3-star offensive lineman JT Hand commits to Arizona

Photo via @jthand55 on Twitter

The Arizona Wildcats have landed a commitment from three-star offensive lineman JT Hand, he announced Sunday on Twitter.

Arizona offered Hand earlier in the day. He visited campus in November for the Oregon State game. The 6-foot-3, 285-pound lineman is listed as a center and guard on various sites. He attends Mission Viejo High School in Mission Viejo, California.

@CoachDeVan @CoachSumlin @TaylorMazzone1 @NzoneFootball @GregBiggins @GiantSkillz @diablocjohnson @ArizonaFBall pic.twitter.com/3boEMG6zf1

— JT Hand (@jthand55) June 1, 2020

Hand was listed by MaxPreps as one of the Top 100 under the radar high school football players. He also had an offer from UNLV, which he received in April.

“Can play at a high level anywhere on the offensive line. Doesn’t have any offers yet but expect some to come during his senior season,” Zack Poff wrote in April.

Hand is Arizona’s third 2021 commit, joining three-star linebackers Jackson Bailey and Kolbe Cage. All pledged to the UA in May. An NCAA dead period that extends through July 31 has prohibited coaches from meeting and hosting recruits in person for more than two months now, but they are permitted to communicate electronically.

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Arizona women’s basketball coach Adia Barnes issues statement on national climate

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Arizona Wildcats women’s basketball coach joined a long list of college coaches who have spoken out about the current chaos in America that stemmed from the killing of George Floyd earlier this week in Minnesota, issuing the following statement on Twitter:

Over the last few days I have been overcome by so many emotions. My hear hurts. I am so sad that this is what we are facing in 2020 in America. I have had conversations with my family, close friends, current and former players, and I feel all of their anger, pain and frustration.

Now is the time for CHANGE! Enough is enough, and we are all tired of the same injustice in America. We have been dealing with systematic racism for too long, and people are dying at the hands of those that are supposed to protect and serve. Justice has been denied for far too long.

I am appalled and heartbroken at the videos that I am seeing all over the internet. It’s really sickening. I pray for all of the families that have lost loved ones.

I will always stand with our student-athletes and support them during these challenging times in the world. In this program we will be the CHANGE! We will stand up for what is right, we will listen with open hears, and support one another wherever they are.

It is my duty to unite, empower and educate women to have an effective voice to inspire change. This is much bigger than basketball, and we must all be a part of the change.

Adia Barnes

Head Arizona Women’s Basketball Coach

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Dalen Terry hopes to be a one-and-done at Arizona

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The Arizona Wildcats did not sign any five-star prospects in this recruiting cycle, which some actually view as a welcome change for the program.

The idea is that Arizona will no longer be a pit stop for those elite prospects that have no intention of staying in college for multiple years, that it can now construct a roster that doesn’t have to be rebuilt months later.

Not so fast.

Four-star wing Dalen Terry, the headliner of the 2020 class, is hoping his stay at Arizona is a short (but productive) one.

“In college I want to win a National Championship and become a one-and-done prospect,” he said in an interview with ArizonaVarsity.com.

It might seem unlikely that Terry, the No. 48 recruit in the country, will be a coveted prospect in the 2021 NBA Draft unless he destroys worlds as a freshman (which Arizona fans would obviously be cool with), but as we’ve seen before, that isn’t always what it takes for a player to forgo their college eligibility.

Just in the last few years Arizona has seen guys like Kobi Simmons, Brandon Randolph and Chance Comanche go pro after one or two seasons even though they had no shot of being drafted. They were content with developing (while being paid) in the NBA G League.

The G League has been able to weed out some of those prospects this year by signing them to $500,000 contracts out of high school, but only a select few have been deemed worthy of such an investment.

Others head to college hoping to be there for a good time, not a long time.

“There’s definitely a paradigm shift happening,” The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie told me a couple months ago. “I don’t think a lot of people give a shit about college basketball, to be honest. A lot of people are starting to recognize the racket that is the NCAA. You know, not paying these kids is absurd. It is a disgrace. We’re dealing with a situation now where they’re trying to charge agents $1,500 a year to certify themselves with the NCAA. The whole thing is a blatant money grab by the NCAA and I think it’s gross in regard to freshmen and one-and-dones.”

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Kevin Sumlin issues statement on death of George Floyd

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Arizona Wildcats coach Kevin Sumlin, the first black head football coach at the UA, addressed the murder of George Floyd on Sunday, releasing this statement on Twitter:

It has been nearly 137 hours since George Floyd had his life snuffed out in a matter of nine minutes at the hands of an officer of the law on a street in Minneapolis.

137 hours of me trying to process what I witnessed on video yet again and wondering how many others have suffered without it being caught on a cellphone.

137 hours of my players and coaches and friends calling me, texting me, seeking answers for a problem that is so much bigger than just one man, one death.

137 hours of calming my young black sons, of alleviating their worst fears of trying to explain—again—why this keeps happening in our country.

137 hours of many Americans thinking, not again.

137 hours of many Americans thinking, not again.

137 hours of Black Americans wonder when it will all end.

137 hours of protests, looting, calls for peace, calls for unity.

In the time that has passed since George Floyd’s death, my emotions have run from immense anger to frustration; Horror to resolve; Sadness to hope.

I wear many hats each day: father, brother, son, coach, friend, boss, colleague. But yet no matter what hat I put on, the color of my skin does not change. Being a college head football coach, blessed to earn more than I ever could have imagined, does not make me immune to the same suspicious stares, to the same fears of being pulled over, to the same assumptions that others make of me, to the same racist remarks sent in my direction, simply because I am black.

I was born in 1964 in the heart of the Civil Rights Movement and grew up with a generation that should have done more to correct the wrongs in American. But maybe we have failed. George Floyd’s death is the latest of hundreds—thousands?—of unnecessary and tragic deaths of black men and women during my lifetime that never should have happened. But we didn’t push hard enough for change.

When I look at my football team, a true melting pot of diversity, I am buoyed by their thoughtfulness, their desire to do better and their willingness to demand change. Perhaps this generation will be the ones to fundamentally ensure social justice in America.

So, for now, what I will focus on is what I can control: my own resolve to be a part of the solution. In gestures big and small, each and every day, I must do my part to foster a better understanding among all of us. And if each of us takes on a similar responsibility maybe we won’t have to ever think, not again.

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Arizona softball transfer Carli Campbell lands at Syracuse

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From one extreme to another.

Arizona softball transfer and Tucson native Carli Campbell is trading the desert heat for the frigid cold in upstate New York, as she will continue her college career at Syracuse.

The move was first reported by 520SportsTalk. It comes after the redshirt junior outfielder spent four years at Arizona, hitting .275 in 146 career games (75 starts).

The speedy slapper once said playing for the Wildcats was a “dream come true”, but she entered the transfer portal after they announced they would be returning their entire senior class in 2021.

A starter on the 2019 Women’s College World Series team, the Canyon del Oro product appeared in 18 of 25 games in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, but only logged seven at-bats, losing playing time to freshmen Bella Dayton and Janelle Meono, as well as juniors Jenna Kean and Peanut Martinez.

Kean also transferred, though her future destination is still unknown. Arizona’s other three transfers have found a home, with junior utility Ivy Davis landing at Tennessee, sophomore left-hander Vanessa Foreman signing with Louisiana-Lafayette, and two-way player Marissa Schuld joining ASU.

Sophomore outfielder Riley Kuderca recently left the program too, but she is planning to remain a student at the UA.

Campbell was a walk-on at Arizona but is likely receiving scholarship money to attend Syracuse, a big benefit of transferring. She has two years of eligibility left and can play immediately in 2021.

The Orange were 10-10 when the 2020 season was canceled in mid-March. They did not play a single home game. Due to the cold weather in upstate New York, their first homestand wasn’t scheduled until late March.

Syracuse typically plays 15 home games a year. Arizona regularly hosts 30 or more.

Head to our softball section for more coverage.

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Arizona soccer adds two more players, aims for normal report date

Photo by Ryan Kelapire

Arizona soccer announced two more signees on Friday, growing their freshman class to 13 players, which is believed to be the largest group in the Tony Amato era (2013-present).

The first signing was goalkeeper Alani Mexia from Granada Hills Charter in Granada Hills, California. She also plays for LA Surf Soccer Club. Mexia will join sophomore Hope Hisey—the incumbent starter—and fellow freshman Sami Hauk, a former Oklahoma commit, in the goalkeeping room.

Please join us in welcoming Alani Mexia to the Wildcat Family‼️#BearDown | #BuildingALegacy pic.twitter.com/l6EWvaG0u7

— Arizona Soccer (@ArizonaSoccer) May 29, 2020

The second signing was forward Kayden Heinrich, who was originally a UC Davis commit. She attends Huntington Beach High School in Huntington Beach, California and stars for Pateadores SC at the club level. Per MaxPreps, she had four goals and two assists in 23 games as a sophomore at Huntington Beach High.

Heinrich also logged two goals in 18 games (nine starts) for Pateadores SC in U.S. Development Academy action this season.

Pleased to welcome Kayden Heinrich to the Wildcat Family‼️#BearDown | #BuildingALegacy pic.twitter.com/iY9hIhRiRL

— Arizona Soccer (@ArizonaSoccer) May 30, 2020

Here’s how many recruits Arizona announced on signing day in previous years:

• 2013 — 8
• 2014 — 8
• 2015 — 9
• 2016 — 10
• 2017 — 6
• 2018 — 11
• 2019 — 7

The large class is the product of having seven players transfer out in addition to graduating six seniors. Five of those 13 outgoing players were starters last season.

The Wildcats are looking to get more athletic, and Amato said in November that this class checks the box. Recruiting rankings are virtually non-existent for women’s soccer, so it’s hard to tell how the class ranks nationally.

“I would say competitiveness, height, toughness, kind of that grit factor is all there, and they can also fill what we need to do soccer-wise,” Amato said. “Sometimes you fall into (the mindset) of ‘well, they’re just an athlete or they’re just a technical soccer player.’ And I think they provide some balance. And whenever we’ve had players that can do that, they always help us, so we feel like this class does that.”

Amato said a month ago that Arizona could still add some talent from the transfer portal. They also added a walk-on this spring—Jordyn Schulte, a sophomore defender who was once the Hamilton High School (Chandler, Ariz.) Girls Player of the Year.

A normal report date...for now

Normally, the Wildcats would have finalized their schedule by now, but the coronavirus crisis has made certain aspects subject to change.

Other than that, Arizona is on a pretty normal timeline. The players are expected to report back to campus for summer workouts and player-run practices by the start of summer session two, which begins July 13. (Same goes for UA volleyball.)

The first official day of practice—when players can start working with coaches—is usually right around the first day of August. The first match is usually less than three weeks after that.

“We’re aiming towards our normal start date...but that can change at any point. Tony’s just been trying to keep us as up to date as possible,” said redshirt senior forward Jill Aguilera.

“We had a team meeting [Thursday], just to check in on everyone. And Tony really wants us to take control so that when newcomers do come in, we make them as comfortable as possible because it’s going to look very different from previous summers.”

The UA announced Friday that it will start having student-athletes return for voluntary on-campus workouts on June 15, beginning with a small wave of football players.

The Pac-12 COVID-19 Medical Advisory Committee shared some recommended protocols with each university that will try to bring student-athletes back to campus as safely as possible.

Some of those suggestions include:

• Symptom checking prior to admittance to a facility
• Increased cleaning of equipment
• Working out in small groups and scheduling to minimize crowding
• Maintaining social distance and wearing face coverings (if possible)
• A need to increase space if running or sprinting
• Having athletes come to facilities prepared to work out and shower at home
• Limiting the number of student-athletes in the training room
• Considering appointments/no walk-ins
• Only offering pre-packaged foods in facilities
• Prohibiting eating in the facilities

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Former Arizona safety Troy Young transfers to UAB, wants to concentrate on one position

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Troy Young was never able to find a clear role with the Arizona Wildcats in three seasons, playing numerous positions along the back half of the defense but none on a consistent basis. That factored into his decision to transfer this offseason, and now he’s found his landing spot very close to where he grew up.

Young, a native of Alabama, announced Saturday he had committed to UAB for his final two years of eligibility.

Feels good to be a Blazer pic.twitter.com/5EdXYSYg8b

— Troy Young (@YoungTroyy38) May 30, 2020

A 3-star prospect from the 2017 recruiting class, Young appeared in 29 games with Arizona with one start apiece as a freshman and sophomore. Last season he played in the first four games, logging five tackles, but did not appear in the final contests.

Young spent most of his time at safety but also played cornerback and linebacker. He cited the lack of a set position as one of the things that prompted him to leave.

“Arizona had me playing all over the field,” he told Ben Thomas of AL.com. “I just felt like I needed to concentrate on one position and be on the field at all times. I was fine playing wherever because I’m a team guy, but at a certain point I needed to make a change and concentrate on fulfilling my dreams.”

Young is the sixth Arizona player who transferred from the 2019 squad to find a new school, along with tight end Jake Peters (Colorado), wide receiver Thomas Marcus (Montana State), linebacker Dayven Coleman (Stephen F. Austin) and safeties Scottie Young Jr. (West Virginia) and Chacho Ulloa (Montana State). Still looking for a destination are defensive lineman Justin Belknap, cornerback Maurice Gaines and safety Xavier Bell.

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Arizona virtually visits 2021 French forward Alex Tchikou

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The Arizona Wildcats had a virtual meeting with four-star French forward Alex Tchikou this week, according to Jake Weingarten of StockRisers.

Per Nigel Carter of CrownScouting, Tchikou also had virtual visits scheduled with Alabama, Illinois and Saint Mary’s.

Listed at 6-foot-11, 200 pounds, Tchikou is the No. 40 player in the 2021 class and No. 10 power forward, per 247Sports composite rankings. Tchikou recently moved to the United State and now attends Dream City Christian in Glendale, Arizona. Before that, he attended Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada.

Tchikou has dozens of offers, including many from major-conference schools like Oregon, Baylor, ASU, UCLA, Washington, Arkansas, Georgetown, and Florida State.

Here is what his 247Sports scouting report says:

Very good size for position. Slender, chiseled frame with long arms. Outstanding athlete both laterally and vertically. Has elite defensive upside with combination of size, length and physical tools. Generally plays hard. Has range to three on offense but athleticism makes him best in transition. Can improve offensively within perimeter but has high ceiling as interior scorer given physical gifts. Shot selection needs work. Ceiling is extremely high but will need to improve skill to get there.

Landing Tchikou would continue Arizona’s recent trend of landing foreign-born players. Six of Arizona’s seven 2020 signees are international players, including fellow Frenchman Daniel Batcho.

Arizona does not have any 2021 commits yet. Head to our recruiting section for more coverage.

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Good news comes to Arizona basketball and not a moment too soon

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When was the last time you felt good about Arizona basketball?

Not in a “that was a nice win and winning is fun” kind of good, but in a “you know what, this program might be on the right track” kind of good.

A few months? A year? Maybe it’s been two or three years, dating back to when Deandre Ayton committed to the program.

Those good feelings were short-lived as the scandal that has since enveloped much of the program hit before Ayton, and what was thought to be a Final Four-caliber team, ever took the court.

Everyone is different, but no matter when it was you last felt good about the Wildcats it’s difficult to imagine one not being high on them right now.

Because as far as May goes, this past week was about as good as Arizona could have asked for.

The big news during the week was that the Wildcats secured the services of a pair of recruits, brothers Azuolas and Tautvilas Tubelis.

It appears Azuolas is good enough to start and perhaps be one of Arizona’s best players at a position where more help was needed. He and his brother complete the 2020 recruiting class, which is made up of seven players and sits at No. 5 in the latest 247Sports rankings.

The septet of freshmen join a roster that, combined with returning players and eligible transfers, now looks mighty intriguing heading into the next season.

No one would have predicted that back in April when Arizona was missing out on high-profile targets like Ziaire Williams and Kerwin Walton.

Simply adding the Tubelis Bros. (or Tubelii, maybe?) to a rapidly-improving roster on its own would have made for a nice week, but then Arizona was able to end its hiring freeze and make official the addition of program legend Jason Terry as an assistant coach.

The good times, they kept on rolling.

Of course the Terry news was reported a few weeks back so it wasn’t exactly a surprise. Still, the JET officially landing in Tucson is a welcome sight as he seems to be a perfect choice to fill out Sean Miller’s staff.

Try to find a Wildcat fan who is upset about Terry’s return. It’s going to be difficult.

None of this is to say the Wildcats are now positioned to get back to the Final Four for the first time since 2001 or that they are destined to win the Pac-12 or anything like that.

In terms of talent, Arizona has on paper appeared to have more in recent seasons, and Terry’s most valuable early contribution will likely be seen on the recruiting trail. Both the roster and assistant could surprise and be ready to shine sooner than many think, but the expectation is they’ll all need time to adjust and that’s perfectly fine.

None of that matters right now, though. You cannot win any games this time of year, but you can revive a fan base that has needed something to get excited about.

It’s happening.

Excitement itself does not win any games, though support absolutely helps. Pretty much every player to call the McKale Center home raves about the fan support, and Miller himself often cites the fans when talking about the school.

It’s not just fluff, either. Arizona led the Pac-12 in attendance last season in drawing a total of 232,114 fans over 17 home games. The next closest total belonged to rival ASU (likely helped by the Wildcats coming to town for a game we need not talk about), yet the Sun Devils trailed by more than 80,000.

That happened despite an inconsistent and discouraging season from the Cats, a campaign that followed one of the worst in recent history. Support is not guaranteed, though, and certainly should not be taken for granted.

Given all that has happened with the program it would be understandable if some are down on their future. The fear is that those fans skip being angry and in turn become apathetic.

Apathy spells doom for a college program, and we need look no further than Arizona football for an example. Unfortunately once you reach that level it is difficult to climb out. Not impossible, just difficult.

Fortunately the basketball program is not there, at least not yet. Was it on the precipice? Maybe, but it looks like we’ll never truly know.

Although Arizona’s recruiting has been surprisingly solid, it was not until this week that the perception needle really moved. The other day a friend of mine who I hadn’t spoken to in a bit messaged me with, simply, “Finally some good news with UofA sports.”

Finally.

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Jill Aguilera looks to lead in rare fifth season with Arizona soccer

Photo courtesy Arizona Athletics

Jill Aguilera has always been willing to shuttle her teammates to and from practice, even though it wasn’t always the best idea. Her 2007 Mini Cooper has seen better days.

“Oh my God, I’ve had so many car problems, it’s insane,” she said. “Minis are basically BMWs, so they’re so expensive to fix.”

Aguilera hoped that car would survive her college career, but it conked out this spring. These days it’s parked in her driveway as she motors around in her new, roomier 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. She’s quick to point out that it has five seats instead of four.

“Now I can take more of the newcomers to practice this season,” she laughed.

If Aguilera sounds like a soccer mom, it’s because she basically is at this point.

She is entering her redshirt senior season with the Wildcats, putting her in rare company in Arizona soccer history as just the second player in the last decade to spend five seasons in the program.

With age comes great responsibility, so Aguilera is looking forward to mentoring her younger teammates in her final go-around.

There will be a lot of them.

The Wildcats are welcoming 13 freshmen, and some will need to make an immediate impact in order for Arizona to reach the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year.

Former UA midfielder Kelcey Cavarra, who was teammates with Aguilera for four seasons and part of the same recruiting class, thinks Aguilera is the perfect person to show them the ropes.

“Having Jill back will be huge,” Cavarra said. “She is just a hard worker that players look up to and is a great representation of the program. She takes soccer so seriously and you just know every minute she is in she’s going to give it everything she has. Off the field, she’s just a great person and teammate, especially with the little things like always helping with equipment pick up, offering rides, and looking out for everyone’s best interests.”

Aguilera has had the kind of career that every young player can learn from. An ACL tear forced her to miss her freshman season, but she recovered, grinded, and improved in each of the past three years.

A left-footed forward with a powerful shot, Aguilera scored two goals as a redshirt freshman, four as a redshirt sophomore and nine as a redshirt junior, the second-most on the team. She and Jada Talley comprise one of the top scoring duos in the Pac-12.

Aguilera has also logged nine career assists, working closely with head coach Tony Amato, a former forward himself, to improve her composure around the box.

“When she was younger, in her first year or two with us, she was more likely to get rid of the ball quickly,” Amato said. “And now I felt like she really had the comfort of, ‘I’m going to receive it first and then play, then make a decision and get it on my left foot and hit the target with my left foot from there.”’

Aguilera’s success shouldn’t be that much of a surprise. She scored 105 goals in four years at Woodside High School in northern California, is very coachable and willing to play any position if it means a chance to play. She once played goalie in a spring match.

“Jill had a great season and she was all about her team,” Amato said. “She played different positions, she did different things I asked her to do, she came off the bench at times, she played forward, center-mid, left wing, left forward. Never was grumpy. Never moped. She was the quintessential teammate and that goes a really long way in terms of the example she sets for other players and how important that is for the coaching staff.”

So important that, in January, Amato met with Aguilera in his office to make sure she was still planning to return for a fifth season. There was no bad news to break.

“I wasn’t always 100 percent sure, but probably after my sophomore year was when I decided, ‘yeah, I really want to stay for another year,’” she said.

Aguilera hopes to go pro one day and knows the extra year will help her continue her development into a legitimate NWSL prospect. The draft just so happens to be in January, a month after she’ll earn her degree in sports and society. She only needs two more courses to graduate.

“I think that’ll be a good timeline,” she said.

Aguilera normally plays in the WPSL—the minor-league equivalent of the NWSL—in the summer to prepare for the college season, but the league was canceled this year over concerns of the coronavirus.

Aguilera has stayed in shape by doing the workouts strength and conditioning coach Jim Krumpos has assigned her, as well as training at local schools and parks with her boyfriend, who once played for Pima Community College and FC Tucson.

“We’ll do shooting drills, crossing drills, a lot of free kicks, just kind of messing around to get used to playing again,” Aguilera said. “I feel that’s really important.”

At this point opponents are well-aware that Aguilera is left-footed, so she spends a lot of time honing her right foot. She’s also been running a lot. She’s fast but can get fatigued.

“That’s just not my strong suit,” she said. “I’m not Kelcey. I’m not going to get a million on the beep test.”

Aguilera’s surgically-repaired left knee flares up every now and then, but by now she knows her limits.

“Especially in the summer before season, it’s not worth getting hurt to where you can’t play at all. That’s what happened with me,” she said. “But some want to prove that they’re strong, that they can push themselves. That’s good, but it also hurts the team at the same time, so I think that’s something I want to emphasize to a lot of the newcomers.”

If Aguilera can continue her upward trend, she will become just the eighth player in Arizona soccer history to net 10 or more goals in a season.

Of course, she is more concerned about how many her team scores. The Wildcats notched a program-record 41 goals in 2019, a number she hopes they can top in 2020.

“I personally don’t really care who puts it in the back of the net as long as it happens,” she said. “I just want to make sure that we work well as a team and we all want to win games and do better and just go as far as we can.”

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Catching up with Paige Whipple, Arizona’s star outside hitter and lone 4-year senior

Photo by Jacob Snow/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Paige Whipple is the face of Arizona volleyball, somewhat by default. She is UA’s star outside hitter, yes, but also the only four-year senior on a revamped team that in 2020 will consist of 11 newcomers and just six returners.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Whipple arrived in 2017 as the highest-ranked recruit in a class that featured five other freshmen (and two transfers).

But three years later, only Whipple remains.

“I never really thought going into my senior year that I’d be the last original person from my class, but I’m just excited to take on and continue my leadership role,” she said in a phone interview. “And just with the new group coming in, I’m a person who has had a lot of experience in the program going into my fourth year, and so I’m just excited to be able to lead in that way and show the new girls how to adapt quickly to set them up for their future at Arizona.”

Whipple is a good player to build around. After serving in a complementary role in her first two seasons, she emerged as one of the most productive outside hitters in the Pac-12 as a junior, posting career highs in kills (457), kills per set (3.94) and hitting percentage (.197). She enters her senior year with the 16th-most kills in UA history.

I caught up with Whipple to discuss that, her goals moving forward, how she is handling this unique offseason, and her musical talent. Her answers have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

Ryan Kelapire: What did you learn from your junior season? I know it was tough from a record standpoint (15-17) and your team had a lot of injuries, but you had a good year statistically and I remember you saying after one of your last matches that you felt freer out there.

Paige Whipple: “I think at the beginning of the season I put a lot of pressure on myself because I was stepping into a bigger role, and I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform well every single night. But as the season went on and injuries fell where they did and we kind of solidified that team of really eight girls who were able to play, I think we all kind of adapted the mindset that there’s no one else to step in for us, so there’s really no pressure in that moment. So, for me, the back half of the season was really exciting because I was thinking less about what I was doing, and I was able to just trust my training and go out and do it and contribute as much as I could.”

RK: In what areas do you think you improved the most?

PW: “I definitely think that I was able to score a lot more. I had more kills per set as the season went on, and definitely more than the previous year. And so I think I was just finally feeling comfortable with hitting all the shots and not just the ones that I felt comfortable with coming in. I was taking on the mindset that Dave (Rubio) wants us to have—that you score as soon as possible, as fast as possible. And just being aware of all the different places that I could score, whether that’s off the block or by using my off-speed game more.”

RK: What are you looking to improve on as a senior?

PW: “The one thing senior year that I want to really contribute is in the back row in serve receive. Regardless of what I’m hitting like or what my attack numbers are, I want my teammates to have that confidence in me that I’m gonna pass the ball in a position where we’re going to be able to score.”

RK: How do you plan to lead this year, knowing how many newcomers there are and you’re the only four-year senior on the roster?

PW: “I’m a big person that leads by example, so just like my work ethic in the gym and in the weight room, just showing them that you’re gonna get out of it what you put into it in terms of your effort. And then last year I kind of took on a bigger leadership role in terms of just being vocal, being a team captain. I’ve always been a lead by example type of person, but trying to kind of step into a more vocal role and just make sure that everyone’s kind of on the same page about our goals and where we want to be in the future.”

RK: How much have you been able to communicate with the newcomers?

PW: “I reached out to all the newcomers. I haven’t met all of them. Some of them have been at camps the last couple summers, so I’ve gotten to meet a few of them. Some of them just committed recently, so I reached out to all of them and just introduced myself, and then tried to stay in contact once in a while and just let them know that I’m available as a person who they can come to with questions or just to chat about stuff that they’re nervous about.”

RK: What kinds of things do they ask you about?

PW: “I think the biggest thing for a lot of them is just being unsure about what it’s going to be like once they’re actually in the gym with the coaches, and just trying to explain what our days look like, what our practices look like, what it’s like to communicate with the coaches and all the things that come with that. I’m just trying to use my own personal experience of the day-to-day stuff to give them an idea of what it’s gonna look like. But obviously it’s hard to really fully understand until you’re in the middle of it all.”

RK: Do you have an early outlook on the team, or are you like the rest of us, waiting to see what it looks like when you get back on campus?

PW: “A little bit of both. I kind of got a little sense of it this spring. Most of the people who were in the gym are people who are gonna play really big roles for us in the fall, and so that kind of gives a little bit of an idea just with the returners. But I’m just excited to see all the talent that the freshman class brings in because I know that a lot of them are very talented athletes. And so I’m just excited to see how they can add to the group that we already have established. And I don’t really know what it’s gonna look like, but I’m excited to get going.”

RK: How has your career gone compared to what you expected when you came in as a freshman?

PW: “Freshman year, I was really eager, really excited. Just going in I knew that I was gonna play right away, which I did, and I knew I was gonna have to contribute right away. And I kinda had a lot of expectations for myself, just in terms of Pac-12 honors or All-American honors. And that is obviously the ultimate goal of each individual player to be recognized as one of the top in your conference and one of the top in the country.

“And I think going into senior year not having gotten any of those honors, I think that’s just the ultimate goal is that I can prove myself as a volleyball player to be recognized one of the top players in the conference and maybe even one of the top in the country because I’ve worked so hard throughout my four years. I think it’d be really cool to just be recognized in that way.”

RK: What goals do you have for the team?

PW: “I mean, at this point my goal is to make the (NCAA) tournament just because two out of my three years we haven’t made the tournament. ... And I want to be able to leave a legacy as a team and as an individual, regardless of what the outcome is. I want to be remembered not just as the athlete and the things that I contributed to on the court, but also how I represent myself as a person.”

RK: What has this offseason been like for you? A lot different than usual because of the coronavirus?

PW: “We were able to have the first half of our spring season, starting in January and going into spring break in March. So that training time was really good just because we have several new girls and it was a small group for the spring. We were really able to do a lot of position training and just focus on individual players getting better. I was really looking forward to the second half because that’s kind of when we get to do more playing and playing in those tournaments.

“But obviously everything got canceled and I’ve been at home and I haven’t been able to play much volleyball. And I know a lot of other girls haven’t either, but our strength and conditioning coach has given us a lot of workouts to do that we can do from home, and so it’s kind of been every man for themselves right now. Just doing what we can to stay in shape and be as prepared as possible for when we do get to train with the coaches again.”

RK: What does that regimen look like for you?

PW: “Four days a week we have workouts on our app (Bridge) that are given to us by our strength coach. I don’t have access to a lot of gym stuff, so it’s been a lot of bodyweight stuff, a lot of conditioning stuff, just trying to do the things that I can with the limited equipment that I have.”

RK: What’s the timeline right now as far as returning to campus for workouts?

PW: “As of now they’re wanting to bring athletes back starting in June in like pretty small waves at a time, just to make sure that the procedures that they are planning are safe and that we can start to use the facilities again in a safe way. As of now they are asking us to report back before summer session two. The date for that is July 13. Once we get back, we’ll go through physicals and different stuff that we have to do to get cleared, and then they want to start working us back into the weight room.

“And then technically we can’t work with the coaches until the first day of the season. August 10 I believe is the date for that. But usually in the summer we have open gyms, so if that’s something that’s available to us, then I’ll kind of be the person who organizes that and makes sure that we have gym space and that we can do it in a safe way.”

RK: Your program has been showcasing some of its coaches’ and players’ hidden talents this offseason. Yours is that you like to play guitar and sing. How long have you been doing that and what do you enjoy about it?

PW: “Music has always been a huge part of who I am. I started singing basically when I could talk. And then when I was three years old, I started taking piano lessons. I started playing piano really before I even started reading. I took piano lessons for a long time and then I was always singing in school choir and church choir and singing anytime that I could open my mouth.

“And then I think when I was probably in seventh or eighth grade I got a guitar. I’ve never taken a lesson. I’ve kind of just learned on my own and watched YouTube videos and done different things to try to improve my skills. But music is a really good outlet for me. It’s a way that I can kind of mentally refocus. Anytime I’m stressed or anxious or upset, it seems that when I pick up my guitar or I sit down at the piano, and I start singing or playing whatever, everything kind of just goes away.”

In our first installment of ' ?, Paige takes the stage!

@pwhipple21 pic.twitter.com/idf3TBw99x

— Arizona Volleyball (@ArizonaVBall) March 23, 2020

RK: What do you hope to do after college? (Whipple is majoring in family studies and human development.)

PW: “I’m interested in being a marriage and family therapist. So I will go to grad school to get a degree in counseling. That’s one thing that I am thinking of doing. I’m also considering going into ministry with Fellowship of Christian Athletes. That’s a program that I’ve been involved with throughout college and I’ve talked to a couple staff members about the potential of career in that area. So just in the next year, I’ll just kind of be figuring out kind of where I want to go, where I want to end up.”

RK: So it sounds like you like to help people.

PW: “One of my biggest things in life is how can I help other people, how can I serve other people? That’s always been a part of who I am. And so just kind of how I translate that on the volleyball court is through my work ethic—just giving my teammates everything that I have, just that they would know that I’m going to show up every day and do what I can to get better and to make all of us better.”

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Sophomore outfielder Riley Kuderca leaves Arizona softball program

Photo by Jacob Snow/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The speedy slapper had one at-bat in two years

Riley Kuderca is the latest player to leave the Arizona softball program, according to multiple sources. As of now, she is planning to remain at the UA as a student.

The speedy outfielder rarely saw the field in two seasons with the Wildcats. Kuderca missed the 2020 season with an injury after appearing in 28 games as a freshman, almost exclusively as a pinch runner. She tallied seven runs and one stolen base in her UA career. She singled in her lone career at-bat against UTEP on April 4, 2019.

A former top-100 recruit, Kuderca is the sixth player to leave the UA softball program this offseason, mostly a byproduct of the team returning all seven seniors as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Arizona’s roster now sits at 22 players heading into the 2021 season, still more than it had in 2020.

Before Kuderca enrolled at Arizona, she was a four-year letterwinner at Patterson High School in Patterson, California and a PGF Western Region All-American for the OC Batbusters. She hit .462 as a senior at Patterson and holds the school record for stolen bases in a season (41) and career (120).

“Riley is a quick kid with a lot of upside,” Arizona head coach Mike Candrea said when Kuderca signed her National Letter of Intent. “She hits from the left side and can hit away and can short game. She has above average speed and I think is going to develop into a really good outfielder.”

Arizona signed five players in the 2018 recruiting cycle, but only Tucson native Izzy Pacho, a designated player and backup catcher, remains with the Wildcats.

Marissa Schuld (ASU) and Vanessa Foreman (Louisiana-Lafayette) transferred this offseason, while utility Ali Ashner left the program in 2019 and eventually surfaced at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, where she hit .589 with six homers, 31 RBI and seven stolen bases in 2020.

With Kuderca gone, Arizona only has three players on its roster who are sophomores and juniors—Pacho and juniors Hanah Bowen and Peanut Martinez.

Arizona’s updated 2021 roster

Seniors (7)

• Jessie Harper, SS
• Reyna Carranco, 2B
• Mariah Lopez, RHP
• Alyssa Denham, RHP
• Malia Martinez, 3B
• Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza, OF
• Dejah Mulipola, C

Juniors (2)

• Hanah Bowen, P/UT
• Peanut Martinez, OF

Sophomores (1)

• Izzy Pacho, C

Freshmen (12)

• Bella Dayton, OF
• Alayna Hicks, INF
• Janelle Meono, OF
• Sharlize Palacios, C
• Aris Carroll, INF*
• Sophia Carroll, INF*
• Carlie Scupin, 1B*
• Jessie Fontes, RHP*
• Devyn Netz, RHP/UT*
• Jasmine Perezchica, OF*
• Allie Skaggs, UT*
• Giulia Koutsoyanopulos, UT*

* incoming recruits

Go HERE for more Arizona softball coverage.

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Arizona student-athletes to begin voluntary workouts on campus on June 15, starting with football players

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Arizona Wildcats student-athletes will begin returning to campus for voluntary workouts on June 15, starting with a group of football players, the UA announced Friday.

That is the earliest possible date they can return, according to Pac-12 guidelines. Eventually more student-athletes will return in phases on a weekly basis, with fall sports given the priority. All volleyball and soccer student-athletes are expected to report to campus by mid-July, per sources.

All student-athletes and staff members on campus will follow significantly elevated safety protocols for testing, tracing and treatment, according to a UA release.

“The phased re-entry of student-athletes is the next step in Arizona Athletics’ commitment to a safe and healthy return to campus,” said Arizona athletic director Dave Heeke. “This comprehensive plan to bring student-athletes back to campus is a collaboration between our athletics department and campus partners to develop guidelines, protocols and procedures. I want to thank President Robbins and University leadership for their guidance and vision for bringing Wildcats back to campus. There are many factors that remain beyond our control, and our athletics department will still face some uncertainty before completely reopening. However, our intent remains a return to competition.”

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It’s gotta be the socks: A look back at Jason Terry’s Arizona career

Jason Terry didn’t look like his usual self.

The 18-year old freshman should have been riding high from Arizona’s upset win over Georgetown a few days earlier. Instead, he found himself struggling to keep up with exhibition opponent Marathon.

Perhaps Terry and his teammates were experiencing a bit of a letdown after their Preseason NIT championship victory against the Hoyas, which catapulted the Wildcats from preseason unranked to a top 5 team.

Plus this was Terry’s first time playing significant minutes in a college game, even if it was just an exhibition. Early season jitters of playing in front of a packed McKale Center can creep up on a freshman.

But to the close observer, what was missing from Terry’s game was obvious.

He had forfeited the high knee white socks in favor of low cuts. A rookie mistake.

When Terry returned his socks to their proper length the following game against Montana, it seemed to boost his confidence. He knocked down a pair of 3-pointers against the Grizzlies.

“Why change,” Terry said, according to the Tucson Citizen. “There’s not a specific reason but I like it like that. It just feels comfortable.”

Most of Terry’s freshman season would be a matter of finding out what did and didn’t work. The Seattle native seldom saw the court during conference play but learned from Reggie Geary and Michael Dickerson, the latter of whom grew up a half hour north of Terry in Federal Way.

Terry also gained some valuable NCAA Tournament experience as a freshman, scoring 11 points in 25 minutes in an opening round win over Valparaiso. Terry’s responsibilities grew dramatically as a sophomore when Miles Simon was ruled academically ineligible to begin the 1996-97, handing No. 31 a starting position.

At first it didn’t appear Terry was up for the challenge. He went 2-11 in Arizona’s season opening win against North Carolina and was soon overshadowed by freshman Mike Bibby.

A few weeks later, however, Terry turned the corner by scoring 19 points in an upset win over No. 3 Utah.

Two days after that, Terry shined on the defensive end, producing four steals in 38 minutes in a home win over No. 13 Texas. Terry was impressed with his steal total until he learned Bibby had doubled him in that category.

“Mike had eight so I guess that means I have to get nine one of these games,” a smiling Terry told reporters.

When Simon returned to the team for the spring semester, Terry willingly gave up his starting position for the betterment of the group. That selflessness would not be lost on his teammates.

Arizona’s ‘97 run has been well documented, but the recent narrative often portrays the Wildcats as a group who stumbled to a fifth-place finish in the Pac-10 before reaching their potential in late March.

In actuality, Arizona entered the last weekend of conference play in second place and may have held onto that position if not for an unfortunate mistake by Terry in the closing seconds of an 81-80 loss to Stanford.

Down one with six seconds to go, Terry received an inbounds pass and slipped at midcourt, forcing him to pass the ball to Bibby for an errant 3-pointer at the buzzer.

“It always seems if it comes down to a close game, I slip or something,” Terry told the Arizona Daily Star after the game. “I don’t know if it’s nerves, or I’m young or what. We come up short because of that.”

Two weeks later, Terry got his chance at redemption.

With Arizona leading by Kansas 81-79, Terry stepped up to the free throw line for a pair of shots to send the Wildcats to the Elite Eight.

He sank both.

“It was pandemonium out there,” Terry told reporters afterwards. “I wanted that game so bad.”

Terry stepped into his supporting role the rest of the way, including hitting a pair of key 3-pointers in the national title game against Kentucky.

The back half of Terry’s college career is less memorable, made possible perhaps by the fact that he accomplished more in two years than most players could dream of doing in four. Terry maintained his sixth man role as a junior, finishing second in assists (4.3 per game) behind Bibby.

One of Terry’s more notable performances that year came in a 127-99 win over ASU. He scored 17 points on 7-10 shooting as Arizona set a new McKale Center scoring record.

The ‘97-98 Wildcats reached 70 points or more in every game until their final contest, a 76-51 loss to Utah in the Elite Eight.

Terry’s senior year is his most forgettable despite it also being his best individually. He averaged 21.9 points, 5.5 assists and 2.8 assists, a remarkable display of efficiency.

Though freshmen Richard Jefferson and Michael Wright produced stellar debut seasons, the Wildcats couldn’t overcome replacing the backcourt of Bibby and Simon.

What’s best remembered from that ‘98-99 season is not that Terry was Pac-10 Player of the Year and a consensus All-American, but what happened off the court: Terry accepted $11,000 from agents and was retroactively ruled ineligible, forcing Arizona to forfeit its postseason results (a first round NCAA Tournament loss to Oklahoma).

The scandal created a gulf of animosity between Terry and Wildcats fans, and for more than a decade prevented Terry from having his jersey retired.

It’s also what makes the news of Terry’s return as assistant coach that much sweeter.

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Arizona softball transfer Marissa Schuld lands at ASU

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Arizona transfer Marissa Schuld will continue her softball career with the rival Arizona State Sun Devils, it was announced Thursday.

While it’s rare to see a Wildcat become a Sun Devil, this is a homecoming for Schuld, who grew up an ASU fan and attended Pinnacle High School in Phoenix, where she was once the most decorated player in the state.

A two-time Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year, Schuld owns Pinnacle’s all-time records for home runs (37), RBI (177), strikeouts (617) and wins (54). She was the 2018 FloSoftball National Player of the Year, the same year she led Pinnacle to a 6A state championship. The title game was played at ASU’s Farrington Stadium.

Schuld did not play much as a freshman at Arizona—which she admitted was frustrating at times—but hit .350 with two homers, six RBI and a double as a sophomore, mostly serving as UA’s designated player in the coronavirus-shortened campaign. The 5-foot-3 righty also pitched 17.2 innings in her UA career, only allowing one earned run while striking out 10.

Schuld wore No. 71 at Arizona to pay tribute to former ASU shortstop Katelyn Boyd, a friend and mentor. Boyd wore No. 17 with the Sun Devils, but that number—and No. 7—was already occupied at Arizona when Schuld arrived.

Schuld had a big game when Arizona played in Tempe in February, going 2 for 3 with a double and homer in a win over Portland State.

“I felt comfortable there,” Schuld said earlier this spring. “All my family was there because it’s my hometown, and I just tried to relax and stay focused.”

Schuld is one of five players who transferred from Arizona this offseason after the return of seven seniors created a roster crunch. Junior utility Ivy Davis landed at Tennessee and sophomore left-hander Vanessa Foreman signed with Louisiana-Lafayette.

It is unclear where junior outfielders Jenna Kean and Carli Campbell will continue their careers.

Check out our softball section for more coverage.

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Mark Cuban explains why Jason Terry will be ‘amazing’ as Arizona’s assistant coach

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A few hours after being announced as the Arizona Wildcats’ new assistant coach, Jason Terry received some high praise from his former boss.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said Terry is “going to be amazing as a coach.”

“He knows how to relate to young players,” Cuban explained. “He is patient and understanding. He works well with parents. He has the complete package. I’m super excited for him. This is just the beginning of a long coaching career.”

"...He has the complete package." - @mcuban on @jasonterry31

More on the JET's return to #APlayersProgram:https://t.co/zRre1rgcG1 pic.twitter.com/jeDWvqrAHk

— Arizona Basketball (@APlayersProgram) May 28, 2020

Cuban and Terry go way back. Prior to accepting the Arizona assistant coaching job, Terry was the assistant general manager of the Texas Legends, the Mavericks’ G League affiliate.

Terry also spent eight seasons (2004-2012) as a player with the Mavs, including the 2010-11 campaign when they knocked off the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

Terry does not have any collegiate coaching experience, but he did coach girls basketball at the AAU level in Texas and received praise for his work there too.

“He led a group of high school girls to their first ever TCAF state championship this year,” one emailer told us about Terry. “His ability to develop raw talent and showcase his basketball IQ is a beauty to watch. The entire City of Dallas is going to miss him, especially the girls AAU circuit. He is LOVED and RESPECTED by all.”

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What Sean Miller said about Arizona’s hiring of Jason Terry

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The Arizona Wildcats made the hiring of Jason Terry as their next assistant coach official on Wednesday, a move that head coach Sean Miller envisions helping the program when it comes to “recruiting, coaching and helping today’s young athletes.”

Here is what Miller had to say in an interview about Terry with Brian Jeffries, which is embedded at the bottom of this transcript.

Miller on Terry’s past: “Jason Terry is somebody that I’ve gotten to know, like a lot of people here at the UA during my 11 years. At first, I was just a huge fan of his, anybody that’s 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds that can play in the NBA for 18 seasons. Right now, he’s seventh all-time in NBA history in 3-pointers made. He’s an NBA world champion. He’s an NBA Sixth Man of the Year. He’s the epitome of unselfishness when you look at his college career at Arizona, where during our national championship season in 1997, he was a big reason why Arizona won the national championship, but yet he didn’t start.

“During that same career here, he went from a non-starter and a national champion to the National Player of the Year. Patience, hard work, he’s just unselfish. These are the characteristics that you think about. And then before he ever came to Arizona, we’ve had way more higher decorated recruits than Jason Terry would have been when he came here, yet he was a high school state champion at Franklin High School in Seattle, Washington. So think about high school state champion, college national champion, National Player of the Year, NBA Sixth Man of the Year, NBA World Champion, an NBA veteran of 18 years, and somebody who loves the Wildcats.”

Miller on Terry’s passion for the game: “When you think of Jason Terry, don’t you think about somebody who just loves the game of basketball? So when you combine everything that I’ve talked about, he’s been there and done it 1,000 times over, yet I think that he would love, and I know he would love, to be in the gym with our players. Imagine him working out with our guards. And I think the other part of it is, our program is not bipartisan. It’s not those that played here for Coach (Lute) Olson or before I ever showed up. And it won’t be when future players come in and I’m no longer here, whenever that day is. If you’re a Wildcat, and you played in this basketball program, you played it McKale Center, and you played in the Pac-10 Conference, Pac-12 Conference, you have goosebumps when you think about this basketball program, Tucson, Arizona, what this community meant to you. I want to bring as many of those types of players back to be a part of our future as I can.”

Miller on Damon Stoudamire once being on Arizona’s staff and Terry bringing similar things to the program: “Damon Stoudamire obviously he was with us for two years. Think about Damon, he won 67 games in the two years he was an assistant coach here. He went back to work with Josh Pastner, and man is he doing a great job at Pacific. So with JT, to be able to bring him here, it helps us. I also know it’ll help him. And I know our community and our fans will be excited. But as much as I want to do it just for our fans and community, and believe me, I think about that, what I really think about is his impact in recruiting, coaching and helping today’s young athletes.

“Because when they start talking about making the jump from college basketball, and leaving the U of A and becoming a part of the NBA, I’m just going to point over and say, ‘you need to talk to him.’ What hasn’t he seen? And what can’t he tell them from an experience perspective that they’re going to need to know that they’re not going to be able to get through his knowledge? So I’m thrilled to add him. You know, he has five daughters and they are all hoopers. They love the game and I know that him and his wife and his family are thrilled to come back to Tucson.”

Miller on Terry returning to get his degree in 2014: “Through our CATS Forever program, he came back and finished his undergraduate degree...which is something we’re really proud of here. We do an amazing job of reaching out to our former players and allowing them to finish their degree.”

Miller on former undergraduate assistant Joseph Blair taking a similar path: “When [he] was here for two years, JB got his undergraduate degree and he gained a love for the game of basketball that he didn’t really have from a coaching pedigree perspective. He’s a G League coach. He’s a G league Coach of the Year. Right now, he’s an assistant coach in the NBA.

“I think if you talk to Joseph, he’ll tell you if he didn’t come back to the U of A to work on his undergraduate degree—and that’s all he did, that was his means to an end just to be a part of our program and get his degree and that was it—but he found that he had a love for this game in a way of helping young people. And it wouldn’t surprise me if JB isn’t an NBA head coach, like Steve Kerr and Luke Walton.”

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Arizona announces hiring of Jason Terry as assistant coach

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The Jet has landed, a little more than a month before he started making his descent back to Tucson.

The Arizona Wildcats officially announced Thursday it has hired former standout Jason Terry as an assistant men’s basketball coach, taking the place of Justin Gainey who left for a job at Marquette in early April.

It’s been almost as long that Terry had been widely rumored to full the vacancy, but a school-wide hiring freeze brought on by the coronavirus pandemic did not allow Arizona to formally advertise it until last week.

“My family and I are excited to be part of the incredible Tucson community again, where our story began,” Terry said in a statement. “I am looking forward to joining Coach (Sean) Miller and staff to develop student-athletes that have a passion for education, basketball excellence and community leadership.”

Terry, 42, comes back to the school where he played from 1995-99 and was a key member of the 1997 NCAA title team. Terry went on to spend 19 seasons in the NBA, and since retiring in 2018 had coached a girls AAU basketball team and served as assistant GM for the Dallas Mavericks’ G League team in Frisco, Texas.

Though this will be his first foray into college basketball, Terry figures to have some pull on the recruiting trail. His still-fresh NBA career makes him relatable to prospects hoping to make the pros, while his connections along the West Coast should also help. It’s no coincidence that 5-star power forward Paolo Banchero, from Terry’s hometown of Seattle, added the UA to his finalists not long after the Terry hiring rumors began last month.

“We are excited to welcome Jason Terry, his wife, Johnyika, and their daughters to our program and the community,” Miller said in a statement. “Jason’s accomplishments as a player and champion are iconic in our sport, with so many of his incredible moments on the court taking place here at the University of Arizona. His basketball journey is one that so many players dream of, but he was able to make it a reality.

“Jason’s knowledge of the game along with his charisma and competitive spirit are qualities that will make him an exceptional coach. He will impact and energize our current players as well as our recruiting efforts in a major way. We look forward to having him back on our sideline in the McKale Center.”

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One thing Sam Thomas can improve in senior season with Arizona women’s basketball

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Players can start returning to campus for voluntary workouts on June 15, according to the Pac-12. While members of the Arizona wildcats women’s basketball team may not be back that soon, the extended period of downtime will require them to start thinking about conditioning sooner rather than later. Then, they can start thinking about improving their games.

What does each player need to improve on? We are taking a look at the returners to discuss the biggest areas of improvement they need to address. First we discussed Cate Reese.

Next up is Sam Thomas

Offensive aggressiveness

Sam Thomas has always been a strong defender. Ask Thomas, her coach or her dad and they will all tell you that it comes naturally to her. Pulling the string on offense does not come as naturally.

Thomas’ dad Derek said that in her younger days, Sam would often pass the ball to teammates who didn’t get to play or score as much.

“She wanted everyone to have fun,” he said.

Arizona coach Adia Barnes has praised Thomas’ smarts and ability to avoid taking bad shots. Her teammates rely on her defensive presence even when the offense is not going well.

Barnes realizes that there’s a downside to being too unselfish, though. More than once over the past two seasons, the Wildcats’ coach has stated that the team cannot win at the highest level without three or four players scoing in double digits.

Someone else needs to step up on that end of the floor to help McDonald and Cate Reese. Thomas is a prime candidate for that, but she will have to turn around some tendencies that have become more entrenched each year.

Thomas scored a lot her freshman season. She was the second-leading scorer among Pac-12 freshmen that season with only WNBA-bound Satou Sabally of Oregon out-scoring her. She led all freshmen in rebounds, steals, blocks and minutes.

That was her only season to average double-digit points. She has had flashes—like her 31-point outburst at Utah—but they are less reliable than the Wildcats need. Thomas was in double digits 15 times in Arizona’s 31 games. Eight of those came in Pac-12 play. Arizona needs better than 50-50 odds that its most efficient scorer will be a threat in big games.

So, what’s happening? Thomas has seen points per play and points per scoring attempt increase each year even while her points per game decrease. At the same time, the percentage of her points that come from 3-pointers has dramatically increased, settling comfortably over 40 percent in both her sophomore and junior seasons.

Thomas has increased her reliance on the 3-point shot to a considerable degree. The number of 2-pointers she takes was at its highest her freshman season when she took 5.3 per game. Her sophomore year, that fell dramatically to 3.9. This year, it dipped even further to 3.7 2-pointers per game.

Her junior year, Thomas shot less overall than she had in any season at Arizona. After putting up 8.8 shots per game her freshman year, she attempted 8.2 per contest in 2018-19. This year, she attempted just 7.3 shots per game.

Thomas is an extremely accurate shooter from both inside and outside the arc. Her fading presence from the offensive stats is a concern for precisely that reason.

Her effective field goal percentage of 52.4 percent is the highest on the team and puts her in the top 12.5 percent of shooters in Division I basketball. In her three years as a Wildcat, it has never dropped below 49 percent.

If Arizona is really to contend for a Pac-12 title or Final Four, the Wildcats must have reliable third and fourth options on the offense. The kind of percentages that Thomas has put up since she came to Tucson make her a prime candidate to be one of those options.

Her senior season, Thomas needs to be a more selfish and aggressive on the offensive end. It’s not about her numbers or the accolades that might come with them. It’s what Arizona needs her to do.

Take a look at our evaluation of Sam’s junior season...

Did you miss previous installments in this series? Here’s where you can find them...

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Arizona’s hiring of Jason Terry to become official Thursday, per report

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It’s no secret that the Arizona Wildcats plan to hire Jason Terry to fill their assistant coaching vacancy, but now we have some clarity as to when the move will be made official.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania is reporting that Arizona is expected to announce Terry’s hiring on Thursday. The 42-year-old is replacing Justin Gainey, who left to become the new associate head coach at Marquette.

19-year NBA veteran and former Wildcat Jason Terry has accepted assistant coaching job at Arizona, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Terry departs Mavs, where he's been assistant GM of Texas Legends. Announcement expected Thursday.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 28, 2020

Terry, who played at Arizona from 1995-99 and was a key member of the 1997 national championship team, does not have any college coaching experience, but his connections on the West Coast (he’s also a legend in Seattle), stardom as an NBA player, and storied history with the Wildcats could make him a valuable asset to Arizona’s coaching staff.

Only a couple years removed from the NBA, Terry should be able to relate to players and recruits as well.

After retiring after the 2017-18 season, his 19th in the NBA, Terry served as the assistant general manager of the Texas Legends, the Dallas Mavericks’ G League affiliate, and coached girls basketball at the AAU level.

Best known as a microwave scorer, Terry won a championship with the Mavericks in 2011 and was the Sixth Man of the Year with them in 2008-09, a role he mastered throughout his basketball career, showing the kind of selflessness that college players can learn from.

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Arizona offers Tucson-area native D’Marco Dunn

247Sports

The Arizona Wildcats’ 2020 recruiting class will go down as the most global in school history, with six of the seven commits hailing from outside the U.S.

It’s still early, but the 2021 class could end up being hyper-local.

Arizona’s latest scholarship offer goes to D’Marco Dunn, a 3-star shooting guard from North Carolina who grew up in Marana.

Blessed to receive an offer from the University of Arizona ‼️ pic.twitter.com/la5sTbTMCs

— D’Marco (@dmarcodunn) May 27, 2020

The 6-foot-4 Dunn, ranked by 247Sports as the No. 146 player in the 2021 class, began his prep career at Marana High before moving to Fayetteville, N.C. As a junior at Westover High School his recruitment began to take off, with the likes of Louisville, Maryland and North Carolina all offering in May.

Dunn is the fourth 2021 prospect with in-state connections that Arizona has offered, tied for the most in any recruiting class under Sean Miller. The others are 5-star power forward Michael Foster and 4-star power forwards Alex Tchikou and DaRon Holmes, all from Phoenix-area schools.

Dunn is also the second 3-star recruit Arizona has offered this week, the other one being Virginia-based point guard Angelo Brizzi.

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