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Dylan Tapley completes his flip from Arizona State to the Wildcats after today's win. He could play on either side of the ball and is another strong in-state pickup for Jedd Fisch in this cycle. He's productive as a receiver but I like what he brings to the table as a defensive back just as much. It will be interesting to see where he ultimately lands at UA. Right now the plan is for him to come in as an offensive player.


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Right here:

GAME INFO
Who: No. 12 Arizona (1-0) at No. 2 Duke (1-0)
When: 5 p.m. (MST)
Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium| Durham, North Carolina
TV: ESPN2
Odds: Duke (-5.5) O/U 154.5
All-time series: Arizona leads 5-4 all-time

Hey everyone, I am getting the game thread up with about three hours until the 5 p.m. (MST) tip off between No. 12 Arizona and No. 2 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium. This game will be one of the most anticipated contests of the college basketball season with it being the first time the two storied programs will face off at Cameron Indoor since 1990. The UA will look to capture its first victory in Durham in school history.

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High three-star California cornerback Isaiah Buxton has committed to Arizona this morning. He picked UA over Penn State and a host of other offers. This is a strong pickup for the Wildcats and someone who has been on the radar for quite some time. He took a visit during the spring and that sold him on Arizona being the spot.

The Wildcats now have the 35th-ranked class for 2024 in the Rivals rankings.

He has played the position before and seems like an ideal nickel in Arizona's scheme.

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Are there any notable visitors in town for this weeks game?

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Carter Bryant is the first 2024 recruit to sign a National Letter of Intent with the Wildcats to open the fall signing period. Arizona is still awaiting LOIs from Jamari Phillips and Emmanuel Stephen but those are expected to come through tomorrow.

Right here:

LINK: His visit to Arizona seems to have made an impression, even if Texas might be tough to beat.

What are the chances Nansen is one of Riley’s first phone calls? My guess would be the chances are pretty dang good.

The Arizona women's basketball signing class was announced on Wednesday. The Wildcats signed Breya Cunningham, Montaya Dew and Jada Williams, all who are five-star prospects.

"Today is such an exciting day for our program," Adia Barnes said. "I am thrilled to officially welcome Breya, Montaya and Jada. Not only are they extremely talented basketball players, but they are wonderful people. Arizona is now a place where we attract the nation's top talent. They all came to Arizona to win a National Championship. They make our program better. I can't wait to coach them!"

Drew is the No. 8 prospect in this class per ESPN's HoopGurlz recruiting rankings. She attended Centennial high school in Las Vegas, Nevada where she won the 5A State Championship with her team.

"I have loved Montaya from day one," Barnes said. "She is a very special player. Montaya's versatility sets her apart from most of the top players in the country. She is long and athletic, and she can score in different ways. Taya is a selfless team player and makes people around her better. She is going to be a great college player. I want to thank her mom, Rhiannon, for trusting and always believing in my vision for Montaya. I promised her mom that we will take care of her. So I will!"

Cunningham is the No. 14 prospect in this class per ESPN's HoopGurlz recruiting rankings. She attended La Jolla Country Day School in California. She averaged over 17 points and 12 rebounds per game as a freshman and was named a First-Team All-Conference player each year of her high school career.

"I chose to continue my basketball career at Arizona for a few reasons," Cunningham said. "Many don't know this about me, but I was born in Tucson while my mom was in the NROTC at the University of Arizona. My family has been fans of Arizona for as long as I can remember. One of my first college offers was from Arizona, and Coach Adia has been supportive since eighth grade. I love the support that the community gives to the women's basketball program, and that played a huge part in my decision. I'm very excited to play with one of my best friends and favorite point guard so I know I'll have support on and off the court. I have a lot of support from family and close friends that live in Tucson, so it's definitely a home away from home."

Williams was the No. 21 prospect in this class per ESPN's HoopGurlz recruiting rankings and also attended La Jolla Country Day School in California.

"Jada is a born leader. She has passion, grit and toughness," Barnes said. "She has the unique ability of bringing people together on and off the basketball court. Jada is a hard worker and a dynamic play maker. She can score the basketball at all three levels and will thrive in our up-tempo style of play. Jada has played on the biggest stage and she will bring excitement to Tucson. I want to give a thank-you to her mom, Jill, for trusting me to coach Jada!"

This is one of the strongest classes in the history of the Wildcats program.

Well, I finally got to watch an Arizona game in Chicago. It was on late (9:45 pm CT) but it was on network TV so I stayed up. Several of you have flattered me by asking for my opinions. For better (or worse), here they are:

• Our defense just flies to the ball. Kudos to the unit Nansen has built. They do not give up very many big plays. I was particularly impressed with the speed and intensity of Prysocks. What an exciting player!
• Our defensive line generally held their own which means the linebackers can flow to the play unimpeded. Sorry, I don't know the players' names but it was encouraging to see the collisions at the line of scrimmage rather than being pushed back three yards.
• I would like to have seen a little more pressure on UCLA's QB, but given the play of our line, I'll take that any day of the week.
• On offense, WOW does Fifita get rid of the ball quickly. And WOW, WOW, WOW to our receivers. They get open. They catch the ball. They catch the ball even when they are covered. McMillian, Lamonius-Craig, Cowing, McLachlan. Best receiving corps I've seen in years.
• Our O-line seem to struggle a bit, especially at the tackles. This might have been due to UCLA's stout D-line, but it seemed like the best we could accomplish was a stalemate, and many times we were beat. That said, when you are zone blocking, a stalemate can create some nice seams for our running backs.
• With UA's running backs, in most cases a stalemate is all we need to get a nice gain. Wiley, Coleman, Williams are the real deal., and it didn't really seem to matter which one was in the game. They hit the hole fast, hard, and make the defense pay. And I haven't even mentioned Speedy Luke whose 66 yard run with the swing pass was a joy to watch.
• It is obvious to me that the level of our skill players is better across the board than I have seen in quite some time. If our OL can continue to develop to the point they are winning, not just breaking even, this offense could be breath-taking.

OK, those are my observations. I'm interested in everyone else's thoughts, particularly if you think I have missed the mark. This was the first game out of nine that I was able to watch. I wish they were on more in Chicago.

Mr. Bauk

GAME INFO
Who: No. 12 Arizona vs. Morgan State
When: 7:30 (MST)
Where: McKale Center | Tucson, Arizona
TV: Pac-12 Networks
All-time series: Arizona leads 2-0 all-time

Hey everyone, I am getting the game thread up with about three hours until the 7:30 tipoff between No. 12 Arizona and Morgan State — the first game of the Wildcats' 2023-24 season.

Noah Fifita has tied a conference record by earning his fourth Pac-12 Freshman of the Week award today. The Arizona quarterback passed for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns against UCLA helping him earn his fourth award in five weeks. The only time over the last five weeks he didn't win the award, the Wildcats had a bye. Impressive stuff by Fifita.

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Here is my recap of the UA-UCLA game:

GAME INFO

Who: Arizona vs. No. 19 UCLA
When: 7:30 p.m. (MST)
Where: Arizona Stadium
TV: FS1
All-time series: UCLA leads 27-18-2
Odds: UCLA (-2.5), O/U 49.5

Hey everyone, I am getting the game thread up with about less than fours before the 7:30 kickoff between the Arizona (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12) and UCLA (6-2, 3-2) for the Wildcats' Homecoming game. With a win, the UA will earn its self its first bowl berth since 2017. The Wildcats will aim to capture their third consecutive victory against a top 25 team in last three games. The last time the UA took down UCLA at Arizona Stadium was 2019.

Notes: UA redshirt freshman quarterback Noah Fifita expected to start

What if ...

Arizona has a chance to run the table. We can play with anyone. Probably still won't be favored against UCLA and Utah ... but with our solid defense and evolving offense, it's certainly possible.

USC all has to play both Oregon and Washington. I think the Trojans get smashed.

Utah already has two P12 losses. Our game with them would be pivotal.

UCLA already has two P12 losses. Just need to take them out at our place.

We could conceivably win the South and have a potential rematch against UW. How sweet would that be to make the Rose Bowl in the final year.

In a way, I'd be happy for a bowl birth and winning the Territorial Cup ... I'm cautious on raising my expectations, but everything has come together much faster and more cohesive than expected. Could you imagine???

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In this week's football preview podcast episode, Troy and I are joined by old friend Tracy McDannald from Bruin Blitz to discuss this weekend's game between Arizona and the 20th-ranked Bruins.

I'm looking at the schedule. Home games against Northern Arizona, ASU, Colorado, Texas Tech, Houston, and West Virginia. Road games against K-State, BYU, TCU, UCF and Utah. I'm sure a 12th game will be added. Other than Utah, is there any team on the schedule that we can't compete with?

Interested in everyone's thoughts.

Mr. Bauk

What a kick in the balls for scrappy. Antonio Pierce named intern head coach of the Raiders. Scum bag always seems to fall standing up.

What does everyone think about it.

9 conference games, 3 non conference.

One primary rival: ASU. Plays every year.

4 secondary rivals: Utah, CU, BYU, Houston. ... plays 3 out of 4.

The rest we play on two year cycles.

Just when he perfected the extra dry, double olive martini his head coach, Bob "Big Buzz" Huggins resigns on the heels of another DUI.
Any rumblings on Kerr staying at UWV???

Saw he committed to Oregon this morning.

Hey guys, just wanted to see if you guys had any questions for Jedd Fisch during his press conference?

GAME INFO

Who: Arizona vs. No. 11 Oregon State
When: 7:30 p.m. (MST)
Where: Arizona Stadium
TV: ESPN
All-time series: Arizona leads 24-16-1
Odds: Oregon State (-3), O/U 56.5

Hi everyone. I am getting the game thread up with almost seven hours before the 7:30 p.m. kickoff between Arizona and No. 11 Oregon State at Arizona Stadium.

Notes:

• Senior running back Michael Wiley expected to play
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Noah Fifita expected to start

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We're back with another podcast episode this week taking a look back at the Washington State win and looking ahead to this week's matchup with the 11th-ranked Beavers. Join Troy and I as we discuss a variety of topics ahead of Saturday's game in Tucson.