With the LeBron James Skills Academy going on here in Las Vegas, this edition of the GOAZCATS.com War Room is basketball heavy - both in team and recruiting news.[/B]
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Basketball team news
The camp brought together 25 of the nation's fringe NBA prospects in search of that extra push and look from NBA scouts to make it to the next level. Among them was Arizona's Mark Lyons and Solomon Hill.
* Lyons observations
For about half of his time these three days, Lyons played off the ball with the likes of Missouri's Phil Pressey also in attendance. In fact, Lyons and Pressey shared the same backcourt.
Now, granted it is only three days of watching him and not an entire season, Lyons has some point guard tools but looks basically like an undersized shooting guard who can rack up points in a hurry and is not afraid to pull the trigger.
But the 6-1 guard was able to show flashes with a few nifty passes. He did struggle at times with some of his interior passing once he got into the lane, forcing a few passes that led to turnovers.
A 39.2 percent shooter from beyond the 3-point line last season at Xavier, Lyons knocked down his long-range attempts with relative ease but was streaky, at times.
"People want to know if I can run the point," Lyons told GOAZCATS.com.
Defensively, Lyons should be a relentless pest for the Wildcats. Many times he would literally put his head down and into his man's chest and just chase him around the court while fighting through screens. He also has quick hands and made a few on-ball steals that he took the other way for easy layups. Lyons will not be afraid to take a couple of charges and sell a few calls, as he showed pretty good anticipation on where his man's next move would be and beat him to the spot.
"I'm just competitive," Lyons said. "Whatever my team needs me to do, I'm going to do."
Lyons was consistently fearless at the camp, putting a body on players twice his size and holding his ground to box out. That even meant his new teammate Hill, who did not play on the same team during the camp. A few times, Lyons and Hill picked each other up and switches and battled, but nothing too significant.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect - and important, in relation to Arizona - was Lyons' constant communication on the court. He arguably was the most vocal player at the camp, calling out screens and letting his teammates know where on the floor they were supposed to be. If you recall, one of the bigger flaws in UA's backcourt last season was the non-vocal personality of Josiah Turner. That most definitely will not be an issue next season, presumably with Lyons starting at the point.
"I've always been a vocal person," Lyons said. "As a point guard, you've got to communicate to your teammates - if you're not, then you're not a good point guard, in my eyes."
But he did not mean that as a knock on Turner, who I asked him about. Lyons just said he did not want people comparing the way he runs a team to how Turner played last year.
"We're two different people, two different ages," Lyons said.
Even when he was not on the floor, Lyons kept his mouth moving and played the role of cheerleader. He also served as another set of eyes, making his teammates aware of screens and where plays were developing.
It will be interesting to see who starts with him, however, and how much he plays off the ball. The most natural of the combo guards is arguably Jordin Mayes, while Nick Johnson has a few more tools but played very little point guard in his life up until his freshman season last year. Should UA head coach Sean Miller start Kevin Parrom, however, then Lyons will likely handle all of the point guard duties until the first substitution is made.
Just overhearing some of the NBA scouts here, Lyons certainly made a positive impression. And he has made it known that he wants to prove that he can run a team. But he will have an entire season to showcase his talents at the position and this is just really more of an early look to make scouts at least take notice.
Lyons said he just wanted to show scouts that "he can hang with the best of them."
"I'm passing up shots that I usually take just to get my teammates better shots," Lyons said. "Hopefully the scouts notice that."
* Hill observations
Like he did last season, Hill did a little bit of everything and held his own. He primarily played on the wing and showcased his much improved outside shooting touch. Early in the camp, his mid-range game, specifically, looked to be sharp, which is something he said he wanted to improve this offseason.
With his versatility, he also showed scouts that he can play a little point forward.
But Hill said he is not overly concerned about where he falls on various mock drafts, and things of that nature.
"I'm just trying to put myself in a good position," Hill told GOAZCATS.com. "It's not like I'm out there just scoring. If I have to score, then I'll score. But, right now, it's just about completing my game. Doing it on the defensive end, rebounding, assists - just trying to do a little bit of everything."
But Hill said it's his defense, more than anything, that he wanted to focus on against the likes of Creighton's Doug McDermott, Georgetown's Otto Porter and Ohio State's LaQuinton Ross. That was the one area of his game, Hill said, that he wants to improve between now and the start of his senior season.
* Hill on Lyons
More than anything, Hill said the Wildcats lacked confidence last season with the departure of MoMo Jones, and that's where he thinks Lyons will help most.
"Being an East Coast guy, he's very vocal, and he shows he can lead a team," Hill said.
* Lyons on Hill
The new teammates have talked at almost any opportunity they've had in Las Vegas, Lyons said.
Lyons made it clear that he is coming to Arizona as the No. 2 guy and that this is Hill's team.
"We've got to get that chemistry going," Lyons said. "I'm not trying to come over, take over his leadership role.
We will have plenty more on both Lyons and Hill this week in full story form, including what they believe will be most important when the Wildcats take their trip to the Bahamas in August. So stay tuned for plenty more insight.
Iguodala on Team USA
The other big news this weekend was the addition of Andre Iguodala to the U.S. Olympic team, and the announcement was at the Wynn Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. So GOAZCATS.com headed down to cover the event.
On the 12-man team with Iguodala is: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Blake Griffin and Deron Williams.
how Iguodala fits on the roster.
But we also talked to him about his memories of the Olympics growing up. A 28-year-old, Iguodala remembers the original Dream Team well and it's now been 20 years since that group paved the way for the global expansion we see today in basketball.
"Dream Team I, of course, Michael Jordan played and the stage they were on," Iguodala said. "From there, I followed the Olympics. Dream Team II with Penny Hardaway and Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal leading that team. From there, the 2000 team with Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, and those guys.
"I think it all started with the Dream Team (in 1992) and the following that USA Basketball has gotten over the decade or two."
The Olympics also will give Iguodala a chance to play with some of the game's brightest stars that he is so used to competing against on a nightly basis in the NBA.
"All-Star Game, got a chance to play with a few of the guys - Paul Pierce, Carmelo and LeBron," Iguodala said. "I don't think I played at the same time with LeBron, so it will be new playing with some of these guys. Playing with Kobe, watching him play growing up. So it will be a really good experience, it will be a lot of fun."
* And now, here is Matt Moreno's recruiting breakdown:
It is now July and that means we have reached the thick of the basketball recruiting season. Because of that, we are at the unofficial kickoff event to the summer - the LeBron James Skills Academy. College coaches aren't allowed to attend, but some of the best high school prospects in the country were in attendance this weekend and will be wrapping things up Monday.
There are plenty of Arizona recruits taking part in the camp, and we were able to talk with many of them already to find out where the Wildcats stand.
On the football side of things it has been quiet after the rush of commitments throughout the month of June. As we have said previously, things are going to slow down a bit when it comes to the football commitments as the staff focuses on a few different areas going forward.
Let's get right into this week's recruiting update ... from the road in Las Vegas.
Football recruiting
* As I said above, with 22 prospects already giving their verbal pledge to the Wildcats this cycle UA is going to be a little more selective when it comes to recruiting. One of the areas where the program would like to add another commit is at running back. At this point in the year, the likely leading candidate for that spot is San Diego (Calif.) Madison running back Pierre Cormier.
The Wildcats are doing very well with the three-star prospect and he's hoping to get out on a visit by the end of the month with one of his teammates, Lee Walker, who also has an offer from Rich Rodriguez's program.
"I like it a lot, and it's probably my favorite right now," Cormier recently said about UA. "It's looking good for me, and I'm trying to get up there this month - possibly. If I like it, then I don't know what will happen. But I'm really looking into that school pretty hard."
At this point, Cormier and Walker would likely both have spots should they commit, which sounds like a very good possibility should they visit. The pair has talked quite a bit about playing together at the next level, and UA would certainly give them that opportunity.
"Me and Lee kind of have that little speed competition," Cormier said. "Our relationship is good, on and off the field, and we both think that would be great to go to the same college. We both play on the same high school team right now, and to both be on the offensive side of the ball would be great.
"So we talk about that on a daily basis, and we're looking into that really hard. It would be pretty cool to keep that going as freshmen into college."
* Another prospect you can expect UA to focus on as things move forward is Cape Coral (Fla.) Island Coast prospect T.J. Johnson. The speedy back fits into what the 'Cats want to do on offense and he has a considerable amount of interest in the program even though he just picked up his offer last month.
Johnson wants to play in a spread offense and he knows how well prospects from Florida have performed in Rodriguez's offensive scheme. Like Cormier, Johnson hopes to get out on a visit to UA by the end of the month.
"I know they run the spread offense - high-tempo and fast-paced," he said. "And that's the type of offense I would like to be in."
Even though he is from Florida and has the option to stay close to home, the three-star prospect said he wouldn't mind moving elsewhere to play his college football - and he actually prefers it.
"I don't think [distance] is going to play a big factor," he said. "Most likely I'm going to be leaving the state of Florida."
* Along with those three recruits some other areas to keep an eye on going forward are the offensive line and safety positions. Since the time the staff arrived, picking up some more recruits to play safety has been a priority and that will continue for the rest of this recruiting cycle.
The Wildcats also only signed one offensive tackle last year, so earning a commitment from another recruit along the line is something that will be a priority as well.
Basketball recruiting
With so many recruits taking part in the LeBron James Skills Academy this weekend, we had a great chance to catch up with many of the Wildcats targets for the upcoming classes. While there were a few away in Lithuania earning a gold medal for the USA Basketball U17 squad, there was still a good amount of recruits on hand.
* One recruit who UA is doing well with right now is Romulus, Mich., guard E.C. Matthews. The four-star recruit has played fairly well so far during the camp and he has shown flashes of why he was offered by the Wildcats during the spring.
Matthews is at his best in transition or when he has a lot of room to work. When he was in those type of situations during the games on Sunday he flourished. One thing he likes about the Wildcats is their style of play, and it makes sense after seeing quite a bit of him this weekend.
"They rely a lot on their guards, and they kind of let them play," Matthews said. "So, that's a big reason why I like their system."
At this point the Wildcats are right at the top of the Rivals150 member's list.
"Oh yeah, always," Matthews said about his interest in UA. "They have a good history with guards and a lot of good point guards have come out of that school to the league. So they're at the top of my list, and I can't shy away from them."
* Another prospect who received an offer from the 'Cats during the spring was 2015 big man Ivan Rabb. One reason the Oakland (Calif.) Bishop O'Dowd prospect stands out is because although he is as big as he is, he doesn't play like a guy who is just going into his sophomore year.
He is already used to playing at his height and there isn't any awkwardness to his game. That's not to say there aren't areas he can work on, because there are plenty. However, as a young prospect he has loads of potential. He doesn't quite have any go-to moves at this point in his development, but the groundwork for a talented recruit is there already.
It's been easy to see this weekend why UA decided to pull the trigger on an offer so early in his recruitment.
Things are just getting going for Rabb as he still has years before he decides where he will be going, but there is certainly some interest in the 'Cats already.
"I don't know a lot about them," he said. "I just know that there's former players who played for the Oakland Soldiers who went to Arizona."
One of those players is current UA freshman Brandon Ashley, who has talked to Rabb about his future.
"Well, Brandon Ashley came by a couple of our games this season to watch his former team," Rabb said. "And once he heard I got the offer, he called me and told me he was proud of me and to keep working."
* Five-star forward Jarell Martin is one recruit who we haven't heard too much from until recently, but there is certainly some interest in UA from the Baton Rouge (La.) Madison prospect. The 6-foot-9 recruit has played very well during the LeBron camp, and he continues to impress some of the scouts we've talked to.
Martin recently narrowed his list to 10 schools, and the Wildcats were on that list. One reason he is considering Sean Miller's program at this point is the class the UA head coach just brought in for 2012.
"My interest in them is mainly because they have a good class of guys coming in," he said. "And I know if I go there I'll probably play on the wing and they need some wings. And also it's a good system, they get up the floor and that's pretty much it."
Martin is definitely a big prospect but he also has the skills to play on the wing. At this point it would be tough to imagine him leaving his area when he plays at the next level, but UA certainly still has a shot.
* Marcus Lee was one of the hottest recruits all spring as he picked up plenty of new offers throughout the April evaluation period. One of those offers came very early on from UA, and there are some things that stick out to the Antioch (Calif.) Deer Valley prospect about the Wildcats.
But the one thing that stands out most about UA right now is Miller.
"I love his coaching and I love what he's done," Lee said of the UA head coach. "I like that he's down to earth, and I like that all their players are down to earth people."
But it's not just Miller coming after Lee, who said that Ashley has been text messaging back and forth with him in attempt to sway him to Arizona.
"I'll see a message (from Ashley) and all it will say is, 'Bear Down,'" Lee said, laughing.
The Wildcats are certainly not alone in their pursuit of the versatile prospect, but UA is a program that could be there in the end for Lee.
* Semi Ojeleye is another prospect who has included the Wildcats on his most recent trimmed-down list and the need for wings in the 2013 class is something that really has him interested.
"What stands out about Arizona is that next year they graduate two seniors at my position," Ojeleye said. "So the year I would be coming in I'd have an opportunity to play a lot and help the team be productive.
"They've been telling me that I'd have an opportunity to play and that's a big thing that sticks out to me."
The Ottawa, Kan., prospect has the prototypical frame of a wing and he plays the game with a certain kind of confidence. He is also a hard worker, whether that be on the glass fighting for rebounds or guarding another talented wing. Sunday night Ojeleye had the task of guarding 2014's top prospect, Andrew Wiggins, for a good portion of his squad's game and the 2013 recruit handled him well.
Ojeleye is an excellent student and academics could play a big role for his pledge. Duke, UCLA and Indiana are likely going to be the biggest competition for the Wildcats as things move forward. The wing recruit said Sunday that he hopes to have another list trimmed down after the July evaluation period.
* A couple of recruits who will likely be looking elsewhere moving forward are five-star recruits Jabari Bird and Isaac Hamilton. Bird said this weekend that there is a fairly big gap between his top two of Cal and Washington and the rest of his top five schools - one of which is UA.
At this point the Richmond (Calif.) Salesian recruit said he will take an official visit to Tucson, but it doesn't seem like there is much optimism from his side that UA is where he will end up.
Hamilton had seen the Wildcats pickup their recruitment of him a bit during the spring, but he said this weekend that he hasn't heard from the program in some time. The Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco prospect is a proven scorer, but he wants to play the point in college.
"I don't know if they are still recruiting me like that," Hamilton said. "The last time I talked to them was on the first day of recruitment. I was trying to get down there but I really have no time with the AAU stuff and with the camp.
"I'm going to reach out to them but I haven't really talked to them in quite a while."
We'll have more throughout the day Monday from the LeBron James Skills Academy so make sure to keep checking back.[/B]
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Basketball team news
The camp brought together 25 of the nation's fringe NBA prospects in search of that extra push and look from NBA scouts to make it to the next level. Among them was Arizona's Mark Lyons and Solomon Hill.
* Lyons observations
For about half of his time these three days, Lyons played off the ball with the likes of Missouri's Phil Pressey also in attendance. In fact, Lyons and Pressey shared the same backcourt.
Now, granted it is only three days of watching him and not an entire season, Lyons has some point guard tools but looks basically like an undersized shooting guard who can rack up points in a hurry and is not afraid to pull the trigger.
But the 6-1 guard was able to show flashes with a few nifty passes. He did struggle at times with some of his interior passing once he got into the lane, forcing a few passes that led to turnovers.
A 39.2 percent shooter from beyond the 3-point line last season at Xavier, Lyons knocked down his long-range attempts with relative ease but was streaky, at times.
"People want to know if I can run the point," Lyons told GOAZCATS.com.
Defensively, Lyons should be a relentless pest for the Wildcats. Many times he would literally put his head down and into his man's chest and just chase him around the court while fighting through screens. He also has quick hands and made a few on-ball steals that he took the other way for easy layups. Lyons will not be afraid to take a couple of charges and sell a few calls, as he showed pretty good anticipation on where his man's next move would be and beat him to the spot.
"I'm just competitive," Lyons said. "Whatever my team needs me to do, I'm going to do."
Lyons was consistently fearless at the camp, putting a body on players twice his size and holding his ground to box out. That even meant his new teammate Hill, who did not play on the same team during the camp. A few times, Lyons and Hill picked each other up and switches and battled, but nothing too significant.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect - and important, in relation to Arizona - was Lyons' constant communication on the court. He arguably was the most vocal player at the camp, calling out screens and letting his teammates know where on the floor they were supposed to be. If you recall, one of the bigger flaws in UA's backcourt last season was the non-vocal personality of Josiah Turner. That most definitely will not be an issue next season, presumably with Lyons starting at the point.
"I've always been a vocal person," Lyons said. "As a point guard, you've got to communicate to your teammates - if you're not, then you're not a good point guard, in my eyes."
But he did not mean that as a knock on Turner, who I asked him about. Lyons just said he did not want people comparing the way he runs a team to how Turner played last year.
"We're two different people, two different ages," Lyons said.
Even when he was not on the floor, Lyons kept his mouth moving and played the role of cheerleader. He also served as another set of eyes, making his teammates aware of screens and where plays were developing.
It will be interesting to see who starts with him, however, and how much he plays off the ball. The most natural of the combo guards is arguably Jordin Mayes, while Nick Johnson has a few more tools but played very little point guard in his life up until his freshman season last year. Should UA head coach Sean Miller start Kevin Parrom, however, then Lyons will likely handle all of the point guard duties until the first substitution is made.
Just overhearing some of the NBA scouts here, Lyons certainly made a positive impression. And he has made it known that he wants to prove that he can run a team. But he will have an entire season to showcase his talents at the position and this is just really more of an early look to make scouts at least take notice.
Lyons said he just wanted to show scouts that "he can hang with the best of them."
"I'm passing up shots that I usually take just to get my teammates better shots," Lyons said. "Hopefully the scouts notice that."
* Hill observations
Like he did last season, Hill did a little bit of everything and held his own. He primarily played on the wing and showcased his much improved outside shooting touch. Early in the camp, his mid-range game, specifically, looked to be sharp, which is something he said he wanted to improve this offseason.
With his versatility, he also showed scouts that he can play a little point forward.
But Hill said he is not overly concerned about where he falls on various mock drafts, and things of that nature.
"I'm just trying to put myself in a good position," Hill told GOAZCATS.com. "It's not like I'm out there just scoring. If I have to score, then I'll score. But, right now, it's just about completing my game. Doing it on the defensive end, rebounding, assists - just trying to do a little bit of everything."
But Hill said it's his defense, more than anything, that he wanted to focus on against the likes of Creighton's Doug McDermott, Georgetown's Otto Porter and Ohio State's LaQuinton Ross. That was the one area of his game, Hill said, that he wants to improve between now and the start of his senior season.
* Hill on Lyons
More than anything, Hill said the Wildcats lacked confidence last season with the departure of MoMo Jones, and that's where he thinks Lyons will help most.
"Being an East Coast guy, he's very vocal, and he shows he can lead a team," Hill said.
* Lyons on Hill
The new teammates have talked at almost any opportunity they've had in Las Vegas, Lyons said.
Lyons made it clear that he is coming to Arizona as the No. 2 guy and that this is Hill's team.
"We've got to get that chemistry going," Lyons said. "I'm not trying to come over, take over his leadership role.
We will have plenty more on both Lyons and Hill this week in full story form, including what they believe will be most important when the Wildcats take their trip to the Bahamas in August. So stay tuned for plenty more insight.
Iguodala on Team USA
The other big news this weekend was the addition of Andre Iguodala to the U.S. Olympic team, and the announcement was at the Wynn Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. So GOAZCATS.com headed down to cover the event.
On the 12-man team with Iguodala is: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Blake Griffin and Deron Williams.
how Iguodala fits on the roster.
But we also talked to him about his memories of the Olympics growing up. A 28-year-old, Iguodala remembers the original Dream Team well and it's now been 20 years since that group paved the way for the global expansion we see today in basketball.
"Dream Team I, of course, Michael Jordan played and the stage they were on," Iguodala said. "From there, I followed the Olympics. Dream Team II with Penny Hardaway and Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal leading that team. From there, the 2000 team with Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, and those guys.
"I think it all started with the Dream Team (in 1992) and the following that USA Basketball has gotten over the decade or two."
The Olympics also will give Iguodala a chance to play with some of the game's brightest stars that he is so used to competing against on a nightly basis in the NBA.
"All-Star Game, got a chance to play with a few of the guys - Paul Pierce, Carmelo and LeBron," Iguodala said. "I don't think I played at the same time with LeBron, so it will be new playing with some of these guys. Playing with Kobe, watching him play growing up. So it will be a really good experience, it will be a lot of fun."
* And now, here is Matt Moreno's recruiting breakdown:
It is now July and that means we have reached the thick of the basketball recruiting season. Because of that, we are at the unofficial kickoff event to the summer - the LeBron James Skills Academy. College coaches aren't allowed to attend, but some of the best high school prospects in the country were in attendance this weekend and will be wrapping things up Monday.
There are plenty of Arizona recruits taking part in the camp, and we were able to talk with many of them already to find out where the Wildcats stand.
On the football side of things it has been quiet after the rush of commitments throughout the month of June. As we have said previously, things are going to slow down a bit when it comes to the football commitments as the staff focuses on a few different areas going forward.
Let's get right into this week's recruiting update ... from the road in Las Vegas.
Football recruiting
* As I said above, with 22 prospects already giving their verbal pledge to the Wildcats this cycle UA is going to be a little more selective when it comes to recruiting. One of the areas where the program would like to add another commit is at running back. At this point in the year, the likely leading candidate for that spot is San Diego (Calif.) Madison running back Pierre Cormier.
The Wildcats are doing very well with the three-star prospect and he's hoping to get out on a visit by the end of the month with one of his teammates, Lee Walker, who also has an offer from Rich Rodriguez's program.
"I like it a lot, and it's probably my favorite right now," Cormier recently said about UA. "It's looking good for me, and I'm trying to get up there this month - possibly. If I like it, then I don't know what will happen. But I'm really looking into that school pretty hard."
At this point, Cormier and Walker would likely both have spots should they commit, which sounds like a very good possibility should they visit. The pair has talked quite a bit about playing together at the next level, and UA would certainly give them that opportunity.
"Me and Lee kind of have that little speed competition," Cormier said. "Our relationship is good, on and off the field, and we both think that would be great to go to the same college. We both play on the same high school team right now, and to both be on the offensive side of the ball would be great.
"So we talk about that on a daily basis, and we're looking into that really hard. It would be pretty cool to keep that going as freshmen into college."
* Another prospect you can expect UA to focus on as things move forward is Cape Coral (Fla.) Island Coast prospect T.J. Johnson. The speedy back fits into what the 'Cats want to do on offense and he has a considerable amount of interest in the program even though he just picked up his offer last month.
Johnson wants to play in a spread offense and he knows how well prospects from Florida have performed in Rodriguez's offensive scheme. Like Cormier, Johnson hopes to get out on a visit to UA by the end of the month.
"I know they run the spread offense - high-tempo and fast-paced," he said. "And that's the type of offense I would like to be in."
Even though he is from Florida and has the option to stay close to home, the three-star prospect said he wouldn't mind moving elsewhere to play his college football - and he actually prefers it.
"I don't think [distance] is going to play a big factor," he said. "Most likely I'm going to be leaving the state of Florida."
* Along with those three recruits some other areas to keep an eye on going forward are the offensive line and safety positions. Since the time the staff arrived, picking up some more recruits to play safety has been a priority and that will continue for the rest of this recruiting cycle.
The Wildcats also only signed one offensive tackle last year, so earning a commitment from another recruit along the line is something that will be a priority as well.
Basketball recruiting
With so many recruits taking part in the LeBron James Skills Academy this weekend, we had a great chance to catch up with many of the Wildcats targets for the upcoming classes. While there were a few away in Lithuania earning a gold medal for the USA Basketball U17 squad, there was still a good amount of recruits on hand.
* One recruit who UA is doing well with right now is Romulus, Mich., guard E.C. Matthews. The four-star recruit has played fairly well so far during the camp and he has shown flashes of why he was offered by the Wildcats during the spring.
Matthews is at his best in transition or when he has a lot of room to work. When he was in those type of situations during the games on Sunday he flourished. One thing he likes about the Wildcats is their style of play, and it makes sense after seeing quite a bit of him this weekend.
"They rely a lot on their guards, and they kind of let them play," Matthews said. "So, that's a big reason why I like their system."
At this point the Wildcats are right at the top of the Rivals150 member's list.
"Oh yeah, always," Matthews said about his interest in UA. "They have a good history with guards and a lot of good point guards have come out of that school to the league. So they're at the top of my list, and I can't shy away from them."
* Another prospect who received an offer from the 'Cats during the spring was 2015 big man Ivan Rabb. One reason the Oakland (Calif.) Bishop O'Dowd prospect stands out is because although he is as big as he is, he doesn't play like a guy who is just going into his sophomore year.
He is already used to playing at his height and there isn't any awkwardness to his game. That's not to say there aren't areas he can work on, because there are plenty. However, as a young prospect he has loads of potential. He doesn't quite have any go-to moves at this point in his development, but the groundwork for a talented recruit is there already.
It's been easy to see this weekend why UA decided to pull the trigger on an offer so early in his recruitment.
Things are just getting going for Rabb as he still has years before he decides where he will be going, but there is certainly some interest in the 'Cats already.
"I don't know a lot about them," he said. "I just know that there's former players who played for the Oakland Soldiers who went to Arizona."
One of those players is current UA freshman Brandon Ashley, who has talked to Rabb about his future.
"Well, Brandon Ashley came by a couple of our games this season to watch his former team," Rabb said. "And once he heard I got the offer, he called me and told me he was proud of me and to keep working."
* Five-star forward Jarell Martin is one recruit who we haven't heard too much from until recently, but there is certainly some interest in UA from the Baton Rouge (La.) Madison prospect. The 6-foot-9 recruit has played very well during the LeBron camp, and he continues to impress some of the scouts we've talked to.
Martin recently narrowed his list to 10 schools, and the Wildcats were on that list. One reason he is considering Sean Miller's program at this point is the class the UA head coach just brought in for 2012.
"My interest in them is mainly because they have a good class of guys coming in," he said. "And I know if I go there I'll probably play on the wing and they need some wings. And also it's a good system, they get up the floor and that's pretty much it."
Martin is definitely a big prospect but he also has the skills to play on the wing. At this point it would be tough to imagine him leaving his area when he plays at the next level, but UA certainly still has a shot.
* Marcus Lee was one of the hottest recruits all spring as he picked up plenty of new offers throughout the April evaluation period. One of those offers came very early on from UA, and there are some things that stick out to the Antioch (Calif.) Deer Valley prospect about the Wildcats.
But the one thing that stands out most about UA right now is Miller.
"I love his coaching and I love what he's done," Lee said of the UA head coach. "I like that he's down to earth, and I like that all their players are down to earth people."
But it's not just Miller coming after Lee, who said that Ashley has been text messaging back and forth with him in attempt to sway him to Arizona.
"I'll see a message (from Ashley) and all it will say is, 'Bear Down,'" Lee said, laughing.
The Wildcats are certainly not alone in their pursuit of the versatile prospect, but UA is a program that could be there in the end for Lee.
* Semi Ojeleye is another prospect who has included the Wildcats on his most recent trimmed-down list and the need for wings in the 2013 class is something that really has him interested.
"What stands out about Arizona is that next year they graduate two seniors at my position," Ojeleye said. "So the year I would be coming in I'd have an opportunity to play a lot and help the team be productive.
"They've been telling me that I'd have an opportunity to play and that's a big thing that sticks out to me."
The Ottawa, Kan., prospect has the prototypical frame of a wing and he plays the game with a certain kind of confidence. He is also a hard worker, whether that be on the glass fighting for rebounds or guarding another talented wing. Sunday night Ojeleye had the task of guarding 2014's top prospect, Andrew Wiggins, for a good portion of his squad's game and the 2013 recruit handled him well.
Ojeleye is an excellent student and academics could play a big role for his pledge. Duke, UCLA and Indiana are likely going to be the biggest competition for the Wildcats as things move forward. The wing recruit said Sunday that he hopes to have another list trimmed down after the July evaluation period.
* A couple of recruits who will likely be looking elsewhere moving forward are five-star recruits Jabari Bird and Isaac Hamilton. Bird said this weekend that there is a fairly big gap between his top two of Cal and Washington and the rest of his top five schools - one of which is UA.
At this point the Richmond (Calif.) Salesian recruit said he will take an official visit to Tucson, but it doesn't seem like there is much optimism from his side that UA is where he will end up.
Hamilton had seen the Wildcats pickup their recruitment of him a bit during the spring, but he said this weekend that he hasn't heard from the program in some time. The Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco prospect is a proven scorer, but he wants to play the point in college.
"I don't know if they are still recruiting me like that," Hamilton said. "The last time I talked to them was on the first day of recruitment. I was trying to get down there but I really have no time with the AAU stuff and with the camp.
"I'm going to reach out to them but I haven't really talked to them in quite a while."
We'll have more throughout the day Monday from the LeBron James Skills Academy so make sure to keep checking back.[/B]
