with eight steals.

What are their strengths?

As Anigwe’s stats would suggest, Cal is tough on the defensive boards and inside shooting. The team ranks in the top 50 in overall field goal percentage (44.4%) and 2-point field goal percentage (50.9%). They are also in the top 20 in defensive rebounding with 30.6 per game. They have a defensive rebound rate of 73%.

What are their rankings?

The Golden Bears are ranked No. 14 by the Associated Press and No. 13 in the USA Today/WBCA poll. They are No. 7 in the RPI. The Pac-12 preseason poll pegged them at fourth in the conference.

When do they play and how can you watch?

Cal comes to Tucson on Jan. 11 for a 7 p.m. game. That game will air on the Pac-12 Networks. The return game in Berkeley will be at 3 p.m. MST on Feb. 24. It will be streamed on Cal Live Stream.

What are Arizona’s chances?

The Wildcats barely lost to Cal by a score of 53-51 in Tucson last season. The Golden Bears destroyed Arizona when the game was held in Berkeley. California will likely win both of these, but they should be closer to the scoreline at McKale than the one in Haas Pavilion. Prediction: 0-2

Stanford Cardinal

What’s their record and who have they played?

The Cardinal stand at 9-1 with one game to go in their non-conference season. Oh, yeah...two of the last three games were wins over top 10 opponents. They have faced the tenth-ranked schedule in the nation, which is tops in the Pac-12.

Their lone loss came on the road against Gonzaga. Tara VanDerveer’s team rebounded to beat No. 3 Baylor and No. 9 Tennessee in the next two contests. The Tennessee win came on the road.

Who are their top players?

The Cardinal have four players averaging double-digit scoring. They are led by Alanna Smith with 19.4 points per game. She also averages 1.1 steals and 1.7 blocks per game. Smith is shooting 58.5% from the field, including 50.9% from three. She’s also second on the team with 6.7 rebounds per game.

Smith is followed by Kiana Williams with 14.3 points per game, DiJonai Carrington with 11.6, and Lexie Hull with 10.7.

What are their strengths?

As a team, the Cardinal shoot very well. They are in the top 15 in the country in field goal percentage, 3-point shooting percentage, effective field goal percentage, points per scoring attempt, and points per play. They are just outside the top 20 in 2-point shooting percentage.

They are also strong on the defensive boards, ranking fourth in the nation in defensive rebounding rate and No. 19 in total rebounding rate.

Stanford is also deep. They have a roster of 14 players. Nine of those have played in all 10 games. Another has appeared in nine contests and two more have seven appearances. Ten of the 14 players average over 10 minutes per contest.

What are their rankings?

The Cardinal are No. 6 according to the AP and No. 8 according to the coaches. RPI places them fourth. They were selected to finish second in the conference, although ESPN analyst Deb Antonelli said that, along with Oregon and Oregon State, they are one of three Pac-12 teams that have the potential to reach the Final Four.

When do they play and how can you watch?

The Cardinal come to McKale Center on Jan. 13 at noon MST. That game will air on the Pac-12 Networks. The Wildcats go to Maples on Feb. 22 for a 8 p.m. MST game. That game will stream on Stanford Live Stream.

What are Arizona’s chances?

When the Arizona program was at its peak, they were able to challenge the Cardinal. That hasn’t been the case in almost 15 years, though. The Wildcats will likely lose both match-ups with Stanford, but they are building a program that can once again challenge the best teams in the conference. Prediction: 0-2

Oregon State Beavers

What’s their record and who have they played?

The Beavers played the No. 70 schedule in the pre-season, going 9-2 on the way. They still have one game to go before starting Pac-12 play, but they have faced several major conference foes already. They went 1-1 against No. 25 South Carolina (a 70-68 win) and No. 2 Notre Dame (a 91-81 loss) in Vancouver, BC.

Who are their top players?

Redshirt sophomore Destiny Slocum is playing in her first Pac-12 season after transferring from Maryland. She’s leading the Beavers in scoring with 15 per game. She’s shooting 43.3% from outside. She aslo leads the team in assists with 5.4 per game.

Mikayla Pivec is the team’s leading rebounder with 9.1 per game. She is second on the team in scoring with 12.9 points per game on a 52.8% shooting percentage.

What are their strengths?

Oregon State has seven players who have taken at least 50 shots this season. They all shoot at least 41.3% from the field. In fact, 41.3% is the lowest shooting percentage on the team, with all eleven players who have taken a shot besting that percentage.

They are first in the country in 3-point shooting percentage at 43.4%, and they are second at effective field goal with a percentage of 58.2%. They are top 10 in overall shooting percentage (49.8%), points per scoring attempt (1.19), and points per play (0.99).

What are their rankings?

Both the AP and the coaches have the Beavers at No. 11. They are No. 55 in the RPI. The Pac-12 coaches predicted that they would finish third in the conference.

When do they play and how can you watch?

Arizona will visit Gill Coliseum on Jan. 18 for a 8 p.m. MST tip-off. That game will not be televised or streamed, but you can listen to it and follow along on Arizona Live Stats. The Beavers will play in Tucson on Mar. 3 at 3 p.m. MST. That match-up will be aired live on the Pac-12 Networks.

What are Arizona’s chances?

In January, Oregon State will be the second of three straight games the Wildcats play against teams with Final Four potential. The Wildcats lost by 40 and 25 points in the two games last season. The Beavers might be even better this year, especially with Slocum playing like she is. Don’t expect Arizona to take one off OSU. Prediction: 0-2

Oregon Ducks

What is their record and who have they played?

The Ducks enter Pac-12 play at 11-1. Their lone loss of the season came at Michigan State. They have victories over two teams who were ranked at the time they played: No. 18 Syracuse and No. 4 Mississippi State. Both of those wins came in Eugene. With the No. 14 strength of schedule, they have played the third-toughest slate in the Pac-12.

Who are their top players?

Sabrina Ionescu was an All-American last year. Ruthy Hebard was All Pac-12. Both returned for the 2018-19 Ducks.

Ionescu is scoring 20.2 points per game, good for 26th in the country and fifth in the conference. She is first with 8.5 assists per game. She shoots over 54.7% from 3-point land, which places her second in the Pac-12.

Hebard is seventh in the conference with 8.5 rebounds per game. She is second on the team in scoring with 16.8 points per game.

What are their strengths?

Shooting, shooting and more shooting. Oregon ranks first in Division I in free throw percentage, effective field goal percentage, points per scoring attempt, and points per play. They are second in the country in 2-point shooting percentage, eighth in 3-point percentage, and fourth in overall shooting percentage.

They are the number one team in assist-to-turnover ratio, and come in at No. 5 in assists.

What are their rankings?

The AP and the coaches both have the Ducks at No. 5, while the RPI puts them third. The preseason Pac-12 poll placed them first in the conference.

When do they play and how can you watch?

The Pac-12 Networks will air the Oregon-Arizona game in Eugene on Jan. 20 at 1 p.m. MST. The two teams will again appear on the Pac-12 Networks when Oregon comes to McKale Center on Mar. 1 at 8 p.m. for both teams’ final regular season game.

What are Arizona’s chances?

Early in the season, this will be the third straight game Arizona plays against a team said to have Final Four potential. Oregon won 62-44 in Eugene last year, then followed it up with a 74-61 victory to secure the regular season crown in Tucson. The Wildcats are unlikely to take either game off the Ducks this season, either. They can show that they are progressing by keeping it in single digits, especially when Oregon comes to Tucson at the end of the season. Prediction 0-2

Southern California Women of Troy

What is their record and who have they played?

The Women of Troy wound up the non-conference at 10-1 against the No. 156 schedule in the country. They played only one major conference team—Texas A&M—and lost to them by 20 points. Like the Wildcats, USC’s pre-conference record doesn’t tell us much about the team.

Who are their top players?

Also like Arizona, USC is working in transfers this season. Mariya Moore spent three years at Louisville before transferring to USC to play with her younger sister, Minyon. The elder Moore scored over 1,000 points in her three years with the Cardinals. At USC, she trails her sister, but she’s still scoring in double digits.

The Minyon Moore leads USC with 14.9 points per game. Mariya is third on the team with 12.3. In between the two, they have Aliyah Mazyck scoring 12.7 per game.

Shalexxus Aaron leads the conference in 3-point percentage. The redshirt freshman has made 21 of the 36 long-distance shots she has attempted, good for a 58.3% shooting percentage from beyond the arc.

What are their strengths?

Despite playing a weak non-conference schedule, the Women of Troy aren’t statisctically dominant in any particular area of the game. The best part of their game has been limiting their opponents’ rebounding. They rank 20th in opponents’ offensive rebounding and 21st in opponents’ total rebounding per game.When

What are their rankings?

USC sits at No. 39 in the RPI. They were chosen seventh in the Pac-12 preseason poll.

When do they play and how can you watch?

Because of the unbalanced schedule, the two teams meet only once this season. The Women of Troy will come to McKale on Jan. 25. The game will air live on the Pac-12 Networks at 7 p.m. MST.

What are Arizona’s chances?

After losing on the road in the teams’ only game last season, the Wildcats stand a very good chance of returning the favor this season. Both teams have played uninspiring out-of-conference schedules, but USC has had a few close calls to go with their lone loss. Prediction 1-0

UCLA Bruins

What is their record and who have they played?

The Bruins have are sitting just above .500 as conference season starts. They emerged from the No. 13 schedule with a 6-5 record. Things started off on the wrong foot with UCLA dropping their opener to Loyola Marymount. The Lions would also beat Arizona, proving that they’re not afraid of Pac-12 competition. The Bruins have played only three teams outside the major conferences, and they lost a one-point overtime game against No. 18 Kentucky. They have definitely been tested coming into conference play.

Who are their top players?

The Bruins have three players averaging in double digits: Michaela Onyenwere (15.4 points per game), Kennedy Burke (14.7), and Japreece Dean (13.0). Onyenwere is also second on the team in rebounds, accounting for 8.5 boards per game. Onyenwere and Burke are just outside the top 10 in the conference, placing at No. 11 and No. 13 in points per game.

What are their strengths?

UCLA is tough on the offensive glass. They rank No. 3 in the country in offensive rebounds per game and No. 2 in offensive rebound rate. They are 4th in Division I in total offensive rebounds.

What are their rankings?

The Bruins sit at No. 49 in RPI. They were picked to place sixth in the conference.

When do they play and how can you watch?

The teams will meet only once this season—Jan. 27 at 2 p.m. MST at McKale Center. It will be streamed on Arizona Live Stream and stats will be available on Arizona Live Stats.

What are Arizona’s chances?

The Bruins won 69-46 last season. That UCLA team was ranked No. 8 and had a future WNBA champion on the roster. Not only is Arizona greatly improved, but they won’t be meeting that team in Tucson this season. Arizona won’t blow out the Bruins, but they stand a good chance of beating them this year. Prediction 1-0

Washington Huskies

What is their record and who have they played?

The Huskies are 7-5. They have played some major conference teams, including No. 4 Mississippi State, giving them the No. 59 schedule in the country. The problem is that they haven’t done much against those teams. They also sport losses to Fordham, Tulane and Boise State.

Who are their top players?

Washington has two players averaging double digits: Amber Melgoza (18.5) and Missy Peterson (10.4). Melgoza is also their second-leading rebounder with 5.3 per game.

What are their strengths?

The Huskies are a team in rebuild mode. During media day, they were primarily asked about the WNBA championship of the Seattle Storm rather than the prospects for their season. Their season stats bear out why.

Washington ranks 100 or lower in most major statistical categories. Their strongest two are free throw percentage, where they are 48th in the nation, and 2-point shooting percentage (55th in the nation).

What are their rankings?

The Huskies were picked to finish last in the conference. They are currently ranked No. 100 in the RPI.

When do they play and how can you watch?

Arizona and Washington will meet only once this season. The Feb. 7 game will tip off at 8 p.m. MST in Seattle. It will be streamed on Washington’s Live Stream.

What are Arizona’s chances?

The most difficult part of the match-up for Arizona will be that it’s on the road. The Wildcats won lost year in Tucson, nudging past the Huskies by a score of 72-70. They should repeat the victory this season. Prediction: 1-0

Washington State Cougars

What’s their record and who have they played?

The Cougars will enter Pac-12 play at 5-6. They are the only conference team with a losing record. They have played the No. 27 schedule in the country, including a loss at then-No. 24 Gonzaga. The problem is that they have also lost to a number of mid-majors.

Who are their top players?

First year head coach Kamie Ethridge is dealing with a shifting roster that often occurs after a coaching change. Borislava Hristova leads the Cougars in scoring with 21.8 points per game. That trails only Aari McDonald and Kristine Anigwe in the Pac-12.

Maria Kostourkova is the team’s leading rebounder. Her 9.5 boards per game tie her with Arizona’s Cate Reese for second in the conference.

What are their strengths?

The Cougars are definitely at their best when shooting the ball. They are No. 44 in the country with a 44.7% shooting percentage. They are 35th in 3-point shooting percentage at 36.7%. Their effective field goal shooting percentage is 50.9%, placing them 41st in Division I.

What are their rankings?

After playing 11 games, WSU is No. 138 in the RPI. They were picked to finish 11th in the Pac-12 this season.

What are Arizona’s chances?

Just like Washington, the strongest advantage Washington State has in this game is home-court advantage. Arizona should be able to overcome that and repay the Cougars for their victory in Tucson last season. Prediction: 1-0



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Thursday, December 27, 2018

Colin Schooler’s strong sophomore year recognized by Pro Football Focus

When Colin Schooler wasn’t listed on the Pac-12’s All-Conference team, only getting an honorable mention nod, it seemed like a major snub. Same goes for his complete absence from Pro Football Focus’ all-Pac-12 team.

But more than a month after the 2018 regular season ended, PFF took time out on Twitter to note how much of an impact Schooler had for the Arizona Wildcats this fall:

Schooler was second in the Pac-12 with 21.5 tackles for loss, the most by an Arizona player since Scooby Wright had 29 in 2014. The sophomore also had 119 tackles, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions and a forced fumble.



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7 questions facing Arizona entering Pac-12 play

Christmas has passed, which means it is time for the Arizona Wildcats to begin Pac-12 play. They are scheduled to host the Colorado on Jan. 3 to kick of their conference slate.

Before then, let’s take a look at some of the burning questions surrounding the Wildcats.

Can Arizona avoid bad losses?

Racking up four nonconference losses, Arizona (9-4) left itself little room for error heading into Pac-12 play, likely needing to win 13 or more conference games to reach the NCAA Tournament.

The reason that many wins is necessary is because not only does the Pac-12 lack top-tier teams (only ASU is ranked), it features several teams that are downright bad. Stanford, Cal, Utah and Washington State all place in the 100s in KenPom’s ratings. (For reference, the Big 12 and ACC only have two teams combined that rank that poorly.)

Usually, Arizona waltzes past those teams without any problems, but the Wildcats’ nail-biter against UC Davis showed they are capable of losing to anyone on any given night in any given venue this season. And if the Wildcats are going to earn an at-large NCAA bid, their resume has to be devoid of bad losses since it won’t have many quality wins.

Therefore, Arizona’s path to the NCAA Tournament (aside from winning the conference tourey) is to beat the bad Pac-12 teams and avoid being swept by ASU, Oregon, Washington and UCLA.

Usually, the key for a successful conference season is to sweep at home and split on the road. But dropping a game on, say, the Bay Area road trip this year could be extremely costly.

Will Brandon Williams start making shots?

Williams got off to such a sensational start with the Wildcats, but has quietly cratered since.

The freshman is Arizona’s third-leading scorer, at 11.1 PPG, but with shooting percentages that will made you shudder. He shooting just 34.4 percent from the field and 27 percent from 3.

The problem, and it is a big reason why Arizona ranks 103rd in the country on offense, is he is taking a lot of shots, sitting second on the team in field goal attempts.

Arizona either needs Williams to starting shooting better or take on a different role, perhaps as a distributor, an area of his game that has been better than expected.

Williams has posted a team-high 48 assists to just 20 turnovers.

Will Justin Coleman start taking more shots?

Coleman has been the polar opposite of Williams in that he is shooting a high percentage, but probably not taking enough shots. Coleman has a terrific .467/.419/.844 shooting line, but is fourth on the team in both field goal attempts and 3-point attempts.

Coleman averaged over 20 PPG in the Maui Invitational, but has only scored in double figures once since. The senior has fewer assists and a lower assist-to-turnover ratio than Williams, so it might make sense for the Wildcats to swap their roles, allowing Coleman to focus on his scoring and Williams to prioritize his passing.

Will Chase Jeter and Brandon Randolph stay consistent?

Jeter has anchored Arizona on both sides of the court, providing heady interior defense and the team’s lone post presence. The big man has scored in double figures in 10 of 13 games this season, exceeding the expectations many had for him when he transferred from Duke.

But will he keep it up against Pac-12 big men, who aren’t that great but are still better than most of the post players UA faced in non-conference?

Meanwhile, Randolph has scored in double figures every game this season, a pretty remarkable streak that could be challenging to continue knowing Pac-12 defenses will be keying in on him.

Can Arizona lean on its defense?

Before being dismantled by UC Davis, Arizona’s defense ranked 22nd in the country, its best mark since the 2014-15 season.

Knowing how inconsistent the offense is, it seems like the Wildcats are going to have to be a team that wins ugly, outlasting teams in low-scoring defensive battles. To do that, though, they will have to play with high effort all the time and rebound when they force misses. Both have surfaced as problems lately, the latter more so.

The Wildcats’ offense now ranks 39th in the country — a decent mark that is second-best in the conference — but if they can crack back into the Top 25, they will be a team that no one in the Pac-12 will look forward to playing.

Will the bench be productive?

It has been a struggle for Arizona to get consistent production out of its non-starters, so it would be a big help if at least one of the reserves broke out in the second half of the season.

Ira Lee capped off nonconference play with two solid games, so maybe it will be him. Or maybe it will be Dylan Smith, who is a jump shot away from being a quality 3-and-D wing.

Maybe Ryan Luther will look more like the guy who averaged a double-double at Pitt last season. Maybe Devonaire Doutrive will finally get regular playing time and make the most of it.

It doesn’t have to be scoring, either. Even just a consistent boost on the glass from Luther or Lee will be helpful.

Is Arizona’s shooting due for a progression to the mean?

The Wildcats are shooting 32.6 percent from 3, Miller’s worst 3-point shooting team ever, including his Xavier days. The weird part is this team was thought to be a pretty solid shooting team heading into the season.

However, only Coleman (.419) has hit 3s at a high percentage this year. Guys like Randolph (.339), Williams (.269) and Smith (.304) are all below where most people figured they would be, while Emmanuel Akot is struggling as well (.263).

Luther was having trouble with his shot too, but upped his percentage to .375 after sinking two triples against UC Davis, and perhaps others will follow suit. Even becoming an average 3-point shooting team (34 percent) would be a big development for this team.

One adjustment Arizona made recently is it is trying to rely less on 3s. The Wildcats only hoisted 12 against Montana and 18 against UC Davis, well below their season average of 22.

Maybe being more selective will help them be more efficient, but it didn’t in those games. Arizona was 2 for 12 against Montana and 6 for 18 against UC Davis.

Another thing to track: Arizona’s opponents also progressing to the mean. They are only shooting 28.3 percent from behind the arc against the Wildcats, more than five percent below the Division I average.

While you would like to credit Arizona’s defense for that, there is probably some luck involved as well — or maybe McKale is just a tough place to shoot.



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Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Nick Foles named NFC Offensive Player of the Week

The legend of Nick Foles continues to ascend to new heights.

The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week on Wednesday after throwing for a franchise-record 471 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception in the Eagles’ 32-30 win over the Houston Texans last Sunday.

The Arizona product engineered a game-winning drive, setting up a 35-yard field goal by Jake Elliott as time expired.

The Eagles are 2-0 since Foles took over for starting quarterback Carson Wentz, who is sidelined with a back injury. Under Foles, the Eagles have beaten the Texans and Los Angeles Rams, who have a combined 22-8 record.

The Eagles (8-7) are currently on the outside looking in for the playoffs heading into Week 17, but they have a decent shot of squeaking in as a Wild Card team. Philadelphia needs to beat the slumping Washington Redskins, then have the Chicago Bears beat the Minnesota Vikings.



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