The local news stories that tucsoncitizen.com readers clicked on most often this week
It was almost all basketball.
1 Ex-Cat Pastner will follow Calipari to Kentucky: Josh Pastner spent eight basketball seasons at Arizona – four as a player and four as part of the coaching staff. Last year he went to Memphis as an assistant to coach John Calipari. He’s now following Calipari to his new job at Kentucky.
2 Anthony Gimino column: Livengood needs to rally in coaching search: UA Athletic Director Jim Livengood’s first full-scale search for a basketball coach is going “as swimmingly as a bowling ball in a lake,” Gimino wrote. After several high-profile guys couldn’t be lured, USC coach Tim Floyd flew to Tucson, talked with Livengood, flew home, then said no. Who is next?
3 If Floyd takes UA job, he might bring recruits: Not only does the UA men’s basketball team need a coach, it also needs some players. Recruits bailed after previous coach Lute Olson stepped down. Hiring Floyd may have meant getting some of his recruits, too. But . . . (see No. 2 above).
4 Young Wildcats seem ready for some turbulence: After UA’s season ended with an unpleasant pasting in the Sweet 16, players who will be around next year say they are ready for what may be a tumultuous season.
5 Criticism wearing on Hein as council evaluation looms: City Manager Mike Hein is no longer sure he likes his job. And it’s no longer certain he’ll have it. Hein is up for his annual performance review and he can count only three of seven City Council members firmly in his corner.