<h4>Here's to you Mr. Robinson </h4>
Alexei Ramirez (left) and Jermaine Dye enter the Chicago White Sox dugout before their game against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit. Every player, manager, coach and umpire in Major League Baseball sported jersey No. 42 on Wednesday, the 62nd anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier.
> Go to <a href="http://www.tucsoncitizen.com">www.tucsoncitizen.com</a> for more sports photo galleries.
Center Kyryl Natyazhko, who chose Arizona over Arizona State, expects to get razzed by Sun Devils fans when UA plays basketball in Tempe.
“I felt bad about not choosing Arizona State,” he said in an IMG e-mail/video, “and I’m ready to get extra-specially booed when we play them.
“But the Arizona coaches told me that at away games, we’ll often have just as many fans there as the home team. Plus, the Pac-10 is one of the best conferences in the country.”
There was no official word from UA about recruits signing Wednesday, the first day they can ink a letter-of-intent for the spring signing period. Expected to sign were Solomon Hill, a 6-foot-6, 195-pound forward from Los Angeles Fairfax High School, and Natyazhko, who committed to the Wildcats on Saturday.
Hill moved up one spot to No. 27 in Rivals’ overall rankings, while Natyazhko fell from No. 75 to No. 81. Natyazhko, a 6-10, 250-pound center, averaged 24 points and nine rebounds a game for IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
The Ukraine native said he speaks four languages (Ukrainian, Russian, Lithuanian and English) and has become friends with many people, particularly after picking Arizona last weekend.
“As soon as I made my decision, my Facebook went crazy,” he said. “I had like 300 friends; now it’s up above 500.”
Also, an announcement could come soon on Ohio State assistant Archie Miller joining his brother’s staff at UA. Earlier in the week, Ohio newspapers reported that Archie, also a former Arizona State assistant, would join Sean Miller at Arizona.
Rudd signs with ASU
Victor Rudd, a 6-foot-7 forward who played basketball at Henderson (Nev.) Findlay College Prep, said Wednesday that he will sign with Arizona State.
Rudd also considered Arizona and USC. Rivals.com ranks Rudd as the 114th overall prospect in the 2009 class.
“I’ve always liked ASU since when James (Harden) first went there,” said Rudd, who averaged 16 points and eight rebounds last season. “I just felt like I could fit in with their system.”
He joins guards Trent Lockett, Demetrius Walker and center Ruslan Pateev in ASU’s 2009 class.
Arizona Republic
Thomas at FIU
MIAMI – Isiah Thomas sat in his new gym for an hour, at one point turning his gaze toward the Florida International players he’ll now coach.
“There’ll be a lot of ups,” Thomas said Wednesday. “There’ll be a lot of downs.”
And so begins a surprising basketball marriage that got under way when Thomas was introduced as FIU’s new coach, three days shy of the first anniversary of his firing as coach of the New York Knicks. Thomas will not accept a salary in his first season, instead donating that money back to FIU, and will earn somewhere around $275,000 in the final four years of his deal.
That doesn’t count the $12 million or so the Knicks will keep paying him for two more years.
“I did not come here for the money,” Thomas said.
Instead, he’ll have a chance to rebuild his tarnished Hall of Fame image, such as being the central figure in a sexual harassment lawsuit and, according to authorities, being found unconscious in his New York-area home last fall after someone at called 911 to report someone overdosed on sleeping pills.
So he came to FIU, a program that went 13-20 this past season, has lost 20 games in three of its last four years, and made its lone appearance in the NCAA Tournament 14 years ago. There are 42 banners swaying in FIU’s gymnasium and only two have anything to do with men’s basketball.
“I like taking something from the bottom and trying to build it to the top,” Thomas said.
The Associated Press
Weis considered NFL
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis confirms he talked with his family about whether they thought he should quit after last season, though he said he never wanted to leave.
“Like anyone who has a situation that is uncertain, as any husband and father would do, you address it with your wife and you address it with your kids,” Weis said Wednesday after practice. “And you talk about the what if.”
The comments were in response to a Chicago Tribune story Sunday that reported Weis thought about leaving Notre Dame and returning to the NFL as an offensive coordinator.
The Associated Press
Slow start for pitching aces
Cliff Lee knows all about following in CC Sabathia’s footsteps, for better or worse.
The Cleveland Indians left-hander, who opposes his former teammate Thursday in the first game at the new Yankee Stadium, is off to a rocky start after succeeding Sabathia as the American League’s Cy Young Award winner. With a 0-2 mark and a 9.90 ERA, Lee is one loss shy of his total last season, when he was 22-3.
His National League Cy Young counterpart can relate. The San Francisco Giants’ Tim Lincecum, who struck out 265 batters, has endured command troubles in his first two starts. He’s 0-1 with a 7.56 ERA.
At least Lee and Lincecum can look to Sabathia for inspiration. After winning the 2007 AL Cy Young, Sabathia went 0-3 with a 13.50 ERA in his first four starts last season before righting his course. He finished 17-10 with a 2.70 ERA.
USA TODAY
Golf ‘a mental game’
Kenny Perry’s collapse on the final two holes of the Masters, which led to Angel Cabrera’s victory in a playoff, reminded him that golf is a mental game – “that plays a lot with your head.”
“The single most important thing is that (Perry) wants to get in that situation again,” said Bob Rotella, a sports psychologist.
Perry played 16 holes in the final round without a bogey, then made three in the last four.
USA TODAY
NUMBER OF THE DAY
39-2
Final home record of the Cleveland Cavaliers, tied for second on the all-time list:
40-1: x-Boston Celtics, 1985-86
39-2: Cleveland, 2008-09
39-2: x-Chicago Bulls, 1996-97
39-2: x-Chicago Bulls, 1995-96
39-2: Orlando Magic, 1994-95
39-2: Boston Celtics, 1986-87
38-3: x-San Antonio , 2004-05
38-3: Utah Jazz, 1996-97
38-3: Seattle, 1995-96
38-3: x-Milwaukee, 1970-71
x – won NBA title
QUOTABLE
'It would be foolish from our standpoint not to listen to those (trade) opportunities and see what actually exists.'
KEN WHISENHUNT (right),
Cardinals coach, on whether he will listen to offers for WR Anquan Boldin
———
ON THIS DATE
1940: Bob Feller of Cleveland defeats the White Sox 1-0 in the only opening day no-hitter in major league history, at Chicago.
1997: The Chicago Cubs set the mark for worst start in National League history, extending their losing streak to 12 with a 4-0 loss to the Colorado Rockies. Chicago breaks the overall NL record of 0-11 by the 1884 Detroit Wolverines.
2005: Phoenix’s 116-98 victory over Sacramento ties the Suns with the 1979-80 Boston Celtics for the third-largest turnaround in league history at 32 games. The Suns’ 29-53 record last season was the third worst in team history.
———
SPORTS SOUND-OFF
Miller off to good start with recruits
Re: Basketball player Solomon Hill ready to sign with Wildcats
• New UA basketball coach Sean Miller has found gold in Arizona.
Let me say this . . . in five years at Xavier, Miller was able to obtain four 4-star recruits. In over one week, Miller has half that total, at Arizona. CLAUDIA44
Competition at quarterback good for UA
Re: UA coach Mike Stoops gives spring football wrap-up
• I wouldn’t mind a two-quarterback system with Matt Scott and Nick Foles. It would remind me of the days of Keith Smith and Ortege Jenkins. . . . I can’t wait for September. JUST A FAN
• Smart move not to name a starter. Let Scott and Foles play it out during the season. It will be good competition. GDOG