With spring break and Arizona football taking the week off, there is not a lot going around the program until practices start back up this week.
But it was a big weekend for the basketball program - even Rich Rodriguez was in Las Vegas - between the Pac-12 Conference tournament and the NCAA tournament selection.
Basketball
* Let's start with the trip to Las Vegas for the conference tournament. Arizona lost 66-64 to UCLA and were eliminated in the semifinals. But the game may not have been the most entertaining thing about the night.
But, first, the game. Leading up to tipoff, our recruiting editor Matt Moreno told me that he walked past the UCLA players before they took the floor. The players, who were very confident, made a rap that they were reciting, and among the words was a mention of how they have already beat Arizona twice.
For the actual game itself, Arizona had to be both pleased and ticked off with the first half. The Wildcats received a strong first 20 minutes from freshmen Brandon Ashley, Kaleb Tarczewski and Grant Jerrett - all of whom continued to play well for the rest of the game. UCLA point guard Larry Drew II was ineffective with just one assist and a scoreless half thanks to Nick Johnson's defense. Travis Wear was the Bruins' high scorer with 8 points.
Yet, Arizona led by just 4 at the half thanks to eight of its 13 turnovers. Head coach Sean Miller blew off the halftime interview that the Pac-12 wanted to do as the team headed into the locker room, saying a few magic words in the process.
The second half was all Jordan Adams, who scored 18 of his 24 after the break to lead the Bruins to the win. Kyle Anderson's putback after grabbing the offensive rebound proved to be the go-ahead basket, and Solomon Hill's jump shot near the foul line was well contested and misfired.
In a sick twist of fate, it was Adams who was defending the shot, and the guard broke his right foot on the landing and will miss UCLA's NCAA tournament run.
But the bulk of the attention centered around Miller's technical foul on Adams' strip attempt of Mark Lyons. As you all know by now, Miller told official Michael Irving that "he touched the ball," and that it was not a double dribble, as the officials determined.
Well, the Pac-12 was not happy with Miller's reported confrontation with an official and "inappropriate" actions toward a staff member in the hallway of the MGM Grand Garden Arena after the game. Miller was fined $25,000 and reprimanded Sunday night.
I guess you could say the Pac-12 touched Miller's pocket.
In the release, Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott called Miller's actions "threatening, intimidating and unprofessional conduct," among other things. The release said Miller has been warned by the league in the past about "inappropriate, post game conduct toward officials."
"Even in tense and trying moments following a game, we expect Pac-12 coaches to conduct themselves in a professional manner," Scott said. "Our coaches represent their teams, their universities and our conference. We expect them to set an example for our student athletes and to meet the highest standard of sportsmanship and behavior on and off the court."
In the locker room after the game, Lyons said: "He hit the ball out of my hand and the ref called double dribble. I didn't really see coach over there, you know. Coach, I love his intensity, but that's not the reason why we lost the game. It was a lot of things that led up to it."
Let's face it, losing an 11-point lead inside the final 10 minutes, and Lyons is spot-on.
* Speaking of the locker room, as soon as the media was let inside after the 10-minute cooling off period I saw Johnson, Lyons, Jerrett and Kevin Parrom all with the same look. Towel over each of their bowed heads, all facing the same way to the right in front of their respective lockers. It was the exact opposite of what Shabazz Muhammad was doing after UCLA lost the title game (he was on his phone texting someone, from the photo I saw circulating around).
But while it was an understandably dejected locker room, it was not a crushed and defeated locker room.
Arizona saw a lot of good things happen in the two games - and even dating back to the end of the regular season.
The bench scored 25 against Colorado and another 23 against UCLA. The balance is back at the right time.
The young guys are playing extremely well - arguably the best that all three freshmen have played at the same time. Jerrett, Tarczewski and Ashley combined to score 48 points, grab 35 rebounds and block eight shots over the two games.
The stage was pretty bright in Las Vegas - no, really, there were green lights, smoke, fireworks and everything - and the NCAA tournament stage will only be brighter. But it does not look like these freshmen will be fazed by the spotlight.
"We have some individual players playing at their best, and I think our team has a good mindset right now," Miller said.
* Oh, right, there also was an NCAA tournament selection in this crazy weekend.
The sixth-seeded Wildcats, one of just 11 teams ranked in every Associated Press poll this season, are headed to the West Regional and Salt Lake City for their 29th appearance in program history. The 11th-seeded Belmont Bruins are making just their sixth appearance and looking for the program's first NCAA tournament win.
The game will be played Thursday at 4:20 p.m. PDT/Arizona time and air on TNT.
In its first season in the Ohio Valley Conference, Belmont won both the regular-season title and conference tournament. Arizona has not played an OVC team since 2001 but owns a 4-1 all-time record against current members of the league.
The Bruins are 26-6 and 14-2 in league play but have not played since taking down Murray State in overtime in the OVC tournament championship game March 9.
Belmont lost to Duke, 71-70, in a 2008 game that was the closest it has been to advancing. Last year, Georgetown drilled Belmont, 74-59.
* But Belmont can really shoot 3-pointers, and Miller has seen just how trigger happy the Bruins can be in person. While it was not this year's version, Miller recalled a 2007 meeting while coaching at Xavier in which Belmont was 8 for 30 from long range.
This season, the Bruins shoot 38.6 percent from distance (18th in the country) and average 77.2 points per game (15th). Going against a team that shoots 49.4 percent from the field - fourth in the country - can be "scary," Miller said.
"When I faced them before, they really value shooting," Miller said Sunday. "They generally can shoot the ball from more than their perimeter players. Their frontcourt players can shoot it. They put you in those compromising positions.
"It's really what I've said since October: It's so important to be able to defend the 3-point shot. There are times this year we've started to improve, and I think it's been well-documented at times it's done us in. The monster that we're dealing with here in the [second] round of the NCAA tournament is that very thing."
The Bruins are led by 6-3 senior guard Ian Clark, who shoots 46.3 percent on 3-pointers to lead the nation and averages 18.1 points per game. Three other players average double figures as part of an eight-man rotation and roster heavy on seniors.
*Almost forgotten is Belmont's abilities on defense, but Miller knows it will not be a walk in the park for the Wildcats. The Bruins force 17.4 turnovers per game this season.
"They really turn you over. They're one of the teams in this country that really is able to turn you over by pressing and using quickness," Miller said. "And if you think about the other component, their ability to shoot the ball from 3 at [center and power forward positions] at all times, your turnovers can lead to 3s and easy baskets. That's something that UCLA is good at. Hopefully, us learning the value of taking care of the ball can help us here."
* Belmont's best win this season is a 64-49 triumph over Middle Tennessee State, which made the tournament and will play Saint Mary's in Dayton on Tuesday as part of the First Four.
As far as Pac-12 teams are considered, the Belmont defeated Stanford, 70-62, in November.
Against teams in the NCAA tournament this season, Belmont posted a 1-2 record against Middle Tennessee State, Virginia Commonwealth and Kansas - all of which are in the RPI Top 50, and actually rank inside the top 30. The Bruins' RPI ranked 18th in the country with a strength of schedule ranked 74th, but the nonconference SOS is ranked second in the country.
Belmont is 4-1 this season at a neutral site.
* The Pac-12 received four other bids into the NCAA tournament including tournament champion Oregon (No. 12 in the Midwest), UCLA (No. 6 in the South),Colorado (No. 10 in the East) and California (No. 12 in the East).
A lot was made about Oregon and a seed that typically goes to bubble teams. But strength of schedule played a big factor.
"From this point on, we all learn lessons as a coach," Miller said. "I'm only worried about us."
* Looking ahead, should the Wildcats advance to the round of 32 there will be the winner of No. 3 New Mexico and No. 14 Harvard waiting for them. New Mexico, which owns the second-best RPI in the country, has Final Four potential written all over it.
But if Arizona can get to the Staples Center in Los Angeles for a Sweet 16/Elite 8 possibility, the road to the Final Four could be aided greatly by a serious kick of momentum.
Miller, who wants to just focus on Belmont, is a believer in momentum.
"I think confidence is really what you're talking about," Miller said. "Individual confidence, a collective confidence that our team believes that we can win. Individually, you have a lot of players playing their best. I think we have both of those things on our side."
At the same time, a 6-11 matchup is always on upset alert.
Now, here is Matt Moreno with a recruiting breakdown:
It continues to be a good time for the Arizona Wildcats early in 2013. Both the football and basketball programs in Tucson continue to work on their respective 2014 classes as things continue to move along into the spring.
Sean Miller's basketball program already has two on board for the 2014 class, and up until Saturday morning Rich Rodriguez's football program did too. This week we'll touch on Arizona's newest commit and also take a look at what it means for the 'Cats in 2014.
The latest edition of the 2014 Rivals150 rankings came out last week as well. So we'll take a closer look at one of the UA targets who made the list and where things stand with him as another cut is be coming soon.
Here's a look at all that went on over the last seven days with Arizona recruiting.
Football recruiting
* Arizona continues to have success on the recruiting trail at the start of the 2014 cycle, and the Wildcats made another statement by picking up a pledge from a four-star recruit Saturday morning.
Rivals250 member Nick Wilson gave Arizona its third commit of the class when he decided to end the recruiting process early and make his verbal pledge to the 'Cats. Wilson is currently ranked as the nation's 211th-best prospect overall in the current junior class.
The 5-foot-11 standout running back from Fresno (Calif.) Central East visited Tucson for a junior day in early February, and since that trip the Wildcats were the quiet leader for his pledge.
Since he - and his family - was so comfortable with the fit at Arizona, Wilson decided the time was now to make his commitment.
"I just committed to Arizona," Wilson told GOAZCATS.com soon after making his decision. "As of now it was solely based on how comfortable I was with the coaching staff, the university and the program itself.
"So I just thought that Arizona would be the best fit, and I didn't see that changing too much. I figured I love Arizona and Arizona loves me back, so I made it official."
All during his recruitment, the one name that continued to come up with Wilson was Ka'Deem Carey. The UA coaching staff saw the similarities in running style and it was something that Wilson, himself, saw as well. Knowing that Rodriguez and his staff have produced a consensus All-American and the nation's leading rusher played into a decision for Wilson.
"I know that he can be like a mentor to me and take me under his wing - especially because our running styles are so similar," Wilson said. "Just overall, being a consensus All-American is always a plus."
Along with the possibility of being the next guy in line for the Wildcats, Wilson also made a connection with UA's coaching staff - and that was a very big part of his decision.
"I really got along with the coaching staff and felt really comfortable with the coaching staff," he said. "They're getting a new top-notch facility built and I just love everything about Arizona."
At this point, Wilson doesn't plan on taking other trips or looking at any other options for the time being.
"As of right now I'm committed to Arizona and I'm very happy with that decision," he said.
Wilson's commitment gave Arizona its second Rivals250 recruit in its first three pledges to go along with Rivals100 member Cam Denson.
* With Wilson's commitment, things continue to go well for the Wildcats when it comes to the 2014 recruiting class. Finding another high-level recruit this early in the process says something without saying something to other prospects about the possibilities of playing at Arizona.
With two of the Wildcats' three commits being Rivals250 recruits, it shows that high-level prospects are really looking at UA as a destination spot and that could help lead to other commitments later in the cycle for Rodriguez and his staff.
* Rodriguez and his staff have already dipped into Florida once in this recruiting cycle with tight end commit Nick Nataro, but there are others in that state who remain possibilities - including Keith Harrington.
"I like the offense because its the same offense that we run now - the spread offense," the Floridian told Rivals.com over the weekend. "Coach Rod Smith, I'm real cool with him and he's the one recruiting me.
"And I feel like I would be a great fit in their offense."
At this point, Harrington is considered an all-purpose back because of his versatility and size at 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds. However, he does feel there is a position he will fit into best once he reaches the college level.
"I feel like at the next level I'll be more of a slot, a slot back," he said.
* Although they picked up a commitment from a Rivals250 running back over the weekend, the Wildcats have been doing well with a number of prospects at the position recently. One such recruit is ranked even higher than Wilson and has plenty of offers himself.
Four-star prospect Shai McKenzie, the nation's 159th-best recruit overall, holds somewhere around 30 offers from all over the country through various conferences. While that is the case, Arizona has managed to make itself stand out some early in the process with the Washington, Pa., recruit.
"I've developed a good relationship with Tennessee and with Coach Mahoney," McKenzie told Rivals.com recently. "I had a good relationship with one of the Rutgers coaches but he isn't there anymore so I haven't really been in touch with them as much as I was. I have a pretty good relationship with Coach (Matt) Caponi from Arizona. I give him a call every once in a while just to talk.
"I talk to the Arkansas staff about twice a week and I can tell they are really interested. I know the fans are great down there and the coaches seem like really nice people, but I honestly don't know too much about the program. I know that it's a SEC team and it's a powerhouse program.
"Of course I have a really good relationship with Pittsburgh," he said. "I haven't really talked to any of the staff at Pitt since the basketball game when they played Villanova but overall things are going pretty well with them. I think I have the best relationship with Pitt because they're a local team and I've been up there a lot."
At this point, McKenzie is still taking the process pretty slow, but he does want to begin to look at things a little more closely as time goes on.
"It's kind of hard to make a relationship at this time in the recruiting process," he said. "It's either 'you want me or you don't.' Some coaches don't want me but there are also a lot that do. If they like me and I show some interest then I usually get an offer but I know I can't get to 30 schools so eventually I'll make a top ten."
* When it comes to the defensive side of the ball, the Wildcats are one of the offers for linebacker Donavin Buck from Brawley (Calif.) Brawley Union. The 6-foot-5 outside linebacker holds five offers overall, ranging from Oregon State to San Diego State.
"Academics are most important, of course," he told Rivals.com recently about factors in his recruitment. "Playing time is also important and how much I'll be able to play. And then staying close to home, so that all my family can come and watch."
When it comes to visits, at this point Buck plans on visiting the hometown school San Diego State soon but he also wants to visit Tucson.
* Arizona already has a Rivals100 quarterback signed for 2013 and a commit for the 2016 class, but the Wildcats continue to look at options at the position for other classes as well. One of the West Coast's top 2015 prospects is Ventura (Calif.) St. Bonaventure signal caller Ricky Town. The 6-foot-4 prospect has collected a couple of offers already from Miami and UCLA.
Moving forward there will be plenty more for the talented sophomore, but for now there are already a lot of programs showing interest.
"I'm talking a lot with Arizona State and Arizona," he said. "And Washington wants to offer, but it just needs a little more time. And then I'm just getting a lot of letters from a lot of different schools."
Basketball recruiting
Arizona continues to wait on the decision of one 2013 prospect with Aaron Gordon yet to make his decision, although the plan now is for an announcement at the McDonald's All-American game. While Sean Miller and his staff wait to hear word on where the five-star recruit is going, they continue to work on the 2014 class.
* The 'Cats already have a commitment from a four-star point guard in Parker Jackson-Cartwright, but there has always been plenty of talk surrounding the wings who could potentially play with the Arizona commit at the next level.
One such recruit is no stranger to Wildcat fans, and he continues to have plenty of interest in Arizona and Miller's program. Five-star wing prospect Stanley Johnson moved up in the 2014 rankings last week and he continues to be one of the priority recruits on the Wildcats' list in the junior class.
Johnson has visited Tucson before and he already knows plenty about the Wildcats and how he could potentially fit in. At this point, he is beginning to take the process a little quicker and he told GOAZCATS.com last week that he is getting close to making another round of cuts to his current list that stands at 10 schools.
"I'm hoping before EYBL (in April)," Johnson told GOAZCATS.com's Devin Ugland last week. "I'm already kind of narrowing it down now and putting my last calls into every coach and letting them know what the deal is. I'm almost done with that - I just have a few more schools - to make sure that we're on the same page so I know everything going into it."
When it comes to the Wildcats, Johnson still knows what he likes about Miller's program and how he would fit into it.
"I think they move the ball pretty well and they play to my style," he said. "They like to play off pick-and-rolls and create plays for themselves, which I like to do. Coach is doing a great job - they dropped a few games which is normal for a team that has been doing so well - but they should be fine in the NCAA tournament because they have had some good tests in the Pac-12 Conference and their preseason tournaments."
At this point Johnson's list includes: Arizona, Kentucky, Louisville, NC State, Oregon, San Diego State, Syracuse, UCLA, UNLV and USC.[/B]
But it was a big weekend for the basketball program - even Rich Rodriguez was in Las Vegas - between the Pac-12 Conference tournament and the NCAA tournament selection.
Basketball
* Let's start with the trip to Las Vegas for the conference tournament. Arizona lost 66-64 to UCLA and were eliminated in the semifinals. But the game may not have been the most entertaining thing about the night.
But, first, the game. Leading up to tipoff, our recruiting editor Matt Moreno told me that he walked past the UCLA players before they took the floor. The players, who were very confident, made a rap that they were reciting, and among the words was a mention of how they have already beat Arizona twice.
For the actual game itself, Arizona had to be both pleased and ticked off with the first half. The Wildcats received a strong first 20 minutes from freshmen Brandon Ashley, Kaleb Tarczewski and Grant Jerrett - all of whom continued to play well for the rest of the game. UCLA point guard Larry Drew II was ineffective with just one assist and a scoreless half thanks to Nick Johnson's defense. Travis Wear was the Bruins' high scorer with 8 points.
Yet, Arizona led by just 4 at the half thanks to eight of its 13 turnovers. Head coach Sean Miller blew off the halftime interview that the Pac-12 wanted to do as the team headed into the locker room, saying a few magic words in the process.
The second half was all Jordan Adams, who scored 18 of his 24 after the break to lead the Bruins to the win. Kyle Anderson's putback after grabbing the offensive rebound proved to be the go-ahead basket, and Solomon Hill's jump shot near the foul line was well contested and misfired.
In a sick twist of fate, it was Adams who was defending the shot, and the guard broke his right foot on the landing and will miss UCLA's NCAA tournament run.
But the bulk of the attention centered around Miller's technical foul on Adams' strip attempt of Mark Lyons. As you all know by now, Miller told official Michael Irving that "he touched the ball," and that it was not a double dribble, as the officials determined.
Well, the Pac-12 was not happy with Miller's reported confrontation with an official and "inappropriate" actions toward a staff member in the hallway of the MGM Grand Garden Arena after the game. Miller was fined $25,000 and reprimanded Sunday night.
I guess you could say the Pac-12 touched Miller's pocket.
In the release, Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott called Miller's actions "threatening, intimidating and unprofessional conduct," among other things. The release said Miller has been warned by the league in the past about "inappropriate, post game conduct toward officials."
"Even in tense and trying moments following a game, we expect Pac-12 coaches to conduct themselves in a professional manner," Scott said. "Our coaches represent their teams, their universities and our conference. We expect them to set an example for our student athletes and to meet the highest standard of sportsmanship and behavior on and off the court."
In the locker room after the game, Lyons said: "He hit the ball out of my hand and the ref called double dribble. I didn't really see coach over there, you know. Coach, I love his intensity, but that's not the reason why we lost the game. It was a lot of things that led up to it."
Let's face it, losing an 11-point lead inside the final 10 minutes, and Lyons is spot-on.
* Speaking of the locker room, as soon as the media was let inside after the 10-minute cooling off period I saw Johnson, Lyons, Jerrett and Kevin Parrom all with the same look. Towel over each of their bowed heads, all facing the same way to the right in front of their respective lockers. It was the exact opposite of what Shabazz Muhammad was doing after UCLA lost the title game (he was on his phone texting someone, from the photo I saw circulating around).
But while it was an understandably dejected locker room, it was not a crushed and defeated locker room.
Arizona saw a lot of good things happen in the two games - and even dating back to the end of the regular season.
The bench scored 25 against Colorado and another 23 against UCLA. The balance is back at the right time.
The young guys are playing extremely well - arguably the best that all three freshmen have played at the same time. Jerrett, Tarczewski and Ashley combined to score 48 points, grab 35 rebounds and block eight shots over the two games.
The stage was pretty bright in Las Vegas - no, really, there were green lights, smoke, fireworks and everything - and the NCAA tournament stage will only be brighter. But it does not look like these freshmen will be fazed by the spotlight.
"We have some individual players playing at their best, and I think our team has a good mindset right now," Miller said.
* Oh, right, there also was an NCAA tournament selection in this crazy weekend.
The sixth-seeded Wildcats, one of just 11 teams ranked in every Associated Press poll this season, are headed to the West Regional and Salt Lake City for their 29th appearance in program history. The 11th-seeded Belmont Bruins are making just their sixth appearance and looking for the program's first NCAA tournament win.
The game will be played Thursday at 4:20 p.m. PDT/Arizona time and air on TNT.
In its first season in the Ohio Valley Conference, Belmont won both the regular-season title and conference tournament. Arizona has not played an OVC team since 2001 but owns a 4-1 all-time record against current members of the league.
The Bruins are 26-6 and 14-2 in league play but have not played since taking down Murray State in overtime in the OVC tournament championship game March 9.
Belmont lost to Duke, 71-70, in a 2008 game that was the closest it has been to advancing. Last year, Georgetown drilled Belmont, 74-59.
* But Belmont can really shoot 3-pointers, and Miller has seen just how trigger happy the Bruins can be in person. While it was not this year's version, Miller recalled a 2007 meeting while coaching at Xavier in which Belmont was 8 for 30 from long range.
This season, the Bruins shoot 38.6 percent from distance (18th in the country) and average 77.2 points per game (15th). Going against a team that shoots 49.4 percent from the field - fourth in the country - can be "scary," Miller said.
"When I faced them before, they really value shooting," Miller said Sunday. "They generally can shoot the ball from more than their perimeter players. Their frontcourt players can shoot it. They put you in those compromising positions.
"It's really what I've said since October: It's so important to be able to defend the 3-point shot. There are times this year we've started to improve, and I think it's been well-documented at times it's done us in. The monster that we're dealing with here in the [second] round of the NCAA tournament is that very thing."
The Bruins are led by 6-3 senior guard Ian Clark, who shoots 46.3 percent on 3-pointers to lead the nation and averages 18.1 points per game. Three other players average double figures as part of an eight-man rotation and roster heavy on seniors.
*Almost forgotten is Belmont's abilities on defense, but Miller knows it will not be a walk in the park for the Wildcats. The Bruins force 17.4 turnovers per game this season.
"They really turn you over. They're one of the teams in this country that really is able to turn you over by pressing and using quickness," Miller said. "And if you think about the other component, their ability to shoot the ball from 3 at [center and power forward positions] at all times, your turnovers can lead to 3s and easy baskets. That's something that UCLA is good at. Hopefully, us learning the value of taking care of the ball can help us here."
* Belmont's best win this season is a 64-49 triumph over Middle Tennessee State, which made the tournament and will play Saint Mary's in Dayton on Tuesday as part of the First Four.
As far as Pac-12 teams are considered, the Belmont defeated Stanford, 70-62, in November.
Against teams in the NCAA tournament this season, Belmont posted a 1-2 record against Middle Tennessee State, Virginia Commonwealth and Kansas - all of which are in the RPI Top 50, and actually rank inside the top 30. The Bruins' RPI ranked 18th in the country with a strength of schedule ranked 74th, but the nonconference SOS is ranked second in the country.
Belmont is 4-1 this season at a neutral site.
* The Pac-12 received four other bids into the NCAA tournament including tournament champion Oregon (No. 12 in the Midwest), UCLA (No. 6 in the South),Colorado (No. 10 in the East) and California (No. 12 in the East).
A lot was made about Oregon and a seed that typically goes to bubble teams. But strength of schedule played a big factor.
"From this point on, we all learn lessons as a coach," Miller said. "I'm only worried about us."
* Looking ahead, should the Wildcats advance to the round of 32 there will be the winner of No. 3 New Mexico and No. 14 Harvard waiting for them. New Mexico, which owns the second-best RPI in the country, has Final Four potential written all over it.
But if Arizona can get to the Staples Center in Los Angeles for a Sweet 16/Elite 8 possibility, the road to the Final Four could be aided greatly by a serious kick of momentum.
Miller, who wants to just focus on Belmont, is a believer in momentum.
"I think confidence is really what you're talking about," Miller said. "Individual confidence, a collective confidence that our team believes that we can win. Individually, you have a lot of players playing their best. I think we have both of those things on our side."
At the same time, a 6-11 matchup is always on upset alert.
Now, here is Matt Moreno with a recruiting breakdown:
It continues to be a good time for the Arizona Wildcats early in 2013. Both the football and basketball programs in Tucson continue to work on their respective 2014 classes as things continue to move along into the spring.
Sean Miller's basketball program already has two on board for the 2014 class, and up until Saturday morning Rich Rodriguez's football program did too. This week we'll touch on Arizona's newest commit and also take a look at what it means for the 'Cats in 2014.
The latest edition of the 2014 Rivals150 rankings came out last week as well. So we'll take a closer look at one of the UA targets who made the list and where things stand with him as another cut is be coming soon.
Here's a look at all that went on over the last seven days with Arizona recruiting.
Football recruiting
* Arizona continues to have success on the recruiting trail at the start of the 2014 cycle, and the Wildcats made another statement by picking up a pledge from a four-star recruit Saturday morning.
Rivals250 member Nick Wilson gave Arizona its third commit of the class when he decided to end the recruiting process early and make his verbal pledge to the 'Cats. Wilson is currently ranked as the nation's 211th-best prospect overall in the current junior class.
The 5-foot-11 standout running back from Fresno (Calif.) Central East visited Tucson for a junior day in early February, and since that trip the Wildcats were the quiet leader for his pledge.
Since he - and his family - was so comfortable with the fit at Arizona, Wilson decided the time was now to make his commitment.
"I just committed to Arizona," Wilson told GOAZCATS.com soon after making his decision. "As of now it was solely based on how comfortable I was with the coaching staff, the university and the program itself.
"So I just thought that Arizona would be the best fit, and I didn't see that changing too much. I figured I love Arizona and Arizona loves me back, so I made it official."
All during his recruitment, the one name that continued to come up with Wilson was Ka'Deem Carey. The UA coaching staff saw the similarities in running style and it was something that Wilson, himself, saw as well. Knowing that Rodriguez and his staff have produced a consensus All-American and the nation's leading rusher played into a decision for Wilson.
"I know that he can be like a mentor to me and take me under his wing - especially because our running styles are so similar," Wilson said. "Just overall, being a consensus All-American is always a plus."
Along with the possibility of being the next guy in line for the Wildcats, Wilson also made a connection with UA's coaching staff - and that was a very big part of his decision.
"I really got along with the coaching staff and felt really comfortable with the coaching staff," he said. "They're getting a new top-notch facility built and I just love everything about Arizona."
At this point, Wilson doesn't plan on taking other trips or looking at any other options for the time being.
"As of right now I'm committed to Arizona and I'm very happy with that decision," he said.
Wilson's commitment gave Arizona its second Rivals250 recruit in its first three pledges to go along with Rivals100 member Cam Denson.
* With Wilson's commitment, things continue to go well for the Wildcats when it comes to the 2014 recruiting class. Finding another high-level recruit this early in the process says something without saying something to other prospects about the possibilities of playing at Arizona.
With two of the Wildcats' three commits being Rivals250 recruits, it shows that high-level prospects are really looking at UA as a destination spot and that could help lead to other commitments later in the cycle for Rodriguez and his staff.
* Rodriguez and his staff have already dipped into Florida once in this recruiting cycle with tight end commit Nick Nataro, but there are others in that state who remain possibilities - including Keith Harrington.
"I like the offense because its the same offense that we run now - the spread offense," the Floridian told Rivals.com over the weekend. "Coach Rod Smith, I'm real cool with him and he's the one recruiting me.
"And I feel like I would be a great fit in their offense."
At this point, Harrington is considered an all-purpose back because of his versatility and size at 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds. However, he does feel there is a position he will fit into best once he reaches the college level.
"I feel like at the next level I'll be more of a slot, a slot back," he said.
* Although they picked up a commitment from a Rivals250 running back over the weekend, the Wildcats have been doing well with a number of prospects at the position recently. One such recruit is ranked even higher than Wilson and has plenty of offers himself.
Four-star prospect Shai McKenzie, the nation's 159th-best recruit overall, holds somewhere around 30 offers from all over the country through various conferences. While that is the case, Arizona has managed to make itself stand out some early in the process with the Washington, Pa., recruit.
"I've developed a good relationship with Tennessee and with Coach Mahoney," McKenzie told Rivals.com recently. "I had a good relationship with one of the Rutgers coaches but he isn't there anymore so I haven't really been in touch with them as much as I was. I have a pretty good relationship with Coach (Matt) Caponi from Arizona. I give him a call every once in a while just to talk.
"I talk to the Arkansas staff about twice a week and I can tell they are really interested. I know the fans are great down there and the coaches seem like really nice people, but I honestly don't know too much about the program. I know that it's a SEC team and it's a powerhouse program.
"Of course I have a really good relationship with Pittsburgh," he said. "I haven't really talked to any of the staff at Pitt since the basketball game when they played Villanova but overall things are going pretty well with them. I think I have the best relationship with Pitt because they're a local team and I've been up there a lot."
At this point, McKenzie is still taking the process pretty slow, but he does want to begin to look at things a little more closely as time goes on.
"It's kind of hard to make a relationship at this time in the recruiting process," he said. "It's either 'you want me or you don't.' Some coaches don't want me but there are also a lot that do. If they like me and I show some interest then I usually get an offer but I know I can't get to 30 schools so eventually I'll make a top ten."
* When it comes to the defensive side of the ball, the Wildcats are one of the offers for linebacker Donavin Buck from Brawley (Calif.) Brawley Union. The 6-foot-5 outside linebacker holds five offers overall, ranging from Oregon State to San Diego State.
"Academics are most important, of course," he told Rivals.com recently about factors in his recruitment. "Playing time is also important and how much I'll be able to play. And then staying close to home, so that all my family can come and watch."
When it comes to visits, at this point Buck plans on visiting the hometown school San Diego State soon but he also wants to visit Tucson.
* Arizona already has a Rivals100 quarterback signed for 2013 and a commit for the 2016 class, but the Wildcats continue to look at options at the position for other classes as well. One of the West Coast's top 2015 prospects is Ventura (Calif.) St. Bonaventure signal caller Ricky Town. The 6-foot-4 prospect has collected a couple of offers already from Miami and UCLA.
Moving forward there will be plenty more for the talented sophomore, but for now there are already a lot of programs showing interest.
"I'm talking a lot with Arizona State and Arizona," he said. "And Washington wants to offer, but it just needs a little more time. And then I'm just getting a lot of letters from a lot of different schools."
Basketball recruiting
Arizona continues to wait on the decision of one 2013 prospect with Aaron Gordon yet to make his decision, although the plan now is for an announcement at the McDonald's All-American game. While Sean Miller and his staff wait to hear word on where the five-star recruit is going, they continue to work on the 2014 class.
* The 'Cats already have a commitment from a four-star point guard in Parker Jackson-Cartwright, but there has always been plenty of talk surrounding the wings who could potentially play with the Arizona commit at the next level.
One such recruit is no stranger to Wildcat fans, and he continues to have plenty of interest in Arizona and Miller's program. Five-star wing prospect Stanley Johnson moved up in the 2014 rankings last week and he continues to be one of the priority recruits on the Wildcats' list in the junior class.
Johnson has visited Tucson before and he already knows plenty about the Wildcats and how he could potentially fit in. At this point, he is beginning to take the process a little quicker and he told GOAZCATS.com last week that he is getting close to making another round of cuts to his current list that stands at 10 schools.
"I'm hoping before EYBL (in April)," Johnson told GOAZCATS.com's Devin Ugland last week. "I'm already kind of narrowing it down now and putting my last calls into every coach and letting them know what the deal is. I'm almost done with that - I just have a few more schools - to make sure that we're on the same page so I know everything going into it."
When it comes to the Wildcats, Johnson still knows what he likes about Miller's program and how he would fit into it.
"I think they move the ball pretty well and they play to my style," he said. "They like to play off pick-and-rolls and create plays for themselves, which I like to do. Coach is doing a great job - they dropped a few games which is normal for a team that has been doing so well - but they should be fine in the NCAA tournament because they have had some good tests in the Pac-12 Conference and their preseason tournaments."
At this point Johnson's list includes: Arizona, Kentucky, Louisville, NC State, Oregon, San Diego State, Syracuse, UCLA, UNLV and USC.[/B]
