Thursday, February 28, 2019

3 up, 3 down in Arizona’s buzzer-beating win at Oregon State

The Arizona Wildcats won a thriller in Corvallis on Thursday, using a Devonaire Doutrive buzzer beater to capture a 74-72 road victory.

Our full recap can be found here, and here are some positive and negative takeaways.

3 Up

Devonaire Doutrive

The freshman from Dallas had his most impactful game of his UA career, and boy did it come at the perfect time for the Wildcats.

Doutrive hit the game-winner after following up on Justin Coleman’s jumper that hit the front rim, and flipped it in right before the buzzer to secure the win.

That might have been his second-best finish of the night, as his putback dunk earlier in the second half was as vicious as they come. Doutrive finished with nine points on a perfect 4-for-4 from the field.

Brandon Williams’ confidence

It was great to see the freshman guard get off to a good start after seeing some time on the sideline earlier this month. Hitting back-to-back 3s early in the first half was a welcome sight.

Even though Williams fouled out, his aggressiveness on defense with a tender knee is a welcome sign, as Arizona is going to need all the help they can get down this home stretch of the season. Williams finished with 10 points on 3 for 8 shooting.

Brandon Randolph’s almost dunk

In what was an overall tough game to watch on both sides, seeing Brandon Randolph chase down a rebound and soar through the air only to see the referee call it dead just a half second before the sophomore guard could throw it down.

Randolph finished with 15 points on an incredibly efficient 7 of 8 shooting, with most of those being tough or contested shots and looked like the player he showed during the first half of the season.

3 Down

Injuries

Chase Jeter and Oregon State don’t have the best relationship. The Duke transfer came up limping after an awkward collision with Tres Tinkle midway through the second half, leaving Arizona limited with options in the frontcourt, a position they are already thin at.

Brandon Randolph also took a nasty head-to-head bump and came up with a bloody lip. Still, Arizona battled and came out of Corvallis with a win.

The referees

I’m not one to hate on referees. Actually, who am I kidding, I can’t stand them. The performance that the zebras tried to get in the way of tonight was reprehensible, and slowed down the game and prevented the game from getting into any kind of flow.

Both teams were almost in the bonus five minutes into the second half, and the excessive whistles prevented both teams from fielding its best lineups down the stretch. A shame.

Arizona’s defense

I feel like I’m nitpicking tonight’s performance a little by mentioning the defense, but Oregon State did shoot almost 50 percent from the field. And if I saw another Arizona player go under a screen, I was going to pull my hair out. Arizona outrebounded the Beavers by 16, and was all around decent defensively, but I’m being picky.



from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2IIcex2
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 10:14 PM   0 Comments

Devonaire Doutrive’s buzzer beater propels Arizona past Oregon State

Devonaire Doutrive made a putback at the buzzer as the Arizona Wildcats outlasted the Oregon State Beavers 74-72 on Thursday in Corvallis.

The freshman darted into the paint as Justin Coleman rose for a contested fadeaway, jumped, collected the rebound and laid it in for the game-winning basket.

It was a gutsy win for the Wildcats, who lost Chase Jeter to a left knee injury midway through the second half while Brandon Williams and Ryan Luther fouled out in the last few minutes of the period.

UA (17-12, 8-8) has now won three straight, catching fire as the Pac-12 Tournament approaches, though Jeter’s status will certainly be worth monitoring moving forward. The center got tangled up while defending a Tres Tinkle drive.

Brandon Randolph scored 15 points, making a couple big buckets down the stretch.

Oregon State’s Big 3 of Tinkle and the Thompson brothers combined for 59 points. Stephen Thompson Jr., who finished with 17, made a layup to tie it with 24 seconds left, setting the stage for Doutrive’s heroics.

Doutrive finished with nine points and had a tip slam to put UA up 62-60, but then made a freshman mistake by fouling Ethan Thompson on a 3-point attempt. The Beavers guard sank all three to give OSU a 65-62 lead with 5:21 left.

Luther drained a triple to bring the Wildcats within one with 4:12 left and Doutrive drove for a layup to tie it at 68 with 3:02 to play. Randolph then scored twice to give UA a 72-70 lead, erased by Thompson’s layup.

Williams played 20 minutes off the bench and came out hot out of the gate, scoring eight first-half points and draining a pair of 3s.

However, the freshman picked up his third foul with three seconds left in the first half and fouled out with 3:58 left in regulation, finishing with 11 points.

This story will be updated.



from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2H9gNha
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 8:34 PM   0 Comments

Chase Jeter exits with apparent knee injury vs. Oregon State

Bad things happen when Chase Jeter plays Oregon State.

When the Arizona Wildcats battled the Beavers on Jan. 19, Jeter was undercut by Tres Tinkle while leaping for a rebound and took a hard fall, causing the UA center to suffer back spasms that sidelined him for two games.

Thursday, Arizona faced Oregon State again and Jeter exited in the second half with an apparent left knee injury after getting tangled up with, you guessed it, Tres Tinkle.

Jeter needed assistance getting to the bench and eventually headed to the locker room. He briefly returned to the game with 7:46 left in the second half sporting a heavy knee brace, but was quickly removed after looking uncomfortable.

This story will be updated.



from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2H9dhDu
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 7:54 PM   0 Comments

Arizona softball powers past Drake

Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza

The Wildcats blasted three homers and Taylor McQuillin tossed a shutout

The Drake Bulldogs came into Hillenbrand Stadium riding a five-game winning streak despite having yet to play a home game this season. Close losses against top-25 teams like Auburn and Arkansas proved that they were not to be taken lightly.

The Arizona Wildcats were up to the task, taking a 4-0 victory on the strength of 10 hits and three homers. Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza hit her sixth of the year and Dejah Mulipola blasted her fifth. T Statman launched her third round-tripper of the season.

Taylor McQuillin (4-4) threw a complete game shutout, giving up only two hits in seven innings. The lefty struck out 10 and walked four.

After two-and-a-half uneventful innings, the Wildcats got on the board with a vengeance in the bottom of the third. With one out, Palomino-Cardoza sent a solo shot out to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead. Reyna Carranco followed with a single to keep the rally going. After a groundout by Jessie Harper,

Mulipola stepped in to send a towering shot just over the right-center fence for the 3-0 lead.

Statman smacked a solo shot to center in the sixth to cap the scoring. The senior designated player is hitting .529 in 17 at-bats this season. She also singled in the second.

Missouri transfer Rylee Pierce had two base knocks, matching her season total.

This story will be updated.



from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2H4oDZH
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 6:59 PM   0 Comments

Arizona vs. Oregon State game thread

It’s game day!

The Arizona Wildcats (16-12, 7-8 Pac-12) begin their final road trip of the season with a visit to the Oregon State Beavers (17-9, 9-5) on Thursday night.

Arizona beat OSU 82-71 at home on Jan. 19, a game that saw junior center Chase Jeter leave early with a back injury that would keep him out for the following two contests.

Here is all the information you need to tune in and we will be chatting about the game in the comment section below.

Join us!

Arizona-Oregon State game time, details:

Date: Thursday, Feb. 28

Time: 7 p.m. MST

Location: Gill Coliseum, Corvallis, Ore.

Line: Oregon State -4

Which TV channel is Arizona-Oregon State on?

Arizona-Oregon State will be televised on the Pac-12 Network.

How can I watch Arizona-Oregon State online?

The stream of Arizona-Oregon State can be viewed on Pac-12.com

How can I listen to Arizona-Oregon State on the radio?

You can listen to Arizona-Oregon State on the Arizona IMG Sports Network.

How can I follow the game?

By following us on Twitter at @AZDesertSwarm. Be sure to like us on Facebook too!

Pregame coverage



from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2Xuk2pq
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 5:39 PM   0 Comments

Breaking down the Beavers: Q&A with Building the Dam

What should Arizona expect from Oregon State this time around?

The Arizona Wildcats are in Corvallis on Thursday to rematch the Oregon State Beavers, who they beat in January in McKale Center.

We wanted to get more info on the Beavers before Part 2 of this series, so we asked our friends at Building The Dam for some insight.

Here is our Q&A with John Severs.

How has Oregon State changed since the last time Arizona has faced them?

I don’t think the team has changed that much since the trip to Arizona. Scoring is still centered around the team’s big three of Tres Tinkle, Stephen Thompson Jr., and Ethan Thompson. Kylor Kelley is still a great defender. The team still struggles to get much of a contribution from the bench. If there’s been a change since when they played the Wildcats, I would say it’s that most of the scoring is coming from Stevie rather than Tres.

At 9-5 in Pac-12 play, is it accurate to say Oregon State has exceeded expectations this year?

I would say so. Most preseason prognosticators had the Beavers finishing around 9 or 10 in the Pac-12, so being in third at the moment does feel like a huge achievement. In addition, any season where you sweep the Ducks feels great. Still, it’s hard to feel like if they’d been just a little better in a few moments (not losing to UCLA by one, the terrible loss to Stanford) then the team could be looking at a return to the NCAA Tournament.

KenPom currently lists Tres Tinkle as its Pac-12 Player of the Year. What makes him such a special player?

I think Matisse Thybulle is probably still of the favorite for that award, but Tinkle absolutely belongs in the conversation. I think what makes Tres special is his versatility, and the team focused nature of his game. Tinkle is an excellent three-point shooter, but is also adept at finding his way to the post. Not only is he a threat to score anywhere on the court, he’s also the team leader in assists. His ability find open looks for both Thompson brothers has been huge this season. He also leads the team in rebounding and steals. Tinkle doesn’t just do everything, he does everything very well.

This is Stephen Thompson Jr.’s final homestand as a Beaver. What kind of legacy will he leave behind?

Stevie is definitely going out on top. This is the best year the team has had in quite awhile, and Thompson’s performance down the stretch has been incredible. He’s shooting over 50%, and scoring nearly 20 points a game. It’s hard to say what his legacy will be yet. The Beavers have only made one trip to the postseason in his time with his team, but that’s not on Thompson. By the end of the season he’ll be a top 5 all time scorer for the Beavers, so I think his place in Oregon State history is secure.

What are the keys to this game for Oregon State?

Oregon State’s defense has struggled in the last few games, and in the first game Arizona’s three point shooting and offensive rebounding buried the Beavers. I would expect the guard matchup to be very important, so if Brandon Williams is 100% that could be huge for the Wildcats. The match-up in the post is going to be completely different from game one, with Ira Lee’s emergence changing a lot of the defensive math for Oregon State. I imagine he’d be Tinkle’s responsibility most of the time. I’d expect the Beaver’s to be in a 1-3-1 zone, but they’re flexible.

On offense, I think they’re going to work on getting Stephen Thompson Jr.’s game going. In the first game, Arizona essentially shut him down, only allowing him seven points. He’s hot lately, so at the very least he should do better than that first performance. Tres Tinkle and Ethan Thompson carried the team in game one, and I think for the Beavers to win game 2 has to be more rounded.

What is your score prediction?

The first time we did a Q&A I thought Arizona and Oregon State would split the season series, and I’m still kind of leaning in that direction, but it’ll be close. I’ll take the Beavers 71-68.

Bonus: What are some things Arizona fans should do in Corvallis?

Man, I’m old, I don’t know what to do if you’re in town visiting. Go to the Angry Beaver on 4th Street and play Metallica Pinball and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 with me.



from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2Vxf9Kx
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 12:09 PM   0 Comments

Arizona vs. Oregon State: Game time, TV channel, odds, how to watch online

It’s game day!

The Arizona Wildcats (16-12, 7-8 Pac-12) begin their final road trip of the season with a visit to the Oregon State Beavers (17-9, 9-5) on Thursday night.

Arizona beat OSU 82-71 at home on Jan. 19, a game that saw junior center Chase Jeter leave early with a back injury that would keep him out for the following two contests.

You can read our preview of the game here, and below is all the information you need to tune in.

Arizona-Oregon State game time, details:

Date: Thursday, Feb. 28

Time: 7 p.m. MST

Location: Gill Coliseum, Corvallis, Ore.

Line: Oregon State -4

Which TV channel is Arizona-Oregon State on?

Arizona-Oregon State will be televised on the Pac-12 Network.

How can I watch Arizona-Oregon State online?

The stream of Arizona-Oregon State can be viewed on Pac-12.com

How can I listen to Arizona-Oregon State on the radio?

You can listen to Arizona-Oregon State on the Arizona IMG Sports Network.

How can I follow the game?

By following us on Twitter at @AZDesertSwarm. Be sure to like us on Facebook too!

Pregame coverage



from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2IKKyr9
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 9:04 AM   0 Comments

What to watch for when Arizona softball hosts the Wildcat Invitational

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 7:09 AM   0 Comments

Arizona vs. Oregon State score predictions

Will the Wildcats sweep the Beavers?

The Arizona Wildcats (16-12, 7-8) will take on the Oregon State Beavers (17-9, 9-5) on Thursday in Corvallis, looking to extend their winning streak to three and sweep the season series.

Tipoff at Gill Coliseum is scheduled for 7 p.m. MST on FOX Sports 1.

Arizona won the first matchup 82-71 in McKale Center last month, but KenPom gives OSU a 63 percent chance of winning the rematch, with a projected score of 69-65.

Here is what we think will happen. Be sure to leave your predictions in the comment section below.

Brian J. Pedersen — Arizona wins 73-72

Unlike the last few times Arizona has played against a Pac-12 opponent for the second time this season, how it fared against Oregon State the first go-around can be considered when looking at the rematch. That 82-71 home win on Jan. 19 saw the Wildcats win despite losing Chase Jeter to a back injury less than five minutes in. They compensated by draining 13 of 27 three-pointers en route to their second-bet offensive rating of the season, while Brandon Williams dropped a career-high 20. Having Williams and Jeter for this game should enable the offense to continue slowly becoming more consistent, and if Jeter can at least put up a little resistance in the paint against OSU’s interior game the Wildcats can pull the upset and stay hot.

Zant Reyez — Oregon State wins 78-73

I’m kinda of afraid to pick against the ‘Cats for the remainder of the season because I don’t want to be told I have to drive back to Phoenix. That’d be a long drive me.

But I will pick against UA again because OSU is a tough game on the road, but I think this will be a competitive game.

Ronnie Stoffle — Arizona wins 74-68

I think Arizona fans should be very excited about this road trip. Chase Jeter appears to be fully healthy once again and Brandon Williams is back. Corvallis has given UA problems in the past but I expect the Wildcats to take care of business. Time to gear up in preparation for the Pac-12 tournament!

Ezra Amacher — Oregon State wins 73-65

One year ago, Arizona headed out of Corvallis with a double digit victory under its belt and the program’s trajectory looking balmy. The next day ESPN dropped its now infamous bombshell report alleging that Miller discussed a $100K payment to Deandre Ayton. And the rest is, well, still being written into history.

Thus it’s fitting that Arizona and Miller return to Corvallis Thursday with its head coach back under the national spotlight. I’m not a huge believer in off-court distractions, but it’s reasonable to think that the swirl of rumors surrounding Miller and the game of musical chairs amongst his assistant coaches will eat into the team’s performance this road trip.

Corvallis is never an easy place to play and it will be particularly dangerous Thursday.

Ryan Kelapire — Oregon State wins 71-66

This has been one of the toughest games to pick all season. Oregon State is slightly better and playing at home, so I give it the edge. But the Wildcats have dominated the Beavers recently and are capable of beating anyone in the Pac-12 now that Brandon Williams is back and Chase Jeter is looking more like his old self.

Still, OSU will have the two best players on the court in Tres Tinkle and Stephen Thompson Jr. along with a raucous crowd behind them, so I’ll take the Beavers in a close one.



from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2TgIJ9B
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 1:09 AM   0 Comments

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Arizona baseball drops heartbreaker to New Mexico

Playing in the first game of a 13-game homestand, Arizona baseball was defeated in dramatic fashion by the New Mexico Lobos, 5-4, on Wednesday night at Hi Corbett Field.

The Lobos scored three two-out runs in the ninth to drop the Wildcats to 6-3 on the season.

With the bases loaded and Arizona up 4-3, left fielder Donta Williams dropped what would have been a spectacular game-winning catch when he chased a high fly ball well into foul territory and climbed over the wall, before the ball popped in and out of his mitt.

The very next pitch was ripped up the middle to plate two runs and give New Mexico a 5-4 lead.

“I feel like I let the team down,” Williams said. “But baseball is a game of failures and we talk about that all the time. It’s all about moving on and focusing on the next pitch and the next game.”

The Wildcats went down quietly in the bottom of the ninth.

Freshman righty Quinn Flanagan got his second start of the year on the mound for Arizona, but only lasted 3.1 innings before he was replaced by freshman and Tucson native George Arias Jr.

Flanagan, who is still easing back after a delayed return from Tommy John surgery, allowed one run on one hit, two walks and two strikeouts.

New Mexico was able to grab an early one-run lead in the top of the third inning, but was unable to build on it before the Wildcats struck back.

After Arias cruised through the rest of the fourth and then the fifth inning, Arizona was able to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth, when sophomore Tate Soderstrom drove in Williams with his ninth RBI of the young season to tie the game at 1-1.

When New Mexico immediately scored another run in the top of the sixth inning, it looked like they might be able to stem the tide, but a three-run bottom of the sixth from the Wildcats saw them jump back on top.

Arizona loaded the bases before a wild pitch allowed the Wildcats to tie the score at 2-2. Williams then singled in two runs to make it 4-2, UA’s first lead of the night.

It didn’t hold up.

“We just didn’t get good pitching,” said UA coach Jay Johnson. “We had four guys in the inning who gave up five hits. You have to credit to them, though. The team that deserves to win typically wins. They had 11 hits and we had six. The best team typically wins and there is no doubt that was New Mexico tonight.”

Andrew Nardi, who came in and got one out in the ninth inning, ended up taking the loss, though it was Preston Price who served up the deciding two-run single. Nick Quintana and Cameron Cannon went 1-4 and 0-4 respectively, while Williams went 1-3 at the plate with his two RBI.

Arizona will be back in action on Friday at Hi Corbett when they look to get back in the win column against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

First pitch of the three-game series is slated for 6 p.m. MST.

Postgame interviews

Here is Arizona baseball head coach Jay Johnson after tonight’s heartbreaking 5-4 loss to New Mexico. The Wildcats led 4-2 heading into the top of the ninth inning, before the Lobos scored three runs in the frame to steal the victory at Hi Corbett.

Posted by AZ Desert Swarm on Wednesday, February 27, 2019



from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2Ny8U6h
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 10:04 PM   0 Comments

What to watch for when Arizona rematches Oregon State in Corvallis

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 9:39 PM   0 Comments

Spanish wing Helena Pueyo commits to Arizona women’s basketball

Make that five international prospects in UA’s 2019 class

The Arizona women’s basketball team continues to corner the market on international prospects.

Adia Barnes and company received a commitment from Spaniard Helena Pueyo on Wednesday, their fifth 2019 commitment. All of them hail from overseas.

“I’ve been waiting for this one for a while,” said Barnes, unable to comment on Pueyo until she officially signs.

A 6-foot wing, Pueyo averaged 8.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists in the 2018 FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup. She also plays for Segle XXI in Spain’s second-best league, where she is averaging a team-high 12.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists with a shooting line of .467/.387/.921.

Arizona’s four other 2019 recruits are Latvian guard Mara Mote, Turkish post player Sevval Gul, Icelandic forward Birna Beonnysdottir, and Australian guard Tara Manumaleuga. They have already signed and Manumaleuga actually joined the Wildcats at the semester break.

“I didn’t think I would have so many foreigners in that class. It just kind of worked out like that,” Barnes said in the fall. “There were certain specific kids that I went after for specific needs.”

Barnes said Wednesday that Arizona may add one more player to the class.

“It’s some pieces that we really needed and wanted,” she said of its makeup. “In the future, I don’t want classes of six or seven. It’s really hard. You have to start over. So ideally later as we continue to grow the program, which we are, it’ll be a smaller class. So if it’s six this year, next year it’s two. Then it’s two or three.”

Barnes is “really proud” of the direction of the program. The Wildcats are currently 17-10 overall and 7-9 in the Pac-12, capturing their first winning season since 2010-11. They will return their entire starting five next season.

“We’ve done a lot and this is our third year and we’re continuing to get better,” Barnes said. “And now better piece are coming in that fit. I think when you first get a job you’re just trying to put stuff together. Then you get great kids and have a great base that are going to be really good players.”

Arizona also has a commitment from 2020 Turkish guard Derin Erdogan. In November, Barnes brushed off any concern that Arizona is recruiting too many international players.

“I don’t worry because that’s not going to be the whole future of the program,” she said. “But right now, I’m not going to not take a player because she’s foreign. Right now I can’t get the No. 1 player in the country … but in a couple years we will get them, so right now if I can get a higher player that is recruited by the whole Pac-12 and Ohio State and South Florida and a lot of great schools, I’d be crazy not to take them.”

Plus, Barnes is fond of the way the game is played overseas, having played there professionally.

“I don’t want players that aren’t fundamental,” she said in November. “It’s my job to teach better fundamentals and work on skills, but I want high basketball IQs … and that’s probably why I’m attracted to a lot of foreign kids.

“I played a lot of time overseas and if I didn’t play a lot of time overseas, I don’t think I would have looked so much overseas, just because I understand the game, I understand the fit. If I didn’t have those experiences I probably wouldn’t know to. A lot of people aren’t going to go to Serbia. I’m not scared to go. My job is to build the program the best way that I can and right now this is the best way and it’ll work. We have to have confidence in that.”

Barnes cannot comment on Pueyo until she signs, so here is what she has said about UA’s other 2019 recruits:

On Mote: “She’s a guard, she can score it. She can play the 2, she can play the 1, she’s athletic, good in transition, good in the open floor, good 3-point shot, so really kind of what we needed.”

On Manumaleuga “She’s a specialist, a 3-point shooter. but she has good size. She’s 5-10, 5-11, can get to the rim on straight line drives.”

On Gul: “She is a skilled post player. She’s a player that has a great shot, she can shoot the 3, she can shoot from the high post, she’s really smart, a good passer, and she has good size at 6-4.”

On Beonnysdottir: “Birna from Iceland is a versatile face-up 4. She can shoot the 3, pick and pop, plays a lot of our style, because we play 4-out 1-in, and she has the potential to be a good player, too. So if we add the other two players that I have in mind, which I can’t talk about yet, then we have a very strong class.”



from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2Nz3hET
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 2:48 PM   0 Comments

Former Arizona star Nick Foles granted NFL free agency

For sale: one Super Bowl MVP quarterback, gently used, looking for a good home.

A little more than a year removed from leading the Philadelphia Eagles to their one (and only) Super Bowl title, and helping get them back in the playoffs this past season, former Arizona Wildcats standout Nick Foles is officially on the market.

The Eagles opted not to place the franchise tag on Foles, making him an unrestricted free agent when on March 13.

“After a lot of conversation, we think letting him become a free agent is the right thing to do,” Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. “He’s a tremendous player, Super Bowl MVP, and someone we feel is a top-15 quarterback in this league. We were incredibly fortunate to have him and wish him the best of luck in the future.”

Foles, 30, started seven games for Philly in 2018, opening the season as the starter while Carson Wentz recovered from a torn ACL and then stepping in again for an injured Wentz for the final three games of the regular season. Foles led the Eagles to wins in all three of those final games, throwing for a franchise-record 471 yards against the Houston Texans in Week 16, enabling them to sneak into the playoffs where they nipped the Chicago Bears in the NFC Wild Card game before losing to the New Orleans Rams in the divisional round.

In 2017, Foles also started the last three games of the season as well as the Eagles’ three playoff wins, earning Super Bowl LII honors for his 373-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 41-33 win over the New England Patriots.

Foles has a 30-20 record as a starter, including 4-2 in the postseason.

“He deserves an opportunity to lead a team,” Roseman said. “It’s a goal of his to lead another team and lead another locker room and we feel at this point it’s the right decision.”

Foles was originally drafted by the Eagles in the third round in 2012, starting 24 games over three seasons, before being traded to the then-St. Louis Rams in 2015. He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2016, appearing in three games with one start, then the Eagles signed him to a two-year, $11 million deal before the 2017 season.

The career passing leader at Arizona, Foles threw for 10,011 yards and 67 touchdowns for the Wildcats from 2009-11.



from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2TqeSf2
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 2:13 PM   0 Comments

Arizona staffer Austin Carroll won’t travel to Oregon due to father’s illness

The Arizona Wildcats will be extremely short staffed on their upcoming road trip to Oregon.

Assistant director of operations Austin Carroll will stay in Boston to attend to his father, John, an assistant coach at Rhode Island, who has been hospitalized with an undisclosed illness.

Carroll also missed Sunday’s game vs. Stanford.

“I think his dad’s recovery is moving in a positive direction,” Arizona head coach Sean Miller updated the media Tuesday. “It’s not up to me to get into what he’s dealing with. It’s a private matter with his family. I’ll let them address that whenever the time is right. But it is certainly serious enough where he’s been hospitalized. And Austin’s priority right now is his dad and his mom. I think he’ll rejoin us maybe at the earliest next week after the Oregon trip, but he’ll remain there in Boston through the remainder of this week.”

According to his school-produced bio, Austin Carroll “oversees Arizona’s video scouting efforts and is responsible for the organization, breakdown, scouting and presentation of game film. He will also handle player edits for individual players’ use, creates recruiting videos and cuts recruiting film for coaches’ evaluation.”

The Wildcats are also without associate head coach Mark Phelps, who was placed on administrative leave on Feb. 6 due to an alleged NCAA violation. Carroll, normally in an off-court role, had taken Phelps’ spot on the bench.

Carroll did the same last season when former assistant coach Book Richardson was fired.



from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2BUtOI0
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 11:33 AM   0 Comments

Should Arizona accept an NIT invite?

The NCAA tourney is a long shot, at best, but the Wildcats could still play in the postseason

No longer mired in their worst losing streak since the early 1980s, the Arizona Wildcats head into their final road trip of the season with a little momentum after sweeping Cal and Stanford at home.

And with the return of Brandon Williams giving Arizona a full compliment (relatively speaking) of player for the first time since mid-January, it stands to reason a run could be made.

Maybe, even, all the way to the NCAA tournament?

Sure, that’s within the realm of possibility, but still only as the Pac-12’s automatic qualifier. Arizona’s NET ranking is 82nd, still far from even being considered for an at-large bid by the NCAA selection committee.

But each win between now and Selection Sunday does improve Arizona’s standing in the eyes of a different brain trust: the one that picks the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) field.

For those who aren’t familiar—or who refuse to acknowledge any tournament other than the Big Dance—the NIT is a 32-team event that’s operated by the NCAA and, at one time, was considered the more prominent postseason tourney. Now it’s viewed as more of a consolation prize, one that can be treated as a swan song for veteran teams or a potential springboard for youth-laden squads.

Arizona has appeared in the NIT four times, most recently in 2012 when it lost at home to Bucknell in the first round. The Wildcats looked completely disinterested in playing that game, shooting 35.4 percent only four days after falling to Colorado in the Pac-12 tourney final.

The similarities between that team and the current one are many.

The 2012 squad started two seniors (guard Kyle Fogg and forward Jesse Perry) as well as junior forward Solomon Hill, sophomore guard Jordin Mayes and freshman guard Nick Johnson. A thin bench, decimated by injuries and other issues, only saw two reserves see action in the final game.

Not long after the season ended a pair of players (guard Josiah Turner and center Kyryl Natyazhko) left the program ahead of the arrival of a vaunted recruiting class that included Brandon Ashley, Kaleb Tarczewski and Gabe York.

Asked if Arizona would accept an NIT bid, coach Sean Miller said “we’re not there yet. That’s kind of results-driven. That’s for you guys to speculate about and report.”

Arizona was a No. 1 seed in the 2012 NIT, when broadcast partner ESPN had more of a say in how the tourney was laid out in an effort to beef up ratings. The NCAA has taken over that part of the process, almost seeding the NIT like an extension of the NCAA tournament.

With that in mind, the Wildcats might not be seeded high enough to host a first-round game, taking away the chance for seniors Justin Coleman and Ryan Luther to play one last time at McKale Center. And with next year’s roster expected to be completely different thanks to a top-rated recruiting class, the opportunity to use the NIT as an experience-builder for returning players would be minimal.

Sure, Williams and fellow freshman Devonaire Doutrive could benefit from one more game, but would that be enough to warrant participating?

And with Arizona smack dab in the middle of the federal college basketball corruption scandal, there’s no doubt ESPN would devote nearly as much airtime during the game to that topic as to the on-court action. Win and the spotlight would only increase, especially with Miller reportedly being subpoenaed to testify in a trial that begins April 22, 18 days after the NIT final is held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.



from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2IFKusS
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 8:08 AM   0 Comments

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Nico Mannion, Pinnacle capture second straight 6A state championship

Nico Mannion and the Pinnacle Pioneers captured their second straight 6A state championship on Tuesday, taking down Chaparral 83-64 at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe.

The Arizona Wildcats signee had 34 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists on 12-of-21 shooting in his final high school game.

The 6-foot-3 Mannion was averaging 30.3 points, 6.3 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game entering the night, per MaxPreps. Pinnacle finishes the year 27-3.

Mannion is ranked as the No. 10 player in the 2019 class and No. 1 point guard, per 247Sports composite rankings.

Mannion received a loud ovation as he exited Tuesday’s game, something he probably can’t expect to get at Wells Fargo Arena from here on out.



from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2GNIL2U
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 9:23 PM   0 Comments

Arizona senior Gina Snyder making most of limited opportunity

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 4:48 PM   0 Comments

Sean Miller declines comment on subpoena report, fires back at persistent reporter: ‘You can drive back to Phoenix’

He hasn’t said much for nearly a year, why start now?

Arizona Wildcats coach Sean Miller not surprisingly declined comment Tuesday when asked about a Yahoo! Sports report that he was going to be subpoenaed to testify in the upcoming federal basketball trial. Miller had previously declined to comment on similar reports related to that investigation, as well as reports that the NCAA had begun a formal inquiry into Arizona’s program.

Yet that didn’t stop one reporter from Phoenix’s ABC affiliate from trying a second time to get a sound bite. This time, Miller complied.

“No comment,” he quipped. “You can drive back to Phoenix.”

Miller’s clapback came a few minutes after he’d been asked about whether he was looking forward to having less turmoil and adversity in his life, which prompted him to reveal a rare personal detail.

“I have a 4-year-old nephew who had open-heart surgery two days ago, my sister’s son,” Miller said. “I’m really concerned about that. That’s something that I think deserves my attention and really deserves my concern. When that’s going on, as a coach, that’s difficult to juggle. Hopefully that will continue to go well.

“Like everybody in this room I have a family, wife, three kids, I love them dearly and I think about them every day. That’s my focus, and that focus hasn’t changed and won’t change.”

Miller was also asked if all of the off-the-court issues were becoming a distraction for his players, and if he had to talk to them about ignoring the noise:

“They’re used to it,” he said.



from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2H3awDS
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 12:18 PM   0 Comments

WATCH: Sean Miller discusses Oregon road trip, Brandon Williams, and more

The Arizona coached owned a persistent Phoenix reporter

Sean Miller met with the media Tuesday ahead of the Arizona Wildcats’ road trip to Oregon and touched on several topics including Brandon Williams health, the Oregon State Beavers, UA’s two-game winning streak and more.

He also owned a Phoenix reporter who insisted on asking about the federal investigation. Here is the full press conference:

Here is Sean Miller’s full Tuesday presser

Posted by AZ Desert Swarm on Tuesday, February 26, 2019


from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2TjE86p
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 12:03 PM   0 Comments

Arizona’s new indoor football facility an ‘important piece to the puzzle’

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 10:13 AM   0 Comments

Wildcat Wrap: Recapping a busy week of Arizona Athletics

It is Tuesday, so it’s time to take a look back at the week that was for the Arizona Wildcats. Let us know in the comment section if we missed anything!

Softball

Baseball

Women’s Basketball

  • Arizona blew late leads in road losses to Stanford and Cal, falling to 17-10 overall and 7-9 in the Pac-12. The Wildcats wrap up the regular season against highly-ranked Oregon and Oregon State this week and will need to split to have a chance to make the NCAA Tournament, albeit a slim one.
  • Aari McDonald broke Adia Barnes’ single-season scoring record during the Cal game. Barnes scored 653 points in the 1997-98 season. She and McDonald are the only two UA players to amass 600 points.

Women’s Golf

Men’s Tennis

Women’s Tennis

Track and Field

Hockey

Soccer

Men’s Golf

Football

  • The Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center opened on Sunday. It is nice.

Men’s Basketball



from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2St3WZt
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 8:03 AM   0 Comments

Monday, February 25, 2019

Arizona plans to increase Brandon Williams’ minutes vs. Oregon State, Oregon

The freshman felt “really good” after playing 18 minutes vs. Stanford

The Arizona Wildcats plan to increase Brandon Williams’ workload against the Oregon schools this week, head coach Sean Miller said Monday on his weekly radio show.

The Wildcats feel comfortable doing so because the freshman guard (knee) returned from a six-game absence Sunday against Stanford, and felt “really good” after playing 18 minutes.

“It was something that he was able to handle easily and that gives us the green light to continue to move forward the rest of this week,” Miller said.

Miller hopes Williams can play 20 to 24 minutes against the Oregon State Beavers on Thursday, moving him closer to his season average of 29.4.

“We still have a few days before we get to our Oregon State game and I’m assuming that everything will go smoothly and we’ll have some really good practices that Brandon will feel good,” Miller said. “And if that’s the case, I think that’s the plan.”

Williams had four points and three assists against Stanford, providing a scoring and distributing boost off the bench in the easy 70-54 win. Miller said Williams’ return “put everybody in a better light.”

“All of our guys missed Brandon because the style that Brandon Williams plays is one that he’s a playmaker, so he gets fouled, he finds you for open shots,” Miller said Sunday after the win vs. Stanford. “In transition, he can both score and make the pass and then obviously he can be a double-figure scorer for us. The other part you feel, especially me, is just you can really wear down through a 40-minute game.

“I mean in the Pac-12 when you’re playing two games in three days on these trips it’s nice to have depth. It’s nice to have quality depth so that when you sub there’s not a drop off and we’re a deeper team all the way around with Brandon. So knock on wood hopefully for his sake and for our sake that we can keep growing, building him so that at some point not only is he back but he returns to the role that he had before he left.”

The Wildcats went 1-5 in the six games Williams missed, but are 15-7 when he is in the lineup. Williams is Arizona’s second leading assister (3.7 apg) and tied for second in scoring (11.7 ppg).

“We’ve needed that over the last three weeks, four weeks without him and hopefully we can have him from right now to the finish line,” Miller said.



from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2Tc4yHn
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 6:55 PM   0 Comments

Energetic Ira Lee ‘playing the best basketball’ of his Arizona career

Justin Coleman has played five seasons of college basketball at three different schools, but he has never had a teammate who gets hyped after dunking like Ira Lee does.

“This is the first guy I’ve played with that gets that excited.” Coleman said. “Sometimes I say, ‘Ira get back on defense’ and he’s like, ‘oh snap I gotta play defense.’”

Lee, sitting to Coleman’s left, chuckled as he nodded in agreement.

“I like to see McKale (Center) jump,” Lee said. “That’s the only reason why I do it. I’ve been doing it my whole career, so for me to bring that energy to my team and the fans, it’s beautiful.”

Lee’s motor has been the hallmark of his game during his brief career at Arizona, but the others parts are coming along of late as well. The sophomore forward scored a career-high 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting in the Arizona Wildcats’ win over Stanford on Sunday, continuing a recent hot streak.

Lee is averaging 8.8 points and 4.6 rebounds over his last five games while shooting an absurd 19 for 23 from the field, serving as a solid third big behind Chase Jeter and Ryan Luther.

“He knows how to use the offense to catch the ball and setting great screens, rolling, getting good position inside, holding his position,” UA coach Sean Miller said after the win vs. Stanford. “If you think about how he scored tonight, we got him the ball inside a lot. And he has a better feel for how that works now than maybe he would have two months ago.”

Lee has also cut down on his turnovers since the start of conference play. He has committed 12 in 15 Pac-12 games after committing 20 in 12 non-conference games.

Part of that is because Lee is committing fewer silly fouls these days. He is averaging 5.3 fouls per 40 minutes in conference play after committing 6.2 per 40 minutes in non-conference play, when he was prone to being whistled for illegal screens, charges and over-the-back fouls.

But Lee said he has learned how to slow himself down and “play within the game.”

“Just going back to what Coach always says: honoring the process, working hard every day, being consistent, going 110 percent each and every day and now I’m just seeing the results pay off,” he said. “It’s great, especially with a group of guys like this. They’ve encouraged me through my lows and the highs, so it feels great.”

Coleman, continuing to encourage his teammate, declared that Lee is “playing the best basketball of his career.”

“This is my guy,” Coleman said. “We meet a lot and I’ve seen him grow, I’ve seen him honor the process, I’ve seen him go hard every day, take extra shots after practice. I’m just proud of this guy to my left. He’s a really good player.”

Perhaps the next stage in Lee’s development is on defense. Yes, he leads the Wildcats in blocks and box plus-minus, but he has one noticeable flaw on that end of the court.

“Now he has to run back on defense,” Miller quipped. “I would say nobody has ever celebrated every made field goal more than Ira. That’s a point between him and I. We want him to be enthusiastic but you have to expect to make the jump hook and run back. But I think all of us, his teammates included, appreciate his smile, appreciate his enthusiasm, his love for the game. He wants to do well, he wants to win. It’s nice to see him be rewarded for his work.”



from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2tBBTNd
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 2:08 PM   0 Comments

Report: Sean Miller to be subpoenaed in upcoming federal basketball trial

Just as the Arizona Wildcats begin turning things around on the court, another off-the-court issue has reportedly popped up. Or rather, the same one that has been lurking in the shadows for more than a year.

Yahoo! Sports is reporting that UA coach Sean Miller has been informed he will be subpoenaed to testify in the April federal trial of Christian Dawkins and Merl Code, who face multiple bribery charges stemming from an FBI investigation into corruption within college basketball.

Miller and LSU Tigers coach Will Wade, whom the story also identifies as being subpoenaed, are among several college coaches whose names have been attached to the FBI probe. None have been more prominent than Miller, who has also been linked to alleged wiretaps involving conversations with Dawkins, a former sports agent, about paying players to attend Arizona.

Such wiretaps could be played in court, opening up Miller for further scrutiny, the Yahoo! report suggested.

Dawkins, former Adidas consultant Code and ex-Adidas executive Jim Gatto were all found guilty of federal fraud charges in a previous trial last fall.

Calls made by Arizona Desert Swarm to UA sports information representatives Daniel Berk and Matt Ensor were not immediately returned.

Miller has been mostly mum about the allegations since making an emphatic statement of denial last March, saying at the time “I have never paid a recruit or a prospect or their family or representative to come to Arizona. I never have, and I never will. I have never arranged or directed payment or any improper benefits to a recruit or prospect or their family or representative. And I never will.”

Arizona is at the center of the FBI investigation not just because of Miller but also former assistants Emmanuel ‘Book’ Richardson and Joe Pasternack. Richardson was one of a handful of college assistants arrested in September 2017 on federal bribery charges, and in January he entered into a plea agreement.

Pasternack, who is now head coach at UC-Santa Barbara, has also been connected to Dawkins but was not arrested.

In early February Yahoo! reported that the NCAA had begun a formal inquiry into Arizona’s program in the wake of the federal investigation. Three days later the school placed assistant coach Mark Phelps on administrative leave and began the process to terminate him, a move that was reportedly due to his involvement in a “fraudulent online course” for ex-commit Shareef O’Neal.

While Miller has remained quiet, news of the NCAA inquiry and the Phelps situation prompted Arizona athletic director Dave Heeke to call an impromptu press conference during halftime of the Feb. 9 home game against Washington State—a game Arizona lost 69-55 as part of seven-game skid, its longest since 1982-83—to reiterate he and the school’s support of Miller and the basketball program.

“I want to be very, very clear about it, we support this basketball program, we support these players, we support this coaching staff,” Heeke said.



from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2EhbCsu
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 11:58 AM   0 Comments

What we learned from Arizona’s sweep of Cal, Stanford

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 8:33 AM   0 Comments

Sunday, February 24, 2019

Arizona women’s basketball lets another one slip away in loss to Cal

Arizona and California tip off in Berkeley, CA on Feb. 24, 2019

After leading by 20 points, the Wildcats lose in overtime to the Golden Bears.

After failing to hold off Stanford on Friday night, the Arizona Wildcats still had something to accomplish on their road trip to the Bay Area. A victory over California would mean a season sweep of the Golden Bears and a win against a team with a top 40 RPI. It would also give star guard Aari McDonald the chance to set Arizona’s single-season scoring record in a winning effort.

For all appearances, it looked like the Wildcats would do just that, as they built a 20-point lead in the third quarter. But a mad comeback by the Golden Bears would put an end to those dreams, as Cal went on to win 82-76 in overtime.

McDonald led all scorers with 31 points on 12-for-23 shooting. She added four rebounds, seven assists and two steals, but also had eight of Arizona’s 16 turnovers.

McDonald ended the night with 672 points for the season, giving her sole possession of the Arizona women’s single-season scoring record. She has at least three games to add to that total.

Sam Thomas and Tee Tee Starks also put up double digits on the night for the ‘Cats. Thomas had 13 points on 50 percent shooting to go along with three rebounds and two steals. Starks added 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting, hitting four of her five three-point shots.

The Golden Bears were led by Reece Caldwell with 24 points. Kristine Anigwe pulled down 20 rebounds to go with her 16 points, and McKenzie Forbes added 17 points.

The competition was tight throuhg the first quarter. The two teams traded the lead a couple of times, but Arizona ended the quarter with a two-point lead.

The Wildcats pulled away in the second period. Cal struggled to score while Arizona made one bucket after another, extending their lead to 19 points.

With 3:56 to go in thefirst half, McDonald connected on her 13th point, giving her 654 points for the year. That was good enough to take over the single-season scoring record previously held by her head coach, Adia Barnes.

The Golden Bears didn’t connect until the 1:41 mark in the second quarter. They made the final two buckets of the half to cut Arizona’s lead to 32-17, but were held to four points on 14 percent shooting in the period.

Coming out of the locker room, the Wildcats looked like they were going to run away with the game. They pushed their lead out to 20 points.

Then, Cal started to chip away, largely on the back of Caldwell. The Golden Bears cut the lead to 11 at the end of three.

The fourth was more of the same. Cal fought to make it a seven-point game before Barnes was forced to call a timeout with 6:38 left to go.

With a nine-point lead, Arizona allowed Cal to inbound to an open Forbes. Her 3-pointer kicked off a six-point run that cut the lead to three with just over five minutes to go.

Arizona held onto a three-point lead as the clock ticked down. Caldwell wiped it away with 17 seconds to go on another 3-pointer.

A foul by Anigwe sent Thomas to the line with 15 seconds to go. She hit one of two to give Arizona a one-point lead.

On the other end, Thomas was called for the foul that sent Anigwe to the line with 3.2 seconds to go. Anigwe, too, missed one of two to send it to overtime tied at 63 apiece.

The overtime period was a back-and-fourth affair until 1:05 left in the game. The go-ahead 3-pointer from Forbes gave the Golden Bears a two-point lead at 76-74. Arizona wouldn’t make another field goal, although McDonald put two more points up via free throws.

The Wildcats return to McKale Center next weekend to finish up the regular season. They will host Oregon at 8 p.m. MST on Friday, Mar. 1. Two days later, they will face off against Oregon State at 3 p.m. MST. Both games will air live on the Pac-12 Networks.



from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2IAA6Ta
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 8:58 PM   0 Comments

3 up, 3 down in Arizona’s 70-54 win over Stanford

Arizona once again did some good things, but there were bad things that happened too

The Arizona Wildcats beat the Stanford Cardinal 70-54 to notch their second win in a row, sweeping the Bay Area schools in a crucial weekend that has seemed to breathe life into a once-seemingly lost season.

Here are the three things that I saw that I loved, and three things that I felt like Arizona could work on or improve going forward.

UP

Ira Lee

The sophomore post player had the best game he has had as a Wildcat, and it came at the perfect time. He finished the night with a career-high 16 points on an incredibly efficient 6-for-7 shooting while also pitching in five assists in just 20 minutes of play.

In a game where Arizona seemed to slog through it on the offensive end, the jolt that the energetic big man gave to not only his team, but the McKale Center crowd, was the antidote the Wildcats needed to separate themselves from a feisty Stanford team that always seemed to be a couple buckets away from making a run.

Brandon Williams

He’s back, and boy did Arizona miss the freshman combo guard. The Los Angeles native made his welcome official as he saved a ball from going out of bounds, diving headfirst over the sideline video board, landing on the lap of the scoreboard attendant and barely missing Sean Miller in the process.

The play might have been inconsequential in the long run of the game, but when your most dynamic player and scorer—who has been missing for almost a month—puts his body on the line like that, it’s a more-than-welcome sign for Arizona fans with ASU and the Pac-12 tournament on the horizon.

Arizona’s winning streak against Stanford

There is no other way to describe the Arizona-Stanford relationship over the last decade than pure domination. The win over the Cardinal on Sunday night stretched Arizona’s win streak to 19 games, the longest current head-to-head streak among Pac-12 teams. Miller just doesn’t like losing to Stanford, and he has their number unlike any other coach in the nation. The streak is well into the ridiculous range, but a couple more wins would make this absolutely extraordinary.

DOWN

Arizona’s offense

Even though the Wildcats came out to a blistering 14-3 lead to open the game, the offense hit a snag after the first five minutes and slowly allowed Stanford to crawl back into the game. Stanford came back to make it a three-point game at 22-19, and much of it was due to Arizona inefficiently running its offense, and the substitutions that Miller—in an attempt to correct things—made seemed to throw Arizona out of their original rhythm.

Arizona ended the first half shooting just 39 percent, while also finishing the first 20 minutes going 3 of 14 from three after hitting two in the first five minutes of the game. The Wildcats shot 50 percent in the second half and were 3 of 6 from deep after halftime.

Veteran players

After the best game as a Wildcat, senior Ryan Luther struggled to get any sort of offensive game going, finishing the game with seven points on 3-for-7 shooting. He was a shadow of his breakout game just a couple days before against Cal.

Luther wasn’t the only elder statesman who struggled putting the ball in the basket against Stanford. Junior Dylan Smith finished the game with two points on 1-for-9 shooting, putting the finishing touches on a weekend he probably would like to forget after he was 1 for 7 on Thursday.

Rebounding

Even in the win, Arizona once again struggled on the boards. The Wildcats lost the rebounding battle 35-34 after barely beating Cal in the same category just a couple days before. With Arizona not being the sharpest of shooters, and that is putting it lightly, rebounding becomes an incredibly important part of Arizona and their hope of making a run at securing a long shot bid to the big dance. If the Wildcats can’t rebound, they are dead in the water against the top half of the conference.

Follow David Skinner on Twitter



from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2Spkqlk
via IFTTT

Labels: ,

posted by Unknown @ 8:03 PM   0 Comments