The 2010 football season begins today, a prime UA recruit takes his first official visit, strength and conditioning updates and more in this week's War Room.
Basketball:
* The Josiah Turner recruitment starts getting serious beginning this weekend when he takes an official visit to Louisville.
While we don't think Louisville is a serious player in this recruitment, there's one bottom line when it comes to recruiting: If you get a kid on campus, you have a chance to land him. That's not as big of a concern this weekend with Louisville as it is the next with UCLA, which replaced UConn as his Sept. 10 destination.
For months, UCLA wasn't a concern in the recruitment, as the Bruins' involvement has been off and on for over a year. However, Turner cancelling UConn for UCLA has to be at least an eye-opener.
If Turner already knows where he's going to college, why switch a visit from one school that doesn't have a chance to another that doesn't have a chance?
Doris Ward, Josiah's mother, told GOAZCATS.com that UCLA has worked hard to get the visit.
"He's not considering UConn; he came to the conclusion that he didn't want to waste their time so they can go out and get someone else," Ward said.
"UCLA is in California, it's close to home, it's in the Pac-10, it has history of getting point guards out and it's a reputable program. They've come on strong since the July viewing period. They were involved with him last year too."
So is it an even playing field between UCLA, Arizona and Kansas?
"I don't know; Josiah isn't a guy of very many words," Ward said. "I know he likes them, I know he likes Arizona, I know he likes Kansas. I don't know how much of an even playing field it is right now because he goes to Louisville this weekend and he's going through the process.
"There's always things involved in his decision; coaches, style of play, weather, playing time; I know he likes Arizona a lot."
Ward says that she's been in constant communication with the UA coaching staff, and that relationship is continuing to build.
"Arizona is doing an excellent job of making us understand that we're a priority for them," Ward said. "They talk about style of play, development of players and the new coaches over there.
"Arizona (fans) have to be proud of them because they're putting in the work. You always want to go to a place that wants you and puts in the legwork to get you and they've definitely been going overboard. I talk to them quite a bit. I talk to coach (Sean) Miller, Archie (Miller) and I talk to coach Book (Richardson). I have no complaints with them at all.
"They're basketball junkies and I'm a basketball junky. We talk about Josiah, where they see him in the program, and a lot of different things. I trust them. It's a place you could send your kid to; they've done an excellent job of showing that."
Everyone seems to have a different opinion about where Josiah Turner is going, which could lead one to believe that multiple coaching staffs think they're getting him.
We asked Ward why she thinks there's such a debate about who really leads for her son.
"It's not by design," Ward said. "Between the two (Arizona and Kansas) I don't think there's a leader. He's been on Kansas' campus and he hasn't been to Arizona's but he does know the coaching staff, he knows the weather and he has a great relationship with coach Archie.
"It's not by design. We don't want to lead anyone on where they're saying, 'we're going to get him, we're going to get him, we're going to get him.' If he finds a fit and he likes it then that's where he's going to go. "
Ward also reemphasized that Turner could make a decision at any point from here on out.
"At any given time," she said. "Even at Louisville, if he loves it. Look at Jahii Carson. He liked Arizona and Washington but he went on his visit to Arizona State on an unofficial and committed, whereas the other ones he had scheduled but they just never happened."
For UA, the key is making sure he goes through the next two visits without committing and gets to campus. Regardless of any lean he may have right now, one official visit is all it takes for a kid to forget everything he likes about a school.
* Meanwhile, Quinn Cook will have surgery to repair a partially torn ACL on Friday and we've heard that he's asked to reschedule his official visit to Arizona, which was previously planned for Sept. 24.
UA still has to schedule an in-home visit with him, so both in-home and official visits are up in the air. However, the Wildcats have continued to seriously recruit him while also going through the Turner recruitment.
* We caught up with UA basketball strength coach Chris Rounds on Thursday and the full interview will run early next week.
However, here are some highlights of the interview:
- Arizona had its mile run conditioning test last week and every player on the team passed. The only player who didn't pass, Kevin Parrom, had an excuse.
"He's the one guy who did fail the mile time, but we've taken some precautions with him because of his stress fracture so it's not entirely his fault," Rounds said.
Rounds said that nine players on the team failed the test last year, so the Wildcats' conditioning level is significantly improved.
- MoMo Jones is now at 6% body fat and weighs 193 pounds. He played as high as 209 pounds last year.
"He's done a really good job increasing his strength; he's much stronger right now but he's also lighter, so his power should be better. I'd expect to see him a lot quicker," Rounds said.
- Solomon Hill is working "extremely hard" and is at 11 to 12 percent body fat. Rounds wants him at 7 to 8 percent.
- There's no problems with Derrick Williams, who has done a good job should have a body fat percentage of 7 to 8 as well.
- Kyryl Natyazhko is currently as around 265 pounds at 12.5 to 13 percent body fat. Rounds is trying to get him under 10 percent.
- Daniel Bejarano came in around 196 pounds and has already dropped 5 to 6 percent of his body fat. He'll play this season in the 200 to 205-pound range.
- Jordin Mayes is between 180 to 184 and will probably play this season around 186 pounds. Rounds said next year will be much better for him and not having a full summer lifting hurt.
"He was the last person to arrive because of the California school system so he's a little behind the other guys but he's working hard to make the adjustment," Rounds said.
- Jesse Perry came in at 197 pounds, which Rounds called "extremely light." He's gotten as high as 214 and in a perfect world he would get up to 225, although that's unlikely.
"I don't think we'll get him this year but it really depends how dedicated he is with his eating patterns," Rounds said. "I haven't had enough time to say that he will get there, but I think he could. It's just going to be a matter of seeing how it all works out."
- Kyle Fogg is around 188, which is close to where Rounds wants him.
"Hopefully we can maintain that this year and not have a significant drop like we did last year and we'll be in great shape," he said.
- Brendon Lavender is between 212 to 215, which is where he should be.
"He's extremely strong so he's done a really good job," Rounds said.
- Alex Jacobson has had a good summer and Rounds said he's as strong as he's ever seen him.
- Jamelle Horne is at 225 pounds and Rounds said he continues to be impressed by his attitude.
"He's extremely strong, one of the strongest guys that I've had working out with me, so I expect him to maintain that," Rounds said. "His attitude has been great and he's really set himself up to be a fantastic year."
- Since Rounds has been at Arizona, the players on the team have improved their muscle mass by 133 pounds and decreased their body fat by 77 pounds.
Football:
* Arizona's first game of the season is this evening and between the 103 football content itemshttp://arizona.rivals.com/storyindex.asp we've run since the beginning of Fall Camp, there's only so much left to say about the team.
GOAZCATS.com's Inna Lazarev did catch up with Juron Criner this week, who spoke about his personal and team goals, as well as his future after this season.
Criner's thoughts...
On Toledo: "I'm very excited. I feel like we're all ready to go, with it being the first game on ESPN, it's game time."
On if missing time in camp made him fall behind: "No not at all because even though I wasn't in practice physically, I was taking a lot of mental reps. The running and catching is something that will always be there."
On if the winning touchdown reception against USC put him on the map: "I wouldn't call it from one catch. Me being consistent and always ready to play is what people see more than that one play."
On if there's pressure being the go-to receiver this year: "Not at all. It just makes me more confident and makes me want to work harder. I don't take it as pressure; it just makes me want to go the extra mile."
On losing Terrell Turner and Delashaun Dean: "Losing Terrell, you lose all the funny, all the hype, all the jokes, and another deep threat. Losing Dela, you lose a physical aspect of our receiver core."
On possibly going pro after this season: "I haven't really thought about that yet. I'm just going to enjoy my time here and play and let everything else take care of itself."
On who he thinks will be the biggest surprises on this year's team: "On defense I would say Rob Golden because he's back at corner and that's where he started and it's a good spot for him. I think he's definitely going to show up at corner. On offense it's hard to call; I think everyone will get it done."
On his personal goals this season: "My goals are to always do the best I can and never take a play off. I'll work hard every play."
* We reported in the last War Room that JUCO defensive end transfer Mohammad Usman would not redshirt and would have a role on this year's team.
He confirmed that to us on Monday.
"The coaches said they didn't think I was going to come in as polished as I did," Usman said. "I came in so polished that they don't want to redshirt me. I'm rotating in with the ones and twos and we're all getting even reps."
Unfortunately for Usman and Arizona, plans have changed. Usman has had some academic questions which will take some time to resolve. These issues will lead to him redshirting this season and playing next year as a junior.
He didn't travel to Toledo with the team and while he will still practice with the team, he won't be playing this season.
* Jason Scheer's weekly recruiting breakdown:
After Friday’s Toledo game, official visits will start to take shape for the Arizona coaching staff. In addition, players are in the process of setting up visits and the Wildcats are fighting to get involved with many of them.
* In a move that is anything but surprising, Folsom (Calif.) athlete Jordan Richardshttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=105627 has decided to attend Stanford.
"I've been waiting to hear back from Stanford to see if I was admitted," he told NorCalPreps.com. “I kind of felt like I was comfortable with the coaching staff. I liked the direction where they are headed."
Richards has hinted for a while now that if he got admitted, he would be heading to Stanford. Arizona would have loved to have had him, but it is not a huge loss in the grand scheme of things.
* Chicago Curie defensive end James Adeyanjuhttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=101227 has set his five official visits and, in somewhat of a surprise, Arizona is not included.
"Pretty much I have all five set up," Adeyanju tells TheWolverine.com. "I'm going to Illinois and Northwestern. I haven't set those up yet, but I'm pretty confident about them because once I give my word I'm not going to go back on it.
"I'm pretty sure I am going to wait until after the season. Hopefully I should know where I want to go by November or December. Right now I am not really thinking about it, but once my season is over I will start putting my full attention back on recruiting."
Adeyanju claims that a school not getting an official visit does not necessarily mean it is out of it. However, it is hard to imagine Arizona landing a player like Adeyanju without getting him on campus again.
With that being said, Adeyanju has consistently said how much he enjoyed his unofficial visit to the UA, so it should be interesting to see how this plays out.
* Scottsdale Chaparral junior Davonte Nealhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Davonte-Neal-89478 is going to be one of the more highly recruited players in the nation next year.
"Arizona, Arizona State, Boston College, BYU, Duke, LSU, New Mexico, Oregon, Oregon State and UCLA have offered," Neal tells ASUDevils.com "My dad and Coach (Charlie) Ragle at Chaparral handle recruiting for me. They talk to the coaches more than I do.
Neal says much of his recruitment will come down to his relationship with the coaching staff.
"The most important thing to me is a family atmosphere," Neal said. "I want the coaches to know who I am as a person and not just as a football player.
“My dad has taught me to not consider a team just because they like me for my ability but if they want me as a person. I want them to know me, my family and my background. I want to be able to be comfortable where I am.”
Arizona is going to go all out in order to land Neal, but it will not be easy. He already has a solid relationship with ASU and will definitely be recruited highly at a national level.
* Scottsdale Saguaro athlete Brock Hamanhttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=100959 is right in the thick of his recruitment.
He recently took a visit to Oregon State and has Arkansas this weekend in addition to UCLA, Arizona, and Arizona State later in the month.
"There's a lot of things, but first I want to go where I have a chance to win a national championship," Haman tells HawgSports.com. "The coaches will make a difference… I would like to play in the SEC or Pac-10. Early playing time is always nice too."
Haman is doing a good job of playing his recruitment close and considering he is taking visits, it would be hard to argue that ASU is still the favorite.
In fact, Haman currently has the Wildcats in his top three.
"It's real nice because they're close but they're not right here and they're a pretty good team," Haman tells Rivals.com. "Playing in the Pac-10 or the SEC is top notch. I like the coaching staff over there a lot and my chances of playing early are high. I have a good chance of competing for a job early on, which is nice to know."
At the end of the day, we would be surprised if he left the state, but crazier things have happened and Haman seems to have legitimate interest in the schools currently recruiting him.
* Rivals.com has updated the rankings and now each of Arizona’s commits that have been evaluated have at least three stars.
There have been questions about whether or not some of those players will get bumped up down the road, and we would be surprised. Usually when a player commits to a school like Arizona early in the process, the stars are locked in.
With that being said, it is irrelevant. Arizona’s class is very far along at an early point, which is a great sign.
In addition, the UA is doing fine at positions of need and is in strong with numerous other high-ranked players.
Basketball:
* The Josiah Turner recruitment starts getting serious beginning this weekend when he takes an official visit to Louisville.
While we don't think Louisville is a serious player in this recruitment, there's one bottom line when it comes to recruiting: If you get a kid on campus, you have a chance to land him. That's not as big of a concern this weekend with Louisville as it is the next with UCLA, which replaced UConn as his Sept. 10 destination.
For months, UCLA wasn't a concern in the recruitment, as the Bruins' involvement has been off and on for over a year. However, Turner cancelling UConn for UCLA has to be at least an eye-opener.
If Turner already knows where he's going to college, why switch a visit from one school that doesn't have a chance to another that doesn't have a chance?
Doris Ward, Josiah's mother, told GOAZCATS.com that UCLA has worked hard to get the visit.
"He's not considering UConn; he came to the conclusion that he didn't want to waste their time so they can go out and get someone else," Ward said.
"UCLA is in California, it's close to home, it's in the Pac-10, it has history of getting point guards out and it's a reputable program. They've come on strong since the July viewing period. They were involved with him last year too."
So is it an even playing field between UCLA, Arizona and Kansas?
"I don't know; Josiah isn't a guy of very many words," Ward said. "I know he likes them, I know he likes Arizona, I know he likes Kansas. I don't know how much of an even playing field it is right now because he goes to Louisville this weekend and he's going through the process.
"There's always things involved in his decision; coaches, style of play, weather, playing time; I know he likes Arizona a lot."
Ward says that she's been in constant communication with the UA coaching staff, and that relationship is continuing to build.
"Arizona is doing an excellent job of making us understand that we're a priority for them," Ward said. "They talk about style of play, development of players and the new coaches over there.
"Arizona (fans) have to be proud of them because they're putting in the work. You always want to go to a place that wants you and puts in the legwork to get you and they've definitely been going overboard. I talk to them quite a bit. I talk to coach (Sean) Miller, Archie (Miller) and I talk to coach Book (Richardson). I have no complaints with them at all.
"They're basketball junkies and I'm a basketball junky. We talk about Josiah, where they see him in the program, and a lot of different things. I trust them. It's a place you could send your kid to; they've done an excellent job of showing that."
Everyone seems to have a different opinion about where Josiah Turner is going, which could lead one to believe that multiple coaching staffs think they're getting him.
We asked Ward why she thinks there's such a debate about who really leads for her son.
"It's not by design," Ward said. "Between the two (Arizona and Kansas) I don't think there's a leader. He's been on Kansas' campus and he hasn't been to Arizona's but he does know the coaching staff, he knows the weather and he has a great relationship with coach Archie.
"It's not by design. We don't want to lead anyone on where they're saying, 'we're going to get him, we're going to get him, we're going to get him.' If he finds a fit and he likes it then that's where he's going to go. "
Ward also reemphasized that Turner could make a decision at any point from here on out.
"At any given time," she said. "Even at Louisville, if he loves it. Look at Jahii Carson. He liked Arizona and Washington but he went on his visit to Arizona State on an unofficial and committed, whereas the other ones he had scheduled but they just never happened."
For UA, the key is making sure he goes through the next two visits without committing and gets to campus. Regardless of any lean he may have right now, one official visit is all it takes for a kid to forget everything he likes about a school.
* Meanwhile, Quinn Cook will have surgery to repair a partially torn ACL on Friday and we've heard that he's asked to reschedule his official visit to Arizona, which was previously planned for Sept. 24.
UA still has to schedule an in-home visit with him, so both in-home and official visits are up in the air. However, the Wildcats have continued to seriously recruit him while also going through the Turner recruitment.
* We caught up with UA basketball strength coach Chris Rounds on Thursday and the full interview will run early next week.
However, here are some highlights of the interview:
- Arizona had its mile run conditioning test last week and every player on the team passed. The only player who didn't pass, Kevin Parrom, had an excuse.
"He's the one guy who did fail the mile time, but we've taken some precautions with him because of his stress fracture so it's not entirely his fault," Rounds said.
Rounds said that nine players on the team failed the test last year, so the Wildcats' conditioning level is significantly improved.
- MoMo Jones is now at 6% body fat and weighs 193 pounds. He played as high as 209 pounds last year.
"He's done a really good job increasing his strength; he's much stronger right now but he's also lighter, so his power should be better. I'd expect to see him a lot quicker," Rounds said.
- Solomon Hill is working "extremely hard" and is at 11 to 12 percent body fat. Rounds wants him at 7 to 8 percent.
- There's no problems with Derrick Williams, who has done a good job should have a body fat percentage of 7 to 8 as well.
- Kyryl Natyazhko is currently as around 265 pounds at 12.5 to 13 percent body fat. Rounds is trying to get him under 10 percent.
- Daniel Bejarano came in around 196 pounds and has already dropped 5 to 6 percent of his body fat. He'll play this season in the 200 to 205-pound range.
- Jordin Mayes is between 180 to 184 and will probably play this season around 186 pounds. Rounds said next year will be much better for him and not having a full summer lifting hurt.
"He was the last person to arrive because of the California school system so he's a little behind the other guys but he's working hard to make the adjustment," Rounds said.
- Jesse Perry came in at 197 pounds, which Rounds called "extremely light." He's gotten as high as 214 and in a perfect world he would get up to 225, although that's unlikely.
"I don't think we'll get him this year but it really depends how dedicated he is with his eating patterns," Rounds said. "I haven't had enough time to say that he will get there, but I think he could. It's just going to be a matter of seeing how it all works out."
- Kyle Fogg is around 188, which is close to where Rounds wants him.
"Hopefully we can maintain that this year and not have a significant drop like we did last year and we'll be in great shape," he said.
- Brendon Lavender is between 212 to 215, which is where he should be.
"He's extremely strong so he's done a really good job," Rounds said.
- Alex Jacobson has had a good summer and Rounds said he's as strong as he's ever seen him.
- Jamelle Horne is at 225 pounds and Rounds said he continues to be impressed by his attitude.
"He's extremely strong, one of the strongest guys that I've had working out with me, so I expect him to maintain that," Rounds said. "His attitude has been great and he's really set himself up to be a fantastic year."
- Since Rounds has been at Arizona, the players on the team have improved their muscle mass by 133 pounds and decreased their body fat by 77 pounds.
Football:
* Arizona's first game of the season is this evening and between the 103 football content itemshttp://arizona.rivals.com/storyindex.asp we've run since the beginning of Fall Camp, there's only so much left to say about the team.
GOAZCATS.com's Inna Lazarev did catch up with Juron Criner this week, who spoke about his personal and team goals, as well as his future after this season.
Criner's thoughts...
On Toledo: "I'm very excited. I feel like we're all ready to go, with it being the first game on ESPN, it's game time."
On if missing time in camp made him fall behind: "No not at all because even though I wasn't in practice physically, I was taking a lot of mental reps. The running and catching is something that will always be there."
On if the winning touchdown reception against USC put him on the map: "I wouldn't call it from one catch. Me being consistent and always ready to play is what people see more than that one play."
On if there's pressure being the go-to receiver this year: "Not at all. It just makes me more confident and makes me want to work harder. I don't take it as pressure; it just makes me want to go the extra mile."
On losing Terrell Turner and Delashaun Dean: "Losing Terrell, you lose all the funny, all the hype, all the jokes, and another deep threat. Losing Dela, you lose a physical aspect of our receiver core."
On possibly going pro after this season: "I haven't really thought about that yet. I'm just going to enjoy my time here and play and let everything else take care of itself."
On who he thinks will be the biggest surprises on this year's team: "On defense I would say Rob Golden because he's back at corner and that's where he started and it's a good spot for him. I think he's definitely going to show up at corner. On offense it's hard to call; I think everyone will get it done."
On his personal goals this season: "My goals are to always do the best I can and never take a play off. I'll work hard every play."
* We reported in the last War Room that JUCO defensive end transfer Mohammad Usman would not redshirt and would have a role on this year's team.
He confirmed that to us on Monday.
"The coaches said they didn't think I was going to come in as polished as I did," Usman said. "I came in so polished that they don't want to redshirt me. I'm rotating in with the ones and twos and we're all getting even reps."
Unfortunately for Usman and Arizona, plans have changed. Usman has had some academic questions which will take some time to resolve. These issues will lead to him redshirting this season and playing next year as a junior.
He didn't travel to Toledo with the team and while he will still practice with the team, he won't be playing this season.
* Jason Scheer's weekly recruiting breakdown:
After Friday’s Toledo game, official visits will start to take shape for the Arizona coaching staff. In addition, players are in the process of setting up visits and the Wildcats are fighting to get involved with many of them.
* In a move that is anything but surprising, Folsom (Calif.) athlete Jordan Richardshttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=105627 has decided to attend Stanford.
"I've been waiting to hear back from Stanford to see if I was admitted," he told NorCalPreps.com. “I kind of felt like I was comfortable with the coaching staff. I liked the direction where they are headed."
Richards has hinted for a while now that if he got admitted, he would be heading to Stanford. Arizona would have loved to have had him, but it is not a huge loss in the grand scheme of things.
* Chicago Curie defensive end James Adeyanjuhttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=101227 has set his five official visits and, in somewhat of a surprise, Arizona is not included.
"Pretty much I have all five set up," Adeyanju tells TheWolverine.com. "I'm going to Illinois and Northwestern. I haven't set those up yet, but I'm pretty confident about them because once I give my word I'm not going to go back on it.
"I'm pretty sure I am going to wait until after the season. Hopefully I should know where I want to go by November or December. Right now I am not really thinking about it, but once my season is over I will start putting my full attention back on recruiting."
Adeyanju claims that a school not getting an official visit does not necessarily mean it is out of it. However, it is hard to imagine Arizona landing a player like Adeyanju without getting him on campus again.
With that being said, Adeyanju has consistently said how much he enjoyed his unofficial visit to the UA, so it should be interesting to see how this plays out.
* Scottsdale Chaparral junior Davonte Nealhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/arizona/football/recruiting/player-Davonte-Neal-89478 is going to be one of the more highly recruited players in the nation next year.
"Arizona, Arizona State, Boston College, BYU, Duke, LSU, New Mexico, Oregon, Oregon State and UCLA have offered," Neal tells ASUDevils.com "My dad and Coach (Charlie) Ragle at Chaparral handle recruiting for me. They talk to the coaches more than I do.
Neal says much of his recruitment will come down to his relationship with the coaching staff.
"The most important thing to me is a family atmosphere," Neal said. "I want the coaches to know who I am as a person and not just as a football player.
“My dad has taught me to not consider a team just because they like me for my ability but if they want me as a person. I want them to know me, my family and my background. I want to be able to be comfortable where I am.”
Arizona is going to go all out in order to land Neal, but it will not be easy. He already has a solid relationship with ASU and will definitely be recruited highly at a national level.
* Scottsdale Saguaro athlete Brock Hamanhttp://arizona.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=100959 is right in the thick of his recruitment.
He recently took a visit to Oregon State and has Arkansas this weekend in addition to UCLA, Arizona, and Arizona State later in the month.
"There's a lot of things, but first I want to go where I have a chance to win a national championship," Haman tells HawgSports.com. "The coaches will make a difference… I would like to play in the SEC or Pac-10. Early playing time is always nice too."
Haman is doing a good job of playing his recruitment close and considering he is taking visits, it would be hard to argue that ASU is still the favorite.
In fact, Haman currently has the Wildcats in his top three.
"It's real nice because they're close but they're not right here and they're a pretty good team," Haman tells Rivals.com. "Playing in the Pac-10 or the SEC is top notch. I like the coaching staff over there a lot and my chances of playing early are high. I have a good chance of competing for a job early on, which is nice to know."
At the end of the day, we would be surprised if he left the state, but crazier things have happened and Haman seems to have legitimate interest in the schools currently recruiting him.
* Rivals.com has updated the rankings and now each of Arizona’s commits that have been evaluated have at least three stars.
There have been questions about whether or not some of those players will get bumped up down the road, and we would be surprised. Usually when a player commits to a school like Arizona early in the process, the stars are locked in.
With that being said, it is irrelevant. Arizona’s class is very far along at an early point, which is a great sign.
In addition, the UA is doing fine at positions of need and is in strong with numerous other high-ranked players.
