Wildcats focused on toughness after NCAA exit

Minutes after Houston limited free-spirited Arizona to a sweet 16 points of less than 60 and knocked the Wildcats out of the NCAA Tournament last season, Houston’s coach Kelvin Sampson Rubbed a little.

Arizona averaged 85 points during the regular season, ranking third in the nation, but the Wildcats made most of their high-scoring plays in the finesse league, the Pac-12.

In San Antonio that night, Sampson said:

forced arizona Benedict Maturin, Christian Coloco When Azuolas Tubelis Combining and shooting 4 for 20 on 2-point shots, almost all of them were strongly contested, overcoming the bumps, pushes and pressures they faced.

“This is not a beauty pageant,” Sampson said.

I have to go regularly Tommy LloydPractice sessions this month will never tell how he’s adapted to his second year as Arizona’s coach. But last week, Lloyd allowed a few reporters to see McKale his first half hour of practice at his center.

“I have to hit,” Lloyd sternly said as he watched the half-court 5-on-5 set. “You have to hit.”

A minute later, Lloyd stopped play and said, “It’s a bit of a tug of war here. We have to win the battle of leverage,” instructing Tubulis to hold his position with more authority.

Lloyd continued.

Some have called Tuberis a “gentle giant”, but that may change during his junior season.

“It’s going to be more physical,” Tuveris said last week. “I’m more focused on using my body.”

With the exception of Sampson, no one accused Arizona of being soft last season. The Wildcats held up physically in his three early-season games against Michigan, Illinois, and Tennessee—the games in Illinois and Tennessee were mostly hand-to-hand—and then a run against UCLA, which the soft team would have lost. He won two of his three matches. .

But things started to change in the NCAA tournament when TCU, a so-so Big 12 club, implemented a basketball version of trench warfare, forcing Arizona to go into overtime before the Wildcats won 85-80. .

Now, seven months later, Lloyd is gearing up for a push-and-push tactic that will surely apply when the Wildcats play a neutral court game against Cincinnati, Indiana, and possibly nationally-ranked Ohio State. , seems to be taking steps to ensure that Arizona is prepared., Clayton or Arkansas.

“We have to make sure we bring the fight physically. That’s the price of entry. You have to be tough,” Lloyd told reporters at Media Day last week.

Few people introduced the 2022 Pima County Sports Hall of Fame class at last week’s press conference. Calista Barco Elmoreis an outstanding catcher who led Canyon Del Oro High School to the 2001 State Championship and Arizona to the 2006 and 2007 NCAA Championships. “I realize how meaningful my softball days were,” she said. Elmore, the lead fundraiser for the UA Athletic division in the Phoenix area, is married to a former Arizona defensive end. Ricky Elmore and two young children. “I was very lucky,” she said. “I am so honored to be part of this Hall of Fame class.”

Pima College Men’s Soccer Coach David Cosgrove Last week, they won their 400th career victory over Paradise Valley College. At Amphitheater High he is a UA alumnus, his Cosgrove credited with his 400-win success in NJCAA Men’s Active, his third highest in football. In his first year at Pima in 1998, the Aztecs started 0-2-1 and finished 9-6-2, but defeated national champion Yavapai to extend a 91-game home-field streak at Prescott. broke the Cosgrove’s team has one game left of his regular season this week before the postseason begins. The NJCAA Championship will take place November 14-19 at Kino North Stadium.

2022 All-Pac-12 Centers in Arizona Christian Coloco He completed Friday’s NBA preseason five-game schedule with a blazing performance. Coloco scored in Toronto with his Raptors as he went 6-for-6 and only scored 4 rebounds and 2 blocks on his shot in 16 minutes. Coloco averaged 14 minutes in the Raptors’ preseason, playing more than enough to earn a spot on the 15-man roster on Opening Day this week, rather than being assigned to the G League. Whether he does Toronto’s regular eight or he nine rotation is another story.

Arizona Senior Shooting Guard Courtney Rameyin a move from Texas, said he would benefit from playing in Tommy LloydFast-paced offense compared to slow-and-go coaches in Texas last year Chris BeardHis team ranked 336th in the NCAA for offensive tempo. Arizona he was ninth. “It’s all positive for me,” said Ramey, who scored 1,275 points in college basketball. “Playing two very different styles under two very different coaches will be beneficial in my career for a long time. They encouraged me to come to Arizona and challenge myself.I also benefit from playing with all the players in Europe.I may play abroad next year.I was able to get to know them. Lucky…

Arizona Hall of Fame Linebacker Ricky Hanley, 1979-83, is an accomplished speaker. Now UA’s defensive line coach, his Hunley was a featured speaker at UA’s annual Arthritis Center Bear Down Celebration last week.This week, Hanley and his brother, the 1984 All-Pac-10 linebacker Lamonte Hanleywill be featured speaker/cook at the Flying Apron of Tucson event, a culinary school. The “Cooking With the Wildcats” event will be held on Thursdays from 5:30-7:30 pm at the Catalina United Methodist Church dining facility at 2700 E. Speedway Blvd. The Hanley brothers cook baked salmon, bok choy salad, key lime pie and more. To register: Flying Apron Stusson.com.

Graduated from Saguaro High School Alex Verdago 284 with 12 home runs and 68 RBIs for the Boston Red Sox this season, but manager Alex Cora Verdugo said last week that he will have to improve in 2023, the final season of his contract. “We’re going to push Verdugo hard this offseason to play faster,” Cora told reporters in Boston. Verdugo will be paid $7 million next season via an arbitration agreement.

The Mountain View High School softball team got its biggest boost in the offseason after the 14th-12th season. Aisa Silva From Elk Grove, California, he moved to Tucson to complete his high school softball career. Silva, who could be the West’s top pitching candidate in the recruiting class for 2023, will sign with Arizona next month.At Elk Grove, she posted her .56 ERA and her 552 strikeouts in her three seasons. Did. Silva’s move to Tucson should come as no surprise. She was born in Sierra Vista and Tucson where she attended Gridley Middle School until her seventh grade before moving with her family to Northern California.

When UCLA and USC announced they would abandon Pac-12 and join the Big Ten in 2024, I didn’t quite get the story. But now it’s worn out and worn out, and the real question is, what happens to Oregon, Washington, and Stamford? Will they flee to the Big Ten, too? My answer: no chance. Why would Minnesota, Rutgers, Purdue, Indiana, etc. approve further expansion? It would only dilute their position and chances of future success. Ducks, Husky and Cardinal do not increase their respective school media rights. Washington’s athletic department has little appeal.Except for a few years under football coach Chris Petersen Recently, UW has been half-hearted. End of story.

Tucsonan Matt Graversis a six-time Olympic swimming medalist and inductee of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame. Willie Gault, Chris Chelios When Brian Arlacher Chicago last week. Talk about big business. Grevers grew up in Chicago, graduated from Northwestern, and moved to Tucson to train with the Tucson Ford Aquatics program.Grevers is married to former Arizona All-American swimmer Annie ChandlerThey have two small children and live in Tucson.

Tucson has produced a number of college and NBA coaches from Salpointe Catholic’s. Jay Johnformer head coach of Sabino, Oregon Dan Toltsmancurrently assistant general manager of the Toronto Raptors, of Salpointe Jesse Murmusecurrently assistant coach of the Orlando Magic, Matt BlaiseA former coach of the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers, he is currently head coach of the Italian Euroleague.

The next generation is coming. bradley feig When Brandon Rosenthal.

Having played at the Gregory School and Tucson Academy, Feig is believed to be the youngest Division I College Basketball Operations Director. Feig, 23, is the Director of Privateer Operations in New Orleans.

‘Bradley is a bright young star in the coaching world,’ says UNO coach Mark Slessinger“He’s a relentless hard worker with intelligence and creativity. Over the years in our program, he’s consistently excelled in every assignment he’s taken on. Bradley has the spirit of basketball.” We are always looking to grow and improve.”

Feig was previously UNO’s Student Manager and later Director of Video and Analytics Operations.

Rosenthal was recently appointed as a full-time assistant coach. bobby harleyASU staff. Rosenthal started his career in the mid-2000s with Catalina He was a standout basketball player with the Foothills, then Phoenix He was recruited to the video/scouting division with the Suns, Houston He was a similar player with both the Rockets and Santa His Clara. playing a role.

ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips Last week, he said it was “time to consider” expanding the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments to perhaps 96 teams.

hello? Earth to Phillips: The NCAA Tournament is perfect. don’t touch them.

Unfortunately, Phillips is a member of the NCAA Division I Transformation Committee and has considerable influence.

At last week’s ACC Media Day, he said he wanted to “expand it.”

Fully tuned with 68 teams over three weeks, the remake of March Madness doesn’t need to be tweaked, tweaked, or regrouped. It would be a big mistake if Phillips were allowed to intervene simply to raise money for television.