Kentucky transfer Johnny Juzang has Arizona in top 6

Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images

His other finalists are UCLA, Oregon, Texas Tech, Villanova and Notre Dame

Ready for another Kentucky transfer?

UK’s Johnny Juzang listed the Arizona Wildcats as one of his top six schools on Tuesday, the others being UCLA, Oregon, Texas Tech, Villanova and Notre Dame, according to a social media post.

The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 2.9 points per game and shot 33 percent from 3-point range in 12.3 minutes at Kentucky, but did have some big games—like when he scored 13 points against Tennessee and 10 points against Florida.

pic.twitter.com/TeRqnAsWsB

— Johnny Juzang (@JohnnyJuzang) March 31, 2020

A former four-star recruit, Juzang was the No. 31 player in the 2019 recruiting class and picked Kentucky over Oregon, Kansas and Virginia.

“Scoring wing with good size and long arms,” reads his 247Sports scouting report. “Shoot-first but much improved efficiency. Big time threat off the dribble as a shooter from both midrange and three. Can knock down threes in bunches from perimeter and also has a strong one- and two-dribble pull-up game. Can get to the basket but is most comfortable scoring with his jumper. Size, length and athleticism give him upside as versatile defender. Can improve shot selection and handle. Projects as productive high major wing with NBA upside due to his shot making ability at his size.”

Juzang hails from Studio City, California and his father, Maxie, told The Athletic that homesickness played a factor in his decision to transfer, not a lack of playing time. That, plus the fact on-campus visits are prohibited until at least April 15 due to coronavirus, would suggest Juzang is likely to transfer to a school out west.

“When you think about being homesick, I’m not sure how he played at the end was much of a factor,” Maxie told The Athletic. “Johnny was young, so it took him a little longer to adjust mentally and maturity-wise, and the fact that me and my wife both work and didn’t get out there near as much as we thought we might really made it tough.”

Juzang would likely have to sit out a season before having three years of eligibility at his new school. However, as Arizona saw with Jemarl Baker Jr., another Kentucky transfer, immediate eligibility shouldn’t be out of the question.

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/39x2HAQ
via IFTTT

4-star guard Kerwin Walton includes Arizona in final 6

Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Arizona Wildcats still have some spots to fill on their 2020-21 roster. And while the focus seems to be mostly on adding transfers, there are still some top high school prospects available on the market.

And one of them, 4-star shooting guard Kerwin Walton, has the UA among his final six:

Four-star senior Kerwin Walton told @Stockrisers he’s working on finding his day in April where he will announce his college decision.

Finalists: Creighton, Arizona, North Carolina, Minnesota, Georgetown and Vanderbilt.

— Jake (@jakeweingarten) March 31, 2020

The 6-foot-5, 195-pound Walton is rated by 247 Sports as the No. 97 player in the 2020 recruiting class. He's considered the 17th-best shooting guard in the country and the No. 5 prospect from Minnesota.

Walton attends Hopkins (Minn.) High School, the same school that Zeke Nnaji played for.

Arizona had Walton in for an official visit last September for the annual Red-Blue scrimmage, where he got to watch Nnaji perform the National Anthem on the piano.

Arizona's 2020 recruiting class, not including transfers, currently includes two players: 4-star wing Dalen Terry signed with the Wildcats in November while 4-star wing Ben Mathurin committed in January. The UA has also added former Georgetown point guard James Akinjo.

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/33YDC0y
via IFTTT

Arizona offers 5-star French forward Moussa Diabate

Photo by Nicole Sweet/NBAE via Getty Images

While the Arizona Wildcats continue to work tirelessly on adding players to its 2020-21 team via the transfer portal, efforts to build a traditional recruiting class for the season after that is also in full effect.

Arizona has scholarship offers out to nearly 20 prospects from the 2021 class, the most recent going to 5-star French power forward Moussa Diabate, per Tipton Edits.

The 6-foot-10, 215-pound Diabate is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 10 player in the 2021 class, the fourth-best power forward and the No. 1 prospect from Florida. He’s currently at IMG Academy, the same school that Josh Green prepped at, and has also spent time at two other Florida schools.

Diabate, whose other offers include Arkansas, Florida State, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisville Maryland, Memphis, Michigan and Texas Tech, made a name for himself at the Basketball Without Borders event in Chicago in February where he showed off “good mobility and athleticism, which allows him to run the floor, snatch rebounds, start the break and attack slower defenders in the half court” according to 247’s Evan Daniels and Josh Gershon.

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

Arizona freshman Zeke Nnaji confirms he’s entering NBA Draft

It was reported Saturday that Arizona Wildcats freshman Zeke Nnaji will be entering the 2020 NBA Draft, and Tuesday he made it officially telling ESPN that he has “submitted the required paperwork to the league office.”

“Ever since 4th grade I have had the dream of playing professional basketball in the NBA,” Nnaji told ESPN in an email.

Meanwhile, Evan Daniels of 247Sports is reporting that Nnaji is signing with Pensack Sports Management Group. Every major outlet projects Nnaji will be selected in the late first round or early second round.

It could be difficult for Nnaji to boost his stock further than that as the the pre-draft process will be severely limited this year due to the coronavirus crisis. But Nnaji told ESPN that “whatever the process looks like, I will definitely be ready.”

”My preparation will consist of an assortment of drills and workouts to work on skill development and continuing to get stronger,” he told ESPN. “I feel good about the year I had at Arizona and I’m continuing to work on some of the things I wasn’t asked to do as much at Arizona, such as 3-point shooting. I won the 3-point contest at the Iverson Classic in high school and I think I’m still underrated as a perimeter shooter. I only took a few 3’s this year but I made a few of them and I was almost 80% from the line too. My shot feels really good so I believe I will surprise people with my shooting ability throughout this process. I’m also doing my schoolwork online so I can finish this semester on a high note.”

Nnaji was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in his lone season with the Wildcats, averaging an efficient 16.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, exceeding expectations after entering the program as a four-star recruit and the least heralded among UA’s three freshman starters.

“Coach Sean Miller is a leader and I thank him and his staff for taking a chance on a little known kid from Minnesota,” Nnaji said on Twitter.

“To my teammates: You guys pushed me both in the weight room and on the court. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys to battle with. Adversity they say builds character. All the nuggets I picked up from battling with y’all with stay with me forever.

“Tucson: You guys welcomed me with open arms. There is NO BETTER FAN BASE and electric atmosphere. Your knowledge of the game is unmatched. I will miss McKale Center always.”

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

Review: ‘The Scheme’ is much ado about nothing (new) for Arizona coach Sean Miller

Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images

It doesn’t help his cause, but it doesn’t make it any worse

We didn’t get March Madness this year, but that didn’t stop Arizona Wildcats fans from getting a little taste of that familiar NCAA Tournament anxiety a few weeks ago.

When Yahoo! Sports reported on March 17 that a documentary was coming out about the FBI’s mostly failed attempt to solve college basketball corruption, the vast majority of UA fans probably had a “here we go again” moment. And based on the article, it looked like this could be really bad for Sean Miller and the men’s basketball program.

(Narrator voice) It’s actually not that bad at all, despite what others who have watched it have said on Twitter. It’s not good, either. But unless you had no prior knowledge of the scandal your opinion of Miller, what he did or didn’t do and his fate with the NCAA and Arizona is unlikely to change after sitting through all 115 minutes.

You’ll get to see for yourself Tuesday at 6 p.m. PT when HBO airs ‘The Scheme,’ which claims to provide an inside look at the three-year investigation and subsequent trials that led to the arrests of 10 people—including some Division I assistant coaches, one of them former Arizona assistant Emanuel ‘Book’ Richardson—but only led to the convictions of a few bit players.

The most notable of those is Christian Dawkins, from whose perspective the film is told. Yes, you read that right: the main subject is someone who was found guilty in two separate federal trials and is currently a free man while appealing those convictions.

He’s also somehow became a music executive during all this, since apparently convincing college basketball players to have him be their agent didn’t work out.

The doc is mostly about Dawkins and how his heavy ambitions managed to get him caught up in an FBI sting operation, and director Pat Kondelis does a good job of portraying the Saginaw, Michigan native as a sympathetic figure. We learn that Dawkins was teammates with Draymond Green and thought he was a stud player but really wasn’t that good, yet he still managed to put together a pretty solid AAU team while still in high school. Along the way he dealt with the sudden death of his younger brother, Dorian, to a heart attack at 14, and he coped with that loss by putting together a massive charitable event in his honor.

We hear his explanation of how he “mistakenly” charged thousands of dollars worth of Uber rides to Elfrid Payton, whom he helped noted sports agent Andy Miller sign prior to the 2014 NBA Draft. A simple mistake of forgetting to switch the credit cards on the Uber account, he says, could happen to anybody.

And we also find out he was already paying players and their families when he was teenager, and that the most influential book he read growing up was ‘Sole Influence: Basketball, Corporate Greed and the Corruption of America’s Youth.’

That book, written in 2000, was co-authored by Yahoo! Sports’ Dan Wetzel, who is interviewed in the film, was the first to report about the documentary and was at the forefront of Yahoo’s coverage of the bribery scandal.

Purely a coincidence, no doubt.

Dawkins readily admits throughout the film that he sees nothing wrong with paying players and doesn’t look down upon any coach that might do so. He even says, toward the end, that “any coach who offers to pay a player, in my opinion, is a good guy. I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

When it came to getting those players to sign with him after college, though, he didn’t see the point of getting their coaches involved in that process. At least not financially.

But when business partner (and future fellow defendant Munish Sood) put him in touch with some potential investors in their “scheme,” those money people preferred to use college coaches as intermediaries and give them cash in exchange for them steering their players toward Dawkins.

Those investors, Jeff D’Angelo and Jill Bailey, were actually undercover FBI agents who were hoping that, by luring assistants into taking bribes, they would flip on the bigger names in college basketball.

Like Rick Pitino. And Will Wade. And, yes, Sean Miller.

That’s how Richardson and assistants from Auburn, Oklahoma State and USC got busted. Dawkins set up meetings between them and the FBI agents, and surveillance footage shown in the doc has them accepting envelopes of cash.

More assistants might have gotten caught up in the sting had Dawkins and another cohort, Adidas executive Merl Code, not decided to keep the cash for themselves while telling the FBI agents they had passed it around to coaches.

In other words, the “scheme” that the title refers to was actually Dawkins and Code’s attempt to steal from who they thought were completely naïve whales. And it would have worked if not for those meddling feds!

So, what does this have to do with Miller and Arizona? For a large chunk of the doc I was thinking just that, especially since the very first scene following the opening credits was from the March 2018 press conference in which Miller vehemently denied a still uncorroborated ESPN report that among the thousands of hours of wiretaps recorded by the FBI was a conversation between Miller and Dawkins discussing paying $100,000 to ensure Deandre Ayton played for the Wildcats.

But then Miller isn’t really mentioned again until about 95 minutes in, the only Arizona reference before that from a recording of Dawkins telling an FBI agent on the phone that “you already know how I am with Arizona. So I can go into Arizona’s practice like I’m on the team. The thing with Arizona is that Sean Miller has to know everything that’s going on.”

More footage of that March 2018 Miller presser is shown, with Dawkins providing commentary afterward.

“Sean should have his own movie agent. He should be an actor. I was convinced, honestly.”

Recordings of Miller himself? Those come after the film describes Dawkins’ arrest in a New York City hotel room in September 2017, during which his phone goes off and Miller is listed as the caller. The FBI agents had already told him they wanted Pitino, and after seeing that they said they wanted Miller as well.

This would have been the perfect time to play that recording of Dawkins and Miller talking about paying six figures for Ayton, right? If that tape actually existed.

We do get to hear Miller on wiretaps, including ones in which he’s talking to Dawkins about prospects Naz Reid (who signed with LSU) and Nassir Little (who signed with North Carolina). Those are interesting but also vague, with Miller saying Arizona wasn’t going to bring Reid in for a visit and that any rumors about him committing to the Wildcats was a ploy to get LSU to pay more, and the focus of the Little convo being about which of that recruit’s handlers he should “focus on.”

Does that mean who would need to get paid? Maybe, maybe not. But without any actual mention of money it’s nothing but speculation.

For my money (pun intended) the best Miller wiretap was one the director likely included to show how friendly he and Dawkins were. We get to hear Miller curse like a sailor, dropping F-bombs and MFers left and right while describing a time that he was fed up with a player and told him just before tip-off that he wasn’t starting that game, which may have been referring to the one time in the 2017-18 season that Rawle Alkins came off the bench.

The Will Wade recordings? That’s a horse of a different color.

When discussing a player who was deciding whether to enter the NBA Draft or be a graduate transfer, he told Dawkins that LSU could “compensate him better than the rookie minimum. We’d give him more than the D-League,” and there was also the previously reported “strong-ass offer” he made to a player that was presumed to be eventual Tigers standout Javonte Smart.

There’s also a small subplot about the ‘Jeff D’Angelo’ agent disappearing from the investigation for several months, only to reappear at Dawkins’ arrest. During the point in the film when assistant coaches are shown taking money we’re also told that Dawkins saw D’Angelo and another man, informant Marty Blazer, gambling in a Las Vegas casino presumably with some of the cash the feds provided for the sting. Dawkins’ attorney, Steve Haney, says in the film the belief was the D’Angelo agent got busted for misappropriating funds but that was never made public.

That sidestory, like almost everything else in the doc, was meant to portray Dawkins as a victim. He was asked at the beginning and end of the film if he did anything wrong, to which he said no.

The twice-convicted felon still believes he is blameless, so take that into consideration when he says “that wasn’t true” when asked about Miller declaring at that presser that he’d never paid a player or anyone associated with a player.

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/39rKbtG
via IFTTT

A way-too-early look at Arizona softball’s 2021 roster now that seniors can return

Malia Martinez and Jessie Harper | Photo by Ryan Kelapire

With the NCAA voting Monday to grant spring student-athletes an extra year of eligibility, it means the Arizona Wildcats softball team will be absolutely stacked in 2021 now that they can bring back six star seniors who otherwise would have exhausted their eligibility.

But wait, there’s more! Arizona is also set to welcome the No. 1 recruiting class, which consists of eight signees. (You can read all about them here.)

Here is a way-too-early position-by-position breakdown of Arizona’s 2021 roster. For now, we will assume all seniors will return, all incoming freshmen will join the program as expected, and there will be no transfers, though that’s probably unrealistic.

Pitchers

• Mariah Lopez (senior), Alyssa Denham (senior), Hanah Bowen (junior), Vanessa Foreman (sophomore), Marissa Schuld (sophomore), Devyn Netz (true freshman), Jessie Fontes (true freshman)

Lopez and Denham were a formidable 1-2 punch in the abbreviated 2020 campaign, combining to post a 1.67 ERA, and there is no reason to think that won’t hold true in 2021. If anything they should be better.

However, a big difference here is Arizona could have a dominant No. 3 pitcher on top of that. Lopez and Denham had combined for over 90 percent of UA’s innings in 2020, as Bowen, Schuld and Foreman couldn’t gain ground as a reliable third option.

Netz and Fontes are both super highly-rated recruits, with Netz, who plays at nearby Ironwood Ridge, being the No. 6 recruit in the country according to Extra Inning Softball. Fontes, a fellow right-hander, is ranked 24th.

If they are the real deal, they can help lessen the load on Denham and Lopez, something the Wildcats wanted to do in 2020 but were unable to.

That said, with only so many innings to go around, you can probably expect one or two pitchers to transfer. Foreman, who has hardly pitched and does not hit unlike Schuld and Bowen, seems the likeliest to leave.

Catchers

• Dejah Mulipola (senior), Sharlize Palacios (freshman), Izzy Pacho (sophomore)

The outlook here is the same as it was in 2020, only this time Pacho and Palacios will have some experience behind the plate. Palacios shined as a true freshman, hitting .324 with a homer in 13 games, though she missed time with a broken thumb and neck injury.

Pacho hit .250 and flashed a ton of power to all fields, but is a bit rawer as a backstop and has been inconsistent at the plate.

As for Mulipola, the Olympics were pushed back to 2021, so she will probably miss another year of college softball assuming she remains on Team USA’s roster and the Americans go on tour next spring like they did in 2020.

Before the coronavirus, Mulipola was planning to return as a fifth-year senior in 2021, but returning as a sixth-year senior in 2022 probably isn’t as much of a lock. That’s a long time to be away from the team.

If for some reason she does play college ball in 2021, Mulipola would be one of, if not the, best catcher in the country, offering impeccable defense and 20-homer power.

Corner infielders

• Malia Martinez (senior), Ivy Davis (junior), Carlie Scupin (true freshman), Giulia Koutsoyanopulos (true freshman), Aris Carroll (true freshman)

Martinez, a solid two-way player, will be the starter at third, assuming she returns instead of pursuing a PhD program at NAU like she planned.

There will be a fascinating competition at first base. Davis emerged as the starter in 2020 by hitting .305 with three homers, but it will take a lot more than that to keep that spot in 2021.

That’s because the powerful Carile Scupin, another Tucson recruit, has “definitely the highest bat speed” longtime coach Mike Candrea has seen. Scupin walloped 41 homers in three full seasons at Tucson High, including 17 as a junior when she posted an OPS of, wait for it, 2.513.

Adding a power hitter like that alongside two of the best in Jessie Harper and Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza could be something special, even for a program that has had no shortage of home-run hitters.

If Martinez does not return, Davis would be a strong candidate to replace her at the hot corner (she’s used to playing on that side of the infield anyway), as would Carroll.

Middle infielders

• Jessie Harper (senior), Reyna Carranco (senior), Alayna Hicks (freshman), Allie Skaggs (true freshman), Sophia Carroll (true freshman)

Not much to say here. If they return, Harper and Carranco will start at shortstop and second, respectively. They are two of the best hitters in the country, and Harper, who’s led the NCAA in homers the last two years, will likely break the all-time home-run record, needing 20 more to do it. (She hit 29 in in 2019, her last full season.)

Carroll, Aris’ twin, is a top-15 recruit with tremendous power, so perhaps she can make her way into the lineup as the designated player. Same with Skaggs, a former Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year who is now attending Tucson’s Ironwood Ridge High School.

Outfielders

• Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza (senior), Peanut Martinez (junior), Bella Dayton (freshman), Janelle Meono (freshman), Jasmine Perezchica (true freshman), Jenna Kean (junior), Riley Kuderca (sophomore), Carli Campbell (junior)

Palomino-Cardoza will be one of the best players in the country in her sixth/”great grandma” year at Arizona. Not just because of her bat, but also because she has never made an error in center field. Yes, that’s a real stat.

There will be tremendous competition in the corner outfield, but not for a lack of talent. Martinez and Dayton, two speedy lefties with some power, started to create some separation in 2020, but Kean and Campbell have played at a high level before, and Meono was actually the highest-ranked recruit in the 2019 class.

Meanwhile, Perezchica, the daughter of Diamondbacks third base coach Tony Perezchica, is a top-10 recruit per Extra Inning Softball, profiling as “your typical leadoff hitter,” per Candrea, which is a pretty good way to describe all of Arizona’s outfielders, save for Palomino-Cardoza.

It is also possible that some of the players we listed at other positions decide to give outfield a go, knowing it is their best path to immediate playing time.

And, yeah, there will probably be a transfer or two. If there is a downside to having a roster as loaded as this one it’s that not everyone can play as much as they’d like.

There might not be enough scholarship money, either. Due to the unique circumstances, the NCAA amended its financial aid rules to allow softball programs to exceed the 12-scholarship limit so that they can accommodate their seniors, but that doesn’t mean they will. That can get expensive.

---

One starting lineup projection

• C: Sharlize Palacios
• 1B: Carlie Scupin
• 2B: Reyna Carranco
• 3B: Malia Martinez
• SS: Jessie Harper
• LF: Peanut Martinez
• CF: Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza
• RF: Bella Dayton
• DP: Ivy Davis

Verdict

The Wildcats should again be a top-10 team in the country, and even that might be underselling them. Two areas they were weak in in 2020 (first base, pitching depth) could become strengths.

The biggest question mark remains the corner outfield and finding a reliable bat to slot in at designated player. More holes could obviously emerge if some of the seniors decide to move on, but most, if not all, are expected to return.

Harper was already planning to return as a graduate assistant, Lopez wasn’t going to graduate until the fall, and Palomino-Cardoza and Carranco have hinted on social media that they will be back.

Denham and Malia Martinez are the two to watch, as both had plans lined up after this semester, a reason Denham is taking 20+ units to graduate in May.

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

NCAA votes to grant all spring student-athletes an extra year of eligibility

Photo by Jacob Snow/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Winter student-athletes were left in the cold

The NCAA Division I council voted Monday to grant an extra year of eligibility to spring student-athletes whose 2020 seasons were cut short by the coronavirus crisis.

Winter student-athletes, including basketball players, were not included in this decision as “all or much of their regular seasons were completed,” per the NCAA’s statement.

The NCAA also announced that financial aid rules have been amended so that schools can offer spring student-athletes the same amount of aid (or less) as they did in the 2019-20 academic year without worrying about scholarship limits.

Still, not every senior will be welcomed back.

A USA Today study showed it could cost Power Five public universities anywhere from $500,000 to $900,000 to give seniors an extra year—the price of tuition, equipment, housing, travel, food, etc.

Therefore it is easy to imagine a scenario in which a senior, especially one who is deemed non-essential to a team’s success, is asked to not return (or take significantly less aid) so that the program can welcome an incoming freshman without putting itself in a financial bind.

For that reason, and because roster sizes will on average be larger, you can expect Monday’s vote to lead to a surge in transfers.

“We can work through the challenges—it’s the right thing to do,” Arizona athletic director Dave Heeke tweeted anyway.

Arizona softball coach Mike Candrea, whose team will be greatly affected by Monday’s vote, was in favor of granting all student-athletes an extra year as well.

“Eligibility relief was meant for all classes!” he tweeted.

Arizona softball’s top-ranked 2020 recruiting class consists of eight signees, a large group on the account that the program expected to graduate six seniors.

But all six seniors are star players, making for an interesting financial situation if they all return and all eight freshmen join the program as planned.

That said, some seniors are not in a prime spot to continue their athletic careers, having already accepted a job or enrollment in graduate school at a different institution. This applies to Arizona third baseman Malia Martinez and pitcher Alyssa Denham, though both could still try to delay their next moves so they can use their extra year of eligibility.

As far as Arizona baseball goes, Monday’s vote could mean the return of two of UA’s top relief pitchers in Vince Vanelle and Preston Price, both seniors.

Arizona’s best players are underclassmen, and they too are more likely to return for another season now that the 2020 MLB Draft will be abbreviated from 40 rounds to 10, or maybe even five.

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/341gv5I
via IFTTT

Pac-12 basketball roundup: ASU, Colorado players enter NBA Draft, USC picks up another transfer

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The Pac-12 was on pace to get as many as seven teams into the NCAA Tournament this season had the coronavirus pandemic not put a halt to all things sports earlier this month. And while it was pretty much a given the Arizona Wildcats were going to be losing a bunch of talent to the NBA, turns out other Pac-12 squads are poised to deal with the same exodus to the pro game.

ASU junior guard Remy Martin announced Monday he had declared for the 2020 NBA Draft, a move that has the complete backing of coach Bobby Hurley:

I support Remy as he pursues his dreams! pic.twitter.com/jso9QtaXrA

— Bobby Hurley (@BobbyHurley11) March 30, 2020

Martin averaged 19.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists this season for ASU, going for 20 and 24 points in his two games this season against Arizona. He averaged 20.5 points for his career against the Wildcats.

Also entering the NBA Draft over the weekend were two of Colorado’s top players in juniors Tyler Bey and McKinley Wright IV. Bey, a 6-foot-7 wing, led the Pac-12 in rebounding at 9.0 per game while averaging 13.8 points. Wright, a 6-foot guard, averaged 14.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists.

That trio brings the number of reported NBA Draft declarations from the Pac-12 to five, the others being USC big man Onyeka Okongwu and Arizona forward Zeke Nnaji. Arizona guards Josh Green and Nico Mannion are also expected to turn pro.

USC adds third transfer

If the Pac-12 were to award a Transfer Portal Recruiter of the Year award it would have to go to USC coach Andy Enfield after the way he’s successfully filling his roster with players from other Division I programs.

The Trojans have now added three transfers since the 2019-20 season abruptly ended, the latest being Wofford graduate transfer forward Chevez Goodwin.

#fighton ✌ pic.twitter.com/nIK6TGl37O

— Chevez Goodwin (@Chevy_Dunkin) March 30, 2020

The 6-foot-9, 225-pound Goodwin averaged 11.9 points and 6.2 rebounds on 64.2 percent shooting for the Terriers. He began his career at Charleston before transferring to Wofford, sitting out the 2017-18 season.

USC had previously added Utah Valley wing Isaiah White—whom Arizona had shown interest in—and Santa Clara point guard Tahj Eaddy.

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

Arizona contacts Rice transfer Trey Murphy, a 3-point marksman

Photo courtesy Rice Athletics

The Arizona Wildcats have targeted a ton of transfers this offseason, and a lot of them have one thing in common: they can shoot the heck out the ball.

Rice wing Trey Murphy III is their latest target, and he certainly fits that bill. The 6-foot-8 sophomore averaged 13.7 points with the Owls this season, shooting 37 percent from 3.

Murphy hoisted 204 3-pointers, more than seven per game. He also averaged 5.5 boards per game, starting in 23 of the 29 games in which he appeared.

As a freshman in 2018-19, Murphy shot 42.1 percent from 3.

Other schools interested in Murphy, per RIvals’ Corey Evans, include Arkansas ,Arizona State, Cincinnati, DePaul, Iowa State, Stanford, Texas, Wichita State, and Xavier, though several others are expected to inquire.

Murphy will have to sit out the 2020-21 season before having two years of eligibility at his new school.

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2ynT8aN
via IFTTT

Pac-12 team activities now suspended through May 31 due to coronavirus

Photo by Stephen Lam/Getty Images

Pac-12 sports aren’t coming back anytime soon.

Due to concerns over the coronavirus, the conference announced Monday that it has suspended all team activities through May 31. Previously, team activities were suspended through the end of March.

Most notably, this extension all but wipes out spring football games and practices. The Arizona Wildcats were scheduled to have their spring game on April 4.

However, the conference says it will “convene regularly” to assess the circumstances, so theoretically this suspension could be lifted sooner than May 31.

Here are the key elements of the policy:

• No organized, in-person team activities of any type;
• No in-person voluntary workouts, film study sessions, meetings, technique drills or practices of any type;
• Virtual or online supervised voluntary workouts and skill instruction are not permitted, regardless of location;
• Virtual group activities, including film study, are permitted to two (2) hours per week for football and four (4) hours per week for all other sports. We are appealing to the NCAA to increase the two-hour football limit in the near future;
• Coaches can recommend written, self-directed workout plans, and taped demonstration videos on workout plans are allowed in order to demonstrate proper form and technique;
• In-person, on-campus nutrition may be provided in circumstances where student-athletes are unable to leave campus, and off-campus nutrition is limited to distribution of products normally available on campus;
• It is fully permissible to provide non-athletically related support to student-athletes, including sports medicine treatments, physical therapy and rehabilitation; academic support; and mental health and wellness support; and
• It is permissible for institutions to provide off-campus student-athletes with apparel and personal equipment that is regularly available to student-athletes when they are on campus for conditioning workouts. It is not permissible to rent, purchase or arrange for conditioning or strength training equipment or machines.

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/3dEbzba
via IFTTT

This Arizona-only One Shining Moment video will give you goosebumps

Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images/Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images

If you watched the re-airing of the 1997 national championship game on CBS on Sunday but are still looking for some more nostalgia, you’ve come to the right place.

As any college basketball fan knows, one of the most chilling moments of the NCAA Tournament is when the One Shining Moment montage is played at the end of the national championship game, highlighting all the best moments from a tournament that is always full of crazy twists and turns.

But you know what’s better than the usual One Shining Moment video? One that only features Arizona.

Like this one from that magical ‘97 season. Shout out to the folks at KOLD for putting it together all those years ago.

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/39vokBI
via IFTTT

Arizona in mix for Santa Clara transfer Trey Wertz

Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Just because the Arizona Wildcats express interest in a transfer, which they have done a lot lately, it doesn’t mean the feeling is mutual.

This time it is.

Santa Clara Broncos transfer Trey Wertz listed Arizona as one of 11 schools he is considering, according to Corey Evans of Rivals.com. The others are Butler, NC State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Xavier.

Wertz has two years of eligibility left and will likely have to sit out the 2020-21 season barring a successful waiver request and/or NCAA rule change.

The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 11.9 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.5 rebounds this season, shooting 49 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3. Attempting roughly four 3s per game, the Charlotte native would add the kind of shooting the Wildcats so desperately need, though it is way too early to know what kind of role he’d have.

Evans adds that Wertz is “respected for his shot making, playmaking, perimeter defense and intangibles.”

College basketball is currently in a recruiting dead period due to the coronavirus crisis, which means Wertz will not be able to visit Arizona, or any other school, until at least April 15.

The other transfers known to still be strongly considering Arizona are Columbia guard Mike Smith, the Ivy League’s leading scorer, and Illinois’ Alan Griffin. Utah Valley’s Isaiah White was also pondering a move to the UA, but he chose USC instead.

Below are some highlights from when Wertz dropped 31 points on Pacific on Jan. 18. He once had 18 points and nine rebounds against Stanford on 7-of-13 shooting.

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2UpQd9T
via IFTTT

What Aari McDonald had to consider when returning to Arizona

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Before Aari McDonald announced she is returning for her senior season, I was planning to publish a piece that weighed the benefits of declaring for WNBA Draft and returning school, hoping to give our readers some perspective on what likely was a tough decision for the Arizona Wildcats point guard.

But even though we know which route she took (and because I don’t want my work to go to waste) here are some of the factors she undoubtedly had to consider in what was a win-win situation.

Pros of entering the draft

Money, duh

Historically, WNBA salaries have been minuscule compared to other professional leagues, the reason many superstars feel the need to play overseas in the offseason. That’s where the big bucks are.

But that is slowly changing. The new WNBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, signed this winter, sets a minimum player salary of $57,000, raises overall compensation by 53 percent, and set an average salary of $153,000, the first time that number has been six figures.

Even if McDonald fell to the second round, she would have signed a three-year, $187,000 deal with a fourth-year team option worth $76,000. (Though none of that money is guaranteed and securing a roster spot is awfully difficult in the 12-team league.)

If McDonald would have been selected in the latter part of the first round—which was very possible—she would have signed a deal worth slightly more than that.

Here is the full 2020 WNBA rookie scale:

While still not a whole lot compared to what NBA players make, it is still a solid salary for someone’s first job out of college, not to mention it’s earned by playing basketball.

Pretty sweet gig if you can get it.

A longer pro career

An interesting analysis conducted by Positive Residual (linked below) shows that most WNBA players peak around age 25 and start to sharply decline around age 28.

If that’s true, then McDonald’s clock is ticking, and the 22-year-old would have benefitted from starting her pro career sooner rather than later.

That could be especially true for her since she is an undersized point guard with elite quickness. Her game, theoretically at least, won’t age as well as, say, a skilled 6-foot-5 post.

Thread: Here's a preliminary look at the aging curve for WNBA players. The peak appears to be at age 25 based on average change in win shares per 500 minutes.

This work draws upon articles by @Neil_Paine and @EvolvingHockey:https://t.co/USasmyENadhttps://t.co/iKJej5bNEA pic.twitter.com/U8I4KzB8Ta

— Positive Residual (@presidual) March 28, 2019

Better competition

This is pretty self-explanatory. McDonald is a fierce competitor, so much so that she used to play against boys in grade school, and the chance to put her skills to the test against the best players in the world had to have been appealing.

And there is no doubt McDonald has what it takes to run with them.

“She’s an excellent playmaker, and a legit two-way contributor right away,” said Howard Megdal, editor-in-chief of HighPostHoops.com “She’d absolutely be effective in anyone’s rotation, and a number of teams are watching her decision closely.”

A chance to move on in life

McDonald recently got engaged to former Arizona football player Devon Brewer, and declaring for the WNBA Draft could have been the next step in moving on to life as an adult.

Then again, if Brewer is still living in Tucson, McDonald playing in a different city could have been a challenge.

Pros of staying in school

Taking care of unfinished business

The Wildcats’ goal this season was to reach the NCAA Tournament, and while they were a lock to make it happen (and host), the coronavirus crisis prevented them from enjoying the fruits of their labor.

As much as McDonald has meant to the program, ending her UA career without playing on that stage would just feel wrong, and it’s totally understandable that she, like Sabrina Ionescu who could have been the No. 1 pick last year, felt she had some unfinished business to settle.

With McDonald back in the fold, the Wildcats will likely enter the season as a top-10 team, and a real Final Four contender.

As she said, “the best is yet to come.”

A chance to break records/become a legend

On a similar note, McDonald has a chance to cement herself as the greatest women’s basketball player in Arizona history.

McDonald, the reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and first Wildcat to be named a Second-Team All-American, already broke Adia Barnes’ single-season record and needs 835 more points to break Barnes’ career scoring record, completely doable considering McDonald scored 890 as a redshirt sophomore.

What is even more impressive is McDonald could do that despite spending her freshman season at Washington.

McDonald also has a shot to lead Arizona to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2005, its first Elite Eight and Final Four, as well as its first Pac-10/12 championship.

And with Ionescu graduating, McDonald has a chance to not only be the best guard in the Pac-12 but the entire country as well.

That could translate to big money down the road in the form of endorsements, more than she could have ever made had she declared this year.

Boost that draft stock

Being the best guard in the country would also mean McDonald’s draft stock rising past where it is now. Most experts had her as a fringe first-round pick.

If McDonald can solidify herself as a first-round talent, her rookie salary could be as much as $3,000 to $8,000 more per season than if she would have declared this year (though she is missing out on a whole year of salary by returning to school).

Earn a master’s degree

McDonald can now make progress toward a master’s degree and even complete a one-year, accelerated program, which would set her up nicely for life after basketball.

Yes, she could always return to school when her pro career is over, but the experience wouldn’t be the same (going to college in your 30s is not like your 20s) and she would no longer be on full scholarship.

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/3bukIBc
via IFTTT

‘The best is yet to come’: Arizona guard Aari McDonald to return for senior season

Photo by Jacob Snow/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The WNBA can wait

Arizona Wildcats guard Aari McDonald is returning for her senior season, she announced Sunday on Twitter.

She would have been a coveted selection in the 2020 WNBA Draft, but decided she still has some unfinished business with the Wildcats, whose historic 2019-20 season was cut short by the coronavirus crisis.

Here is the letter McDonald penned to Wildcat Nation:

“This past season was one that I will truly cherish for the rest of my life.There were so many memories that I created with my teammates and I hope our fans enjoyed the ride as much as we did.

We were devastated when we learned that all of our hard work would be rewarded by representing Arizona in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 25 years, knowing that we were going to make some magic happen in March.

With that being said, and after many long talks with my family and fiancé, I have made the decision to return next season. I’m already counting down the days until I can get back on the court with my teammates, and I can’t wait to play one more season in front of the best fans in the country. Stay tuned because the best is yet to come.”

With McDonald back in the fold, the Wildcats, who also return second- and third-leading scorers Cate Reese and Sam Thomas, will enter the 2020-21 season as a legitimate Final Four contender.

ESPN ranked the Wildcats No. 7 in their way-too-early preseason rankings. They went 24-7 this season, ranking No. 12 in the final AP poll, putting them in line to be a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament.

McDonald led the Pac-12 in scoring (20.6 PPG) and was also the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year after leading the Pac-12 in steals per game (2.3).

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2Jq305O
via IFTTT

Underrated Wildcats: Drew Riggleman was Arizona’s punting master

Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images

Punting has been a problem for the Arizona Wildcats for a while now. Or, more specifically, ever since Drew Riggleman graduated.

When he was around, things were great.

In three years as Arizona’s starter, Riggleman averaged 40.1 (2013), 46.1 (2014) and 45.3 (2015) yards per punt. In 2014, the Tucsonan was third in the NCAA and second in the Pac-12 in yards per punt. In 2015, he was 15th and second, respectively.

A soccer player at Sahuaro High, Riggleman was not just powerful and precise, but also versatile, capable of launching traditional punts or rubgy-style kicks that darted through the thin desert air, then rolled and rolled and rolled, leaving very little room for a return.

In 2015, Riggleman ranked 10th in the country in net yards per punt (41.5), the stat that actually matters.

Compare that number to those Arizona has posted since his departure, and it will make you appreciate him even more:

• 2016 — 37.0 net yards per punt
• 2017 — 31.7 (lol)
• 2018 — 38.9
• 2019 — 34.5

For his career, Riggleman averaged 44.0 yards per punt, the third-best mark in program history, only behind Nick Folk and Kyle Dugandzic.

Riggleman’s 46.1 average in 2014 is second-best in school history behind Danny Baugher.

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2vXC7mJ
via IFTTT

How to watch the 1997 National Championship game on CBS on Sunday

The ending is pretty great

It’s game day! Sort of.

With the 2020 NCAA Tournament being canceled due to the coronavirus, CBS has been re-airing some of the best moments of March Madness instead.

Sunday that means it will be showing the 1997 national championship game between the Arizona Wildcats and Kentucky Wildcats at 11:30 a.m. PT. (Spoiler: Arizona wins 84-79 in overtime!)

If for some reason you can’t tune into CBS at that time, or you just can’t wait that long, you can watch the full game right here:

We will also be live-tweeting the action on our Twitter account, @AZDesertSwarm. We encourage you to follow along as we take a trip down memory lane.

We also encourage you to discuss the game in the comment section below.

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/33QWBu3
via IFTTT

Arizona RB J.J. Taylor among ‘biggest sleepers’ in 2020 NFL Draft, per PFF

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

J.J. Taylor has been overlooked his whole life because of his size, but NFL teams better not make that same mistake, according to Pro Football Focus, which recently named the Arizona Wildcats running back one of the top 10 sleepers in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Here is why:

Yet another player who isn’t going to do it all in your respective offense, but what Taylor does, he does darn well. The 5-foot-5, 185-pounder will be a nightmare for linebackers. Whether it’s on swing screens, angle routes or wide runs, trying to get a hand on Taylor in speed is a scary proposition. His lateral agility is silly and he bounces in and out of his cuts with ease. And even if you do catch him cleanly, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re taking him down…

The 5-foot-5, 185-pound Taylor rushed for 3,263 yards at Arizona from 2016-19, and also caught 62 passes for 487 yards and two touchdowns.

Taylor performed pretty well at the NFL Combine in late February, posting the second-best time among running backs in the 20-yard shuttle run and the third-best time in the 3-cone drill, while his 19 reps in the bench press were tied for 12th-best. He was just outside the top 15 among rushers in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump and broad jump.

These were his full results:

• 40-yard dash: 4.61 seconds
• Bench press: 19 reps
• Vertical jump: 34.5 inches
• Broad jump: 118.0 inches
• 3-cone drill: 7.0 seconds
• 20-yard shuttle: 4.15 seconds

The experts at NFL.com give Taylor a 5.64 prospect grade, making him a player who has the “chance to make end of roster or practice squad.”

The draft is set to take place April 23-25. If Taylor gets picked, he will likely be a Day 3 selection.

Arizona RB J.J. Taylor: PFF's top sleeper RBpic.twitter.com/LF5dQ89CnU

— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) March 28, 2020

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

Where do NBA mock drafts have Zeke Nnaji?

Jacob Snow-USA TODAY Sports

As a fringe first-rounder, mostly

In case you missed it, Zeke Nnaji is reportedly the first Arizona Wildcats freshman to throw his hat into the 2020 NBA Draft after averaging an efficient 16.1 points and 8.6 rebounds and being named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.

Fellow UA freshmen Nico Mannion and Josh Green are expected to follow suit eventually.

The pre-draft process could be virtually non-existent this year due to the coronavirus crisis, which could mean NBA personnel have to rely heavily on college game tape to evaluate players as opposed to getting their own up-close look at them.

For now, the draft is scheduled for June 25, and Nnaji has until June 15 to withdraw his name from consideration, though that is not expected to happen.

Here is what Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo wrote about Nnaji’s pro potential:

Nnaji has been extremely effective despite playing a somewhat predictable style as a scorer—he’s a good offensive rebounder, has great touch that lets him take and make a lot of short and mid-range jumpers, and if he extends that range beyond the arc on a consistent basis, he could fit into a rotation as an energy guy. Nnaji isn’t great defensively, both at the rim or in space, and still has to get up to speed on that end. It’s possible he remains efficient playing against NBA size, adds strength and becomes a viable stretch big, but he could also struggle to consistently find the same types of shots and touches in the paint that are often available to him in college. He’ll have to become a much better face-up player to stick, and makes more sense as a late first-rounder than he does in the Top 20.

Do other outlets agree? Here is where Nnaji stands in several mock drafts, including Woo’s:

• Bleacher Report: Outside Top 30
• CBS: 30th
• NBADraft.net: 23rd
• Sporting News: Outside Top 30
• SB Nation: Outside Top 30
• ESPN: 34th (early second round)
• The Athletic: 29th
• Sports Illustrated: 25th

The consensus? Nnaji is a fringe first-round pick.

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2y8k1PB
via IFTTT

Arizona gets commitment from junior college offensive lineman Sam Langi

Courtesy @sam_langi65 on Twitter

While the Arizona Wildcats are making the most of their recruiting limitations during the NCAA’s coronavirus-mandated dead period in terms of offering prospects for the Class of 2021, they still have spots on the 2020 roster that need filling.

And on Saturday they got one in the form of junior college offensive lineman Sam Langi:

I am extremely excited to announce my commitment to the University of Arizona! I’d like to thank the Arizona football staff for this opportunity and everyone that has guided and supported me throughout this recruiting process! @CSM_Football @coachTcsm @CoachDeVan @TaylorMazzone1 pic.twitter.com/dcm17yRHzV

— Sam Langi (@sam_langi65) March 28, 2020

The 6-foot-5, 315-pound Langi played last season for College of San Mateo in California, earning all-state and All-American honors according to his Twitter bio. Originally from the San Francisco area, his San Mateo team went 12-1 in 2019 and played in California’s junior college title game.

Langi becomes the 23^rd member of Arizona’s 2020 class, including transfers, which still ranks last in the Pac-12 by 247Sports. He’s the fifth offensive lineman the Wildcats have brought in for next season along with Woody Jean (who was part of spring practice before it was stopped), Josh Baker, Leif Magnuson and Division II transfer Matthew Stefanski.

Here are Langi’s 2019 highlights:

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/3dBlMoG
via IFTTT

Arizona freshman Zeke Nnaji to declare for NBA Draft, per report

Photo by Chris Coduto/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Arizona Wildcats freshman Zeke Nnaji will declare for the 2020 NBA Draft, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

Many mock drafts project he will be a first-round pick, so this news does not come as a surprise. Assuming Nnaji does not hire an agent, he could still withdraw by June 15 and return to school, though that would be unexpected.

Sources: Arizona freshman Zeke Nnaji will declare for the 2020 NBA Draft.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 28, 2020

The ferocious forward led Arizona in scoring (16.1), rebounding (8.6) and field goal percentage (57.0) after entering the season as the least-heralded of the UA’s three freshman starters. The Minnesotan had 14 double-doubles and scored 20 or more points in 10 of 32 games.

Nnaji was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and an all-conference selection.

Fellow freshmen Josh Green and Nico Mannion are also expected to declare for the 2020 NBA Draft, meaning the Wildcats will likely have a completely new starting five in 2020-21.

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2xv5n4Q
via IFTTT

Underrated Wildcats: Anu Solomon could have been Arizona’s best QB ever

Photo by Chris Coduto/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

What could have been...

I’m prepared to die on this hill. Anu Solomon is one of the most underrated Wildcats to ever play for the football program.

For most fans, his legacy is a quarterback who simply couldn’t stay healthy. Whether or not you agree with that, it is a fair assessment. He sustained far too many concussions and struggled with a knee injury during his junior season. He ultimately made the wise decision to medically retire during his senior season at Baylor as a result.

That’s how it all ended and it is a sad ending but we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that he was one of the most successful Wildcat quarterbacks ever.

Let’s start from the beginning.

Solomon began the 2014 season atop of the quarterback depth chart as a redshirt freshman. He was a top dual-threat quarterback coming out of Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas.

At the time, Rich Rodriguez was entering his third season in Tucson and was working with a roster of Mike Stoops’ upperclassmen as well as his young recruits. The mix produced the best results for Arizona football of this century.

There were several young Rodriguez recruits that blossomed in 2014 (Nick Wilson, Samajie Grant and Nate Phillips to name a few). However, Anu Solomon was arguably the most important piece and was responsible for bringing everything together for the offense.

Football is the ultimate team sport and the Wildcats achieved a 10-2 regular-season record which was also good for a Pac-12 South Championship.

Shifting the focus to the individual performance of Solomon that season is a fun exercise. He played in all 14 games and tallied 3,793 passing yards with 28 touchdowns while completing 58 percent of his passes.

It was one of the most memorable freshman outings but the team success did not quite carry over to 2015. They finished the 2015 season 7-6 with a 6-6 regular season record.

Solomon missed two games but finished with strong statistical measures. If anyone remembers him that season when he was completely healthy, you could tell he was much more comfortable with the speed of the game and his decision making had improved.

His final numbers of that season were 2,667 passing yards with 20 touchdowns while completing 62 percent of his passes. Not quite as impressive as 2014 but nonetheless impressive.

The 2016 season for Arizona is one of the most forgettable seasons in recent memory, perhaps even more forgettable than 2019. Injuries mounted beyond belief and the roster’s lack of depth was very much exposed.

One of those injuries of course was Anu Solomon. He entered the season atop the quarterback’s depth chart once again. However, he only started and completed one full game which was the season opener against BYU.

He would appear in four more games that season but was never the same after sustaining a knee injury in practice following Arizona’s week-one loss.

The last time Solomon appeared in a game for the Wildcats was November 19, 2016, against Oregon State. He finished with 82 passing yards and six completions on 11 attempts.

After the conclusion of the 2016 season, he graduated and transferred to Baylor for a fresh start. He was eligible to play immediately due to the Graduate-Transfer policy.

His tenure with Baylor lasted only two games and ultimately withdrew from school after suffering from concussion-like symptoms for several weeks.

The biggest question to Anu Solomon’s career will be “What if he just stayed healthy?” It is a tall ask for anyone to stay completely healthy in a game that’s as physical as football.

But what if rather than missing 17 regular season games over the 2016 and 2017 seasons, he only missed three each season? This would mean he still missed a quarter of the regular season but would been healthy enough to offer much more than what actually happened.

As of the conclusion of the 2019 season, Anu Solomon’s position in Arizona’s record books are as follows:

• Passing Yards: 4th (6,910)
• Completions: 4th (555)
• Attempts: 4th (932)
• Passing Touchdowns: 4th (49)
• TD:INT Ratio: 1st (3.1:1 minimum 200 pass attempts)

It’s easy to forget his passing productivity during his time with the program as the most recent memories of Solomon come from the dreadful 2016 season.

But what if he was able to avoid the fluke accident when he injured his knee in practice? What if he played and started in at least nine games in 2016 instead of starting only one and playing in four others?

Theoretically playing nine games of a 12-game regular season is a reasonable expectation, right?

That might have prevented his transfer to Baylor in 2017 which might have prevented the phenomenon of Khalil Tate’s emergence as one of the most exciting players in college football.

Let’s assume Solomon was healthy enough to play at least nine games in 2016. Then, as a result he never transferred to Baylor for the 2017 season and played at least nine games that season as well.

If we extrapolate his career statistics based on per game averages to reflect that scenario, he would have played in 43 games instead of the actual 32. Here is where he would have finished in the Arizona record books:

• Passing Yards: 1st (10,578)
• Completions: 2nd (844)
• Attempts: 1st (1,426)
• Passing Touchdowns: 1st (78)
• TD:INT Ratio: 1st (3.2:1, minimum 200 pass attempts)

If this scenario came to fruition, Solomon would be regarded as the most statistically accomplished quarterback to ever wear the Wildcats’ uniform.

That obviously wasn’t the case and his Arizona career ended in an unfortunate fashion. We’ll never know what could have been had his health held up.

We do know that despite the cruel ending to his career, Anu Solomon ranks as one of the top statistically accomplished quarterbacks in Arizona program history.

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/3apmSBX
via IFTTT

Arizona transfer news: Isaiah White picks USC, Illinois’ Alan Griffin considering Wildcats, Johnny Juzang a possible target?

Jacob Snow-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Wildcats have been one of the most active teams on the transfer market this month, at least in terms of who they’ve reached out to among notable players looking for a new team. They haven’t landed anyone yet, unfortunately, and another top target has come off the board after picking another Pac-12 team.

Isaiah White, a 6-foot-7 wing from Isaiah White, is headed to USC after choosing the Trojans over the Wildcats according to Dinos Trigonis. White, who averaged 14.5 points and 8.4 rebounds as a sophomore last season, is the second UA transfer target to end up elsewhere in the Pac-12 after former Wichita State guard Erik Stevenson committed to Washington earlier this week.

Arizona still remains in the hunt for several other transfers, and appears to have made some headway with ex-Illinois guard Alan Griffin, per Jeff Goodman of Stadium.

Illinois sophomore transfer Alan Griffin (8.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg) told me that he is considering the following right now:

Miami, Arizona, Marquette, Dayton, Iowa State, Texas, Syracuse, Duke

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 27, 2020

When Griffin—who scored six points against Arizona when the Fighting Illini came to McKale Center in November—first announced his transfer his list of suitors was in the 20s.

And don’t be surprised if the UA goes after another notable transfer who just entered the portal on Friday in that of Kentucky freshman Johnny Juzang.

The 6-6 wing, who averaged 2.9 points and 1.9 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per game last season, was the No. 33 player in the 2019 recruiting class. Originally from California, Juzang is the latest Kentucky signee from the West Coast to leave the program in the last few years after Jemarl Baker Jr. went to Arizona and Marcus Lee transferred to Cal.

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2WO3cDW
via IFTTT

Olympic dream on hold, former Arizona ace Danielle O’Toole staying upbeat

Photo courtesy Danielle O’Toole

In an alternate reality, one in which softball season wasn’t canceled by COVID-19, former Arizona ace Danielle O’Toole would be back at Hillenbrand Stadium this weekend, toeing the rubber for the Mexican National Team.

Instead, she is stuck in quarantine in San Diego, obeying California’s stay-at-home order like millions of others during this pandemic.

“I was really looking forward to being in that environment again,” said O’Toole, who pitched at Arizona in 2016 and 2017. “It was one of the best times in my whole life.”

The Bear Down Fiesta, the name of the four-team round-robin that was supposed to take place from March 26-28, would have pitted O’Toole against her former team and been her first appearance at the remodeled Hillenbrand Stadium.

And while the disappointment in her voice is palpable when she talks about the missed opportunity, she is not going to dwell on it.

“I’m not sad about it because I know I’ll get a chance eventually,” she said.

O’Toole is treating her Olympic dream, the one that’s been burning since she first picked up a softball at age 4, the same way.

It’s not over, just on hold until 2021.

“It’s hard because it is disheartening, but it’s what needs to be done to keep not only the athletes but the staff, all the fans, everybody that’s coming, safe because we live in such uncertainty right now,” she said. “So it’s hard to say this, but what’s another year in terms of sports when we’re talking about the health of millions of people?”

An amusing answer considering O’Toole was leaning toward retiring in 2020, with the Olympics being her last hurrah.

But like she said, what’s one more year?

“It being pushed back a year doesn’t affect me at all physically, I’m still gonna do whatever I need to do,” she said. “The only reason I was thinking about not playing after (the Olympics) was for personal stuff. But it is what it is.”

O’Toole can still spin it, that’s for sure. The lanky lefty allowed just one run in 14.1 innings during the Olympic qualifying rounds. She is a key part of a loaded pitching staff that also features former Arizona teammate Taylor McQuillin and ex-ASU ace Dallas Escobedo.

But Team Mexico is more than just a collection of arms.

“We have a great battery,” O’Toole said. “We have Sashel Palacios (the older sister of Arizona catcher Sharlize Palacios) and Brittany Cervantes, and then we have a studded infield. You look at our infield and you’re like, ‘holy crap.’”

Yet, Mexico only ranks fifth in the WBSC world rankings, fourth-worst among the six countries that qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“I don’t want to say we’re underrated but people kind of gloss over us,” O’Toole said. “It’s a good position to be in. It makes us all want to work a little bit harder.”

In February, Team Mexico went 4-1 in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, beating top-ranked Texas, Tennessee, Utah and Colorado State while losing to unranked Ole Miss.

O’Toole admitted it wasn’t Mexico’s best showing, but noted that they were without some of their college players, making it “really hard to judge how we’re doing.”

“We don’t have the opportunity to train together like other teams do, and we don’t have the resources,” said O’Toole, who also helps run her team’s website and social media feeds, “but we work together to get it done and appreciate what we do have and the opportunities that are given to us, and we’re still just as good.”

They hoped to prove that in Tokyo this summer, though O’Toole says having to wait another year will only make that moment sweeter.

“The Olympics is one of the most sought-out sporting events in the whole world, so I think Japan will do it right and they will make it the one of the best Olympic Games there’s ever been because it’s going to be waited upon,” she said. “The Olympics has never been postponed and only canceled for the world wars, so this is historic and they’ll want to make it a memorable comeback.

“And I also think that because our sport has been waiting for this moment for so long, so many people will be watching, and so many people will get the opportunity to see just how cool it is on the global stage.”

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/3dukCeR
via IFTTT