Fresh off the football team's bye week and the Arizona men's basketball team's Media Day, it's only fitting that's where we start this week's War Room.
Basketball team
The countdown to the highly anticipated 2012-13 season is now at six days until Red-Blue, 16 days until the first of two exhibition games and 27 days until the regular-season opener against Charleston Southern.
But who's counting?
* Let's start with Red-Blue, which is an event that each of the freshmen in the No. 3-ranked recruiting class once attended as spectators and recruits - and for 6-10 forward Grant Jerrett, twice.
"It's really exciting," Jerrett said about the idea of now suiting up for a Red-Blue game on Oct. 21. "The first time we came on campus all we talked about was the Red-Blue game."
Ask any of the other freshmen and that's the one common word you will hear about the upcoming showcase: exciting.
* Red-Blue also will allow head coach Sean Miller and the program to honor the past. Of course, several members of the 1988 Final Four team, the school's first-ever, will be in attendance as part of a 25th anniversary celebration.
But the school also will honor Andre Iguodala, whose gold medal as part of the 2012 U.S. men's basketball team this summer qualifies him for induction into the McKale Ring of Honor.
While the school will do its part at Red-Blue, Iguodala will not be there to see it because of a preseason game later that night as his Denver Nuggets travel to play the Oklahoma City Thunder.
However, Miller said the program will make it a point to invite Iguodala back to McKale Center for a formal ceremony.
"We're targeting a game in the future," Miller said. "But we will, in some way, honor and induct him in that during the Red-Blue weekend, and then do it again when he's able to be here himself."
* Ultimately, though, everybody wants to know what the current team will look like. If they play anything close to how they act, then the Wildcats should look like a team well beyond their years.
A pair of freshmen, 6-8 forward Brandon Ashley and 7-foot center Kaleb Tarczewski, come to the Wildcats via the prep school route.
"It was college before college, basically," said Ashley, who left his high school in Oakland, Calif., early to attend Findlay Prep in Las Vegas. "I was away from home for a year. I was playing in an intense system, just like I am now. It basically just made that transition that much easier to come to Arizona."
* As much as the football team has rallied around buzz words and phrases, several members of the basketball team repeatedly mentioned how important it is to "honor the process."
Freshman shooting guard Gabe York when asked about the depth at the guard positions he has to fight through just to see the floor: "I'm here to work hard, I'm here to honor the process."
Xavier transfer Mark Lyons when asked about the number of times he's heard doubt about his ability to play point guard: "I hear it all the time. The thing about it is, if you go watch the film from last year, I played point guard. Assume what you want to assume, I guess. I'm honoring the process. I'm just happy to be here."
Sophomore guard Nick Johnson when asked about what advice he can give the freshmen after going through the ups and downs of a first season: "Just honor the process. Just keep on working hard. If you go in a slump, work your way out of it. Continue working out throughout the season and just stay confident, knowing that everything comes for a reason and you can always get out of it."
Twice is a coincidence, three times is a trend, right? That's not just younger players buying into that mantra early, either. Lyons stressed how important it is for him just to fit in, and Johnson is taking a more serious approach to the season after the Wildcats failed to make the NCAA tournament last season, and for the second time in three years.
* Speaking of Johnson, Lyons, York and the group of guards battling for playing time this season, nobody is taking anything for granted right now.
While Lyons understands why he was brought in and what his experience could mean to a Wildcats team with deep postseason aspirations, he is not trying to "take over" what fellow seniors Solomon Hill and good friend Kevin Parrom have already established.
And if the above response did not already answer it, Lyons insisted that Miller has not approached him about playing off the ball.
"I asked coach if I would and I don't believe I will be," Lyons said. "We've got a lot of shooting guards and scorers, so I don't think that will be a role for me."
Johnson, meanwhile is looking to bounce back from a freshman campaign that started strong and then "tapered off" in the second half.
"I'm just going to come out and play my game," Johnson said. "This year, I don't see that happening. We've got a lot of players that's going to make my job easier.
"We have a great point guard in Mark Lyons and we have all the bigs in the world that you could ever ask for. That's definitely going to make my job easier, knowing I don't have to do everything."
The additions and subtractions at the guard spot may have affected Jordin Mayes more than any other player on the roster. Despite early speculation that a player in his position and with as much eligibility remaining could seek to transfer elsewhere, the junior is still in Tucson.
Mayes has instead embraced the competition.
"We're going to attack each other," Mayes said. "You've got a group of guys that's going to play hard. It's going to make you better. So that's a big plus."
One guard who may change the dynamic of the backcourt drastically when he's on the floor - whether he starts or comes off the bench - is Parrom. At 6-6, he is the only guard who has the ability to slide over to small forward, which will likely be the plan when Hill exits games for a quick breather.
With the skill set to do a number of things, Miller expects Parrom to help fill the void from beyond the 3-point line left behind by Kyle Fogg and Brendon Lavender.
"I was able to shoot 20,000 shots this summer," Parrom added.
The last man on the list is York, who said he is used to being overlooked by now - dating back to his high school days at Orange (Calif.) Lutheran.
The 6-2 guard - and every bit of 6-2, by the way - said he understands that the defensive end of the floor will likely determine whether he gets a slice of the playing time.
One who embraces the underdog role and wears it on his sleeve proudly, York said it will "most definitely" be tough to work his way up the depth chart.
"I know having to fight every day just to get some playing time is what it's going to have to take," York said. "I know next year it's going to be just the same, having to work just as hard. So it's going to help me this year."
* York brings up the 2013-14 season with good reason because that's when Duquesne transfer T.J. McConnell will suit up after he sits out the upcoming season, per NCAA transfer rules.
But the 6-1 point guard will still have an impact on this year's team. A former Atlantic 10 Conference all-defensive team honoree, McConnell will be allowed to practice but not travel for road games this season.
"Playing against Jordin Mayes, Mark Lyons, Nick, Gabe - all the guards, they're getting me better every day," McConnell said. "And I'm working hard to get them better, to help them make a run for us. We're all getting each other better and that's why it's so competitive."
* Also sitting out this season - albeit, voluntarily as a redshirt - will be junior college transfer Matt Korcheck.
A local Tucson product from Cochise College, Korcheck will be in for just as big of a competition in the frontcourt as he competes with Tarczewski, Jerrett, Ashley (unless he moves over to small forward) and sophomore Angelo Chol.
So, why did he redshirt?
"Well, you know, it's always difficult to kind of step out," Korcheck said of the decision. "But given the talent, I think that's a positive for me, as well as them. It's a great group of guys and I'll gladly step out a little way. I can practice against them and hopefully help them get better, as well as myself."
Be sure to check back with GOAZCATS.com frequently for these full stories, plus much more, between now and the start of the regular season as we get you ready for the 2012-13 campaign.
Football team
For as much as it is just the midway point of Year 1 in the Rich Rodriguez era, it also is the beginning of the end for fifth-year senior quarterback Matt Scott.
When you look at the success the offense has had thus far, it starts with Scott. Unlike Rodriguez's previous coaching stops, he has a veteran who also knows how to run the system for a change.
* That may change once the 2013 season arrives. Rivals.com columnist Dallas Jackson recently wrote that Anu Solomon may have the quickest impact among the 2013 quarterbacks, and that is a very real possibility with the way things look right now.
Let's take a look at some of the quarterbacks currently on the roster and the one verbal commit expected to compete for the job next season.
B.J. Denker
By next year, it will be Denker who is the lone senior signal caller. The staff has been impressed with how quickly the 6-3 junior college transfer from Torrance, Calif., has grasped the spread-option system despite only having the fall to learn the offense. Among his strengths is his mobility, which is key when running the zone read.
Listed at 177 pounds, Denker's strength will have to improve between now and next season. In the limited action he has received this season, there is a considerable drop in production when you compare his performance to Scott. To be fair, however, Scott is among the nation's leaders in total offense.
Denker will be right there in the mix to start next year, and should the staff want to ease the younger Wildcats into more expanded roles then Denker could very well be the guy. But he will have a long way to go to win the job.
Javelle Allen
Listed at 226 pounds, Allen reported to Tucson a bit heavier than the staff would have preferred. Right now, he is somewhere between third and fourth on the depth chart when you include receiver Richard Morrison, who has recently come back into the quarterback picture.
To keep it simple: Allen has plenty of work left to do before he enters the discussion for a significant role. More on that below.
Nick Isham
The sophomore transfer from [tm]Louisiana Tech[/tm] is one of the more intriguing options for next season. Listed at just 6-feet tall, Isham's size did not stop him from starting as a true freshman last season.
When the Calabasas, Calif., made the decision to transfer, Rodriguez said Isham would have the opportunity to compete at quarterback in the spring after he completes his mandatory missed season, per NCAA transfer rules.
But, during practices, Isham has not only lined up in the shotgun, but he also has shown the athleticism to play wide receiver. That could be a situation to keep an eye on next spring.
Josh Kern
The true freshman is athletic despite his 6-5 stature, but Kern must develop more of an arm.
Anu Solomon
It's never easy projecting how a high school talent will translate on the Division I level, outside of those handful of elite prospects in the nation.
But one thing that stands out about Solomon is his ability to keep turnovers at a minimum, and it's decision-making that plays a huge role into true freshmen starting from Day 1.
"You have to be athletically mature enough to do it, and you have to be a good enough decision-maker and to do what is asked of you," Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Mike Farrell told Jackson.
"The quickest way to lose a quarterback battle is to be turnover-prone, and Solomon doesn't turn the ball over."
Earlier this spring, GOAZCATS.com caught up with UA quarterbacks coach Rod Smith, who has developed a pair of quarterbacks as true freshmen in Denard Robinson and Tre Roberson at Michigan and Indiana, respectively.
Smith sees both the pros and cons in throwing a quarterback into the fire immediately.
"I've unfortunately had to play a true freshman at quarterback the last two places I've been," Smith said. "That's a very hard thing to deal with. Ninety-nine percent of the time you redshirt them. It takes years for him to get the system, and you're talking about playing a true freshman quarterback for his first time. That's sometimes nightmares, but it also helps, I think, speed up his growth capability for down the road."
* Speaking of redshirting freshmen, Rodriguez already has said that Allen will be given more time and sit this season out. That also would explain Morrison's part-time foray back into the quarterback position.
Joining him on that list is defensive end Kyle Kelley, whose future the staff covets and does not want to burn a full year of eligibility with just six games remaining. Rodriguez would not entirely rule out Kelley's status, however, because of the growing injuries that have popped up across the defensive line, and the four-star talent has traveled with the team on road games, in case of emergency.
If you see Kelley on the field at all this season, it will likely be the very last resort.
* It's also around that time of the year to start thinking about postseason bowls. Even with three consecutive losses, the Wildcats are 3-3 and more than alive for a postseason spot.
[/B]The Pac-12 Conference has automatic tie-ins to seven bowls, with the Pac-12 title game winner earning automatic entry into the Rose Bowl. Right now, however, No. 2-ranked Oregon could play for the BCS national championship, if the Ducks can leapfrog Florida and/or Alabama for one of the top two spots in the BCS standings by the end of the season.
The surprise of the league, Oregon State, could then very well be in position for a Rose Bowl appearance.
As it stands right now, the Wildcats are the league's seventh team because they also are on pace for the six-win minimum needed to participate in a bowl game, as outlined by the criteria.
That would put the 'Cats in the Dec. 15 Gildan New Mexico Bowl against a Mountain West Conference opponent. However, a win this week's against Washington, also 3-3, could just as easily put UA in line for an appearance in the Dec. 29 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl against Navy.
* And now, here's Matt Moreno's recruiting breakdown for the week:
As always there is plenty going on with both the football and basketball programs at Arizona when it comes to recruiting. On the basketball side of things, the Wildcats have the biggest recruiting weekend of the year coming up when Sean Miller's program is expected to host a group of high-level prospects for the Red-Blue game this weekend. On the football side of things, Rich Rodriguez's squad will be back at it after having its bye week over the weekend.
There's plenty to talk about with all of this going on, so let's not waste any more time.
Football recruiting
Last week we told you where things stand as far as 2013 recruiting goes for Rodriguez's program, and of course things have changed since then. Last Monday, the Wildcats picked up a commitment from three-star linebacker Brandon Golson to help strengthen the group for the future.
* The 'Cats also parted ways with three-star quarterback recruit Brandon Cox during the week. The Pasadena, Calif., prospect recently took a trip to Utah and committed to the Utes Sunday night.
Adding another quarterback into the mix is a definite possibility, and while there are options out there it's not something that will likely be figured out right now. Rivals.com analyst Adam Gorney wrote about the situation this week and he has a few opinions about where the 'Cats might look.
"Arizona has four-star quarterback Anu Solomon still in the class," Gorney wrote. "But with Cox and the Wildcats parting ways there is clearly room for a second quarterback.
"From what I have been told, the Arizona coaches would be interested in taking another shot at Washington commit Troy Williams, who's also being recruited by UCLA and others. But that might be an outside shot.
"There are still some under-the-radar quarterbacks in the West who might be a good fit in Arizona's up-tempo offense. Might Arizona go after in-state Washington State commit Tyler Bruggman? There are lots of names out there -- maybe even some junior college guys -- who might make sense."
* Even though there are still a couple of undecided spots right now when it comes to 2013, the ball is starting to roll on the next batch of recruits. UA currently has quite a few offers out to the class of 2014 and that will continue to increase as things eventually become settled in 2013.
If you want a place to look as to where UA hopes to get things started in the 2014 class, you don't have to look very far. The Wildcats have numerous offers out to current high school juniors who play their football within state lines. Whether that's recruits like Cameron Denson and Andrew Mike right here in Tucson, or prospects like Mark Andrews and Trevor Wood up in Scottsdale, the Wildcats want to land a number of in-state recruits in the class of 2014.
That shouldn't come as a big surprise, however, as Rodriguez has maintained since taking the job at UA that recruiting within in the state was going to be a big part of what his staff wanted to do. At this point, the staff has started to make its impression on recruits across the state by landing prospects like Paul Elvira, Mauriece Lee and Nate Phillips, but look for the 'Cats to put even more emphasis on in-state recruiting as things move forward in 2014.
As Rivals.com West recruiting analyst Rob Cassidy recently wrote, there might not be a five-star recruit in the class within Arizona but there will be plenty of four-star prospects in the state next year. Cassidy believes there will be somewhere around nine four-star prospects in the state next class.
And UA wouldn't mind adding around half a dozen of those in-state recruits to its next class.
At this point, Denson (Salpointe), Mike (Sabino) , Wood (Scottsdale - Chaparral), Andrews (Scottsdale - Desert Mountain), Kyle Allen (Desert Mountain) , Natrell Curtis (Phoenix - Mountain Pointe), Jalen Brown (Mountain Pointe) and quite a few others are recruits to keep an eye on within the state as things progress with the 2014 class.
* The Wildcats have been looking at 2014 tight end Bryce Dixon for quite some time now and the program pulled the trigger on an offer this week. The Ventura (Calif.) St. Bonaventure prospect saw a few other offers come his way this week, including one from Ohio State. Dixon plays with current 2013 UA commit Zachary Green and an offer from the 'Cats is one he's been looking for as of late.
"I've been waiting for that one for a pretty long while," Dixon told Gorney last week.
* As we do every week, here is a look at how some of UA's recruits did in their games last Friday night. The regular season is beginning to wind down for the 2013 class and playoff positioning is becoming increasingly more important.
Derek Babiash: The three-star cornerback commit from Poway, Calif., has put together a nice senior season so far and it continued last Friday night. Babiash was a bigger factor on the offensive side of the ball in the 37-21 win, however, as he pulled in a 47-yard pass for a touchdown for the Titans.
Poway moved to 5-2 on the season with the win and they also remain undefeated in league play.
Pierre Cormier and Lee Walker: Both future Wildcats have had some very good stretches this season and it was Cormier's turn to stand out Friday night for San Diego (Calif.) Madison in a 45-28 win over El Cajon (Calif.) Christian. The three-star running back finished the game with 202 yards and four rushing touchdowns for Madison.
The four touchdown runs put him up to nine scores on the year. His longest run came on a 61-yard scamper.
Walker pitched in with two catches for 40 yards and he also added two tackles on the defensive side of the ball.
Paul Elvira and Mauriece Lee: The two-star receiver and three-star athlete commits have helped lead their team from Tempe (Ariz.) Marcos de Niza to a number of wins this season. The duo was once again at the forefront of another victory Friday night as Elvira pulled in two first-quarter touchdown passes to help the Padres get out to a big lead. He finished with six catches for 150 yards in the win.
Elvira now has 12 touchdown catches on the year for Marcos de Niza.
Lee added a touchdown run to put the game even more out of reach in the 49-12 win over Tempe (Ariz.) McClintock. He finished the game with 161 yards on 12 carries for the Padres.
Lee now has eight rushing touchdowns on the season to go along with two receiving touchdowns.
Devin Holiday: The three-star athlete commit has had somewhat of a quiet season when it comes to stats, but he has played every bit the part of a shutdown cornerback. Earlier this season, Holiday played well against USC defensive back commit Max Redfield and this week he once again made a difference for a San Marcos (Calif.) Mission Hills defense that held Escondido (Calif.) San Pasqual to 32 yards passing and just 81 yards of offense overall.
Mission Hills moved to 5-2 with the win.
Nate Phillips: The UA receiver commit continued his productive season at Chandler (Ariz.) Basha last Friday night. In a 34-14 win over Gilbert (Ariz.) Perry, Phillips caught three passes for 45 yards. He also got in the end zone one more time this year for his 11th receiving touchdown of the year.
The Bears moved to 6-2 with the win.
Anu Solomon: As we said last week, it might be somewhat of an anticlimactic ending to the four-star quarterback's senior season in the sense that Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman has been down this road before - three times, in fact. After a very challenging non-league schedule, the Gaels have simply run roughshod over their league opponents this year.
It continued Friday night when Bishop Gorman defeated Las Vegas (Nev.) Bonanza 56-0. Solomon only played for a short time in the win, but he was once again very good in his limited time on the field. He finished the game by completing eight of his 11 pass attempts for 194 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran the ball twice for 30 yards.
2014 UA recruit Nathan Starks carried the ball 11 times for 111 yards in the win. He had two rushing touchdowns in the game to go along with a 61-yard touchdown catch.
Thomas Woodson: After falling for the first time last week, the UA commit and his team from Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway responded in a big way. Woodson set a school record with five touchdown passes in a 62-14 win over North Huntingdon (Pa.) Norwin on senior night. The future Wildcat didn't need a ton of passes to accomplish that feat either, as he completed 10 of his 13 passes for 278 yards and the five scores.
Gateway moved to 6-1 overall with the win Friday night.
Basketball recruiting
It's a big week for the Wildcats coming up on the basketball side with the Red-Blue game taking place this Sunday. It will be the first chance for fans to get to see the highly-touted freshman class of Brandon Ashley, Grant Jerrett, Kaleb Tarczewski and Gabe York, but it will also be a big recruiting weekend for the 'Cats.
Along with five-star 2013 prospect Aaron Gordon expected to attend, there are a number of 2014 and a 2015 prospect planning on being in McKale Center for the event.
* Even as the Wildcats prepare for that big weekend, they remained busy on the recruiting trail. During the week, UA offered 2015 big man Diamond Stone from Milwaukee (Wis.) Dominican. Stone recently participated in the USA Basketball developmental mini camp in Colorado Springs, Colo., and Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Eric Bossi was able to watch him perform.
"Stone is a safe bet for early five-star status," Bossi wrote. "But unlike (Ivan) Rabb (or Daniel Giddens and Harry Giles), Stone isn't a high flyer and is relatively average athletically. But, at 250 pounds he's big, strong and combines that size with great hands, good feet and very soft touch.
"Stylistically, he compares to a young Kevin Love."
Stone had a nice battle with Rabb during the LeBron James Skills Academy camp in the summer. While Rabb probably got the better of him that day, Stone more than held his own against his fellow 2015 recruit.
* One of the prospects planning to be in the crowd Sunday already made his decision. 2013 UA commit Elliott Pitts will be taking his official visit to Tucson this weekend and he will be in attendance for the Red-Blue game where he'll be able to see his future team. Although Pitts has already made his decision, there are plenty of reasons for him to take another trip out to UA for the event.
One of those reasons is that one of his fellow Bay Area recruits hasn't made his decision yet and Pitts plans to put in a good word during the trip. Of course, that recruit is Gordon, who is from San Jose (Calif.) Archbishop Mitty. The two seniors have known each other for a while and Pitts is hoping to play alongside the five-star prospect next year in Tucson.
"I'm definitely looking forward to talking with Aaron about it, and trying to get him committed to Arizona," Pitts told GOAZCATS.com. "And also talking with some of the 2014 guys, too, and really just to get Arizona in their top schools. So it could be a challenge but I'm looking forward to it."
Another reason Pitts is looking forward to visiting UA once again is that this time he'll get a chance to get to know Rondae Jefferson a little more as well. Jefferson is the other member of the Wildcats' 2013 class and Pitts is excited about getting a chance to know one of his future teammates a little better.
"It's really big to just really connect with him," he said. "I want to have great bond with him and a great relationship going into our senior years and into our freshmen years of college."
We'll have full update on Pitts later, so continue to check back for that.[/B]
This post was edited on 10/15 4:13 AM by Tracy McDannald
Basketball team
The countdown to the highly anticipated 2012-13 season is now at six days until Red-Blue, 16 days until the first of two exhibition games and 27 days until the regular-season opener against Charleston Southern.
But who's counting?
* Let's start with Red-Blue, which is an event that each of the freshmen in the No. 3-ranked recruiting class once attended as spectators and recruits - and for 6-10 forward Grant Jerrett, twice.
"It's really exciting," Jerrett said about the idea of now suiting up for a Red-Blue game on Oct. 21. "The first time we came on campus all we talked about was the Red-Blue game."
Ask any of the other freshmen and that's the one common word you will hear about the upcoming showcase: exciting.
* Red-Blue also will allow head coach Sean Miller and the program to honor the past. Of course, several members of the 1988 Final Four team, the school's first-ever, will be in attendance as part of a 25th anniversary celebration.
But the school also will honor Andre Iguodala, whose gold medal as part of the 2012 U.S. men's basketball team this summer qualifies him for induction into the McKale Ring of Honor.
While the school will do its part at Red-Blue, Iguodala will not be there to see it because of a preseason game later that night as his Denver Nuggets travel to play the Oklahoma City Thunder.
However, Miller said the program will make it a point to invite Iguodala back to McKale Center for a formal ceremony.
"We're targeting a game in the future," Miller said. "But we will, in some way, honor and induct him in that during the Red-Blue weekend, and then do it again when he's able to be here himself."
* Ultimately, though, everybody wants to know what the current team will look like. If they play anything close to how they act, then the Wildcats should look like a team well beyond their years.
A pair of freshmen, 6-8 forward Brandon Ashley and 7-foot center Kaleb Tarczewski, come to the Wildcats via the prep school route.
"It was college before college, basically," said Ashley, who left his high school in Oakland, Calif., early to attend Findlay Prep in Las Vegas. "I was away from home for a year. I was playing in an intense system, just like I am now. It basically just made that transition that much easier to come to Arizona."
* As much as the football team has rallied around buzz words and phrases, several members of the basketball team repeatedly mentioned how important it is to "honor the process."
Freshman shooting guard Gabe York when asked about the depth at the guard positions he has to fight through just to see the floor: "I'm here to work hard, I'm here to honor the process."
Xavier transfer Mark Lyons when asked about the number of times he's heard doubt about his ability to play point guard: "I hear it all the time. The thing about it is, if you go watch the film from last year, I played point guard. Assume what you want to assume, I guess. I'm honoring the process. I'm just happy to be here."
Sophomore guard Nick Johnson when asked about what advice he can give the freshmen after going through the ups and downs of a first season: "Just honor the process. Just keep on working hard. If you go in a slump, work your way out of it. Continue working out throughout the season and just stay confident, knowing that everything comes for a reason and you can always get out of it."
Twice is a coincidence, three times is a trend, right? That's not just younger players buying into that mantra early, either. Lyons stressed how important it is for him just to fit in, and Johnson is taking a more serious approach to the season after the Wildcats failed to make the NCAA tournament last season, and for the second time in three years.
* Speaking of Johnson, Lyons, York and the group of guards battling for playing time this season, nobody is taking anything for granted right now.
While Lyons understands why he was brought in and what his experience could mean to a Wildcats team with deep postseason aspirations, he is not trying to "take over" what fellow seniors Solomon Hill and good friend Kevin Parrom have already established.
And if the above response did not already answer it, Lyons insisted that Miller has not approached him about playing off the ball.
"I asked coach if I would and I don't believe I will be," Lyons said. "We've got a lot of shooting guards and scorers, so I don't think that will be a role for me."
Johnson, meanwhile is looking to bounce back from a freshman campaign that started strong and then "tapered off" in the second half.
"I'm just going to come out and play my game," Johnson said. "This year, I don't see that happening. We've got a lot of players that's going to make my job easier.
"We have a great point guard in Mark Lyons and we have all the bigs in the world that you could ever ask for. That's definitely going to make my job easier, knowing I don't have to do everything."
The additions and subtractions at the guard spot may have affected Jordin Mayes more than any other player on the roster. Despite early speculation that a player in his position and with as much eligibility remaining could seek to transfer elsewhere, the junior is still in Tucson.
Mayes has instead embraced the competition.
"We're going to attack each other," Mayes said. "You've got a group of guys that's going to play hard. It's going to make you better. So that's a big plus."
One guard who may change the dynamic of the backcourt drastically when he's on the floor - whether he starts or comes off the bench - is Parrom. At 6-6, he is the only guard who has the ability to slide over to small forward, which will likely be the plan when Hill exits games for a quick breather.
With the skill set to do a number of things, Miller expects Parrom to help fill the void from beyond the 3-point line left behind by Kyle Fogg and Brendon Lavender.
"I was able to shoot 20,000 shots this summer," Parrom added.
The last man on the list is York, who said he is used to being overlooked by now - dating back to his high school days at Orange (Calif.) Lutheran.
The 6-2 guard - and every bit of 6-2, by the way - said he understands that the defensive end of the floor will likely determine whether he gets a slice of the playing time.
One who embraces the underdog role and wears it on his sleeve proudly, York said it will "most definitely" be tough to work his way up the depth chart.
"I know having to fight every day just to get some playing time is what it's going to have to take," York said. "I know next year it's going to be just the same, having to work just as hard. So it's going to help me this year."
* York brings up the 2013-14 season with good reason because that's when Duquesne transfer T.J. McConnell will suit up after he sits out the upcoming season, per NCAA transfer rules.
But the 6-1 point guard will still have an impact on this year's team. A former Atlantic 10 Conference all-defensive team honoree, McConnell will be allowed to practice but not travel for road games this season.
"Playing against Jordin Mayes, Mark Lyons, Nick, Gabe - all the guards, they're getting me better every day," McConnell said. "And I'm working hard to get them better, to help them make a run for us. We're all getting each other better and that's why it's so competitive."
* Also sitting out this season - albeit, voluntarily as a redshirt - will be junior college transfer Matt Korcheck.
A local Tucson product from Cochise College, Korcheck will be in for just as big of a competition in the frontcourt as he competes with Tarczewski, Jerrett, Ashley (unless he moves over to small forward) and sophomore Angelo Chol.
So, why did he redshirt?
"Well, you know, it's always difficult to kind of step out," Korcheck said of the decision. "But given the talent, I think that's a positive for me, as well as them. It's a great group of guys and I'll gladly step out a little way. I can practice against them and hopefully help them get better, as well as myself."
Be sure to check back with GOAZCATS.com frequently for these full stories, plus much more, between now and the start of the regular season as we get you ready for the 2012-13 campaign.
Football team
For as much as it is just the midway point of Year 1 in the Rich Rodriguez era, it also is the beginning of the end for fifth-year senior quarterback Matt Scott.
When you look at the success the offense has had thus far, it starts with Scott. Unlike Rodriguez's previous coaching stops, he has a veteran who also knows how to run the system for a change.
* That may change once the 2013 season arrives. Rivals.com columnist Dallas Jackson recently wrote that Anu Solomon may have the quickest impact among the 2013 quarterbacks, and that is a very real possibility with the way things look right now.
Let's take a look at some of the quarterbacks currently on the roster and the one verbal commit expected to compete for the job next season.
B.J. Denker
By next year, it will be Denker who is the lone senior signal caller. The staff has been impressed with how quickly the 6-3 junior college transfer from Torrance, Calif., has grasped the spread-option system despite only having the fall to learn the offense. Among his strengths is his mobility, which is key when running the zone read.
Listed at 177 pounds, Denker's strength will have to improve between now and next season. In the limited action he has received this season, there is a considerable drop in production when you compare his performance to Scott. To be fair, however, Scott is among the nation's leaders in total offense.
Denker will be right there in the mix to start next year, and should the staff want to ease the younger Wildcats into more expanded roles then Denker could very well be the guy. But he will have a long way to go to win the job.
Javelle Allen
Listed at 226 pounds, Allen reported to Tucson a bit heavier than the staff would have preferred. Right now, he is somewhere between third and fourth on the depth chart when you include receiver Richard Morrison, who has recently come back into the quarterback picture.
To keep it simple: Allen has plenty of work left to do before he enters the discussion for a significant role. More on that below.
Nick Isham
The sophomore transfer from [tm]Louisiana Tech[/tm] is one of the more intriguing options for next season. Listed at just 6-feet tall, Isham's size did not stop him from starting as a true freshman last season.
When the Calabasas, Calif., made the decision to transfer, Rodriguez said Isham would have the opportunity to compete at quarterback in the spring after he completes his mandatory missed season, per NCAA transfer rules.
But, during practices, Isham has not only lined up in the shotgun, but he also has shown the athleticism to play wide receiver. That could be a situation to keep an eye on next spring.
Josh Kern
The true freshman is athletic despite his 6-5 stature, but Kern must develop more of an arm.
Anu Solomon
It's never easy projecting how a high school talent will translate on the Division I level, outside of those handful of elite prospects in the nation.
But one thing that stands out about Solomon is his ability to keep turnovers at a minimum, and it's decision-making that plays a huge role into true freshmen starting from Day 1.
"You have to be athletically mature enough to do it, and you have to be a good enough decision-maker and to do what is asked of you," Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Mike Farrell told Jackson.
"The quickest way to lose a quarterback battle is to be turnover-prone, and Solomon doesn't turn the ball over."
Earlier this spring, GOAZCATS.com caught up with UA quarterbacks coach Rod Smith, who has developed a pair of quarterbacks as true freshmen in Denard Robinson and Tre Roberson at Michigan and Indiana, respectively.
Smith sees both the pros and cons in throwing a quarterback into the fire immediately.
"I've unfortunately had to play a true freshman at quarterback the last two places I've been," Smith said. "That's a very hard thing to deal with. Ninety-nine percent of the time you redshirt them. It takes years for him to get the system, and you're talking about playing a true freshman quarterback for his first time. That's sometimes nightmares, but it also helps, I think, speed up his growth capability for down the road."
* Speaking of redshirting freshmen, Rodriguez already has said that Allen will be given more time and sit this season out. That also would explain Morrison's part-time foray back into the quarterback position.
Joining him on that list is defensive end Kyle Kelley, whose future the staff covets and does not want to burn a full year of eligibility with just six games remaining. Rodriguez would not entirely rule out Kelley's status, however, because of the growing injuries that have popped up across the defensive line, and the four-star talent has traveled with the team on road games, in case of emergency.
If you see Kelley on the field at all this season, it will likely be the very last resort.
* It's also around that time of the year to start thinking about postseason bowls. Even with three consecutive losses, the Wildcats are 3-3 and more than alive for a postseason spot.
[/B]The Pac-12 Conference has automatic tie-ins to seven bowls, with the Pac-12 title game winner earning automatic entry into the Rose Bowl. Right now, however, No. 2-ranked Oregon could play for the BCS national championship, if the Ducks can leapfrog Florida and/or Alabama for one of the top two spots in the BCS standings by the end of the season.
The surprise of the league, Oregon State, could then very well be in position for a Rose Bowl appearance.
As it stands right now, the Wildcats are the league's seventh team because they also are on pace for the six-win minimum needed to participate in a bowl game, as outlined by the criteria.
That would put the 'Cats in the Dec. 15 Gildan New Mexico Bowl against a Mountain West Conference opponent. However, a win this week's against Washington, also 3-3, could just as easily put UA in line for an appearance in the Dec. 29 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl against Navy.
* And now, here's Matt Moreno's recruiting breakdown for the week:
As always there is plenty going on with both the football and basketball programs at Arizona when it comes to recruiting. On the basketball side of things, the Wildcats have the biggest recruiting weekend of the year coming up when Sean Miller's program is expected to host a group of high-level prospects for the Red-Blue game this weekend. On the football side of things, Rich Rodriguez's squad will be back at it after having its bye week over the weekend.
There's plenty to talk about with all of this going on, so let's not waste any more time.
Football recruiting
Last week we told you where things stand as far as 2013 recruiting goes for Rodriguez's program, and of course things have changed since then. Last Monday, the Wildcats picked up a commitment from three-star linebacker Brandon Golson to help strengthen the group for the future.
* The 'Cats also parted ways with three-star quarterback recruit Brandon Cox during the week. The Pasadena, Calif., prospect recently took a trip to Utah and committed to the Utes Sunday night.
Adding another quarterback into the mix is a definite possibility, and while there are options out there it's not something that will likely be figured out right now. Rivals.com analyst Adam Gorney wrote about the situation this week and he has a few opinions about where the 'Cats might look.
"Arizona has four-star quarterback Anu Solomon still in the class," Gorney wrote. "But with Cox and the Wildcats parting ways there is clearly room for a second quarterback.
"From what I have been told, the Arizona coaches would be interested in taking another shot at Washington commit Troy Williams, who's also being recruited by UCLA and others. But that might be an outside shot.
"There are still some under-the-radar quarterbacks in the West who might be a good fit in Arizona's up-tempo offense. Might Arizona go after in-state Washington State commit Tyler Bruggman? There are lots of names out there -- maybe even some junior college guys -- who might make sense."
* Even though there are still a couple of undecided spots right now when it comes to 2013, the ball is starting to roll on the next batch of recruits. UA currently has quite a few offers out to the class of 2014 and that will continue to increase as things eventually become settled in 2013.
If you want a place to look as to where UA hopes to get things started in the 2014 class, you don't have to look very far. The Wildcats have numerous offers out to current high school juniors who play their football within state lines. Whether that's recruits like Cameron Denson and Andrew Mike right here in Tucson, or prospects like Mark Andrews and Trevor Wood up in Scottsdale, the Wildcats want to land a number of in-state recruits in the class of 2014.
That shouldn't come as a big surprise, however, as Rodriguez has maintained since taking the job at UA that recruiting within in the state was going to be a big part of what his staff wanted to do. At this point, the staff has started to make its impression on recruits across the state by landing prospects like Paul Elvira, Mauriece Lee and Nate Phillips, but look for the 'Cats to put even more emphasis on in-state recruiting as things move forward in 2014.
As Rivals.com West recruiting analyst Rob Cassidy recently wrote, there might not be a five-star recruit in the class within Arizona but there will be plenty of four-star prospects in the state next year. Cassidy believes there will be somewhere around nine four-star prospects in the state next class.
And UA wouldn't mind adding around half a dozen of those in-state recruits to its next class.
At this point, Denson (Salpointe), Mike (Sabino) , Wood (Scottsdale - Chaparral), Andrews (Scottsdale - Desert Mountain), Kyle Allen (Desert Mountain) , Natrell Curtis (Phoenix - Mountain Pointe), Jalen Brown (Mountain Pointe) and quite a few others are recruits to keep an eye on within the state as things progress with the 2014 class.
* The Wildcats have been looking at 2014 tight end Bryce Dixon for quite some time now and the program pulled the trigger on an offer this week. The Ventura (Calif.) St. Bonaventure prospect saw a few other offers come his way this week, including one from Ohio State. Dixon plays with current 2013 UA commit Zachary Green and an offer from the 'Cats is one he's been looking for as of late.
"I've been waiting for that one for a pretty long while," Dixon told Gorney last week.
* As we do every week, here is a look at how some of UA's recruits did in their games last Friday night. The regular season is beginning to wind down for the 2013 class and playoff positioning is becoming increasingly more important.
Derek Babiash: The three-star cornerback commit from Poway, Calif., has put together a nice senior season so far and it continued last Friday night. Babiash was a bigger factor on the offensive side of the ball in the 37-21 win, however, as he pulled in a 47-yard pass for a touchdown for the Titans.
Poway moved to 5-2 on the season with the win and they also remain undefeated in league play.
Pierre Cormier and Lee Walker: Both future Wildcats have had some very good stretches this season and it was Cormier's turn to stand out Friday night for San Diego (Calif.) Madison in a 45-28 win over El Cajon (Calif.) Christian. The three-star running back finished the game with 202 yards and four rushing touchdowns for Madison.
The four touchdown runs put him up to nine scores on the year. His longest run came on a 61-yard scamper.
Walker pitched in with two catches for 40 yards and he also added two tackles on the defensive side of the ball.
Paul Elvira and Mauriece Lee: The two-star receiver and three-star athlete commits have helped lead their team from Tempe (Ariz.) Marcos de Niza to a number of wins this season. The duo was once again at the forefront of another victory Friday night as Elvira pulled in two first-quarter touchdown passes to help the Padres get out to a big lead. He finished with six catches for 150 yards in the win.
Elvira now has 12 touchdown catches on the year for Marcos de Niza.
Lee added a touchdown run to put the game even more out of reach in the 49-12 win over Tempe (Ariz.) McClintock. He finished the game with 161 yards on 12 carries for the Padres.
Lee now has eight rushing touchdowns on the season to go along with two receiving touchdowns.
Devin Holiday: The three-star athlete commit has had somewhat of a quiet season when it comes to stats, but he has played every bit the part of a shutdown cornerback. Earlier this season, Holiday played well against USC defensive back commit Max Redfield and this week he once again made a difference for a San Marcos (Calif.) Mission Hills defense that held Escondido (Calif.) San Pasqual to 32 yards passing and just 81 yards of offense overall.
Mission Hills moved to 5-2 with the win.
Nate Phillips: The UA receiver commit continued his productive season at Chandler (Ariz.) Basha last Friday night. In a 34-14 win over Gilbert (Ariz.) Perry, Phillips caught three passes for 45 yards. He also got in the end zone one more time this year for his 11th receiving touchdown of the year.
The Bears moved to 6-2 with the win.
Anu Solomon: As we said last week, it might be somewhat of an anticlimactic ending to the four-star quarterback's senior season in the sense that Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman has been down this road before - three times, in fact. After a very challenging non-league schedule, the Gaels have simply run roughshod over their league opponents this year.
It continued Friday night when Bishop Gorman defeated Las Vegas (Nev.) Bonanza 56-0. Solomon only played for a short time in the win, but he was once again very good in his limited time on the field. He finished the game by completing eight of his 11 pass attempts for 194 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran the ball twice for 30 yards.
2014 UA recruit Nathan Starks carried the ball 11 times for 111 yards in the win. He had two rushing touchdowns in the game to go along with a 61-yard touchdown catch.
Thomas Woodson: After falling for the first time last week, the UA commit and his team from Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway responded in a big way. Woodson set a school record with five touchdown passes in a 62-14 win over North Huntingdon (Pa.) Norwin on senior night. The future Wildcat didn't need a ton of passes to accomplish that feat either, as he completed 10 of his 13 passes for 278 yards and the five scores.
Gateway moved to 6-1 overall with the win Friday night.
Basketball recruiting
It's a big week for the Wildcats coming up on the basketball side with the Red-Blue game taking place this Sunday. It will be the first chance for fans to get to see the highly-touted freshman class of Brandon Ashley, Grant Jerrett, Kaleb Tarczewski and Gabe York, but it will also be a big recruiting weekend for the 'Cats.
Along with five-star 2013 prospect Aaron Gordon expected to attend, there are a number of 2014 and a 2015 prospect planning on being in McKale Center for the event.
* Even as the Wildcats prepare for that big weekend, they remained busy on the recruiting trail. During the week, UA offered 2015 big man Diamond Stone from Milwaukee (Wis.) Dominican. Stone recently participated in the USA Basketball developmental mini camp in Colorado Springs, Colo., and Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Eric Bossi was able to watch him perform.
"Stone is a safe bet for early five-star status," Bossi wrote. "But unlike (Ivan) Rabb (or Daniel Giddens and Harry Giles), Stone isn't a high flyer and is relatively average athletically. But, at 250 pounds he's big, strong and combines that size with great hands, good feet and very soft touch.
"Stylistically, he compares to a young Kevin Love."
Stone had a nice battle with Rabb during the LeBron James Skills Academy camp in the summer. While Rabb probably got the better of him that day, Stone more than held his own against his fellow 2015 recruit.
* One of the prospects planning to be in the crowd Sunday already made his decision. 2013 UA commit Elliott Pitts will be taking his official visit to Tucson this weekend and he will be in attendance for the Red-Blue game where he'll be able to see his future team. Although Pitts has already made his decision, there are plenty of reasons for him to take another trip out to UA for the event.
One of those reasons is that one of his fellow Bay Area recruits hasn't made his decision yet and Pitts plans to put in a good word during the trip. Of course, that recruit is Gordon, who is from San Jose (Calif.) Archbishop Mitty. The two seniors have known each other for a while and Pitts is hoping to play alongside the five-star prospect next year in Tucson.
"I'm definitely looking forward to talking with Aaron about it, and trying to get him committed to Arizona," Pitts told GOAZCATS.com. "And also talking with some of the 2014 guys, too, and really just to get Arizona in their top schools. So it could be a challenge but I'm looking forward to it."
Another reason Pitts is looking forward to visiting UA once again is that this time he'll get a chance to get to know Rondae Jefferson a little more as well. Jefferson is the other member of the Wildcats' 2013 class and Pitts is excited about getting a chance to know one of his future teammates a little better.
"It's really big to just really connect with him," he said. "I want to have great bond with him and a great relationship going into our senior years and into our freshmen years of college."
We'll have full update on Pitts later, so continue to check back for that.[/B]
This post was edited on 10/15 4:13 AM by Tracy McDannald
