Basketball
After all that, Arizona still finished in a three-way tie for second place in the Pac-12 Conference. But the tiebreakers with Oregon and California give the Wildcats the No. 4 seed heading into this week's conference tournament.
It was not the prettiest final stretch for UA, but it did manage to play and regain some of the confidence of the team that rolled through the nonconference portion of the schedule. It's amazing to think that Arizona was a UCLA loss and a win at USC away from being the No. 1 seed.
"We're not going to Vegas feeling good about winning the championship and sometimes when that happens, the edge is taken off of you," Wildcats head coach Sean Miller said.
Pac-12 tournament[/I]
* Here is the schedule, complete with tipoff times and the network that will carry the game. All games will be played at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
First round, Wednesday
Game 1 - No. 8 STANFORD vs. No. 9 ARIZONA STATE, 12:06 p.m. PT, P12N
Game 2 - No. 5 COLORADO vs. No. 12 OREGON STATE, approx. 2:36 p.m. PT, P12N
Game 3 - No. 7 USC vs. No. 10 UTAH, 6:06 p.m. PT, P12N
Game 4 - No. 6 WASHINGTON vs. No. 11 WASHINGTON STATE, approx. 8:36 p.m. PT, P12N
Quarterfinals, Thursday
Game 5 - No. 8/9 vs. No. 1 UCLA, 12:06 p.m. PT, P12N
Game 6 - No. 5/12 vs. No. 4 ARIZONA, approx. 2:36 p.m. PT, P12N
Game 7 - No. 7/10 vs. No. 2 CALIFORNIA, 6:06 p.m. PT, P12N
Game 8 - No. 6/11 vs. No. 3 OREGON, approx. 8:38 p.m. PT, ESPNU
Semifinals, Friday
Game 9 (UCLA/Arizona side of the bracket) - 6:06 p.m. PT P12N
Game 10 (Cal/Oregon side of the bracket) - approx. 8:38 p.m. PT, ESPN
Championship, Saturday
Game 11 - 8:02 p.m. PT, ESPN
* Here is what each team has done recently going into the tournament:
No. 1 UCLA - Somebody had to win the Pac-12, right? The Bruins, like the rest of the conference, had their share of inconsistent performances. But head coach Ben Howland's group won five of its last six games. That one loss, however, was at No. 11-seeded Washington State in the final weekend.
No. 2 Cal - The Bears surged into the upper half of the league with seven consecutive wins, starting with the win over the Wildcats on Feb. 10. But Cal dropped its final game to Northern California rival Stanford. Still, Allen Crabbe and the Bears will be a tough out.
No. 3 Oregon - Although the surprise of the league, none of the top teams may have had a worse finish to the regular season than the Ducks. Oregon had to work Dominic Artis back into the lineup after the point guard missed nine games, and the Ducks lost the Pac-12 title with losses at Colorado and lowly Utah to end what was an otherwise impressive campaign. If you're looking for an early exit, the Ducks could be it.
No. 4 Arizona - What could have been a three-game losing streak and disastrous tumble out of a first-round bye was salvaged in Saturday's win against ASU. That said, the Wildcats must still prove they can string together three wins in Las Vegas. UA's fate in the Pac-12 could swing either way, and nothing from a quarterfinal exit to an automatic bid into the Big Dance would surprise anyone. A lot like UCLA, the talent is there but will the 'Cats do with it?
No. 5 Colorado - What looked like arguably the most dangerous team in the field, and Arizona's biggest threat in the tournament, is now a question mark. The health of Andre Roberson is up in the air, although head coach Tad Boyle said the forward has a viral illness and not mono, as originally reported. If Roberson is not ready to go, the Buffaloes could have some trouble. The first-round meeting is with an Oregon State team that just beat Colorado - losers of two of its last three - in the regular-season finale.
No. 6 Washington - The Huskies have played well down the stretch, winning three of their last four. The lone loss was in the finale against UCLA, but UW had a lead with under five minutes to play before running out of gas. Up first will be a match-up with in-state rival Washington State, which the Huskies swept this season.
No. 7 USC - No team has had a bigger midseason transformation than the Trojans. Since firing Kevin O'Neill in mid-January, USC has split its 14 games under interim head coach Bob Cantu. Losing to both Washington school at the end of the season took away some of the momentum, but the Trojans could be dangerous if they survive the first-contest against Utah.
No. 8 Stanford - The Cardinal capped the season with a 13-point road win at Cal. Stanford will try to carry that momentum into the first-round meeting with ASU. The teams met just once, a 62-59 in Tempe.
No. 9 Arizona State - The Sun Devils will have the best player on the floor in that meeting, as player of the year candidate Jahii Carson will try to help ASU rebound from a four-game losing streak to end the season.
No. 10 Utah - The Utes closed the season by spoiling Oregon's hopes of a Pac-12 regular-season title, stunning the Ducks, 72-62. Utah has back-to-back wins going into the contest with USC but dropped the lone meeting with the Trojans.
No. 11 - Washington State - Wins over UCLA and USC helped the Cougars avoid a last-place finish. Wazzu snapped a nine-game losing streak with the victories, but rival Washington should make it a short-lived stay in Sin City.
No. 12 Oregon State - How many times can you say that the 12th seed is interesting? That's actually what the Beavers are after beating first-round opponent Colorado in the final game of the season to snap a five-game slide. The Buffs were without Roberson but OSU still gained some confidence heading into the tournament.
* Miller wasn't ready to quite bite on questions about a potential meeting with Colorado in his team's first game of the tournament.
But he did make sure to add: "One thing I will say is Colorado is an excellent team."
But, let's face it, Colorado is the one everyone is expecting. Depending on Roberson's health, it could be an early exit for the Wildcats, who lost in last year's Pac-12 tournament championship game and split both games this season - although the win in Tucson was controversial. In all, the Buffaloes have dominated the 'Cats for about all but seven or eight minutes in the two games this year.
I'll have more on the Pac-12 tournament, including some predictions, sleepers and overall thoughts on Arizona, in an upcoming video this week with our own Evyn Murray. So stay tuned for that.
* As far as the NCAA tournament is concerned, the Wildcats still need a strong showing in the Pac-12 tournament to avoid from falling to a dreaded fifth seed.
Football
The Wildcats are off for the week, observing spring break before returning to practice March 20. That also the day of running back Ka'Deem Carey's pretrial hearing, so it will be interesting to see if he is at practice.
In the meantime, there will be a scheduled media tour of the stadium and a look at the field turf installation Monday morning. So expect to see photos, video and notable observations of that coming soon.
* Before the team went its separate ways, head coach Rich Rodriguez just hoped his players would return ready to work and retain a lot of the information from the first few days. Most importantly, he was just hopeful his players would stay out of trouble.
* I caught up with some of the less notable guys trying to earn some playing time next season.
Among them was Josh Kern, who redshirted as a true freshman and has made the switch from quarterback to tight end.
"When I came back from Christmas break was when I found out," Kern said. "I kind of had an idea when I was coming back that I was probably going to change. But I was pretty excited when I heard. It's fun to play some actual football."
Gone is last season's starter, Drew Robinson, so there is a job open. Among those he is competing with are Michael Cooper, the backup from last season.
Kern said he has gained 15 pounds since last season but is still trying to add another 20.
Coaching the tight ends now is Charlie Ragle, who was promoted in the offseason to replace Spencer Leftwich after serving as a high school liaison.
"He's got a bright future there," Ragle said of Kern. "Josh is a kid, from an athletic standpoint, he has some natural athletic abilities. … He's got some promise at that position and I love how he works. He understands the game coming from the quarterback spot so he gives us a huge advantage from that."
Kern is still a ways away from helping, needing to get the route-running down and other adjustments as he makes the transition.
* Ragle's other duties is to coordinate the special teams units. Arizona did not have the greatest return game on kicks or punts, and one returner, Daniel Jenkins, is no longer with the team.
But Ragle is confident that the incoming recruiting class will provide some viable options.
"We've got some guys who did it with (Richard) Morrison and (Sean) Willet. I think J.T. Washington could be a possible guy," Ragle said. "A guy like Nate Phillips coming in from Basha. There's a ton of guys that we're bringing in, a lot of receivers, slot-type guys, that could fit those roles as return guys. When we get into the fall, we'll have a wide variety to choose from."
* Arizona had its Pro Day workouts this past week, although it was not open to the media. But we caught up with Matt Scott, Dan Buckner and Kyle Quinn afterward.
* Scott, who only threw, did not want to hurt the times he posted earlier in the draft process at the NFL Combine, where he posted some record-setting numbers for a quarterback.
Aside from a "few rocky throws," according to Quinn, Scott had an impressive showing to continue what has been a positive past month.
Analyzing himself a bit, Scott said his footwork needed to improve from where it was at the end of his college career.
"It was pretty bad at times. I feel like that's one thing I tried to correct over this whole process, and I feel like I have," Scott said.
Now it is on to meet with specific teams interested.
Among them: Chip Kelly's Philadelphia Eagles.
"I'm going out (to Philadelphia) on Monday to take a visit out there," Scott said. "I think they're going to work me out later this month, about the 28th in California sometime."
Scott added that he does not have much of a relationship with Kelly outside of the time Oregon offered him a scholarship after he already was committed to Arizona.
Also in contact with Scott have been the San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Washington Redskins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills.
"I'm happy to go wherever I go," said Scott, who has added that he has added 15 to 17 pounds to his frame since the end of the last season and plans to pack on a bit more weight.
* Buckner did not have the greatest ending to the day after tweaking his hamstring while running the 40. Up to that point, the reviews were strong.
"I pulled up at like the 30. I think they still clocked me at like a 4.6 so I must have been moving," joked Buckner, who could not recall having any prior hamstring issues. "They got to see 30 yards of full speed before I came up."
Buckner said he is still trying to prove to scouts that he is not just a "big, tall, possession receiver."
* Quinn spoke with a few scouts but knows that his chances of getting drafted are not similar to those of Scott and Buckner. He said he has heard it could go either way but he will not be losing any sleep over whatever fate brings. The end goal is to earn a roster spot.
After eating five meals per day, his weight is now around 300 pounds, which he is pleased with, and now it's about proving he is a versatile offensive lineman.
"The more versatile you are, the better off you're going to be in the NFL," Quinn said. "NFL teams only travel about seven or eight guys. You have to be ready to play all three interior positions and I'm more than capable of doing that."
* Here is the recruiting breakdown from Matt Moreno:
The Rivals Camp Series presented by Under Armour kicked off over the weekend with its first stop in the Phoenix area at Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton High School. There were around 200 participants from within Arizona and other surrounding states. GOAZCATS.com was in attendance and spoke with many different Wildcat targets of varying interest, so this week's recruiting breakdown will be predominantly focused on football recruiting.
There is plenty to get to so let's not waste any more time.
Football recruiting
* As Arizona continues to work its way through the 2014 class by extending a ton of new offers each week, the recruits themselves continue to look at their options. This weekend, however, was a chance to improve their rankings by performing in front of the Rivals.com analyst team and prove themselves against some of the area's best competition.
We had the opportunity to speak with a number of Arizona targets about their recruitments and where things stand with the Wildcats.
Here's a look - in order of current Rivals.com ranking - at some of the recruits we spoke with and what they had to say about Rich Rodriguez's program down in Tucson.
- Four-star running back recruit Nate Starks is rated as the nation's 26th-best prospect overall in the 2014 class, and he has the talent and numbers to back it up. The Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman standout has a set list of schools that he is focusing on right now, but there is always a chance that his list changes over time.
Among that group of schools are some of the more traditional powerhouses in the country including Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, USC and Notre Dame.
One school that is not on that list, but is looking like it will receive an unofficial visit - at the very least - is Arizona. Even though the Wildcats boast the nation's leading rusher from last season, Rodriguez's program is one that is just starting to build itself up. However, Starks told GOAZCATS.com this weekend that he wants to keep all of his options open at this point, including Arizona.
Starks' quarterback at Bishop Gorman, Anu Solomon, is signed with UA already and while that does play a part in his interest in the Wildcats, it's the job that one coach has done recruiting him that has the four-star running back interested in visiting Tucson.
"Definitely," Starks told GOAZCATS.com about visiting Arizona this spring. "Coach Lock (David Lockwood) is a great guy. And I've heard that Arizona is a pretty good place too. You know they have new facilities and everything, so I'm definitely going to be taking an unofficial there."
- Although he wasn't participating due to a recent injury, the No. 57-ranked prospect in the country Jalen Brown was in attendance Saturday to watch some of his peers compete in the event. The Phoenix (Ariz.) Mountain Pointe standout visited the two Southern California schools this weekend with a couple of his teammates, but Arizona continues to recruit the wide receiver prospect consistently.
Brown has already compiled quite the list of offers, which he said is now up to 26 schools. The four-star recruit said recently that he believes the 'Cats are recruiting him the hardest so far, but there is still a long way to go in his recruitment.
Of course, Arizona State has been recruiting Brown hard as well, and both sit fairly well with the talented junior.
"With both coaching staffs they've improved and gotten better," Brown told GOAZCATS.com. "I liked the atmosphere when I traveled down there. They have good fan support and the coaches are real honest and truthful about everything."
When it comes to the Wildcats, Brown has taken notice of how potent Rodriguez's offense can be - especially when it comes to passing the ball.
"Offensively, they throw the ball a lot, and the spread the ball out to everybody on the field." he said. "And now they're starting to win games, which makes them better than in past years."
One thing that Brown noted was that even though the Wildcats have a big-time receiver committed already with Cam Denson, that won't have a negative effect on his decision. If anything, he said UA having another talented player already committed probably makes the Wildcats look even better in his eyes.
- Speaking of Denson, the nation's 64th-ranked prospect was in attendance over the weekend as well and he did participate in the event. Although he has already made his decision, there has been talk recently of the Arizona commit listening to other schools.
At this point the four-star receiver prospect told GOAZCATS.com that is the case, but he still feels very good about his pledge to UA and still considers himself a solid commit.
"I'm pretty solid right now," he said on Saturday. "But I'm also listening to what other teams are saying to see what they have to offer and to see if I'm going to go on official visits. I don't know if I'm going to go on official visits yet."
One school that will likely receive a visit - possibly an unofficial - is Oregon State. At this point the Beavers are one program that has been mentioned quite a bit when it comes to Denson's recruitment.
Right now there is not a lot to worry about with Denson, but should he start to take more visits it could become an interesting situation for the 'Cats. For now, however, Denson remains an Arizona commit.
- One of the best looking offensive lineman recruits at the event over the weekend was from the host school as No. 71-ranked prospect Casey Tucker really dominated for most of the day. The USC commit had a good day, but the talk around him all day was about his pledge to the Trojans.
At this point the 6-foot-6 recruit is still keeping his options open, and those options include both of the in-state schools.
"Definitely, yeah," Tucker told Rivals.com about his interest in the two in-state schools. "Because the two new coaching staffs have made a difference and they are recruiting hard in the state. That's something I like that they're doing, so I'm definitely looking there."
- Tucker's Hamilton teammate Qualen Cunningham is the team's standout on the defensive side of the ball. The four-star defensive end isn't committed like his teammate, so he has a whole host of schools interested in adding him. At this point Cunningham is rated as the 80th-best recruit in the nation by Rivals.com.
The 6-foot-3 prospect had a good day at the event and really backed up his ranking well.
When it comes to his recruitment, Cunningham said he's keeping all of his options open at this point.
"The recruiting process has been a humbling experience, especially to get offers as a sophomore and junior," he told GOAZCATS.com. "A lot of my teammates haven't had those opportunities, so when I hear my name called I've gotta do big things for Hamilton. ... With ASU and U of A, they're recruiting me pretty hard right now.
"You know it's home, so they're putting on for me. And like I said it's a humbling experience."
At this point Texas A&M is the school to really watch in his recruitment.
- Four-star quarterback recruit Kyle Allen - who measured in at a somewhat surprising 6-foot-4 on Saturday - is another prospect from within the state who continues to hear from both in-state programs. At this point he is still keeping his options open, but Arizona and Arizona State continue to factor into his recruitment.
"Yeah, that's the truth," Allen told Rivals.com about both in-state schools still being in play. "Arizona State, I'm down there almost every day. I'm down there a lot because they're right there. And with Arizona I talk with them a lot and I went down to their junior day.
"They're both great programs that are on the rise, so they are still big players."
One school to continue to keep an eye on as Allen's recruitment moves along is UCLA.
- Another Rivals250 prospect we had the chance to speak with on Saturday was Sabino offensive tackle Andrew Mike. The four-star recruit didn't participate in the event, but he was on hand to watch teammate and fellow Arizona recruit Matt Bushman.
At this point Mike has not made a ton of progress with his recruitment, but that's not by accident. The 6-foot-7 prospect is in no rush to make a decision, and he has deliberately been taking his time with the process.
"Right now I'm taking it pretty slow and just trying to feel out all the schools," he said. "And I'm just trying to find what fits right."
The Wildcats should remain in the mix for Mike, but there is still a long way to go for the big offensive tackle prospect.
- Four-star running back prospect Nick Wilson already has a pretty good feel for the Wildcats and their coaching staff. The Fresno (Calif.) Central East was at the Los Angeles stop of the Rivals Camp Series on Sunday and he spoke with Rivals.com about his recruiting process.
Arizona has done a very good job of recruiting the Rivals250 prospect, and it continues to sound more and more like Rodriguez's program could turn into the one to beat for his commitment as time goes on.
For now, though, Wilson continues to look at all the schools involved in his recruitment. There are three programs that are standing out most to the 5-foot-11, 195-pounder.
"Arizona, Boise State and Cal are the three," Wilson told Rivals.com. "I took trips to all three of those schools and really enjoyed myself at all three of those schools. ... With Arizona, I'm very comfortable at Arizona. Me and my family took a visit out there and I met the coaching staff, and it's a real great place. My parents were extremely comfortable there and they really, really, really enjoyed the area there in Tucson.
"It's just a great place. And not to mention I saw Samuel L. Jackson on the way down there."
- One prospect who sits outside the Rivals250 and four-star range, but could move into the four-star group with a good senior year, is Scottsdale (Ariz.) Chaparral recruit Trevor Wood. The 6-foot-6 junior holds a handful of offers, but he also has plenty of ties to the Wildcats.
At this point the Wildcats continue to be a major player for his commitment, but he's still taking the process at a slow pace. Wood missed most of his junior season with a shoulder injury, so he's waiting to see if more offers come in once he returns to top form.
"My recruitment is going well, but it's kind of slowed down with the injury," Wood told GOAZCATS.com. "But a lot of schools are saying that it will pick up after spring ball and after summer. So after summer I'll probably narrow it down to a top five or top 10 - depending on if I get more offers and how many more offers I get.
"With Arizona it's a big school, and I've been a fan of them my whole life. It's a big part of my decision, but then again it's not the decision-maker. So I'm going to go where I fit best."
There will be plenty of coverage throughout the week from the Rivals Camp Series, so keep checking back for video highlights, interviews and updates with Arizona targets.
Basketball recruiting
With a commitment in hand for the 2014 class from four-star point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright, the Wildcats continue to look at other options for the class. At this point there are not a lot of Arizona targets on the verge of making a decision, so it is giving the Wildcats time to look at all their options.
* One recruit who came in for a visit this weekend was five-star wing prospect Justise Winslow. The Houston (Texas) St. Johns standout took a trip to Tucson to see the Wildcats take on rival Arizona State. Visiting UA is nothing new for Winslow, who has seen the campus numerous times already.
However, it is a good sign to have him in for yet another visit. The Wildcats continue to be a major player for his recruitment, but he doesn't plan on making a decision for quite some time.
Winslow has plenty of options and one of them is Duke. The five-star prospect recently visited Durham, N.C., to watch the Blue Devils and he came away impressed with what he saw.
"I had a great time down there," Winslow told DevilsIllustrated.com about his trip to Duke. "It gave me a chance to see the atmosphere that everyone talks about in Cameron Indoor Stadium and I got to spend some time with Coach K and the rest of the coaching staff there. I really enjoyed it there."
There are going to be a few programs that are battling it out in the end for Winslow and the Wildcats should be among that group. At this point Winslow isn't ready to decide, however.
"I don't know, I really don't know right now," he said about making a decision. "I might just narrow it down to like five or six schools and go on some officials."
- Another 2014 recruit that Arizona has its eye on is four-star prospect Namon Wright from Los Angeles (Calif.) Pacific Hills. The junior certainly has serious interest in the Wildcats and he plans on taking a visit to Tucson pretty soon.
"After the season is over, I think we're going to take a visit up there," Wright told GOAZCATS.com this week. "I just like that he (Sean Miller) lets his players run, and he knows how to coach - Xs and Os."
There are plenty of schools interested in Wright, but Gonzaga is a school that really continues to come up the discussion with the talented junior.
This post was edited on 3/11 7:57 AM by Tracy McDannald
After all that, Arizona still finished in a three-way tie for second place in the Pac-12 Conference. But the tiebreakers with Oregon and California give the Wildcats the No. 4 seed heading into this week's conference tournament.
It was not the prettiest final stretch for UA, but it did manage to play and regain some of the confidence of the team that rolled through the nonconference portion of the schedule. It's amazing to think that Arizona was a UCLA loss and a win at USC away from being the No. 1 seed.
"We're not going to Vegas feeling good about winning the championship and sometimes when that happens, the edge is taken off of you," Wildcats head coach Sean Miller said.
Pac-12 tournament[/I]
* Here is the schedule, complete with tipoff times and the network that will carry the game. All games will be played at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
First round, Wednesday
Game 1 - No. 8 STANFORD vs. No. 9 ARIZONA STATE, 12:06 p.m. PT, P12N
Game 2 - No. 5 COLORADO vs. No. 12 OREGON STATE, approx. 2:36 p.m. PT, P12N
Game 3 - No. 7 USC vs. No. 10 UTAH, 6:06 p.m. PT, P12N
Game 4 - No. 6 WASHINGTON vs. No. 11 WASHINGTON STATE, approx. 8:36 p.m. PT, P12N
Quarterfinals, Thursday
Game 5 - No. 8/9 vs. No. 1 UCLA, 12:06 p.m. PT, P12N
Game 6 - No. 5/12 vs. No. 4 ARIZONA, approx. 2:36 p.m. PT, P12N
Game 7 - No. 7/10 vs. No. 2 CALIFORNIA, 6:06 p.m. PT, P12N
Game 8 - No. 6/11 vs. No. 3 OREGON, approx. 8:38 p.m. PT, ESPNU
Semifinals, Friday
Game 9 (UCLA/Arizona side of the bracket) - 6:06 p.m. PT P12N
Game 10 (Cal/Oregon side of the bracket) - approx. 8:38 p.m. PT, ESPN
Championship, Saturday
Game 11 - 8:02 p.m. PT, ESPN
* Here is what each team has done recently going into the tournament:
No. 1 UCLA - Somebody had to win the Pac-12, right? The Bruins, like the rest of the conference, had their share of inconsistent performances. But head coach Ben Howland's group won five of its last six games. That one loss, however, was at No. 11-seeded Washington State in the final weekend.
No. 2 Cal - The Bears surged into the upper half of the league with seven consecutive wins, starting with the win over the Wildcats on Feb. 10. But Cal dropped its final game to Northern California rival Stanford. Still, Allen Crabbe and the Bears will be a tough out.
No. 3 Oregon - Although the surprise of the league, none of the top teams may have had a worse finish to the regular season than the Ducks. Oregon had to work Dominic Artis back into the lineup after the point guard missed nine games, and the Ducks lost the Pac-12 title with losses at Colorado and lowly Utah to end what was an otherwise impressive campaign. If you're looking for an early exit, the Ducks could be it.
No. 4 Arizona - What could have been a three-game losing streak and disastrous tumble out of a first-round bye was salvaged in Saturday's win against ASU. That said, the Wildcats must still prove they can string together three wins in Las Vegas. UA's fate in the Pac-12 could swing either way, and nothing from a quarterfinal exit to an automatic bid into the Big Dance would surprise anyone. A lot like UCLA, the talent is there but will the 'Cats do with it?
No. 5 Colorado - What looked like arguably the most dangerous team in the field, and Arizona's biggest threat in the tournament, is now a question mark. The health of Andre Roberson is up in the air, although head coach Tad Boyle said the forward has a viral illness and not mono, as originally reported. If Roberson is not ready to go, the Buffaloes could have some trouble. The first-round meeting is with an Oregon State team that just beat Colorado - losers of two of its last three - in the regular-season finale.
No. 6 Washington - The Huskies have played well down the stretch, winning three of their last four. The lone loss was in the finale against UCLA, but UW had a lead with under five minutes to play before running out of gas. Up first will be a match-up with in-state rival Washington State, which the Huskies swept this season.
No. 7 USC - No team has had a bigger midseason transformation than the Trojans. Since firing Kevin O'Neill in mid-January, USC has split its 14 games under interim head coach Bob Cantu. Losing to both Washington school at the end of the season took away some of the momentum, but the Trojans could be dangerous if they survive the first-contest against Utah.
No. 8 Stanford - The Cardinal capped the season with a 13-point road win at Cal. Stanford will try to carry that momentum into the first-round meeting with ASU. The teams met just once, a 62-59 in Tempe.
No. 9 Arizona State - The Sun Devils will have the best player on the floor in that meeting, as player of the year candidate Jahii Carson will try to help ASU rebound from a four-game losing streak to end the season.
No. 10 Utah - The Utes closed the season by spoiling Oregon's hopes of a Pac-12 regular-season title, stunning the Ducks, 72-62. Utah has back-to-back wins going into the contest with USC but dropped the lone meeting with the Trojans.
No. 11 - Washington State - Wins over UCLA and USC helped the Cougars avoid a last-place finish. Wazzu snapped a nine-game losing streak with the victories, but rival Washington should make it a short-lived stay in Sin City.
No. 12 Oregon State - How many times can you say that the 12th seed is interesting? That's actually what the Beavers are after beating first-round opponent Colorado in the final game of the season to snap a five-game slide. The Buffs were without Roberson but OSU still gained some confidence heading into the tournament.
* Miller wasn't ready to quite bite on questions about a potential meeting with Colorado in his team's first game of the tournament.
But he did make sure to add: "One thing I will say is Colorado is an excellent team."
But, let's face it, Colorado is the one everyone is expecting. Depending on Roberson's health, it could be an early exit for the Wildcats, who lost in last year's Pac-12 tournament championship game and split both games this season - although the win in Tucson was controversial. In all, the Buffaloes have dominated the 'Cats for about all but seven or eight minutes in the two games this year.
I'll have more on the Pac-12 tournament, including some predictions, sleepers and overall thoughts on Arizona, in an upcoming video this week with our own Evyn Murray. So stay tuned for that.
* As far as the NCAA tournament is concerned, the Wildcats still need a strong showing in the Pac-12 tournament to avoid from falling to a dreaded fifth seed.
Football
The Wildcats are off for the week, observing spring break before returning to practice March 20. That also the day of running back Ka'Deem Carey's pretrial hearing, so it will be interesting to see if he is at practice.
In the meantime, there will be a scheduled media tour of the stadium and a look at the field turf installation Monday morning. So expect to see photos, video and notable observations of that coming soon.
* Before the team went its separate ways, head coach Rich Rodriguez just hoped his players would return ready to work and retain a lot of the information from the first few days. Most importantly, he was just hopeful his players would stay out of trouble.
* I caught up with some of the less notable guys trying to earn some playing time next season.
Among them was Josh Kern, who redshirted as a true freshman and has made the switch from quarterback to tight end.
"When I came back from Christmas break was when I found out," Kern said. "I kind of had an idea when I was coming back that I was probably going to change. But I was pretty excited when I heard. It's fun to play some actual football."
Gone is last season's starter, Drew Robinson, so there is a job open. Among those he is competing with are Michael Cooper, the backup from last season.
Kern said he has gained 15 pounds since last season but is still trying to add another 20.
Coaching the tight ends now is Charlie Ragle, who was promoted in the offseason to replace Spencer Leftwich after serving as a high school liaison.
"He's got a bright future there," Ragle said of Kern. "Josh is a kid, from an athletic standpoint, he has some natural athletic abilities. … He's got some promise at that position and I love how he works. He understands the game coming from the quarterback spot so he gives us a huge advantage from that."
Kern is still a ways away from helping, needing to get the route-running down and other adjustments as he makes the transition.
* Ragle's other duties is to coordinate the special teams units. Arizona did not have the greatest return game on kicks or punts, and one returner, Daniel Jenkins, is no longer with the team.
But Ragle is confident that the incoming recruiting class will provide some viable options.
"We've got some guys who did it with (Richard) Morrison and (Sean) Willet. I think J.T. Washington could be a possible guy," Ragle said. "A guy like Nate Phillips coming in from Basha. There's a ton of guys that we're bringing in, a lot of receivers, slot-type guys, that could fit those roles as return guys. When we get into the fall, we'll have a wide variety to choose from."
* Arizona had its Pro Day workouts this past week, although it was not open to the media. But we caught up with Matt Scott, Dan Buckner and Kyle Quinn afterward.
* Scott, who only threw, did not want to hurt the times he posted earlier in the draft process at the NFL Combine, where he posted some record-setting numbers for a quarterback.
Aside from a "few rocky throws," according to Quinn, Scott had an impressive showing to continue what has been a positive past month.
Analyzing himself a bit, Scott said his footwork needed to improve from where it was at the end of his college career.
"It was pretty bad at times. I feel like that's one thing I tried to correct over this whole process, and I feel like I have," Scott said.
Now it is on to meet with specific teams interested.
Among them: Chip Kelly's Philadelphia Eagles.
"I'm going out (to Philadelphia) on Monday to take a visit out there," Scott said. "I think they're going to work me out later this month, about the 28th in California sometime."
Scott added that he does not have much of a relationship with Kelly outside of the time Oregon offered him a scholarship after he already was committed to Arizona.
Also in contact with Scott have been the San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Washington Redskins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills.
"I'm happy to go wherever I go," said Scott, who has added that he has added 15 to 17 pounds to his frame since the end of the last season and plans to pack on a bit more weight.
* Buckner did not have the greatest ending to the day after tweaking his hamstring while running the 40. Up to that point, the reviews were strong.
"I pulled up at like the 30. I think they still clocked me at like a 4.6 so I must have been moving," joked Buckner, who could not recall having any prior hamstring issues. "They got to see 30 yards of full speed before I came up."
Buckner said he is still trying to prove to scouts that he is not just a "big, tall, possession receiver."
* Quinn spoke with a few scouts but knows that his chances of getting drafted are not similar to those of Scott and Buckner. He said he has heard it could go either way but he will not be losing any sleep over whatever fate brings. The end goal is to earn a roster spot.
After eating five meals per day, his weight is now around 300 pounds, which he is pleased with, and now it's about proving he is a versatile offensive lineman.
"The more versatile you are, the better off you're going to be in the NFL," Quinn said. "NFL teams only travel about seven or eight guys. You have to be ready to play all three interior positions and I'm more than capable of doing that."
* Here is the recruiting breakdown from Matt Moreno:
The Rivals Camp Series presented by Under Armour kicked off over the weekend with its first stop in the Phoenix area at Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton High School. There were around 200 participants from within Arizona and other surrounding states. GOAZCATS.com was in attendance and spoke with many different Wildcat targets of varying interest, so this week's recruiting breakdown will be predominantly focused on football recruiting.
There is plenty to get to so let's not waste any more time.
Football recruiting
* As Arizona continues to work its way through the 2014 class by extending a ton of new offers each week, the recruits themselves continue to look at their options. This weekend, however, was a chance to improve their rankings by performing in front of the Rivals.com analyst team and prove themselves against some of the area's best competition.
We had the opportunity to speak with a number of Arizona targets about their recruitments and where things stand with the Wildcats.
Here's a look - in order of current Rivals.com ranking - at some of the recruits we spoke with and what they had to say about Rich Rodriguez's program down in Tucson.
- Four-star running back recruit Nate Starks is rated as the nation's 26th-best prospect overall in the 2014 class, and he has the talent and numbers to back it up. The Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman standout has a set list of schools that he is focusing on right now, but there is always a chance that his list changes over time.
Among that group of schools are some of the more traditional powerhouses in the country including Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, USC and Notre Dame.
One school that is not on that list, but is looking like it will receive an unofficial visit - at the very least - is Arizona. Even though the Wildcats boast the nation's leading rusher from last season, Rodriguez's program is one that is just starting to build itself up. However, Starks told GOAZCATS.com this weekend that he wants to keep all of his options open at this point, including Arizona.
Starks' quarterback at Bishop Gorman, Anu Solomon, is signed with UA already and while that does play a part in his interest in the Wildcats, it's the job that one coach has done recruiting him that has the four-star running back interested in visiting Tucson.
"Definitely," Starks told GOAZCATS.com about visiting Arizona this spring. "Coach Lock (David Lockwood) is a great guy. And I've heard that Arizona is a pretty good place too. You know they have new facilities and everything, so I'm definitely going to be taking an unofficial there."
- Although he wasn't participating due to a recent injury, the No. 57-ranked prospect in the country Jalen Brown was in attendance Saturday to watch some of his peers compete in the event. The Phoenix (Ariz.) Mountain Pointe standout visited the two Southern California schools this weekend with a couple of his teammates, but Arizona continues to recruit the wide receiver prospect consistently.
Brown has already compiled quite the list of offers, which he said is now up to 26 schools. The four-star recruit said recently that he believes the 'Cats are recruiting him the hardest so far, but there is still a long way to go in his recruitment.
Of course, Arizona State has been recruiting Brown hard as well, and both sit fairly well with the talented junior.
"With both coaching staffs they've improved and gotten better," Brown told GOAZCATS.com. "I liked the atmosphere when I traveled down there. They have good fan support and the coaches are real honest and truthful about everything."
When it comes to the Wildcats, Brown has taken notice of how potent Rodriguez's offense can be - especially when it comes to passing the ball.
"Offensively, they throw the ball a lot, and the spread the ball out to everybody on the field." he said. "And now they're starting to win games, which makes them better than in past years."
One thing that Brown noted was that even though the Wildcats have a big-time receiver committed already with Cam Denson, that won't have a negative effect on his decision. If anything, he said UA having another talented player already committed probably makes the Wildcats look even better in his eyes.
- Speaking of Denson, the nation's 64th-ranked prospect was in attendance over the weekend as well and he did participate in the event. Although he has already made his decision, there has been talk recently of the Arizona commit listening to other schools.
At this point the four-star receiver prospect told GOAZCATS.com that is the case, but he still feels very good about his pledge to UA and still considers himself a solid commit.
"I'm pretty solid right now," he said on Saturday. "But I'm also listening to what other teams are saying to see what they have to offer and to see if I'm going to go on official visits. I don't know if I'm going to go on official visits yet."
One school that will likely receive a visit - possibly an unofficial - is Oregon State. At this point the Beavers are one program that has been mentioned quite a bit when it comes to Denson's recruitment.
Right now there is not a lot to worry about with Denson, but should he start to take more visits it could become an interesting situation for the 'Cats. For now, however, Denson remains an Arizona commit.
- One of the best looking offensive lineman recruits at the event over the weekend was from the host school as No. 71-ranked prospect Casey Tucker really dominated for most of the day. The USC commit had a good day, but the talk around him all day was about his pledge to the Trojans.
At this point the 6-foot-6 recruit is still keeping his options open, and those options include both of the in-state schools.
"Definitely, yeah," Tucker told Rivals.com about his interest in the two in-state schools. "Because the two new coaching staffs have made a difference and they are recruiting hard in the state. That's something I like that they're doing, so I'm definitely looking there."
- Tucker's Hamilton teammate Qualen Cunningham is the team's standout on the defensive side of the ball. The four-star defensive end isn't committed like his teammate, so he has a whole host of schools interested in adding him. At this point Cunningham is rated as the 80th-best recruit in the nation by Rivals.com.
The 6-foot-3 prospect had a good day at the event and really backed up his ranking well.
When it comes to his recruitment, Cunningham said he's keeping all of his options open at this point.
"The recruiting process has been a humbling experience, especially to get offers as a sophomore and junior," he told GOAZCATS.com. "A lot of my teammates haven't had those opportunities, so when I hear my name called I've gotta do big things for Hamilton. ... With ASU and U of A, they're recruiting me pretty hard right now.
"You know it's home, so they're putting on for me. And like I said it's a humbling experience."
At this point Texas A&M is the school to really watch in his recruitment.
- Four-star quarterback recruit Kyle Allen - who measured in at a somewhat surprising 6-foot-4 on Saturday - is another prospect from within the state who continues to hear from both in-state programs. At this point he is still keeping his options open, but Arizona and Arizona State continue to factor into his recruitment.
"Yeah, that's the truth," Allen told Rivals.com about both in-state schools still being in play. "Arizona State, I'm down there almost every day. I'm down there a lot because they're right there. And with Arizona I talk with them a lot and I went down to their junior day.
"They're both great programs that are on the rise, so they are still big players."
One school to continue to keep an eye on as Allen's recruitment moves along is UCLA.
- Another Rivals250 prospect we had the chance to speak with on Saturday was Sabino offensive tackle Andrew Mike. The four-star recruit didn't participate in the event, but he was on hand to watch teammate and fellow Arizona recruit Matt Bushman.
At this point Mike has not made a ton of progress with his recruitment, but that's not by accident. The 6-foot-7 prospect is in no rush to make a decision, and he has deliberately been taking his time with the process.
"Right now I'm taking it pretty slow and just trying to feel out all the schools," he said. "And I'm just trying to find what fits right."
The Wildcats should remain in the mix for Mike, but there is still a long way to go for the big offensive tackle prospect.
- Four-star running back prospect Nick Wilson already has a pretty good feel for the Wildcats and their coaching staff. The Fresno (Calif.) Central East was at the Los Angeles stop of the Rivals Camp Series on Sunday and he spoke with Rivals.com about his recruiting process.
Arizona has done a very good job of recruiting the Rivals250 prospect, and it continues to sound more and more like Rodriguez's program could turn into the one to beat for his commitment as time goes on.
For now, though, Wilson continues to look at all the schools involved in his recruitment. There are three programs that are standing out most to the 5-foot-11, 195-pounder.
"Arizona, Boise State and Cal are the three," Wilson told Rivals.com. "I took trips to all three of those schools and really enjoyed myself at all three of those schools. ... With Arizona, I'm very comfortable at Arizona. Me and my family took a visit out there and I met the coaching staff, and it's a real great place. My parents were extremely comfortable there and they really, really, really enjoyed the area there in Tucson.
"It's just a great place. And not to mention I saw Samuel L. Jackson on the way down there."
- One prospect who sits outside the Rivals250 and four-star range, but could move into the four-star group with a good senior year, is Scottsdale (Ariz.) Chaparral recruit Trevor Wood. The 6-foot-6 junior holds a handful of offers, but he also has plenty of ties to the Wildcats.
At this point the Wildcats continue to be a major player for his commitment, but he's still taking the process at a slow pace. Wood missed most of his junior season with a shoulder injury, so he's waiting to see if more offers come in once he returns to top form.
"My recruitment is going well, but it's kind of slowed down with the injury," Wood told GOAZCATS.com. "But a lot of schools are saying that it will pick up after spring ball and after summer. So after summer I'll probably narrow it down to a top five or top 10 - depending on if I get more offers and how many more offers I get.
"With Arizona it's a big school, and I've been a fan of them my whole life. It's a big part of my decision, but then again it's not the decision-maker. So I'm going to go where I fit best."
There will be plenty of coverage throughout the week from the Rivals Camp Series, so keep checking back for video highlights, interviews and updates with Arizona targets.
Basketball recruiting
With a commitment in hand for the 2014 class from four-star point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright, the Wildcats continue to look at other options for the class. At this point there are not a lot of Arizona targets on the verge of making a decision, so it is giving the Wildcats time to look at all their options.
* One recruit who came in for a visit this weekend was five-star wing prospect Justise Winslow. The Houston (Texas) St. Johns standout took a trip to Tucson to see the Wildcats take on rival Arizona State. Visiting UA is nothing new for Winslow, who has seen the campus numerous times already.
However, it is a good sign to have him in for yet another visit. The Wildcats continue to be a major player for his recruitment, but he doesn't plan on making a decision for quite some time.
Winslow has plenty of options and one of them is Duke. The five-star prospect recently visited Durham, N.C., to watch the Blue Devils and he came away impressed with what he saw.
"I had a great time down there," Winslow told DevilsIllustrated.com about his trip to Duke. "It gave me a chance to see the atmosphere that everyone talks about in Cameron Indoor Stadium and I got to spend some time with Coach K and the rest of the coaching staff there. I really enjoyed it there."
There are going to be a few programs that are battling it out in the end for Winslow and the Wildcats should be among that group. At this point Winslow isn't ready to decide, however.
"I don't know, I really don't know right now," he said about making a decision. "I might just narrow it down to like five or six schools and go on some officials."
- Another 2014 recruit that Arizona has its eye on is four-star prospect Namon Wright from Los Angeles (Calif.) Pacific Hills. The junior certainly has serious interest in the Wildcats and he plans on taking a visit to Tucson pretty soon.
"After the season is over, I think we're going to take a visit up there," Wright told GOAZCATS.com this week. "I just like that he (Sean Miller) lets his players run, and he knows how to coach - Xs and Os."
There are plenty of schools interested in Wright, but Gonzaga is a school that really continues to come up the discussion with the talented junior.
This post was edited on 3/11 7:57 AM by Tracy McDannald
