In this War Room given the time of the year, I’ve decided to take a closer look at what an athletic director’s job is like, in regards to monitoring a football and men’s basketball team.
On this particular day, if anything was learned, it’s that Arizona athletic director Greg Byrne is in and out of meetings - constantly. He had one prior to our sitdown and then another directly after the interview, without a moment to catch his breath, check his phone or glance at his computer.
While both teams may be in the offseason, the coaches and Byrne are constantly in communication and have “several conversations” each week throughout the year.
“Some are 10 seconds where it’s just, ‘Hey, I want to let you know this,’ and some are a half-hour,” Byrne told GOAZCATS.com. “We don’t have set times where we talk, it’s just an as-needed situation.
“With each of them - I haven’t done this yet with coach (Rich) Rodriguez - you sit down at the end of the season and you talk about what we’re doing well (and) some things we could improve on.”
Byrne said the topics will range from academics to compliance, but typically stays away from the Xs and Os of a particular sport.
After all, they have the job for a reason.
“I may have some stats I want to talk to them about and get some feedback,” Byrne said. “For instance, in football, our special teams is something we’ve struggled with. So you may bring up something like that. But they obviously know more about strategy and managing that part of their program than I ever will.
“Part of it as an AD is you’ve got to have confidence in their ability to do that - and if you don’t, then there’s bigger issues.”
Another part of the job is end-of-the-season meetings.
Byrne said he has “talked a lot” to Sean Miller this year about progressing as a program, scheduling, facilities and even the roster. But among the things that catches Byrne’s eye is Miller’s ability update him on the academic standing of his players, too.
“One of the great things I love about coach Miller is he can walk through every single student-athlete on his team and talk about what classes they’re in, where they are from a graduation standpoint and what they need to do to graduate, and what the plan is to get them there,” Byrne said. “It doesn’t matter what the sport is - when your head coach is engaged like that, the student-athlete’s gonna know that’s real important to them.”
With about 450 student-athletes, Byrne is not able to connect with each one on the exact same level. However, he added that there are “a lot of hallway conversations” that take place on various issues.
Given some of the disciplinary actions that have grabbed headlines lately in Tucson, Byrne said he is sometimes “viewed as the principal’s office.”
“I talk to a lot of our student-athletes on different issues,” he said. “I try to get to know who they are, what makes them tick, what their interests are. I talk to them about what their professional goals are afterward when they’re done playing their sport.
“No, two days are alike when it comes to all that.”
Basketball team news
* Sources confirmed late Sunday night that Long Beach State has been added to Arizona’s schedule next season. The Big West Conference champion 49ers, who have arguably played the toughest nonconference schedule in the nation the past few years, will travel to Tucson as part of another grueling slate.
* Arizona has started the fundraising process to renovate McKale Center, Byrne said.
“We’ve had some quiet conversations … but we’re going to need to raise a lot of money to make it a reality,” he said. “So we’re starting that early process to where, hopefully in the next year sometime, we’ll be able to start announcing some financial models that we think can work.”
* Wildcats guard Jordin Mayes is working with family friend and former UA great Damon Stoudamire this offseason. Stoudamire, an assistant coach at Memphis, has a relationship with Mayes that started with his father, Darryel, and Jordin attended Stoudamire’s camps growing up.
Random fact: It’s because of those ties to Damon - and cousin Salim Stoudamire - that Mayes wears No. 20.
Football team news
While it was behind schedule 10 days at one point, the North End Zone Project has “caught a lot of that up” and the target is still a August 2013 completion, Byrne said.
* And now, Matt Moreno’s recruiting breakdown:
Even though it’s the offseason for the current batch of Wildcats on the field and hardwood, the process of evaluating and recruiting future prospects is a year-round task and there is plenty still going on this late into the spring.
Football recruiting
On the football side of things, this is the current period where coaches are on the road stopping by schools all across the country to check in various recruits who are most likely taking part in spring practice at their respective schools.
With that comes new offers to more recruits, and Arizona staff is no different as there continued to be new offers extended last week.
* One of the positions that has yet to be filled for the 2013 class is going to be one of more important ones beyond this season. The Wildcats have not been able to earn a commitment from a signal caller yet, but there’s not too much of a rush on the program to do so - and there is in no way a sense of panic.
However, things could be changing in the near future as there are at least a couple of the program’s four-star targets who are closing in on making a decision.
Both four-star recruits Anu Solomon and Troy Williams are likely to make decisions in the coming weeks.
Solomon is likely closer to a decision, however, as he planned to have his recent visit to UCLA be his last before making a choice. The Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman standout’s decision will likely be after his upcoming participation in a couple of camps.
Last time the four-star prospect spoke with GOAZCATS.com, he said that he wanted to finish his camp schedule then proceed to take a closer look at his options and come to a decision before the start of summer.
At this point that remains the plan, and the Wildcats are certainly in a good spot. In the end it will likely come down to the two Arizona schools as Solomon has grown to like both situations very much.
Williams is another quarterback prospect who is close to making a decision as well. The Rivals100 prospect couldn’t make a scheduled trip to Washington a few weeks ago, and had to reschedule. His hope is to pay the Huskies a visit in the next few weeks and make a decision shortly after.
"I'm kind of anxious but I have to take my time with it and make sure I make the right decision," Williams told Rivals.com West recruiting analyst Adam Gorney last week.
"I'll probably be heading to Washington in about three weeks for sure so I'll see what they look like and then I'll have my decision from there.
"I'll be a lot more comfortable especially knowing what these schools have to offer and what I can do with myself and how I can prepare myself for whichever school I go to."
Williams also received an offer from Florida after taking his trip to UA, but at this point it’s unclear whether they will receive a visit - although it seems unlikely as things currently stand.
The Wildcats certainly did a good job when Williams took his trip to Tucson, but depending on how his trip to Seattle goes the Huskies could be the program to beat in his recruitment. There is a lot he does like about the ‘Cats, however, especially the opportunity to compete for the starting job as a freshman.
* Even though there are a couple of options that look to be reaching an end point for UA at the quarterback spot, the coaching staff offered a couple more signal callers this week.
The Wildcats became the first program to offer Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway quarterback Tommy Woodson last week, and shortly after he picked up his second offer from Bowling Green.
But the 6-foot-2 prospect already knows quite a bit about the Wildcats’ history, as well as the current coaching staff.
"I was really excited because it was my first [offer], especially with it coming from Arizona," Woodson told GOAZCATS.com last week. "That's a BCS offer, so it's always good to hear from a school like that. I knew Rich Rodriguez and the coaches from Michigan. My team went up to Michigan for a passing tournament and we won that whole thing and that's how I know them.
"So it was great to hear from them again and get this offer."
At this point in the process there is a lot that Woodson likes about what Arizona has to offer, and it is mostly centered around the type of offense that Rich Rodriguez runs. Woodson said he runs something similar at his current high school and he believes the transition would be a seamless one.
"It fits me perfectly," he said. "As a matter of fact their offense is run exactly the same way that we run at our high school. And it would be a great experience to play in Rich Rodriguez's offense."
Woodson will likely continue to see interest and he could eventually pick up more offers from major programs, but the Wildcats being the first to offer as well as the fit that he would have in Tucson will likely keep Rodriguez’s program among his top choices no matter who else might come in the picture.
Woodson doesn’t plan on making his choice until after his senior season at Gateway, so the ‘Cats will have time to see how the recruitments of some of their other play out before deciding where things go with other quarterback prospects.
* The other signal caller offered last week was Dallas (Texas) Skyline recruit Devante Kincade, who was also happy to pick up an offer from the Wildcats.
The three-star prospect put up some incredible stats as a junior and that has led to quite a few offers for the 2013 recruit - including programs such as Kansas State, Ole Miss, Notre Dame and Oregon State.
At this point Kincade is going to wait until after spring practice is over to begin the process of narrowing down his list, but the ‘Cats have a solid chance of being in what will likely be a top five. One of the main reasons UA will likely find itself on that list is the offense the ‘Cats run and how the program as a whole fits with what the talented prospect is looking for.
"A spread offense, spread attack with multiple formations," he said about what he wants to see in his eventual program. "I can get under center if I have to just to switch up the formations, and that's what I'm looking for. A quick tempo if I can as well. That's what I'm going to try to bring to the table when I get to a school.
"I'm going to ask the coach, 'Can we pick up the tempo a little bit?'"
One of the things that intrigues Kincade about the situation at UA is the possibility of challenging for playing time as a freshman. Since he doesn’t plan on making a decision just yet, the ‘Cats will likely have their answer on couple of their top prospects but the possibility could still be there should things not work out with some of those recruits.
But while early playing time isn’t a huge factor right now for Kincade, it is something that has his attention.
“That would be really great going into a place and having an open gate to compete for the starting job,” he said. “I really like that - it’s not big factor for me - but I would really like to have that option.”
One of the biggest attributes that Kincade feels he has, and something that he said his recruiting coach from UA Spencer Leftwich pointed out the ‘Cats like is his leadership ability.
“I’m a leader on and off the field,” Kincade said. “I may be a young guy coming onto campus, but I’m going to make sure everybody is in line. As soon as I come in, I’m going to let everybody know what type of person I am. I’m real passionate for the game and I take it serious.
“On and off the field, I’m going to try and show that leadership. If somebody falls, I’m going to pick them up - even on the field. If somebody is having a bad day, I’ve got to try and lift their spirit up.”
Whoever ends up committing to the Wildcats at the quarterback position will eventually have to deal with a good amount of attention, especially if a freshman earns the nod in 2013. So being able to be a leader on the field is certainly a characteristic the staff is looking for in prospects it is recruiting at the position this recruiting cycle.
The next step for Kincade is to take a better look at the Wildcats and see what he likes and dislikes about their program.
“I’m going to do a lot of research on them,” he said. “You know their background, the quarterback situation, the coaches and coaches’ backgrounds, the education and the academics. That’s basically what I’m going to be doing next with them.”
Basketball recruiting
The spring travel season continues to roll on, however, now is the time of year when coaches aren’t allowed to attend events. Yet, that doesn’t stop the games from continuing and there were plenty of UA recruits in action over the weekend at various events.
* The Nike EYBL made its third stop over the weekend outside of Dallas in Frisco, Texas at Fieldhouse USA.
Houston Hoops: The Texas-based squad will remain one of the teams with the most interest to UA fans as it features three of the Wildcats top prospects for 2013 and 2014.
Hoops went an impressive 5-0 over the weekend and currently sits in good position to earn a Peach Jam spot with a 12-2 record overall. 2013 target Keith Frazier got hurt Friday night, so his team played on without him for the rest of the weekend. The team leaned on 2014 Wildcat target Justise Winslow in its first game when the five-star prospect scored 17 points and pulled down nine rebounds to lead Houston Hoops to a win over Mokan Elite.
Frazier had six points and five rebounds before being injured.
Junior prospect Brian Bridgewater didn’t arrive in time to play Friday, but he was a solid contributor for Hoops the rest of the weekend. The 2013 UA target scored 11 points on a couple of occasions and he was fairly efficient from the field during the weekend session.
Oakland Soldiers: The Oakland Soldiers are certainly not having the season they are used to with a number of key injuries not helping matters. The talented California-based squad was without Aaron Gordon, Jabari Bird and the Robinson twins for the weekend session.
Because they had to adjust without all that firepower, it made for a rough weekend for the Soldiers.
2014 UA target Stanley Johnson led the depleted Soldiers squad Friday night with 35 points on 10-of-22 from the field. He also finished with 10 rebounds. Fellow 2014 target Shaqquan Aaron contributed with 11 points, three rebounds and three steals in the 20-point loss to Indy Spiece.
The duo combined for 19 points and six rebounds in the team’s next contest, which was another big loss.
The Soldiers regained some traction in their third game as the beat the Tennessee Travelers 77-66 as Aaron led the way with 19 points and three steals. Johnson added 14 points, three rebounds and three assists.
Sunday morning the Soldiers once again picked up a win, this time over Baltimore Elite as Johnson led the way again with 16 points and eight rebounds to pace his team.
Overall, the Soldiers finished the weekend with a 2-3 record after losing the final contest of the weekend to undefeated CIA Bounce.
California Supreme: The team featuring UA targets Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Marcus Lee continues to sit in good position to earn a spot at the Peach Jam with an overall record of 11-3, which is good enough for second in Division C.
Cal Supreme went 3-2 overall on the weekend and had contributions from a number of players.
2014 point guard target Jackson-Cartwright once again did an outstanding job of limiting his mistakes as he only had one turnover through the team’s first four games of the weekend. He had 12 points, one assist and one rebound in the team’s first win, and he followed that up with a 16-point, three-assist, three-rebound contest in Cal Supreme’s second game of the weekend.
In a three-point loss to Each 1 Teach 1, Jackson-Cartwright scored 15 points, pulled down five rebounds, had four steals and dished out three assists for his squad. The next game the four-star prospect had his point guard skills on display as he finished the contest with 11 points, eight assists, three rebounds and no turnovers.
Lee didn’t have the best weekend scoring-wise, but he performed well on the glass as he contributed with 11 rebounds in one contest and nine in another. He also did his job on the defensive end with quite few steals and blocks for Cal Supreme.
One other UA target who did well this weekend was 2014 big man Jahlil Okafor, who Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Eric Bossi felt did very well and could be poised to make a move up the rankings next time around.
Okafor and his Mac Irvin Fire team currently sit tied with Cal Supreme at 11-3 overall in Division C. His squad finished a perfect 5-0 on the weekend to earn that spot and bring the team back to have a chance at qualifying for the Peach Jam.
Okafor started off the weekend with a solid performance in a win over Louisiana Select as the sophomore finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds for Mac Irvin. He then had a 12-point, six-rebound performance in a win over ICP Elite.
The five-star prospect then followed that up with 16 points and seven rebounds in a win over Nike Team Florida.
The Nike EYBL will return for its final session before Peach Jam May 25, when the last stop will be Oakland, Calif.
* GOAZCATS.com was in attendance at the Elite 8 in the Desert event over the weekend and there were a couple of UA targets taking part in the tournament. Check back later today for video interviews with in-state prospects Jaron Hopkins and Paul Watson, who both played for Compton Magic-affiliated squads over the weekend.
On this particular day, if anything was learned, it’s that Arizona athletic director Greg Byrne is in and out of meetings - constantly. He had one prior to our sitdown and then another directly after the interview, without a moment to catch his breath, check his phone or glance at his computer.
While both teams may be in the offseason, the coaches and Byrne are constantly in communication and have “several conversations” each week throughout the year.
“Some are 10 seconds where it’s just, ‘Hey, I want to let you know this,’ and some are a half-hour,” Byrne told GOAZCATS.com. “We don’t have set times where we talk, it’s just an as-needed situation.
“With each of them - I haven’t done this yet with coach (Rich) Rodriguez - you sit down at the end of the season and you talk about what we’re doing well (and) some things we could improve on.”
Byrne said the topics will range from academics to compliance, but typically stays away from the Xs and Os of a particular sport.
After all, they have the job for a reason.
“I may have some stats I want to talk to them about and get some feedback,” Byrne said. “For instance, in football, our special teams is something we’ve struggled with. So you may bring up something like that. But they obviously know more about strategy and managing that part of their program than I ever will.
“Part of it as an AD is you’ve got to have confidence in their ability to do that - and if you don’t, then there’s bigger issues.”
Another part of the job is end-of-the-season meetings.
Byrne said he has “talked a lot” to Sean Miller this year about progressing as a program, scheduling, facilities and even the roster. But among the things that catches Byrne’s eye is Miller’s ability update him on the academic standing of his players, too.
“One of the great things I love about coach Miller is he can walk through every single student-athlete on his team and talk about what classes they’re in, where they are from a graduation standpoint and what they need to do to graduate, and what the plan is to get them there,” Byrne said. “It doesn’t matter what the sport is - when your head coach is engaged like that, the student-athlete’s gonna know that’s real important to them.”
With about 450 student-athletes, Byrne is not able to connect with each one on the exact same level. However, he added that there are “a lot of hallway conversations” that take place on various issues.
Given some of the disciplinary actions that have grabbed headlines lately in Tucson, Byrne said he is sometimes “viewed as the principal’s office.”
“I talk to a lot of our student-athletes on different issues,” he said. “I try to get to know who they are, what makes them tick, what their interests are. I talk to them about what their professional goals are afterward when they’re done playing their sport.
“No, two days are alike when it comes to all that.”
Basketball team news
* Sources confirmed late Sunday night that Long Beach State has been added to Arizona’s schedule next season. The Big West Conference champion 49ers, who have arguably played the toughest nonconference schedule in the nation the past few years, will travel to Tucson as part of another grueling slate.
* Arizona has started the fundraising process to renovate McKale Center, Byrne said.
“We’ve had some quiet conversations … but we’re going to need to raise a lot of money to make it a reality,” he said. “So we’re starting that early process to where, hopefully in the next year sometime, we’ll be able to start announcing some financial models that we think can work.”
* Wildcats guard Jordin Mayes is working with family friend and former UA great Damon Stoudamire this offseason. Stoudamire, an assistant coach at Memphis, has a relationship with Mayes that started with his father, Darryel, and Jordin attended Stoudamire’s camps growing up.
Random fact: It’s because of those ties to Damon - and cousin Salim Stoudamire - that Mayes wears No. 20.
Football team news
While it was behind schedule 10 days at one point, the North End Zone Project has “caught a lot of that up” and the target is still a August 2013 completion, Byrne said.
* And now, Matt Moreno’s recruiting breakdown:
Even though it’s the offseason for the current batch of Wildcats on the field and hardwood, the process of evaluating and recruiting future prospects is a year-round task and there is plenty still going on this late into the spring.
Football recruiting
On the football side of things, this is the current period where coaches are on the road stopping by schools all across the country to check in various recruits who are most likely taking part in spring practice at their respective schools.
With that comes new offers to more recruits, and Arizona staff is no different as there continued to be new offers extended last week.
* One of the positions that has yet to be filled for the 2013 class is going to be one of more important ones beyond this season. The Wildcats have not been able to earn a commitment from a signal caller yet, but there’s not too much of a rush on the program to do so - and there is in no way a sense of panic.
However, things could be changing in the near future as there are at least a couple of the program’s four-star targets who are closing in on making a decision.
Both four-star recruits Anu Solomon and Troy Williams are likely to make decisions in the coming weeks.
Solomon is likely closer to a decision, however, as he planned to have his recent visit to UCLA be his last before making a choice. The Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman standout’s decision will likely be after his upcoming participation in a couple of camps.
Last time the four-star prospect spoke with GOAZCATS.com, he said that he wanted to finish his camp schedule then proceed to take a closer look at his options and come to a decision before the start of summer.
At this point that remains the plan, and the Wildcats are certainly in a good spot. In the end it will likely come down to the two Arizona schools as Solomon has grown to like both situations very much.
Williams is another quarterback prospect who is close to making a decision as well. The Rivals100 prospect couldn’t make a scheduled trip to Washington a few weeks ago, and had to reschedule. His hope is to pay the Huskies a visit in the next few weeks and make a decision shortly after.
"I'm kind of anxious but I have to take my time with it and make sure I make the right decision," Williams told Rivals.com West recruiting analyst Adam Gorney last week.
"I'll probably be heading to Washington in about three weeks for sure so I'll see what they look like and then I'll have my decision from there.
"I'll be a lot more comfortable especially knowing what these schools have to offer and what I can do with myself and how I can prepare myself for whichever school I go to."
Williams also received an offer from Florida after taking his trip to UA, but at this point it’s unclear whether they will receive a visit - although it seems unlikely as things currently stand.
The Wildcats certainly did a good job when Williams took his trip to Tucson, but depending on how his trip to Seattle goes the Huskies could be the program to beat in his recruitment. There is a lot he does like about the ‘Cats, however, especially the opportunity to compete for the starting job as a freshman.
* Even though there are a couple of options that look to be reaching an end point for UA at the quarterback spot, the coaching staff offered a couple more signal callers this week.
The Wildcats became the first program to offer Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway quarterback Tommy Woodson last week, and shortly after he picked up his second offer from Bowling Green.
But the 6-foot-2 prospect already knows quite a bit about the Wildcats’ history, as well as the current coaching staff.
"I was really excited because it was my first [offer], especially with it coming from Arizona," Woodson told GOAZCATS.com last week. "That's a BCS offer, so it's always good to hear from a school like that. I knew Rich Rodriguez and the coaches from Michigan. My team went up to Michigan for a passing tournament and we won that whole thing and that's how I know them.
"So it was great to hear from them again and get this offer."
At this point in the process there is a lot that Woodson likes about what Arizona has to offer, and it is mostly centered around the type of offense that Rich Rodriguez runs. Woodson said he runs something similar at his current high school and he believes the transition would be a seamless one.
"It fits me perfectly," he said. "As a matter of fact their offense is run exactly the same way that we run at our high school. And it would be a great experience to play in Rich Rodriguez's offense."
Woodson will likely continue to see interest and he could eventually pick up more offers from major programs, but the Wildcats being the first to offer as well as the fit that he would have in Tucson will likely keep Rodriguez’s program among his top choices no matter who else might come in the picture.
Woodson doesn’t plan on making his choice until after his senior season at Gateway, so the ‘Cats will have time to see how the recruitments of some of their other play out before deciding where things go with other quarterback prospects.
* The other signal caller offered last week was Dallas (Texas) Skyline recruit Devante Kincade, who was also happy to pick up an offer from the Wildcats.
The three-star prospect put up some incredible stats as a junior and that has led to quite a few offers for the 2013 recruit - including programs such as Kansas State, Ole Miss, Notre Dame and Oregon State.
At this point Kincade is going to wait until after spring practice is over to begin the process of narrowing down his list, but the ‘Cats have a solid chance of being in what will likely be a top five. One of the main reasons UA will likely find itself on that list is the offense the ‘Cats run and how the program as a whole fits with what the talented prospect is looking for.
"A spread offense, spread attack with multiple formations," he said about what he wants to see in his eventual program. "I can get under center if I have to just to switch up the formations, and that's what I'm looking for. A quick tempo if I can as well. That's what I'm going to try to bring to the table when I get to a school.
"I'm going to ask the coach, 'Can we pick up the tempo a little bit?'"
One of the things that intrigues Kincade about the situation at UA is the possibility of challenging for playing time as a freshman. Since he doesn’t plan on making a decision just yet, the ‘Cats will likely have their answer on couple of their top prospects but the possibility could still be there should things not work out with some of those recruits.
But while early playing time isn’t a huge factor right now for Kincade, it is something that has his attention.
“That would be really great going into a place and having an open gate to compete for the starting job,” he said. “I really like that - it’s not big factor for me - but I would really like to have that option.”
One of the biggest attributes that Kincade feels he has, and something that he said his recruiting coach from UA Spencer Leftwich pointed out the ‘Cats like is his leadership ability.
“I’m a leader on and off the field,” Kincade said. “I may be a young guy coming onto campus, but I’m going to make sure everybody is in line. As soon as I come in, I’m going to let everybody know what type of person I am. I’m real passionate for the game and I take it serious.
“On and off the field, I’m going to try and show that leadership. If somebody falls, I’m going to pick them up - even on the field. If somebody is having a bad day, I’ve got to try and lift their spirit up.”
Whoever ends up committing to the Wildcats at the quarterback position will eventually have to deal with a good amount of attention, especially if a freshman earns the nod in 2013. So being able to be a leader on the field is certainly a characteristic the staff is looking for in prospects it is recruiting at the position this recruiting cycle.
The next step for Kincade is to take a better look at the Wildcats and see what he likes and dislikes about their program.
“I’m going to do a lot of research on them,” he said. “You know their background, the quarterback situation, the coaches and coaches’ backgrounds, the education and the academics. That’s basically what I’m going to be doing next with them.”
Basketball recruiting
The spring travel season continues to roll on, however, now is the time of year when coaches aren’t allowed to attend events. Yet, that doesn’t stop the games from continuing and there were plenty of UA recruits in action over the weekend at various events.
* The Nike EYBL made its third stop over the weekend outside of Dallas in Frisco, Texas at Fieldhouse USA.
Houston Hoops: The Texas-based squad will remain one of the teams with the most interest to UA fans as it features three of the Wildcats top prospects for 2013 and 2014.
Hoops went an impressive 5-0 over the weekend and currently sits in good position to earn a Peach Jam spot with a 12-2 record overall. 2013 target Keith Frazier got hurt Friday night, so his team played on without him for the rest of the weekend. The team leaned on 2014 Wildcat target Justise Winslow in its first game when the five-star prospect scored 17 points and pulled down nine rebounds to lead Houston Hoops to a win over Mokan Elite.
Frazier had six points and five rebounds before being injured.
Junior prospect Brian Bridgewater didn’t arrive in time to play Friday, but he was a solid contributor for Hoops the rest of the weekend. The 2013 UA target scored 11 points on a couple of occasions and he was fairly efficient from the field during the weekend session.
Oakland Soldiers: The Oakland Soldiers are certainly not having the season they are used to with a number of key injuries not helping matters. The talented California-based squad was without Aaron Gordon, Jabari Bird and the Robinson twins for the weekend session.
Because they had to adjust without all that firepower, it made for a rough weekend for the Soldiers.
2014 UA target Stanley Johnson led the depleted Soldiers squad Friday night with 35 points on 10-of-22 from the field. He also finished with 10 rebounds. Fellow 2014 target Shaqquan Aaron contributed with 11 points, three rebounds and three steals in the 20-point loss to Indy Spiece.
The duo combined for 19 points and six rebounds in the team’s next contest, which was another big loss.
The Soldiers regained some traction in their third game as the beat the Tennessee Travelers 77-66 as Aaron led the way with 19 points and three steals. Johnson added 14 points, three rebounds and three assists.
Sunday morning the Soldiers once again picked up a win, this time over Baltimore Elite as Johnson led the way again with 16 points and eight rebounds to pace his team.
Overall, the Soldiers finished the weekend with a 2-3 record after losing the final contest of the weekend to undefeated CIA Bounce.
California Supreme: The team featuring UA targets Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Marcus Lee continues to sit in good position to earn a spot at the Peach Jam with an overall record of 11-3, which is good enough for second in Division C.
Cal Supreme went 3-2 overall on the weekend and had contributions from a number of players.
2014 point guard target Jackson-Cartwright once again did an outstanding job of limiting his mistakes as he only had one turnover through the team’s first four games of the weekend. He had 12 points, one assist and one rebound in the team’s first win, and he followed that up with a 16-point, three-assist, three-rebound contest in Cal Supreme’s second game of the weekend.
In a three-point loss to Each 1 Teach 1, Jackson-Cartwright scored 15 points, pulled down five rebounds, had four steals and dished out three assists for his squad. The next game the four-star prospect had his point guard skills on display as he finished the contest with 11 points, eight assists, three rebounds and no turnovers.
Lee didn’t have the best weekend scoring-wise, but he performed well on the glass as he contributed with 11 rebounds in one contest and nine in another. He also did his job on the defensive end with quite few steals and blocks for Cal Supreme.
One other UA target who did well this weekend was 2014 big man Jahlil Okafor, who Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Eric Bossi felt did very well and could be poised to make a move up the rankings next time around.
Okafor and his Mac Irvin Fire team currently sit tied with Cal Supreme at 11-3 overall in Division C. His squad finished a perfect 5-0 on the weekend to earn that spot and bring the team back to have a chance at qualifying for the Peach Jam.
Okafor started off the weekend with a solid performance in a win over Louisiana Select as the sophomore finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds for Mac Irvin. He then had a 12-point, six-rebound performance in a win over ICP Elite.
The five-star prospect then followed that up with 16 points and seven rebounds in a win over Nike Team Florida.
The Nike EYBL will return for its final session before Peach Jam May 25, when the last stop will be Oakland, Calif.
* GOAZCATS.com was in attendance at the Elite 8 in the Desert event over the weekend and there were a couple of UA targets taking part in the tournament. Check back later today for video interviews with in-state prospects Jaron Hopkins and Paul Watson, who both played for Compton Magic-affiliated squads over the weekend.
