What Shane Nowell’s commitment means for Arizona

The Arizona Wildcats landed four-star guard Shane Nowell on Saturday, their third commitment for the 2021 class. Our news story can be found here, and here’s more on what his pledge means for the program.

Arizona’s class is in the Top 20 again

The No. 85 player in 247Sports’ composite rankings, Nowell is now the highest-ranked commit in Arizona’s 2021 class. Shane Dezonie (yes, Arizona has two Shanes) is one spot below him at No. 86 and K.J. Simpson is a little further down at No. 115.

Altogether, the class ranks 17th in the country, jumping 25 spots with the addition of Nowell.

We shouldn’t be surprised by this. Only twice has Sean Miller brought in a recruiting class ranked outside the Top 20 and one of those class (2018) definitely would have ranked that high if it weren’t for the FBI investigation into college basketball.

The NCAA’s Notice of Allegations isn’t affecting recruiting that much and probably won’t in this cycle

If you thought the Notice of Allegations would stop Arizona from landing quality recruits, think again. Nowell is the second prospect to commit to the Wildcats since they received the NOA last week, Dezonie being the other.

While the Wildcats are said to be accused of multiple Level I violations that could lead to a postseason ban, scholarship reductions and/or Miller being banned from the sport, we’re likely a long way before everything gets resolved.

Arizona officially has 90 days to respond to the NCAA’s NOA and then the NCAA has 60 days to reply to the response. That means it could be up to five months before the hearings even start.

As for the hearings, Arizona is requesting its case get taken up by the NCAA’s Independent Accountability Resolution Process, a new panel that has never decided a case before. Who knows what that could mean for the timeline of a decision and the severity of the sanctions.

Also: with the one-time transfer rule likely to be approved in January, players can always leave Arizona and be immediately eligible somewhere else if the sanctions turn out to be severe.

And either way, because of the recruiting restrictions during the pandemic, pretty much every recruit in the country is taking a shot in the dark since they are committing to schools they probably haven’t visited—at least not in an official capacity. On-campus visits with coaches and staffers have been banned since the onset of the pandemic in March.

Is this the backcourt of the future?

All three Arizona commits are guards, but that doesn’t mean they have a logjam there. Nowell is 6-foot-6, Dezonie is 6-foot-4 and Simpson is 6-foot-3, so they can guard the 3, 2 and 1, respectively.

However, it will be interesting to see how they mesh since they all describe themselves, more or less, as being at their best when the ball’s in their hands.

“I believe the strongest parts of my game are the ability to create for myself and teammates, finishing around the rim, my pull-up, getting downhill in transition and being a player with a high IQ,” Nowell said in an interview with EndlessMotor.net. “Also, a great defender that will pick up full court and guard 1-4.”

Arizona needs a big man

From what I’ve heard, the Wildcats are planning to sign four 2021 recruits (as of now, at least). With the first three commits being guards, they need to land a big man to round out the class.

4-star star SF/PF DaRon Holmes recently picked Dayton over Arizona, leaving someone like JuCo 7-footer Jamarion Sharp, five-star power forward Moussa Diabate or perhaps an international player left on the market.

Jason Terry lands his first Washington recruit

Part of the appeal of hiring Terry as an assistant coach was that Arizona was getting someone who could help it make inroads in the Pacific Northwest, one of the best talent hotbeds in the country. The Seattle native has a lot of connections up there and his name alone holds a lot of weight in that part of the country.

It certainly did for Nowell, a Washington native whose Arizona recruitment heated up not long after Terry was hired. Arizona offered Nowell on July 27, just two months after Terry’s hiring was made official.

“In our world of recruiting, he gives us a different dynamic, somebody that’s clearly been there and done that at a very high level,” Miller said of Terry on media day.

Don’t worry about the scholarship crunch

The NCAA is going to have adjust roster limits and/or scholarship totals now that every player has been given an extra year of eligibility due to the coronavirus pandemic. So even though Arizona has three commits but only two seniors, it’s not worth worrying about how it’s going to get all the pieces to fit.

Not to mention transfers and NBA departures are always possible if not likely, especially if the one-time transfer waiver is approved.

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4-star guard Shane Nowell commits to Arizona

Photo by Jon Lopez/Nike

The Arizona Wildcats have landed their second recruit—and second Shane—in as many weeks after receiving a commitment from 4-star guard Shane Nowell on Saturday.

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A post shared by (@_.shanenowell._) on Oct 31, 2020 at 2:43pm PDT

His pledge comes six days after the Wildcats landed fellow 4-star guard Shane Dezonie, quelling any concerns about their ability to recruit after receiving a reportedly severe Notice of Allegations from the NCAA that they intend to fight.

Dezonie is the No. 86 player in the 2021 class and Nowell is one spot above him at No. 85. The Wildcats also have a commitment from K.J. Simpson, a combo guard ranked just outside the Top 100.

The 6-foot-5 Washington native picked Arizona over offers from Kansas, Washington State, Oklahoma, Montana, Montana State and Washington, where his older brother Jaylen played for two seasons before being selected in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft.

Nowell attends Eastside Catholic in Sammamish, Washington, an area that Jason Terry is recruiting heavily now that he’s on Arizona’s coaching staff.

Nowell described his game to ScoreBookLive as a “facilitator who likes to get others involved. An improved shooter as well as defender. Also an outstanding rebounder.”

He said similar things in an interview with EndlessMotor.net.

“I believe the strongest parts of my game are the ability to create for myself and teammates, finishing around the rim, my pull-up, getting downhill in transition and being a player with a high IQ,” he said. “Also, a great defender that will pick up full court and guard 1-4.”

Here are a bunch of Nowell’s highlights:

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Sean Miller unsure how Arizona will fare without usual homecourt advantage

Photo by Darin Wallentine/J and L Photography/Getty Images

Bit by bit, Arizona’s 2020-21 schedule is coming together.

The latest update, from the Pac-12, shows us the rough order in which the Wildcats will play its 20 conference opponents. That came after a confirmation from coach Sean Miller that Arizona’s entire nonconference slate—which remains unannounced—would be played at McKale Center.

Specific dates, tip times and TV information is still all to be determined. But no matter when the games are, and on what’s they’re on, there’s one distinct certainty that still seems hard to fathom: there will be no fans in the McKale stands.

Unless something drastically changes—and nationwide COVID-19 case counts say otherwise—the Pac-12 is unlikely to change course on its decision not to allow fans at sporting events. Football games will have players’ family and friends in attendance, depending on if local health restrictions allow it, and basketball figures to be the same.

But there won’t be 13,000+ screaming UA fans like there have been for every game the past 30-plus years.

“I feel incredibly bad for our players first and foremost,” Miller said last week when asked about playing without a crowd at McKale. “Home court advantage in college basketball is really important and there are a lot of programs that have taken advantage of that hostile home-court advantage arena that we all have or some of us have. So yeah it’s gonna affect us. We haven’t played any games so I’m sure it’s gonna affect every team. So without that it is going to be different, but it’s up to us to adjust.”

Arizona’s official average attendance over 17 home games in 2019-20 was 13,654, which ranked 22^nd in Division I. It was also tops in the Pac-12, as has been the case every year since the mid-1980s once Lute Olson got things rolling.

“I mean, we’ve led the Pac-12 in attendance for 35, if not 36 years, in a row,” Miller said. “I don’t think we’ll lead them this year. I know a couple people have wanted our attendance to decrease a little bit; it’s definitely going to happen this year, I promise you that. If you want to say that our attendance is going to be down, it’s going to be down this year.”

Miller said he feels bad for the fans, many of whom schedule their winter months around UA hoops games.

“I mean, they love college basketball, they’re used to coming to McKale during the wintertime, and to not have that opportunity is certainly going to be different for them as well,” he said. “So, again, having never done it before, I don’t think any of us can truly tell you how it feels until maybe we go through it.”

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Arizona introduces social justice campaign, NIL guidance program

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The Arizona Wildcats are about to return to competition in several sports, starting with football’s 2020 debut on Nov. 7 and followed not long after by the men’s and women’s basketball teams in late November.

But the school’s commitment to its student-athletes goes beyond preparing them for the field of play, as evidenced by a pair of initiatives the athletic department has recently introduced.

On Friday the UA unveiled its “Stronger Together” campaign, a student-led effort focused on issues related to social injustice. Earlier in the week the department announced it had created an “Arizona Edge” program meant to help student-athlete get prepared to benefit from the NCAA’s upcoming Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) legislation.

Stronger Together “represents a student-athlete-driven unified branding message on racism, social injustice, and equality,” according to a news release. The theme was created by the UA’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, known as SAAC, which includes representatives from all 21 sports programs. Stronger Together will be used as a “singular message for all NCAA-approved jersey patches, social media content and messaging points,” the release said.

“Stronger Together means coming together as one group to complete a common goal or overcome adversity,” UA swimmer Eric Correa said in the release. “Our Arizona student-athletes have come together during these difficult times because everyone wants to get back to doing what they love—their sport! So, coming together as an athletics program has been a very beautiful thing to see, no matter what age, race, ethnicity, gender, or sexuality.”

The Arizona Edge program comes as the NCAA is set in 2021 to approve legislation that will allow student-athletes to use their name, image and likeness for financial gain. There are expected to be restrictions on how this can be done, hence the need for an assistance program.

Arizona Edge “will focus on personal brand management, business development, financial literacy, networking as well as aspects of business law to optimize the decision-making process and enhance NIL opportunities,” according to a release, which notes the program was created in a joint effort between the athletic department and the UA’s Eller College of Management.

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Who will be Arizona’s top pass rushers in 2020?

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Wildcats have been one of the worst defensive teams in the country under Kevin Sumlin and the struggles start up front.

The Wildcats have been dead-last in the Pac-12 in sacks the past two seasons. Last year they only recorded 17 sacks in 12 games, five fewer than the next Pac-12 team (Colorado).

With an inexperienced secondary and a revamped linebackers corp, Arizona’s defensive woes will continue this season if it cannot get more pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

So how can Arizona and its new defensive coaching staff do that without sending too many blitzes? Here are some guys they will be leaning on.

JB Brown, DL, Sr.

Actually, let’s start with a guy Arizona won’t have at its disposal. Brown opted out of the 2020 season due to coronavirus concerns. The versatile defensive lineman was second on the team in sacks last year, racking up three in 12 games. A notable loss, for sure.

Jalen Harris, DE/LB, RS Jr.

With Brown out of the mix, Harris is easily Arizona’s most notable pass rusher. He already led the Wildcats in sacks last season with four. He’s added a lot of weight to his long 6-foot-5, 260-pound frame. That plus a new coaching staff—one that has a coach (Andy Buh) assigned specifically to the outside linebackers—may help Harris unlock even more of his potential.

“Last year I was playing more hand in the ground, but this year they got me playing hand in the ground, but also off the ball a little bit so I’m able to drop coverage and rush the passer and keep the offense on their toes because they don’t know if I’m coming or dropping,” Harris said during fall camp. “Last year I did it a little bit, not much. It’s kind of a new thing, something I’m still learning.”

Aaron Blackwell, DL, RS Sr.

The New Mexico grad transfer has already had some success as a pass rusher at the college level, with two sacks in 11 games in 2018, his last healthy season. (He missed almost the entire 2019 season with an ACL injury).

Listed at 6-foot-3, 293 pounds, Blackwell used the recovery time to completely transform his body. He says his lower half is now up to par with his ridiculously strong upper half. Blackwell can play inside or outside in a 3-4.

“I like the way he plays,” said Buh, who also coached Blackwell at New Mexico. “He’s going to be accountable, he’s going to be tough, understands what it takes, how to practice and lead by example. And he’s been comfortable with that and is gaining more confidence in his ability here at this level, and doing a great job and fitting in.”

Roy Lopez, DL, RS Sr.

Sumlin described Blackwell and Roy Lopez as “big guys who can hold a point.” Lopez, a fellow grad transfer from rival New Mexico State, has been even more productive than Blackwell.

The 6-foot-2, 312-pound Lopez has six sacks in his last 16 games dating back to 2018. He’s recovering from a leg injury that limited him to four games last season when he still managed to tally two sacks.

“Roy is an explosive guy that I believe people will see and notice,” Buh said.

Senior linebacker Anthony Pandy has.

“We got a lot of new size at D-line and someone that stood out to me right there is Roy Lopez,” he said. “Because he gets back there fast. He’s strong too, so he causes havoc on the O-line. I like that. They’re not crowding on me too fast, so very beneficial for the backers.”

At minimum, Blackwell and Lopez add veteran leadership to an otherwise young defense.

“Things are always built from the front to the back in and having those two veteran players that have been in some battles and some wars, certainly will be advantageous to us, not just from a planning standpoint, but from a leadership experience standpoint, and they’re already showing that on the field on a daily basis,” defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads said.

Kwabena Watson, LB, RS Fr.

Watson appeared in three games as a freshman, mostly on special teams, and had one tackle. This year, he should get more chances to fly off the edge thanks to the switch to a 3-4 and, let’s face it, a lack of depth at linebacker.

Like Harris, the 6-foot-2 Watson has added a lot of strength since the end of last season, now weighing 230 pounds, 20 more than his game weight as a freshman.

Watson had 21 sacks in 34 games at Fresno’s Edison High School. He was a top-100 recruit in California and had offers from other Power 5 schools like Oregon, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and USC. (He was also one of the best wrestlers in the state.)

“Kwabena’s got talent,” Sumlin said. “He’s more of a natural pass rusher. He was probably undersized when he got here, in the 190s. But the guy only lost two wrestling matches in his history. You know what kind of hands he’s got, you know what kind of flexibility he has, you know what kind of bend he has, he shows that. He’s bigger now, he’s just got to understand what he’s doing in space. If we just tell him, go sic’em, he’s good. But if somebody moves around, and we spread out the sets, he gets out there in space he’s a little bit lost, because that’s not what he did in high school.”

Regen Terry, DL, Fr.

The Phoenix-area product was Arizona’s highest-ranked defensive signee in 2020, a huge in-state acquisition. The 6-foot-4, 289-pound defensive end had four sacks and 10 tackles for loss in his senior season and garnered a bunch of major-conference offers including USC, Nebraska and Oregon.

“Intriguing build with long arms and strong lower half,” read his 247Sports scouting report. Carries 230 pounds with ease and room to add bulk. Flexible edge rusher who thrives in one-on-one setting. Physical upside to grow into every-down lineman. Good first-step agility and ability to put blockers in tense situations quickly. Strong initial punch and ability to bend around the corner. Does well to wrap up in the backfield. Could improve pad level consistency and block-shedding technique.”

It’s difficult for freshmen to contribute immediately, but Terry seems to be on the right track.

“Regan Terry has been lights out,” Blackwell said. “He shows up every day with the right attitude. He’s always asking questions, learning. And he’s just showed up with great effort. He got great technique. I don’t know what high school he came from, but his coaches did a damn good job getting ready.”

Dion “Tank” Wilson Jr., DL, Fr.

Wilson wasn’t that far behind Terry in the recruiting rankings. The 6-foot-4, 276 pound defensive end had 10.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks as a senior at Perris, California’s Orange Park Vista High School.

“I think what you get here is a lot of upside and versatility,” says our Gabe Encinas. “Wilson is still raw but he shows you he has the athleticism and size that could turn him into a big time contributor in the future. I’ll be interested to see where the staff ultimately puts him. I feel like they can move him from defensive end all the way to nose guard with his current frame. It just depends on how they want his body to look.”

Anthony Pandy, LB, Sr.

Sumlin was looking forward to playing Pandy on the edge where he could showcase more of his pass-rushing talent, but those plans changed when Colin Schooler and Tony Fields II transferred. Pandy, Arizona’s third-leading tackler and sacker last season, is now slated to play Mike linebacker, a position that is more involved in run defense and pass coverage.

Trevon Mason (Sr.), Kyon Barrs (So.), and Myles Tapusoa (Sr.), DL

It’s unlikely that any of these three will put up big sack totals—they only combined for a pair of sacks last year, courtesy of Mason and Tapusoa—but they give Arizona something it hasn’t always had: sheer size. All three weigh in at 300+ pounds.

That didn’t translate to much statistically last season, but it was their first years in the program. Mason and Tapusoa battled conditioning issues as they made the transition from junior college while Barrs was only a year out of high school.

Another year in Arizona’s strength and conditioning program could serve them well and help Arizona collapse the pocket and free up its edge rushers.

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Junior college offensive lineman Cade Parrish decommits from Arizona

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The impressive recruiting work the Arizona Wildcats have done during the pandemic just took a minor hit.

Cade Parrish, a junior college offensive lineman from Utah, has backed off his pledge to join the UA in 2021:

Announcement ‼️@SnowCollegeFB @ZacErekson
Also check out my updated Highlights!https://t.co/8FIwERCN1g pic.twitter.com/KdbEIukFoB

— Cade Parrish (@theparrish74) October 29, 2020

The 6-foot-5, 295-pound offensive tackle was ranked by 247Sports as the No. 32 JuCo player in the 2021 recruiting class. He had committed to Arizona on Aug. 1.

The Snow College product is the second 2021 player to decommit from Arizona, but the class is still in great shape with 23 known pledges.

Even without Parrish, the Wildcats' class ranks 47th nationally and sixth in the Pac-12.

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Arizona football names team captains for 2020 season

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The Arizona Wildcats have named their team captains for the 2020 football season, and they are as follows:

• Sophomore quarterback Grant Gunnell
• Senior tight end Bryce Wolma
• Redshirt senior cornerback Lorenzo Burns
• Senior linebacker Anthony Pandy
• Redshirt junior linebacker/defensive end Jalen Harris

The captains were voted by their peers. None of the selections are a surprise.

Gunnell is the starting quarterback, probably the team’s best player and the vocal leader of the offense. Burns is the leader of an inexperienced secondary and led the Wildcats with four interceptions and seven pass breakups last year.

Pandy is only senior linebacker left after Colin Schooler and Tony Fields II transferred away. He was Arizona’s third-leading tackler last season and says he will be “calling the shots” for the defense as the Mike linebacker.

Harris led the Wildcats in sacks last season (4) and has bulked up significantly.

Wolma hasn’t put up notable numbers since his freshman season—he’s caught 10 passes over the last two years—but made the Pac-12 All-Academic First Team last year and is co-president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

And, hey, tight ends like Wolma might actually be involved in the offense this year!

As voted by their peers...#BearDown #BuildingTheA pic.twitter.com/U8kj4YZDOD

— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) October 28, 2020

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4-star wing Shane Nowell sets decision date; Arizona the favorite?

Jon Lopez/Nike

Looks like the Arizona Wildcats could pick up their second 2021 commitment in as many weekends, despite recently receiving a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA.

Four-star wing Shane Nowell will announce his decision this weekend per StockRisers.com and the Wildcats are the favorite, according to the 247Sports Crystal Ball, as all five predictions have him picking Arizona.

The 6-foot-5 Washington native also holds offers from Kansas, Washington State, Oklahoma, Montana, Montana State and Washington, where his older brother Jaylen played for two seasons before being selected in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft.

If the younger Nowell picks Arizona he will be UA’s third 2021 commitment, joining four-star combo guard K.J. Simpson and four-star shooting guard Shane Dezonie, who committed to the Wildcats last weekend.

Nowell is ranked higher than both of them. He is the No. 85 player and No. 19 shooting guard in the 2021 class, per 247Sports composite rankings. The lefty is also the No. 4 player in Washington, a state Arizona is recruiting hard now that Seattle native Jason Terry is on staff.

“What will play into my decision is location, what can the coaching staff do to put me in the best situation to improve and eventually get drafted. Also, opportunity for playing time and who will be my teammates,” Nowell told EndlessMotor.net. “Luckily I have a brother that has been through the college process and currently going through the NBA process. It’s a blessing because it has increased my knowledge on how to approach each of these factors.”

Nowell attends Eastside Catholic in Sammamish, Washington, where as a sophomore (I couldn’t find his junior year stats), he averaged 12.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.5 steals per game while shooting 48 percent from the field and 33 percent from 3.

“I believe the strongest parts of my game are the ability to create for myself and teammates, finishing around the rim, my pull-up, getting downhill in transition and being a player with a high IQ,” he told EndlessMotor. “Also, a great defender that will pick up full court and guard 1-4.”

You can see that for yourself in his junior year highlights:

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Arizona basketball’s Pac-12 schedule has been released

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The Pac-12 released the weekly pairings and site designations for its first-ever 20-game men’s basketball schedule on Thursday.

Here’s how the Arizona Wildcats’ conference schedule shakes out:

• Dec. 2 (Wed): vs. Colorado
• Dec. 19 (Sat): at Stanford
• Dec. 30-Jan. 3: at Washington/Washington State
• Jan. 6-10: vs. UCLA/USC
• Jan. 13-17: at Oregon/Oregon State
• Jan. 20-24: at ASU
• Jan. 27-31: vs. Cal/Stanford
• Feb. 3-7: at Colorado/Utah
• Feb. 10-14: vs. Oregon/Oregon State
• Feb. 17-21: at USC/UCLA
• Feb. 24-28: vs. Washington/Washington State
• March 6-7: vs. ASU

Note that the Wildcats do not play at Cal and do not host Utah due to the Pac-12’s imbalanced schedule.

The game times and broadcast information will be announced at a later date, but all 120 conference games will be televised by either Pac-12 Network, ESPN/2/U, FOX/FS1 or CBS.

Fans will not be permitted at games until at least January due to Pac-12 rules.

Arizona’s non-conference schedule hasn’t been released yet, but it is expected to include a multi-event against Grambling State and Sam Houston State as well as previously-scheduled home games against NAU, Montana, Cal State Bakersfield, Cal Baptist and Northern Colorado (though everything is subject to change).

The Wildcats will NOT be playing at Illinois or Gonzaga or in the Preseason NIT as originally planned.

UA head coach Sean Miller said on media day that Arizona will play all of its non-conference games at home in order to cut travel costs, limit safety risks amid the pandemic, and reduce the learning curve for its 10 newcomers, seven of whom are playing college basketball for the first time.

Here’s how the rest of the Pac-12 schedule looks:

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Friday Night Lights: Arizona’s Texas commits impress and Louisiana players continue to dominate

Photo via 247Sports

The Arizona Wildcats aren’t in action right now, but some of their commits are! Let’s take a look at how they fared in their respective contests.

Tyrese Johnson, WR, KIPP Booker T. Washington Lions

• Oct. 15 Result: Loss to Newman, 22-55
• Oct. 24 Result: Victory over Frederick A. Douglass, 30-0
• Record: 3-1
• Oct. 15 Game Stats: 40-yd rushing TD (incomplete)
• Season Stats: Unknown
• Oct. 15 Notes: Johnson and his Lions team took on Newman on ESPN, and Johnson didn’t disappoint. He played multiple positions and was easily the best offensive weapon. He had an impressive 40-yard touchdown from the Wildcat. He also showcased his ability to make plays after the catch.

Tyrese Johnson is THAT DUDE for Booker T. Washington. Tough catches over the middle + creates his own plays at WR and even impressive plays running Wildcat QB. He's an excellent get for #Arizona + Kevin Sumlin out of The Boot@reseagoat @KIPPNO @MattGOAZCATS pic.twitter.com/gnxBkJtEBA

— Sam Spiegelman (@samspiegs) October 16, 2020

Montrell Johnson, RB, De La Salle Cavaliers

• Oct. 15 Result: Victory over Lakeshore, 49-13
• Oct. 23 Result: Victory over St. Charles Catholic, 21-0
• Record: 4-0
• Oct. 15 Game Stats: 216 rushing yds and a TD (incomplete)
• Oct. 23 Game Stats: 29-yd TD catch (incomplete)
• Season Stats: 454 yds, 7 TD; 29 yds, 2 rec TD (incomplete)
• Oct. 15 Notes: Johnson is a stud, no other way to put it. He is very fast, making it look like he’s going out for a Sunday jog. Couple that with his strength and shiftiness and it’s easy to see why he will be one of the best players in Arizona’s class. Enjoy his highlights from this weekend below.

Oct. 23 Notes: There is a nice clip of Johnson catching a contested ball and tight-roping the sideline into the end zone. He is proving more and more that he is a threat in the passing game. His is the third play in this montage. There’s another nice little montage from Anthony Rhodes Jr. on Twitter below as well.

DLS shuts out St. Charles Catholic, 21-0.
- @DreamChaserB9 bruising run
- @milford_cole connects with @ParisMakhi
- Milford to @Trellll_3, 29-yard TD reception
- Milford to Paris, 67-yard TD
- Anthony Young, Jr. INT
- @jjamarian1 sack
- Byron Phillips 11-yard TD run pic.twitter.com/0zJvLqOs87

— Garland Gillen (@garlandgillen) October 24, 2020

How Could I Not Bet On Myself..@Trellll_3 @kennethbrotherr pic.twitter.com/o9InlvmqeX

— ARHODES (@anthonyrhodesjr) October 27, 2020

Kevon Garcia, DE/LB, Dekaney Wildcats

• Oct. 15 Result: Victory over Nimitz, 59-14
• Oct. 22 Results: Victory over MacArthur, 49-7
• Record: 2-2
• Oct. 15 Game Stats: 4 tackles
• Oct. 22 Game Stats: 6 tackles, 0.5 TFL
• Season Stats: 33 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1 PBU, 1 fumble recovery
• Oct. 15 Notes: I wasn’t able to find any video of Garcia but his stats show he wasn’t as productive as his first two games of the season. Nevertheless Dekaney won their first game of the season...rather easily I might add.
• Oct. 22 Notes: Garcia showed off more of his instincts, easily dissecting plays and reacting successfully to them. He is a naturally good pass rusher, but he is starting to grow on me as an inside backer as well. That type of versatility is exactly what the Arizona defensive coaches are looking for.

Ja’Marian Peterson, DE, De La Salle Cavaliers

• Oct. 15 Result: Victory over Lakeshore, 49-13
• Oct. 23 Result: Victory over St. Charles Catholic, 21-0
• Record: 3-0
• Game Stats: 1 tackle, 1 TFL, 1 sack (incomplete)
• Season Stats: 3 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack (incomplete)
• Oct. 15 Notes: I wasn’t able to find any stats for Peterson, but I did find a clip of him. Peterson is a monster coming off the edge and a nightmare for opposing ball carriers. In the clip below (his is the third play shown), you see him toss around the running back like he’s made of paper. This is becoming a common theme with Peterson, and I like it.

De La Salle wins big over Lakeshore, 49-13. @milford_cole 13-of-18 passing, 266 yards, 5 TD passes. @Trellll_3 216 yards rushing, TD.
- Montrell Johnson 47-yard TD
- Milford to Makhi Paris, TD
- @jjamarian1 devours a RB
- Johnson 30-yard run
- Milford to Nick Tate, 50-yard TD pic.twitter.com/zKPMstdaAI

— Garland Gillen (@garlandgillen) October 16, 2020

• Oct. 23 Notes: Peterson had a nice sack in his game against St. Charles Catholic. In the clip, you see the QB drop back, going through his progressions. Then, like a blur from the right, Peterson came in and threw the QB down for the sack. His play was the second from the last.

DLS shuts out St. Charles Catholic, 21-0.
- @DreamChaserB9 bruising run
- @milford_cole connects with @ParisMakhi
- Milford to @Trellll_3, 29-yard TD reception
- Milford to Paris, 67-yard TD
- Anthony Young, Jr. INT
- @jjamarian1 sack
- Byron Phillips 11-yard TD run pic.twitter.com/0zJvLqOs87

— Garland Gillen (@garlandgillen) October 24, 2020

Javione Carr, DB, Sam Houston Texans

• Oct. 16 Result: Loss to Grand Prairie, 19-47
• Record: 2-2
• Oct. 16 Game Stats: 11 tackles and a fumble recovery
• Season Stats: 63 tackles, 3 PBU, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery
• Notes: I wasn’t able to find any video of Carr but, based on his stats, he had another productive game. Even in a loss, he’s productive. The shear number of tackles that he has through four games as a DB tells me he is always around the ball. And that is something you want out of a defender.

Jackson Bailey, LB, Red Oak Hawks

• Oct. 23 Result: Victory over Mansfield Legacy, 45-21
• Record: 1-1
• Oct. 23 Game Stats: 3 tackles (based on film)
• Season Stats: 3 tackles (incomplete, based on film and missing a game)
• Oct. 23 Notes: It was nice to finally get a glimpse of Bailey this season. He looks athletic and almost natural dropping into coverage. He dissects plays quickly and has good speed to close in on the ball. It looks like he has pretty good sideline-to-sideline speed as well.

Kolbe Cage, LB/DB, Holy Cross Tigers

• Oct. 17 Result: Loss to Jesuit, 20-28
• Oct. 24 Result: Loss to Easton, 14-59
• Record: 1-2
• Oct. 17 Game Stats: 3 tackles, 0.5 TFL (based on film)
• Oct. 24 Game Stats: Unknown
• Season Stats: 8 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 1 INT (incomplete)
• Oct. 17 Notes: Cage is just as hard hitting as he was last year, maybe even more so. He still has those great instincts and knack for shedding blocks and making a play. Bottom line, he is a seriously good player.

K.C. Ossai, LB, Oak Ridge War Eagles

• Oct. 15 Result: Loss to Montgomery, 13-38
• Record: 3-1
• Oct. 15 Game Stats: 7 tackles, 2 TFL (based on film)
• Season Stats: 7 tackles, 2 TFL (incomplete, based on film)
• Notes: Ossai had another strong outing against Montgomery. He continues to show great instincts and ability to dissect plays quickly. He made numerous stops and kept plays to minimum, if any, gain.

Dalton Johnson, DB, Katy Tigers

• Oct. 24 Result: Victory over Cinco Ranch, 41-0
• Record: 4-0
• Oct. 24 Game Stats: Unknown
• Season Stats: 1 INT (incomplete)
• Oct. 24 Notes: Unable to find any stats or video for Johnson.

Jakelyn Morgan, DB, Tyler Legacy Raiders

• Oct. 16 Result: Loss to Pulaski Academy, 25-50
• Record: 2-2
• Oct. 16 Game Stats: 5 tackles, 1 PBU
• Season Stats: 18 tackles, 2 PBU (incomplete, missing a game)
• Oct. 16 Notes: Morgan continues to impress me with his coverage skills. Even when his team struggles, he appears to stand out on the defense and is continuing to prove he is an effective man coverage corner.

Kyion Grayes, WR, Chandler Wolves

• Oct. 16 Result: Victory over Perry, 55-0
• Oct. 23 Result: Victory over Higley, 63-7
• Record: 4-0
• Oct. 16 Game Stats: 3 rec, 88 yds
• Oct. 23 Game Stats: 4 rec, 25 yds
• Season Stats: 16 rec, 341 yds, 6 TD
• Oct. 16 Notes: Grayes didn’t have a “blow-you-away” game, stats-wise. He did what he does best, get open and make plays with the ball in his hands. He is an extreme threat in the short and intermediate passing games. These routes allow the QB to give him the ball quickly and in space, which in turn gives Grayes the opportunity to scorch defenses.

• Oct. 23 Notes: Grayes was used more in the short passing game this past weekend but that doesn’t matter. He is still dynamic and a major threat with the ball in his hands. Two out of his four catches were on screens and he still managed to gain good yardage on those plays.

Treyson Bourguet, QB, Salpointe Catholic Lancers

• Oct. 23 Result: Victory over Buena, 37-6
• Record: 2-0
• Oct. 23 Game Stats: 10-for-17, 98 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT; 2 car, 0 yds
• Season Stats: 17-for-27, 195 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT; 2 car, 0 yds
• Oct. 23 Notes: Bourguet was knocked out of last Friday’s game early after he took a hard hit. Luckily, he seemed alright after the game and on Twitter, so that is really good news. Before he left the game, he had a beautiful 26-yd touchdown pass.

Salpointe (@SCLancerNation) extends its lead over Buena (@HighBuena) after a TD pass from Treyson Bourguet (@treysonbourguet) to Antonio Martinez. pic.twitter.com/G86zUS9cZq

— Troy Hutchison (@THutch1995) October 24, 2020

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Arizona looking for more consistency from special teams in 2020

Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Not only were the Arizona Wildcats the worst defensive team in the Pac-12 last season, they were also the worst on special teams.

How bad did things get?

They were 10th in the conference in field-goal percentage (58.8%) and dead last in punting average (38.8 yards per punt). Those kicking woes, which have hindered the Wildcats for two years now, put even more stress on an offense and defense that already had enough problems as it is.

“Obviously last season we were very disappointed in how we finished the season,” said special teams coach Jeremy Springer. “The guys gave great effort. We didn’t perform as well as we needed to be to win games, and this offseason we really take ownership of that as a core group as myself first, then putting that pressure on our punters to really work hard this offseason. They’ve done a great job so far. We still got some time to go, and guys are on it and they want to be successful and that’s all you really ask. Those guys are all in. They’re all into Arizona. They’re all in for fans. They’re all in for players. They want to be the reason why we’re flipping field position and putting us in great position to win games.”

Arizona is hoping sophomore punter Kyle Ostendorp can improve in his second season after averaging just 39.7 yards per kick as a freshman, numbers that paled in comparison to his days at Phoenix’s Desert Vista High School.

If not, the Wildcats may turn to walk-on and Tucson native Jacob Meeker-Hackett. The redshirt senior punted for Pima Community College in 2016, averaging 37.4 yards on 13 kicks, including four inside the 20-yard line.

“I tried to get him to walk on last year and he paid his dues,” Springer said. “He tried for a couple semesters, we finally were able to get him on, and he played scout receiver last year because we just needed bodies over there. I told him, ‘Hey, you’re gonna get a chance your senior year to compete with Kyle’ and so far he’s taking ownership of that. He’s another guy that really worked hard in the offseason. It means a lot to him, a hometown guy.”

At kicker, the Wildcats will continue to roll with senior Lucas Havrisik, though they did add Tyler Loop, one of the top kickers in the 2020 class.

Springer wants more consistency from Havrisik. He has one the strongest legs in the country—the reason he’s terrific on kickoffs—but has converted less than 60 percent of his field-goal attempts over the past two seasons.

Last season, Havrisik weirdly made a higher percentage of his kicks from 40-49 yards and 50+ yards than he did from 30-39.

“I love where his mentality is at,” Springer said. “He’s a guy that wants it, wants to be the best, thinks about it, works like it, and that’s what you can ask for as well from that guy. I mean, that core group of our specialists right now have really taking ownership on their own to be the best they can be. When you have that right there, I truly enjoy coaching them.”

This will be Springer’s third season coaching Havrisik and he sees a real benefit to be able to work with him for that long.

“[Our relationship] was good from the jump, but I think we’ve really vibed well over the last couple years because now we’re trying to understand his body and how it works,” Springer said. “For kickers it’s a different sport than playing linebacker or playing receiver. So, when does he need time where he can rest his leg, feel confident the next day? Is that three times a week, four times a week, five times a week? I put my ownership on him to tell me that because he knows his body better than I do. And just feeling that vibe from him and really connecting there is what we’re trying to work for so when we get in the game we trust each other and we know that he can come out and make that big-time kick to help us win that game.”

Arizona was also near the bottom of the Pac-12 in the return game, but Springer isn’t so concerned about that position.

The Wildcats lost J.J. Taylor, their top kick returner, to graduation but return speedsters Tayvian Cunningham and Jamarye Joiner, who returned kicks and punts last season, respectively.

Springer listed running back Michael Wiley, cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace and wide receiver Brian Casteel as options as well.

“I feel really good about our depth from a kickoff return perspective because we got guys back there that are just natural returners that want to be back there as well,” Springer said. “It’s trying to find that number two guy. Who’s gonna be the guy out there that wants the ball in his hands and is fearless? That’s what you’re looking out of punt return. That’s a tough position.”

And if neglected can lead to some game-changing mistakes. Springer has shown his players clips of gaffes that have been made across the country this season, even in the NFL, such as the Atlanta Falcons seeming to forgot how onside kicks work in their collapse against the Dallas Cowboys.

Those kinds of errors are even more likely to happen this year since there was no spring football and fall camp is shorter than usual due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’re trying to make an ownership in this fall camp right now, that we’re going through to really work the situational stuff that’s been happening in college football to make sure we install these, to go live—live field goals, live punts—to get our specialists going against that type of pressure,” Springer said. “Because they got to feel it now versus the first time in games because we’re not doing anything contact-wise.”

At the same time, Springer won’t hesitate to play freshmen. In fact, he’s emphasizing it.

With the NCAA giving football players an extra year of eligibility no matter how games they play this year, special teams is an opportunity to get some young players some valuable game experience.

“Get them rolling now, don’t wait till Week 3, Week 4,” Springer said. “Because in a seven-game season, we can’t do that. And they’re young guys and they’re not gonna lose eligibility. So get them on now, introduce them to college football now and get them ready for next year as well. And then we have guys like Thomas Reid, leaders like that, that really stress the importance of it. That definitely helps.”

Some newcomers who have impressed Springer so far: Frank Brown Jr., Jaydin Young, Derick Mourning, and Treydan Stukes.

“They pick up things very easily and I know they’re going to factor into helping us this year,” he said.

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Arizona freshman Bennedict Mathurin shows off shooting stroke

Bennedict Mathurin’s scouting report out of high school said he is an “improving shooter from long-range” and that appears to be an accurate evaluation.

We got our first look at the Haitian-Canadian’s shooting stroke in McKale Center when the Arizona Wildcats basketball Twitter account uploaded this video of him sinking 14 corner 3s in a row:

Looking good Bennedict Mathurin! #APlayersProgram | #BearDown pic.twitter.com/xDLEzybb9A

— Arizona Basketball (@APlayersProgram) October 16, 2020

Needless to say it would be huge for Arizona and Mathurin if he indeed is a solid shooter. At 6-foot-6 with a long wingspan and notable athleticism, he already has the tools to impact the game in other ways, and a consistent 3-point shot would help pave the way for him to become one of those two-way players Arizona has lacked over the last several years. It would also help Arizona alleviate some of those ugly shooting struggles it endured last season.

Earlier in the offseason, head coach Sean Miller said “the sky is the limit” for Mathurin, who was likened to Josh Green and is expected to part of Arizona’s three-guard rotations this season.

“Ben is every bit 6-foot-5, maybe 6-foot-6,” Miller said. “He finishes above the rim. I think he’s a very good shooter with a chance to be even better. But a guy who can play pick-and roll-basketball and can do a lot of different things. I would say the difference is from an athleticism perspective, he’s like a lot of guys that we’ve seen at Arizona who’ve played the wing position, Josh Green being one of them that thrives in the open court, a high flyer.”

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Underrated Cats? Arizona will be just fine

Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

If you were to catch a glimpse of most everyone’s Pac-12 predictions you will likely notice that, as per usual, Arizona appears near the top.

What’s different about this year though is that the word “State” follows.

Indeed, expectations for the rival Sun Devils have never been higher. They bring back a star in Remy Martin and his solid supporting cast was bolstered by the addition of Josh Christopher and Marcus Bagley, a pair of highly-touted freshmen.

Now we all know preseason rankings don’t mean much. Arizona fans already know being picked to finish at the top of the standings does not guarantee you will, so the folks in Tempe should not be hanging anything next to their 2017 Non-Conference Schedule champs banner just yet.

But when it comes to that Arizona team, the one we’re more accustomed to seeing ranked and picked to finish at or near the top of the conference, this year you’ll have to read down a bit to find them.

That’s fine. In fact, it might even be preferable.

The tempered expectations are understandable, at least when you consider Arizona is replacing eight players off of last year’s team, five of whom were starters. Through that lens alone, there is much we do not know about the current roster.

But viewed through a different lens an image begins to emerge, and that is one of a team that is not short on talent.

This season the Cats added the fifth-best recruiting class in the country to a team that has a pair of transfers, James Akinjo and Jordan Brown, who are expected to have big roles.

Akinjo was the Big East Freshman of the Year in 2019, while Brown is a former McDonald’s All-American and five-star recruit.

The freshmen as well as the traditional transfers may be the headliners, but the team also added grad transfer Terrell Brown to a roster that already included a now-healthy Jemarl Baker, a senior Ira Lee and an ever-improving Christian Koloko.

ESPN’s Jeff Borzello wrote that Akinjo, Jordan Brown, Terrell Brown and freshman Azulas Tubelis are four of the top 8 newcomers in college basketball this season. Meanwhile, fellow freshmen Kerr Kriisa, Dalen Terry, Daniel Batcho and Bennedict Mathurin all offer an intriguing blend of talent.

On paper, at least, Arizona has great guard depth, athleticism at the wings and impressive size in the front court.

On paper, the Wildcats will be very good.

The games are not played on paper and pretty much every player who will be relied on will be filling a role they have never been asked to fill before.

Head coach Sean Miller himself seemed to try and temper expectations by proclaiming this to be the least-experienced roster he has ever coached. All of that may certainly be true, but if there’s one thing we can say for certain it is hardly his least talented.

Thinking back, has there been an Arizona team with this much talent that had so little buzz?

On Wildcat Radio the 2015-16 team, featuring a freshman Allonzo Trier and seniors Ryan Anderson and Kaleb Tarczewski, may have been the most apt comparison. That team suffered from following up a pair of Elite 8 losses while losing a considerable amount of star talent before winning 25 games but losing in the first round to Wichita State.

Even that team had some hype, if only because at that time Miller and the program were at a peak and there was a belief that he’d find a way to keep things rolling.

Nowadays there is little such belief, not with the team missing the tournament two years ago and then this last season underachieving before the pandemic shut everything down. The last few years of off-court drama that finally took a step forward with Arizona receiving a Notice of Allegations also helps to dampen the mood.

That story has many pages and chapters left before its conclusion and while it may end up being a simply awful read, we can keep our attention on the near term.

The last time Arizona didn’t enter the season with any kind of pressure was probably in Miller’s first two seasons as he was taking over a roster that had been decimated and needed to gain traction recruiting out West.

Those were interesting times, yes, but also somewhat exciting. Though Miller said recently he feels pressure to make deep tournament runs every season at Arizona, no reasonable fan would look at this year’s team say it’s either Final Four or failure.

Despite all the talent that has been assembled, most probably see this season, already set to be a strange one, as nothing more than a transition. Should this unique collection of players from all over the world coalesce into something better than expected, great.

It would not be a total surprise because again, the roster is not devoid of talent. Much of the mystery is surrounding the players who have joined the program from overseas, many of whom may be more ready to contribute as freshmen than, well, your traditional freshman.

Rarely has an Arizona team flown under the radar, but this one is set to do exactly that. It’s a change of pace from the norm and may be exactly what the program needs.

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Jordan Brown wins Arizona basketball’s gold jersey again

Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images

Jordan Brown’s first season with the Arizona Wildcats is off to a great start.

The Nevada transfer won the second gold practice jersey of the season after winning the first one last week. It’s a prize given to the best player in practice.

Congratulations to Jordan Brown (@JIBrown21) on keeping the gold jersey for Week #2 of practice. #BackToBack #APlayersProgram #BearDown pic.twitter.com/6Z28jSDjJW

— Arizona Basketball (@APlayersProgram) October 28, 2020

It’s a great sign considering Arizona needs Brown to be productive this season, as he’s expected to start at one of the frontcourt positions.

Brown doesn’t have much college game experience, averaging just 10 minutes per game in his lone season at Nevada, but he was a McDonald’s All-American and practiced with the Wildcats all of last season.

He’s also packed on 20 pounds of muscle since the end of last season, now being listed at 6-foot-11, 240 pounds heading into his redshirt sophomore year.

“Jordan not only knows our system better than a lot of players on this year’s team, but he had a really good year,” head coach Sean Miller said on media day. “Like so many of our players, I would have loved to have had him in April and May and the three summer months. Unfortunately he wasn’t able to be in Tucson, but he’s a great kid, an incredibly hard worker, great teammate is very talented.

“In high school, he became a McDonald’s All-American, played on a very good team at Nevada, an experienced team. So although he had a role, he was really behind some talented upperclassmen. We were thrilled to get Jordan on a transfer. A year ago just watching him compete every day against Zeke Nnaji and Stone Gettings, Chase Jeter, last year’s frontcourt, Christian (Koloko), we had some great battles every day in practice and I think that helped Jordan. Not only was he working behind the scenes physically and on his game but being able to practice and compete against the frontcourt like that.”

“So Jordan is one of the most experienced players on our team and I think he’s going to be a very productive player, not only in our program this year but I think he’s going to go on and have a great career.”

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