"The Arizona brand speaks for itself," Miller said. "It's an amazing recruiting tool."

On April 7, 2009, the Cats did not have one recruit for the 2009 season.  That quickly changed with Miller grabbing Solomon Hill, Derrick Williams, Lamont Jones, Kevin Parrom, and Kyrl Natyazho.   The Cats are looking like they will be a work in progress from the beginning with such young blood coming and minimal returning starters.  Nic Wise will have to lead the charge for this group to start gelling by Pac-10 time. Here is a look at the 2009-2010 basketball schedule:

Date	Opponent / Event	Location	Time / Result
11/01/09	Red-Blue Game	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
11/04/09	vs. Augustana College	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
11/10/09	vs. Western New Mexico	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
11/15/09	vs. Northern Arizona	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
11/19/09	vs. Rice	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
EA Sports Maui Invitational
11/23/09	Chaminade, Cincinnati, Colorado, Gonzaga, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin	Lahaina, Hawaii	TBA
11/24/09	Second Round	Lahaina, Hawaii	TBA
11/25/09	Third Round	Lahaina, Hawaii	TBA
12/02/09	vs. UNLV	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series
12/06/09	at Oklahoma	Norman, Okla.	TBA
12/09/09	vs. Louisiana Tech	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
12/12/09	at San Diego State	San Diego, Calif.	TBA
12/21/09	vs. Lipscomb	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
12/23/09	vs. North Carolina State	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
Fiesta Bowl Classic
12/28/09	vs. BYU	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
12/31/09	at UCLA	Los Angeles, Calif.	TBA
01/02/10	at USC	Los Angeles, Calif.	TBA
01/07/10	vs. Washington State	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
01/09/10	vs. Washington	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
01/14/10	at Oregon State	Corvallis, Ore.	TBA
01/16/10	at Oregon	Eugene, Ore.	TBA
01/23/10	at Arizona State	Tempe, Ariz.	TBA
01/28/10	vs. Stanford	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
01/30/10	vs. California	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
02/04/10	at Washington	Seattle, Wash.	TBA
02/06/10	at Washington State	Pullman, Wash.	TBA
02/11/10	vs. Oregon	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
02/13/10	vs. Oregon State	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
02/20/10	vs. Arizona State	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
02/25/10	at California	Berkeley, Calif.	TBA
02/27/10	at Stanford	Palo Alto, Calif.	TBA
03/04/10	vs. USC	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
03/06/10	vs. UCLA	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA

The Cats have their work cut out for them by playing in Maui against Maryland, Gonzaga, Wisconsin and then traveling to Norman to play Oklahoma.  After that brutal start, the Cats take on N.C. State at home followed by BYU in Tucson.  After all of the non-conference madness the Cats Pac-10 opener is against UCLA in Los Angeles.

LA Lakers: Mustafa Shakur

Milwaukee Bucks: Salim Stoudamire and Mohammed Tangara

New York Knicks: Jordan Hill

Phoenix Suns: Chris Rogers

Portland Trailblazers: Jerryd Bayless

I'll keep y'all updated on the missing rosters and to see how our former Wildcats fare in Las Vegas...

Name: Daniel Jenkins

Position: RB

Height: 5'9"

Weight:  187

Speed: 4.5 in the 40 yard dash

High School: Moreno Valley, California (Rancho Verde)

Rivals: Four out of five stars

Recruited By: Tim Kish

STRENGTHS:

Jenkins is one of those little guys who seems to always know how to make guys miss in the open field and will always make forward progress no matter how big the defender tacking him is.  If Jenkins is in the open field, it's already a mismatch.  His agility and speed make him one hell of a moving target for defenders to try and grasp.  Scouts, Inc had this to say about Jenkins:

WEAKNESSES:

Jenkins biggest weakness has got to be his size.  Standing at 5'9", his durability and yards after contact may diminish exponentially from what he enjoyed in high school.  As with all of the young guys, Jenkins needs to put on extra pounds while keeping his speed and quickness a top priority.  Jenkins made it to Tucson in June to begin voluntary workouts with the team. Here is what Souts, Inc. had to say about Jenkins:

Size is a major concern as well. Runs hard, is determined but YAC should greatly diminish and durability is an issue if employed as a high-carry in-line runner.

VERDICT:

Jenkins has Nic Grigsby  and Keola Antolin in front of him on the depth chart.  Jenkins will also be competing with  Kylan Butler, another Freshmen running back. He will need to learn the offense and all of his blocking assignments before he would be able to start putting in significant time at running back.  There is no question that Jenkins has the skills to play this year and I believe that we will see him get significant playing time this season.  Because of his great pass catching ability, there is a small chance that Jenkins could be used at the slot receiver position in order to get him more touches during the season.

Here's the list of the recruiting classes that rank ahead of Arizona along with their top-level prospect:

1. Kentucky, 6 recruits - PG John Wall (1 overall)

2. Villanova, 4 recruits - PF Mouphtaou Yarou (10 overall)

3. Texas, 3 recruits - SG Avery Bradley (4 overall)

4. Georgia Tech, 5 recruits - C Derrick Favors (3 overall)

5. North Carolina, 5 recruits - PF John Henson (5 overall)

6. Kansas, 3 recruits - SG Xavier Henry (8 overall)

7. Oklahoma, 5 recruits - C Keith Gallon (9 overall)

8. UCLA, 5 recruits - SF Tyler Honeycutt (28 overall)

9. Connecticut, 4 recruits - C Alex Oriakhi (21 overall)

10. Indiana, 6 recruits - SF Christian Watford (41 overall)

11. Oklahoma State, 7 recruits - PG Raymond Penn (44 overall)

Here's a quick look at Arizona's 2009 class, 5 recruits

SF Solomon Hill (27 overall), PG Lamont Jones (68 overall), C Kyryl Natyazhko (81 overall), SF Kevin Parrom (122 overall), and PF Derrick Williams (NR)

Name:  Terrence Miller

Position: Tight end

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 220

Speed: 4.7

High School:  Moreno Valley, California (Rancho Verde)

Rivals: Three out of five stars

Recruited By: Tim Kish

STRENGTHS:

6'4". 220 lbs and runs a 4.7? I'll call that a strength. Miller was a wide receiver in high school but will move to TE for the Cats. Miller is a big guy who can run vertical routes and use his body to create space between him and his defender. Scouts, Inc. has the following to say about Miller:

WEAKNESSES:

Miller is not a proven blocker, as he did play wide receiver in high school.  His size at 220 puts him at a serious disadvantage (Jack Baucus and Rob Gronkowski) on the line going up against bigger, stronger defensive linemen.  Coverage against a tight end versus a wide receiver is a little different, but nothing Miller shouldn't be able to handle. Here is what Scouts, Inc. had to say about Miller: 

VERDICT:

Look for Miller to be in the same boat as Baucus this year. Sitting in the wings, waiting, and hopefully learning from Rob Gronkowski.  His athletic abilities are what makes him special.  He could gain another 15-30 lbs and stay at tight end or he could work on his speed and move back to his old high school position.  Unfortunately for Miller, his playing time for this year is going to be limited or non-existent. Some playing time on special teams is not out of the question considering his 4.7 speed and size to blow people up.

Joe

Arizona vs. Iowa on September 19, 2009 will be shown regionally by ABC Sports. Kickoff in Iowa is slated for 2:30 p.m. CDT, 12:30 in Tucson.  The game will be shown in the Tucson market on KGUN-TV 9, or on ABC cable partner ESPN2. The Pac-10 televeision markets have the USC-Washington game slated for ABC at 12:30 p.m. That didn't take long.

Name:  Jonathan Hollins

Position: Defensive Tackle

Height: 6'4"

Weight:  280

Speed: 4.85

High School: Transfer from College of the Canyons (Santa Clarita, California)

Rivals: Three out of five stars

Recruited By: Sonny Dykes and Dave Nichol

STRENGTHS:

Hollins enters the 2009 season with the Cats as Junior transfer from the College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California.  Hollins is currently listed on the depth chart at defensive tackle and should push for playing time immediately. Earl Mitchell, Dominique Austin, and Sione Tuihalamaka  will all play as well, giving Arizona a huge advantage on the defensive line.  Hollins will be a good compliment to Earl Mitchell (All Pac-10 Honorable Mention) because of his 280 lb frame and his playing time at defensive end in high school.  Hollins should be an immediate asset to the Cats in the middle.

WEAKNESSES:

Hollins versatility at 280 lbs is also his weakness.  The Pac-10 promises to have enormous offensive linemen from every school who will be formidable opponents and may be able to take advantage of his 280 lb. frame.  Hollins needs to focus on his leverage and be able to plug holes or take on multiple blockers to free up his linebackers.  Arizona's defense is returning 10 players who had significant playing time last year and Hollins must step up in order to get playing time.

VERDICT:

Look for Hollins to compete with Dominique Austin for a starting role this fall.  We'll see how the defense wants to mold Hollins: hole plugger or shifty pass rusher on the inside.  If Hollins is to be the former, he needs to put on more weight and hopefully will enter the fall at more than 280.  If Arizona chooses the latter, look for Hollins to use his speed and be a solid stunt guy up front to create havoc in the middle.

Arizona forward Chase Budinger was drafted #44 overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2009 NBA Draft on Thursday. Later in the night, he was traded to the Houston Rockets.

Budinger, at the time, was unsure whether he would return for his junior season in Tucson, or enter the NBA Draft, where he was projected to be a first round pick. Also at the time, Olson was scheduled to return to the bench for the 2008-09 season after a year-long personal leave.

We know what happened. Budinger went back to school and Olson didn’t. Budinger certainly didn’t have a bad season, averaging 18 points and 6 rebounds per game in helping Arizona to a 25th straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

Before we move on, let’s review what Lute Olson said a year ago in an interview with Tucson newspaper writer Anthony Gimino…

“I personally think it would be ridiculous for him to go out somewhere around 20 or 21, when a year from now he could be in the top six.
“Sometimes, guys don’t think of the marketing end of it. But you don’t get picked around 20 and have any marketing opportunities.
“(UA freshman) Jerryd (Bayless), coming out as the fourth or fifth pick . . . adidas and Nike are both after him hard right now. He’s going to make a lot of money in marketing. But that’s not available to Chase, whereas next year it would be.”

Oops.

Budinger was projected by most to be a late first round pick in Thursday’s draft (but a lower pick than last year’s mocks had him). He ended up going #44 to Detroit, and was later traded to the Houston Rockets. That’s right–a second round pick, meaning no guaranteed money, and a much more difficult task in making an NBA roster.

“While I expected to go higher in the draft, I will only use this as motivation to work hard, continue to improve and show teams what they passed on,” Budinger said in a statement.

And Lute Olson was worried about Budinger’s marketing potential? Guess what Lute, second rounders don’t get deals to appear in Gatorade commercials with the Jabbawockeez.

I feel bad for Chase Budinger, who played for three different head coaches in three seasons while at the U of A, and was ultimately swayed back to Tucson by a man who had selfish reasons for wanting Budinger back, but presented them as concern for his one-time recruit. The longer a player stays in college, the longer the scouts and experts have to pick apart the weaknesses in his game. That’s just the way it is. NBA players are drafted much more on potential than college performance. A third year in Tucson ultimately cost Chase Budinger millions of dollars.

And I know Lute Olson is a legend…but if I was Chase Budinger, I’d kick that legend square in the junk the next time I saw him.

"I’m becoming more optimistic we could add a fourth and maybe a fifth" recruit for 2009.
-Sean Miller (6/17/2009)

Don't expect a decision from Stephenson until after his court trial is adjourned which will likely be at the end of the month. With the removal of Maryland from his possible destinations, the candidate schools now include Arizona, Memphis and Florida.

By the Numbers:

Video:

Strengths:

Cut from the Chris Lofton mold of undersized two guard. Has 3-point range and the guts to take the big shot. (Scout.com)

Jones places a great deal of pressure on defenses through his score-first mentality as a point guard. As soon as he gets the ball, he looks to put points on the board. Jones has good quickness, a thick body similar to current North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson, and decent ball-handling skills, though similar to many modern-day lead guards. Jones has decent vision and easily locates open teammates for easy shots when he tries to accomplish this task. (ESPN.com)

Weaknesses:

 Needs to work on diversifying his offense and expanding his ball handling abilities. (Scout.com)

Jones has a tendency to palm the ball and carry almost every time he dribbles. He has to stop over-penetrating and creating trouble for himself and turnovers by dribbling into crowds. However, he will have to improve his shot selection and alleviate his tendency to fall in love with the 3-point shot. Jones could become a solid point guard if he learns to change speeds and gets under control in addition to enhancing his decision-making and learning to look for teammates more often. (ESPN.com)

Summary:

One interesting thing to note about Jones is that he is from New York like Kevin Parrom and Lance Stephenson, and in fact played with Stephenson on the Juice All-Stars. If Lamont Jones were to commit to Arizona, it would be an additional perk to the possible persuasion for Lance Stephenson to come to U of A. Rumors are flying around the internet that Jones has already decided that Arizona will be his school of choice although nothing official has been announced. Lamont was considering Arizona as a possibility prior to committing to USC, but the Trojans threatened to rescind their offer if he had an official visit with the Wildcats. It appears the Cats are in good position to add to their small recruiting class.

Presented by The University of Arizona Phoenix Alumni Chapter

Join the University of Arizona Alumni Association, the Arizona Athletic department and fellow alumni in the Phoenix area as they meet new UA Men’s Basketball Head Coach Sean Miller. Hear the latest on Arizona sports and the UA!

This FREE event will be held in the Grand Ballroom of the Chaparral Suites, 5001 N. Scottsdale Road. There will be a light buffet and cash bar. The fun begins at 5:00 p.m. and is open to all UA alumni and friends. No RSVP is necessary

Date: Sunday, June 28, 2009
Time: 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Cost: Free! Open to all UA alumni and friends!

Location:
Chaparral Suites
Grand Ballroom
5001 N. Scottsdale Rd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85250

If you have any questions, please call Nick Pierson at 800-232-8278 or e-mail Nick Pierson.

By: Nicole Dimtsios - DailyWildcat.com

The 2009 season was a chance at redemption for the Arizona Wildcat softball team (46-17, 13-7 Pacific 10 Conference). After a disappointing Women’s College World Series in June 2008, the Wildcats were looking ahead.

With the return of head coach Mike Candrea, who had taken a year off to coach the USA national team in the Olympics, a change in attitude hit Hillenbrand Stadium.

“It’s going to be an opportunity to try some different things,” Candrea said at the beginning of the season. “With this team, you have to somewhere find the balance between their defensive abilities and their offensive abilities.”

This season, Arizona saw great triumphs in the batters box, and at times, great disappointments in the circle. With no standout ace after the departure of Taryne Mowatt, the Wildcats looked to sophomore pitcher Lindsey Sisk, who was considered the next in a long line of Arizona aces.

However, the Arizona used a pitching combination of junior Sarah Akamine, senior Jennifer Martinez and a third-string Sisk to get them through the season.

“I think I’ve made more pitching changes this year than I’ve ever had to make,” Candrea said.

In what many considered to be an off year for typical Arizona softball, the Wildcats proved resilient. Although they were ranked No. 7 in preseason polls, their lack of a standout ace led many to believe that Arizona softball would not make another WCWS appearance.

“At the beginning of the year, we have always been known for our dominating pitching but there was a lot of talk that maybe that wasn’t the case with us,” first baseman Sam Banister said. “We could have taken it two ways - we could have laid down and died or could have fought, and we chose to fight.”

Arizona’s saving grace came by way of their offense, which broke both team and individual records throughout the season. Catcher Stacie Chambers led the nation with 31 home runs and 96 RBI’s. Along with outfielder Brittany Lastrapes and third baseman Jenae Leles, the junior was named to an All-American team.

As a team, the 2009 Wildcats broke the NCAA single season record for home runs previously held by the 2001 Arizona club -134 long balls left the park this season.

But the bats struggled away from Arizona, especially in the WCWS.

Before the World Series, the Wildcats were forced to hit the road. A sweep of their weekend games in Regional play in Louisville, Kent., gave Arizona the ticket to face the winner of the Palo Alto, Calif., Super Regional, the Stanford Cardinal.

In another unfavorable match-up, they won a three-game series against the Cardinal.

“In September, I didn’t know whether this team was going to pull it all together to get here,” Candrea said during a press conference in Oklahoma City, Okla. “It has been a roller coaster ride for us but a team that has embraced the opportunities.

Although Arizona made another appearance at the WCWS, their fate was a repeat of their 2008 appearance after being swept in two games.

“We just couldn’t quite make the adjustments we needed to offensively,” Candrea said. “(Here) you have to get solid pitching, play good defense and you have to get some timely hits.”

Arizona’s pitching struggled against the Alabama Crimson Tide and allowed 14 runs to cross the plate, aiding for the most lopsided loss in WCWS history. There was no help in the batter’s box for the Wildcats as not a single run crossed the plate for Arizona in either game.

“I came to Arizona because I’m going to win a national championship,” Lastrapes said after the season. “If I have to push myself harder and push my team even harder I will. I’ll do whatever it takes to win.”

Extra Bases

After the conclusion of the 2009 Arizona softball season, pitcher Lindsey Sisk has decided to leave the program. Although it is not known where she will transfer, Sisk will not transfer within the Pac-10 because transferring players must sit out for one year.

The sophomore, who started the first game for the Wildcats in the WCWS against Florida, asked to be released from her scholarship on June 1. Sisk wanted to be able to see playing time at other positions in games that she did not pitch.

Her scholarship could be used to recruit another player in the 2009 class. In November, Arizona signed four players to a letter of intent. Brigette DelPonte, Baillie Kirker, Rebecca Tikey, and the 2008 Gatorade National High School Player of the Year Kenzie Fowler will enroll at UA in the fall.

VITALS:

Name:  Cordarius Golston

Position:  Linebacker

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 195

Speed: 4.5

High School:  Lancaster, Texas (Lancaster)

Rivals: Three out of Five stars

Recruited By: Mark Stoops

STRENGTHS:

Golston was a second team All-District 15-4A selection as a sophomore and was a first team all-district selection as a junior after a 100-tackle, five-sack season.  Golston has a huge upside to him with his 4.5 speed and gap filling ability.  Scouts think that he can really plug holes and be a true inside out kind of backer.  The Arizona Athletics site says that Golston could start summer camp palying on the outside backer instead of the middle.   At 6'1", Golston has the ability to pack on more muscle onto his frame.  He is currently 195 lbs. and needs to beef up to take on D-1 tackles. Here is what Scouts, Inc has to say about Golston:

WEAKNESSES:

As was the case with Jake Fischer, Golston has the ability to plug the inside, but is going to have some trouble playing sideilne to sideline.  This analysis should be taken with a grain of salt.  The guy has 4.5 speed. If he comes to campus and is able to learn the scheme, the coaches will have him reacting properly and he'll get to the sideline.  Here are some other things Scouts, Inc has to say about Golston:

VERDICT:

Cordarius Golston is currently listed at the Will linebacker on the Arizona Depth Chart along with Jake Fischer.  Surprise, surprise.  Their writeups were almost exactly the same: "great inside plugging ability. Lack of sideline to sideline play."  I think that Golston will be a solid linebacker no matter where they line him up.  If we begin to struggle in the middle, he should slide over and start learning that spot.  Let's hope that with his speed, Golston gets some time on special teams this year for real time experience.

Sean Miller landed arguably his biggest recruit of the 2009-10 season today: Nic Wise.

Wise, who spent almost two months testing the NBA Draft waters, opted to return as a Wildcat for his senior year.

Media Credit: Alan Walsh

He becomes Arizona’s most crucial component of continuing the school’s consecutive NCAA Tournament streak to 26 years.

Wise did not hire an agent to maintain his NCAA eligibility.

“Guess the NBA’s gotta wait,” Wise wrote on his Twitter page.

The Houston native averaged 15.7 points and 4.6 assists per game last season.

According to his Twitter page, Wise participated in pre-Draft workouts for the Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, Portland Trailblazers and San Antonio Spurs.

“We are all very excited with Nic’s return,” Miller said in a statement. “His talent, leadership and ability will make him one of the premier players in the Pac-10 this coming season.

“As important, this puts him in position to leave the University of Arizona with his degree. We are looking forward to a great senior year for Nic.”

Mock NBA Draft projections did not include Wise in this year’s Draft.

Browse more photos »

Arizona's starting point guard from the 2008-2009 campaign announced that he plans on returning to Arizona for one last season via Twitter on Saturday afternoon. The last remaining player from the vaunted 3 headed monster, Wise will be the leader of the Wildcats in their first year under Sean Miller. Near 1:00 PM PST, on Wise's Twitter feed he broke the news to the nation with a short:

Guess the NBA's gotta wait.....

This is obvious good news for the Cats as it was looking as though there could be a huge turnover without any senior leadership. Nic Wise can provide stability for the program during Sean Miller's first season and may also open the door for Miller to aggressively pursue so-called "risky" recruits such as Lance Stephenson. Without the stable, senior leadership of someone like Wise, Miller would be forced to avoid anyone that could be a distraction, but with Wise now on the team Stephenson could be an option.