Citizen Staff Writer
COLLEGE FOOTBALL

JOHN MOREDICH

jmoredich@tucsoncitizen.com

LOS ANGELES – The Arizona Wildcats will wake up early to get their work done during fall camp, setting their alarms to be on the field by 6:15 a.m.

The kickers have to get there a half-hour earlier.

“It simplifies our day. There are no excuses as everybody is there. There is no class,” UA coach Mike Stoops said at the Pac-10 media day events on Thursday. “Guys will be coming back for meetings and walk-throughs. It utilizes our day better and gets it out of the way for them.”

The morning workouts also may help UA avoid summer school conflicts and monsoons that usually hit during the late afternoon practice sessions.

The Wildcats open camp Aug. 4 at the Rincon Vista Complex, 15th Street and Plummer Avenue, with the players returning two days earlier. Summer school ends Aug. 13.

“I don’t mind starting that early,” UA quarterback Willie Tuitama said. “It depends on how much sleep I can get. I just have to go to sleep earlier than norm.

“It’s not going to be so hot. It’s OK. You have to do what you have to do.”

A look at other Pac-10 teams:

Arizona State

Quarterback Rudy Carpenter is comfortable in the spotlight and answering questions.

Nothing seems to faze the senior, who is the Pac-10 active leader in passing yards (7,998), touchdowns (65), completions (586) and 300-yard games (nine).

“If you have a quarterback, you have a chance to be successful, and we have a good one in Rudy,” ASU coach Dennis Erickson said.

Senior nickel back Jeremy Peyton has decided to give up a chance to play this season to finish his degree.

“He wants to get on with his life,” Erickson said. “The bottom line is he didn’t want to play any more.”

California

The Bears have hired former San Francisco 49ers quarterback coach Frank Cignetti to take over the play-calling duties from head coach Jeff Tedford.

Cal started 5-0 last season but lost six of its final eight games, so Tedford is giving up his play-calling duties to stay in touch with the entire team.

“I needed to go back and do the job as a head coach,” Tedford said. “(Cignetti) has brought in new philosophies and new concepts, but for the most part we are going to be the same.

“I will still be involved with game-planning, but it is very difficult to do it all.”

Oregon

The Ducks traditionally have one good running back, but they might have a pair this season in Jeremiah Johnson and LeGarrette Blount.

Johnson is recovered from a knee injury and ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash. Oregon also expects big things from Blount, a junior college transfer.

“(Johnson) is totally healthy,” Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said. “LeGarrette is a power runner. He can break a lot of tackles and run north to south. Jeremiah is a jitterbug in terms of his skill. They will complement each other.”

Oregon State

Playmaking sensation Sammie Stroughter returns for his senior season after being given a medical hardship year by the Pac-10.

In 2006, Stroughter returned three punt returns for touchdowns and caught 74 passes for 1,293 yards. He missed action in 2007 because of personal reasons and a kidney injury.

UCLA

Bruins offensive coordinator Norm Chow has gone from helping lead USC to national titles in 2003 and 2004 to the crosstown rival Bruins, with a stop in between as an assistant coach for the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.

“The biggest influence is every quarterback in the country calls us and wants to know if he can come,” UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel said. “There’s a great allure to Norm Chow and well deserved. It gives him rock-star status. It’s fun to be in that marketplace.”

The Bruins could use a few more quarterbacks this year, with Ben Olson coming off a knee injury and Pat Cowan’s career over because of a knee injury.

Both were injured at the same practice this spring.

Stanford

Cardinal coach Jim Harbaugh made headlines by declaring USC as “the best team in college football history” at last year’s media day.

No flashy headline this time.

“I didn’t know I was a bulletin- board guy,” he said, obviously trying to downplay his comments and subsequent upset over USC last season.

The Cardinal shocked host USC despite being a 41-point underdog last year.

“It was a great thrill of winning down at the Coliseum last year,” Harbaugh said. “But that is water under the bridge.”

USC

As a freshman, Salpointe Catholic High School grad Kris O’Dowd wowed coach Pete Carroll enough to start the first game at center last year.

“Kris just took over, making his calls,” Carroll said. “His physical nature of the game, his competitiveness – that was clear from day one.

“He’s way ahead of his time.”

Washington

Huskies coach Tyrone Willingham has been in hot water in the Seattle area for not turning around the program and going 4-9 a year ago.

A challenging 2008 schedule that includes a season-opening road tilt at Oregon, followed with games against BYU and Oklahoma, doesn’t help.

“I look at it as a challenge,” Willingham said. “We have one of the most difficult starts in the country. If you can get to Autzen Stadium (in Oregon) and fare well, you feel you can do well against the other teams you will face down the road.”

Washington State

Senior receiver Brandon Gibson decided against leaving early for the NFL. He is one of the best go-to guys in the league.

Gibson caught 67 passes for 1,180 yards and scored nine touchdowns a year ago.

“I didn’t feel I was ready to compete at the NFL level,” Gibson said. “It’s a competitive league. You are playing against grown men. I thought another year would help me mature, and I’m happy with my decision.”

UA 2008 SCHEDULE

Date Opponent Time (TV)

Aug. 30 Idaho 7 p.m.

Sept. 6 Toledo 7 p.m.

Sept. 13 at New Mexico 6 (CSTV)

Sept. 27 at UCLA Noon (FSN)

Oct. 4 Washington 4 p.m.

Oct. 11 at Stanford TBA

Oct. 18 Cal 7 p.m. (FSNA)

Oct. 25 USC 7:15 p.m. (FSN)

Nov. 8 at Wash. St. TBA

Nov. 15 at Oregon TBA

Nov. 22 Ore St. 4 p.m. (Versus)

Dec. 6 ASU 1 or 6 p.m.*

* FSN or ESPN or ESPN2

Citizen Staff Writer
2008 PAC-10 FOOTBALL MEDIA POLL

JOHN MOREDICH

jmoredich@tucsoncitizen.com

LOS ANGELES – A media poll picks Arizona to finish seventh in the Pac-10 this season, but football coach Mike Stoops wonders . . .

What if he had adopted a passing spread offense when he was hired for the 2004 season, instead of starting it last season, when UA went from averaging 16 points to 28 a game?

In an offense-minded conference, even 28 points a game isn’t enough, but the defensive-focused Stoops knows the Texas Tech-style spread offense that he coached against as a defensive coordinator at Oklahoma might have improved UA’s 17-29 record in his first four years in Tucson.

“Yes,” Stoops said. “In hindsight, being a defensive coach, you like, or vision yourself, being a run-, run-, boot-, play-action-type of team. But we just couldn’t do it,” Stoops said at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton for the annual Pac-10 media day Thursday.

“We just struggled with it and we couldn’t move the ball or get the ball into the end zone.

“You need to score points.”

Stoops still thinks defense will win championships, but he knows a good offense will help you stay employed.

USC has excelled at both, and it’s no wonder the Trojans were picked to win the Pac-10 for the sixth straight season. The Trojans received 38 of the 39 available first-place votes from regional media outlets.

The media aren’t sold on the Wildcats after they finished 5-7 and sixth in the league at 4-5 last year.

For Arizona to move up, it needs to keep scoring points.

“We have to,” Stoops stressed, especially with only three defensive starters returning for UA.

The Wildcats, despite a 12-point and nearly 100-total-yard increase per game over 2006, ranked sixth in the league in scoring offense last season. And that was during a down year for points in the Pac-10.

The league ranked seventh among all conferences with 28.6 points per game, nearly five points behind the leaders from the Big 12.

So many points are being scored, including 26.8 points off an Arizona defense that had 10 returning starters, that Stoops jokingly questioned himself.

“I was a lot better defensive coach when I was at Oklahoma it seems like,” Stoops told a room full of media members. “I don’t know if it was the players or the scheme. A lot has to do with the player you go up against.

“This is one of the premier conferences. There are some outstanding football coaches, offensive coaches – the players you see, the schemes you see. It has been a very enlightening experience to me.”

Those thoughts were seconded by others around the league.

“It’s world class,” Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh said about offenses in the league. “It is a point-generated conference. You have to score points in this league to be a success.”

Points are obviously needed in every game, but lots of them is the point Pac-10 coaches discussed as they talked about the seven returning starting quarterbacks and teams averaging seven offensive starters back for the season.

The offenses in the league are different, which makes it more difficult for defenses to cover.

Arizona uses a Texas Tech-like spread, with multiple receivers. Oregon, Arizona State and Washington run spread offenses with unique sets. USC’s unit uses pretty much a basic multiple scheme.

“I love the (spread) offense,” Stoops said. “The players love it.”

Wildcat fans will love it, too, if it produces more wins and gets Arizona beyond its expected seventh-place finish.

1. USC (38)

• Points: 389

• 2007: 11-2, 7-2

• Coach Pete Carroll says: “We sense a whole new excitement about our program. I’ve never been more pumped.”

2. ASU

• Points: 330

• 2007: 10-3, 7-2

• Coach Dennis Erickson says: “Offensively our strength is Rudy (Carpenter) and what he does at quarterback.”

3. Oregon

• Points: 295

• 2007: 9-4, 5-4

• Coach Mike Bellotti says: “Defensively we can talk about our secondary. We have three 3-year starters and they’re tough.”

4. Cal (1)

• Points: 274

• 2007: 7-6, 3-6

• Coach Jeff Tedford says: “There’s a fine line between a 10-win season and a 7-win one. We need to win those (close) games.”

5. UCLA

• Points: 204

• 2007: 6-7, 5-4

• Coach Rick Neuheisel says: “It is a thrill to be back in college football and a thrill to be back at my alma mater.”

6. Oregon St. > Points: 192

• 2007: 9-4, 6-3

• Coach Mike Riley says: “We have a lot of shoes to fill defensively. We pretty much lose everybody in the front seven.”

7. ARIZONA > Points: 185

• 2007: 5-7, 4-5

• Coach Mike Stoops says: “This is the best skill we have had, and by far and away our best (offensive) line.”

8. Washington > Points: 139

• 2007: 4-9, 2-7

• Coach Tyrone Willingham says: “I look at it as a challenge. We have one of the most difficult starts in the country.”

9. Stanford

• Points: 76

• 2007: 4-8, 3-6

• Coach Jim Harbaugh says: “There’s something special happening. I’m waiting for it to unfold and write our own history.”

10. Wash. St. > Points: 61

• 2007: 4-9, 2-7

• Coach Paul Wulff says: “X’s and O’s will not be our challenge. . . . We have the opportunity to really surprise some people.”

2007 offenses

Points per game last year in the Pac-10

Rank School Pts. Avg.

1. Oregon 496 38.1

2. USC 424 32.6

3. Arizona State 420 32.3

4. California 381 29.3

5. Washington 380 29.2

6. Arizona 336 28.0

7. Oregon State 362 27.8

8. Washington St. 308 25.7

9. UCLA 291 22.3

10. Stanford 235 19.6

The Arizona Republic

The Arizona Republic

SAN FRANCISCO – A panel of federal appeals judges looked skeptically Thursday on arguments that Arizona has no authority to impose its own requirements on employers as a way to guard against illegal workers.

An attorney for the groups that are challenging the constitutionality of Arizona’s Legal Arizona Workers Act said that if Arizona gets away with establishing its own requirements and penalties on illegal workers, it will create a chaotic and burdensome atmosphere nationwide for both employers and workers.

“The central issue is whether every state and locality can enact its own laws (on hiring), thereby balkanizing our immigration laws and dramatically increasing the burden on employers,” attorney Jonathan Weissglass told a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Weissglass argued on behalf of a coalition of Arizona business groups, civil-rights groups and national business organizations.

Those groups believe Arizona’s employer sanctions law is unconstitutional because it asserts state control in an area they contend is the federal government’s alone.

Arizona’s law, enacted a year ago and in force since January, spells out penalties for employers who have been found to have hired illegal workers. A first violation could trigger a suspension of state-issued business licenses; a second violation would result in permanent loss of those licenses.

To date, there have been no prosecutions under the law.

Thursday’s arguments in a San Francisco courtroom mark the first time an employer-sanctions law has been argued at the federal appeals-court level.

Judges John M. Walker and N. Randy Smith both said they found nothing in federal law that prohibits a state from mandating that employers use E-Verify, an online database that validates the Social Security number and immigration status of new hires.

Judge Mary Schroeder, an Arizonan and former chief judge of the appeals court, questioned whether there was inconsistency between the federal law’s voluntary use of E-Verify and Arizona’s requirement that employers must use it to screen new hires. Using the system gives Arizona employers a strong argument against prosecution if they are found to have hired illegal workers.

Dave Jones, executive director of the Arizona Contractors Association, was dismayed by the line of questioning.

“I didn’t hear anything real encouraging on our behalf,” he said.

The Associated Press

The Associated Press

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – Former Arizona Wildcat Lorena Ochoa set the silver trophy on a table, clasped hands with her parents and sprinted to the edge of the lake surrounding the 18th green at Mission Hills, raising both arms as she plunged into the water.

Whether she is playing or celebrating, the Mexican star is unstoppable.

She buried her competition Sunday at the Kraft Nabisco Championship to win her second straight major title with back-to-back birdies at the turn. She closed with eight pars for a 5-under 67 to finish at 11-under-par 277 – five shots clear of ex-Wildcat Annika Sorenstam and Suzann Pettersen, who tied for second.

Ochoa joined hands with her parents and sister-in-law and raced into the water. Her brother, Alejandro, swing coach Rafael Alarcon and caddie Dave Brooker leapt from the bridge.

Before long, two dozen friends and family members were bobbing in the water to the rhythm of a mariachi band.

“I thought for a moment, ‘Maybe I should try to do something funny, like a flip or something,’ ” Ochoa said. “No, no, no. Too dangerous. So I did the regular jump. You always worry about the jump, but once you win, I don’t care.”

The Associated Press
PAC 10 ROUNDUP

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES – UCLA needed an extra five minutes to chop down the Lopez twins.

Stymied most of the game by the 7-foot brothers, the third-ranked Bruins broke out in overtime and defeated No. 7 Stanford 77-67 Thursday night to clinch the Pac-10 title outright.

The Bruins (27-3, 15-2) won their third consecutive regular-season title on their home court for the first time in three years and put themselves in solid position to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

“It feels great. We’re going to soak it all up,” said Kevin Love, who had 17 points and 10 rebounds for his 19th double-double.

UCLA’s 27th regular-season win was its most in school history and Ben Howland became the first Bruins coach since John Wooden to win three straight league titles. That’s a streak the Bruins haven’t had since doing so in 1995-97.

Darren Collison tipped in his own miss with one hand from the right side for the go-ahead basket in overtime. He finished with 24 points.

“When you want to win something so bad, everything works in your favor,” Collison said. “That was a great team. Stanford gave us their best shot.”

Russell Westbrook added 19, eight in overtime, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute had 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Brook Lopez had 18 points and 13 rebounds and Robin Lopez added 14 points for Stanford (24-5, 13-4), which has lost five of its last six against the Bruins. Taj Finger scored 10 points.

“They played well for 42 minutes and came up short. I feel for them,” Stanford coach Trent Johnson said. “We had a couple breakdowns, definitely in blocking out.”

Tied at 63 after regulation, the Bruins dominated overtime by outscoring the Cardinal 14-4. Brook Lopez and Mitch Johnson scored Stanford’s only baskets and Anthony Goods committed an intentional foul on Westbrook.

Mbah a Moute dunked off Collison’s pass to put UCLA up 65-63, its first lead since starting the game 2-0. From there, the Bruins rolled in front of 12,671 cheering fans.

Oregon 67, Arizona St. 61: At Eugene, Ore., Malik Hairston scored 19 points and Oregon hit eight free throws in the final minute as the Ducks held on.

Tajuan Porter added 12 points and Maarty Leunen had 10 points and nine rebounds for the Ducks (17-12, 8-9), who moved into a three-way tie for fifth-place in the Pac-10 with the Sun Devils (18-11) and Arizona (18-12).

Arizona State forward James Harden, who entered the game as the fourth-leading scorer in the Pac-10 at 17.9 points, was held to 12 points through the first 36:21 of the game before scoring 10 in the final 3:39 to help the Sun Devils rally from an 11-point deficit.

His back-to-back 3-pointers with just under a minute to play cut Oregon’s lead to 61-58 with 44 seconds remaining.

But the Ducks, who went more than five minutes without scoring after taking a 59-46 with 6:05 to play, went 8 for 8 from the free-throw line in the final 56 seconds.

USC 93, California 89: At Los Angeles, freshman O.J. Mayo scored five of his 22 points in overtime, and USC won.

Mayo also matched his career high with nine rebounds and added five assists for the Trojans, who blew a 10-point lead in the last two minutes of regulation before outscoring the Golden Bears 15-11 in the five-minute overtime to clinch fourth place in the Pacific-10 Conference.

The Associated Press

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES – The number of homes facing foreclosure jumped 57 percent in January compared to a year ago, with lenders increasingly forced to take possession of homes they couldn’t unload at auctions, a mortgage research firm said Monday.

Nationwide, some 233,001 homes received at least one notice from lenders last month related to overdue payments, compared with 148,425 a year earlier, according to Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac Inc. Nearly half of the total involved first-time default notices.

During the past year, 30 states saw an increase in the number of homes that had received at least one filing.

Nevada led the nation, with 6,087 properties receiving at least one filing, up 95 percent from a year earlier but down 45 percent from December, the firm said.

That translates to a rate of about one foreclosure for every 167 households.

Rounding out the top 10 states with the highest foreclosure rates were California, Florida, Arizona, Colorado, Massachusetts, Georgia, Connecticut, Ohio and Michigan.

California had 57,158 properties reporting at least one filing, the most of any state. The total increased 120 percent from a year ago and 7 percent from December.

Florida had 30,178 homes on the foreclosure track, up about 158 percent from a year earlier and down 3 percent versus December, RealtyTrac said.

The Cape Coral-Fort Myers area in Florida posted the highest foreclosure rate of any metro area in the nation, with one of every 86 homes in some stage of foreclosure, said RealtyTrac Inc.

Stockton, Calif., was ranked second, with one of every 97 homes involved in a foreclosure filing. The Riverside-San Bernardino metro area in southern California had the third-highest foreclosure rate with filings for one of every 101 homes.

The worsening situation came despite ongoing efforts by lenders to help borrowers manage their payments by modifying loan terms, working out long-term repayment plans and other actions

“You have more people going into default and a higher percentage of the properties going back to the banks,” said Rick Sharga, RealtyTrac’s vice president of marketing.

The U.S. foreclosure rate last month was one filing for every 534 homes.

January’s tally represented an 8 percent hike from December.

RealtyTrac follows default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions. Lenders typically consider borrowers delinquent after they fall three months behind on mortgage payments.

Attempts to help struggling homeowners have fallen short.

“The loan workout modification programs aren’t having a significant material effect on keeping properties from going back to the banks,” Sharga said.

One dramatic trend last month was a 90 percent spike in the number of properties that were repossessed by banks, compared to January 2007.

“It suggests that there’s little or no equity in a lot of these homes, because they’re not even being sold to investors at auctions, and it suggests a continuing weakness in a lot of markets in terms of real estate sales,” Sharga said.

Falling home values and tighter lending standards have extended the housing slump, making it tougher for homeowners unable sell their homes or refinance when they face mortgage payments they can’t afford.

A wave of adjustable rate mortgage resets expected in May and June threatens to push many other homeowners into default.

The Associated Press

The Associated Press

BERKELEY, Calif. – With California losing, Ashley Walker wasn’t about to panic. She just took over.

The 6-foot-1 junior scored 24 points and No. 9 California won its 16th straight home game with a 66-45 victory over Arizona on Saturday.

Walker had 12 points during a 21-6 run over the final 7:30 of the first half as the Bears overcame an early seven-point deficit to win their sixth straight game. They remained in first place in the Pac-10, one-game ahead of No. 6 Stanford. The two rivals will meet next weekend at Haas Pavilion.

“We know it’s a game of possessions and we were going to make a run,” said Walker, who leads Cal with 15.6 points and 9.4 rebounds. “I just had to get downcourt and fight a little.”

Devanei Hampton, a 6-3 junior, had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Natasha Vital added a career-high 12 assists for Cal (23-3, 14-1 Pac-10).

Hampton recorded her third straight double-double, sixth of the season and 23rd of her career as Cal moved within one victory of a school-record 24 set in 1983-84.

“We did a pretty good job for 15 minutes but then Ashley Walker took over,” Arizona coach Joan Bonvicini said. “When we focused on her the second half, then Devanei (Hampton) took over. Those are two great players.”

The last time the teams met, Walker and Hampton scored 10 points apiece and starting guards Alexis Gray-Lawson and Vital combined for 28 points.

“With Cal you just have to pick your poison,” Bonvicini said. “They are definitely deserving of their national ranking, plus they’re playing with a lot of confidence.”

Amina Njonkou and Rheya Neabors had 10 points apiece for Arizona (9-16, 3-11), which lost for the 12th time in 15 starts. The Wildcats, down to eight players including two walk-ons, made 28 percent from the floor (18 of 63) against the nation’s sixth-best scoring defense.

Cal coach Joanne Boyle said her team was not looking past Arizona to Stanford, which pasted the visiting Bears 72-52 on Jan. 26.

“This team is completely focused,” Boyle said. “We haven’t even talked about Stanford. I haven’t even watched any film on them.”

Arizona is next in action at home at 7 p.m. Thursday when Washington visits.

PAC-10 WOMEN

Team Conf. Overall

California 14-1 23-3

Stanford 13-2 24-3

Arizona State 10-4 16-9

USC 9-5 16-9

UCLA 8-6 13-12

Washington 6-8 11-15

Oregon 5-10 11-15

Arizona 3-11 9-16

Oregon State 3-12 10-16

Washington State 1-13 4-21

Weekend scores: California 66, Arizona 45; Stanford 79, Arizona State 57; Oregon 70, Washington State 67; Washington 58, Oregon State 53; USC 49, UCLA 36.

Thursday’s games: Washington State at Arizona State, 6:30 p.m.; Washington at Arizona, 7 p.m.; USC at Oregon, 8 p.m.; UCLA at Oregon State, 8 p.m.

Saturday’s games: Washington State at Arizona, 2 p.m.; Stanford at California, 2 p.m.; UCLA at Oregon, 3 p.m.; USC at Oregon State, 8 p.m.

Sunday’s game: Washington at Arizona State, 12:30 p.m.

The Associated Press
RealFAST SCORES AND MORE

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES – Ernie Els changed his mind and entered the Accenture Match Play Championship next week in Marana.

Els, a three-time major champion and No. 4 in the world ranking, had said on his Web site and in interviews that he would skip the first World Golf Championship of the season and not make his U.S. debut until the following week in the Honda Classic.

But his agents began asking about room reservations earlier this week, and tournament director Michael Garten said Thursday that the South African has officially entered. That leaves Brett Wetterich with a shoulder injury as the only player to have withdrawn.

The 64-man brackets will be announced at 5 p.m. Sunday on the Golf Channel.

Els’ decision means Anthony Kim, who was poised to be the 64th seed, will miss the tournament unless someone backs out.

The Accenture Match Play Championship begins Wednesday at The Gallery, just north of Tucson.

The Associated Press

The Associated Press

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Pat Perez came here needing some help to get into the Accenture Match Play Championship.

He got just that Sunday after he closed with a 72 to finish in a tie for 24th at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. That helped him become eligible for the 64-man Match Play field at the Gallery at Dove Mountain.

Ernie Els has said he would not play, helping Perez earn a spot. Depending how the rankings sort out Monday, he or J.B. Holmes could play No. 1 Tiger Woods in the first round, provided no one else withdraws.

“The last person I want to play is Tiger,” Perez said. “I don’t want to embarrass myself right now.”

The field for the Match Play, Feb. 20-24 in Marana, is not set until 5 p.m. Feb. 18, the Monday of the tournament. If anyone withdraws after that, Woods’ opponent gets a pass to the second round.

Other preliminary Match Play matches could look like reruns:

• Phil Mickelson (No. 2) would possibly face Holmes, who beat Lefty in a playoff at the FBR Open last week.

• Steve Stricker (No. 3), would play Daniel Chopra, who beat him in a four-hole playoff at the Mercedes-Benz Championship.

• Adam Scott would be the No. 4 seed and face Brendan Jones, whose closing 69 for a tie for 12th in the India Masters on Sunday enabled him to qualify for the Match Play.

Woods has won the Match Play twice, but was eliminated in the third round last year.

If Perez plays Woods, “It would be a free show for me, to watch Tiger play,” he said.

“I can’t lose either way. If I beat him, I’m a hero. If I don’t, I’m not supposed to win. If I beat him, I may quit, just pack it in. “If anybody asks, ‘When was the last time you played? Aw, I beat Tiger. I’m done.’ ”

Steve Lowery, who had gone more than seven years and 199 tournaments without winning, captured the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in the first hole of a sudden-death playoff over Vijay Singh.

MATCH PLAY

When: Feb. 20-24

Where: The Gallery at Dove Mountain.

TV: The Golf Channel/NBC

Tickets/info: 866-942-2672, toll free; www.worldgolfchampionships.com

• How Lowery beat Singh in playoff at Pebble Beach, 3C

• Match play profiles, 2C

Gannett News Service

LOS ANGELES – California is Super Tuesday’s megaprize, but other trends could be evident long before the polls close here in the biggest delegate extravaganza in presidential primary history.

Neither party has enough delegates in play for anyone to win the nomination outright, but a candidate that takes a clear majority of states and delegates could emerge virtually unstoppable.

Conversely, if the day produces rough parity in one or both parties, the nomination fight could go well into spring.

What appear to be close fights among Republican and Democratic presidential candidates in California are only part of a day that will include primaries and caucuses in 23 other states, including delegate-rich New York, New Jersey and Illinois. Not all states have contests in both parties.

As in general presidential elections, polls and caucuses closing in different time zones will suggest whether a contender in either party is gaining an edge that could propel him or her to the GOP or Democratic nomination.

Some places to watch:

The Northeast

If Republican and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is fighting GOP front-runner John McCain to at least a draw in New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, it could indicate the GOP nomination battle will continue well beyond Super Tuesday.

“By all rights, McCain should win the states on or near both coasts, and Romney should do better in the middle of the country,” said Dan Schnur, a top McCain adviser in the 2000 campaign who is neutral in 2008. “If Romney is running very close to McCain in one or more of the larger Northeastern states, that is a real problem for McCain.”

New York

This should be Hillary Clinton territory, because she represents the state in the Senate. But if Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois is giving her a battle there, it won’t portend well for Clinton across the map, and it could hint at a strong Obama showing in California.

The South

This is the most intriguing part of the Super Tuesday map. Republican Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, is pinning a lot of hopes on winning or at least doing well in states from Georgia to Oklahoma, where delegates are awarded at least partially by congressional district.

Huckabee wants to garner some convention delegates and is hoping for a muddied outcome in the contest between McCain and Romney.

If McCain is beating both Huckabee and Romney in the South, that will be very good news for the Arizona senator. McCain has picked up a lot of key endorsements in this region since winning the South Carolina primary, but the South is also a region where Romney’s claims to be the true conservative in the GOP primary fight could resonate most.

“If Romney is not doing very well in the Southeast and deep South, then that is a real problem for him,” Schnur said.

GOP pollster Whit Ayres said, “I don’t know if Huckabee could win states, but he could win congressional districts. And, depending upon where that happens,” he could pick up delegates.

Republican Ron Paul, who has strong fundraising prowess but disappointing results in contests so far, could have greatest impact in the South and in a smattering of midcontinent contests, from Oklahoma to North Dakota.

California

If the popular vote is close here, it may take till Wednesday to sort out the true winner.

Each party awards delegates using complicated formulas based partly on how candidates do in each of California’s 53 congressional districts. But the state winner in raw votes will have at least part of the day’s headline, if not the clincher.

Democratic consultant Bob Mulholland said the most sought-after headline of the day will be “X wins California.”

Ayres agrees, to a point.

“You have so many delegates hanging out there, you may not be able to get a final sense until you see what California does,” Ayres said.

But he also said that if one candidate wins New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, and another wins Georgia and Tennessee, “that is a pretty good indication we will have a split verdict.”

And if one candidate sweeps most or all of those states?

“Then,” said Ayres, “you will have a real good indication that we will have a clear winner on Super Tuesday.”

Chuck Raasch is political editor for Gannett News Service. E-mail: craasch@gns.gannett.com. For his Furthermore blog, see this story at tucsoncitizen.com/opinion.

Citizen Staff Writer

STEVE RIVERA

srivera@tucsoncitizen.com

LOS ANGELES – Arizona’s shooting, its best feature during a recent four-game winning streak, disappeared against UCLA.

And the Bruins seemingly couldn’t miss as they embarrassed the Wildcats 82-60 Saturday at soldout Pauley Pavilion in front of a national ESPN television audience.

“We just played bad, not like we normally played,” said UA’s Chase Budinger. “We didn’t respond. We let their physicalness get to us. We knew it was going to come but we just didn’t respond.”

Frustrated by No. 5 UCLA’s physical defense, UA shot 32 percent from the floor in the first half and never recovered.

The Wildcats couldn’t stop UCLA freshman Kevin Love, who had a game-high 26 points and 11 rebounds.

“I was a little shocked because they were really hot,” Love told reporters about the Wildcats.

Arizona interim coach Kevin O’Neill was more blunt.

“We were outplayed, outcoached, outeverythinged from the beginning,” O’Neill said. “UCLA played a great basketball game and we didn’t. That’s a bad combination. We were never in it.

“The disappointing thing to me was we have been a team that has had a lot of fight all year and we had no fight at all. I take nothing away from (the Bruins). They went after it and dominated us from the beginning to the end.”

It was so bad that the Cats missed at least three layups that would have helped keep the game respectable. The outcome showed UA has plenty to do to prove it can compete down the stretch in the Pac-10.

“The thing that I’m upset about is that when you are not making shots you have to come out and play with heart; we didn’t play with a composure,” said Jawann McClellan. “Whether you are making shots or having turnovers, you should never have a day off on the defensive end.”

It was UA’s worst loss to the Bruins since UCLA handed Arizona a 111-58 defeat in 1983, the season before Lute Olson arrived in Tucson.

McClellan said he could tell by some of his teammates’ facial expressions that the team wasn’t going to recover from its 20-point deficit.

“We just shouldn’t give up,” he said.

McClellan said he was upset because he could see some UCLA players laughing at the situation, or at least enjoying the one-sided game.

“I think that’s disrespect, but what can you do when you’re playing well?” he asked. “They should laugh. If we don’t take that personally next time we play them, then something is wrong with us.”

UA did get a boost from senior forward Bret Brielmaier, who started the game despite a shoulder injury. Still, he picked up two early fouls.

Fendi Onobun was called for his fourth foul after a few minutes of action as he attempted to defend Love.

“Every other game, we come in ready to play but tonight we weren’t (ready),” Jordan Hill said. “It’s the worst game we’ve ever played.”

Love noticed it.

“I looked at Hill’s body language a little bit in the second half when we were up 24,” Love told reporters. “Then I looked at Russell (Westbrook) and said, ‘Let’s keep it going.’ ”

The Bruins did just that.

By the numbers

10: steals by UCLA.

13: fewer rebounds by UA than UCLA, 35-22.

32: percent UA shot in the first half, killing any opportunity for a win.

Turning point

UCLA outscored UA 19-5 to start the game.

Cheers

To UCLA for showing just how good it is, proving it on national television.

Jeers

To UA, for playing its worst game of the season. Nothing worked.

Player of the game

UCLA’s Kevin Love, who had 26 points and 11 rebounds.

Citizen Staff Writer

STEVE RIVERA

srivera@tucsoncitizen.com

LOS ANGELES – Some of the nation’s best young college basketball talent will fittingly face off not far from where stars are born – Hollywood.

Arizona’s Jerryd Bayless and USC’s O.J. Mayo will meet Thursday at the Galen Center in a battle of freshman phenoms, and UA sophomore Chase Budinger and the Wildcats will try to stop freshman big man Kevin Love of UCLA on Saturday at Pauley Pavilion.

The four are among the league’s top eight in scoring, as is ASU freshman James Harden, who faces UCLA on Thursday.

“I think all those guys will be in the NBA (at some point),” said UA interim coach Kevin O’Neill.

Still, the former NBA coach warns, if a player goes pro before being ready, “you’re going to get flushed out in two years, no matter where you are picked.”

USC’s O.J. MAYO

19.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg

Skills: Super-talented ball handler who can play point guard and shooting guard without any drop-off.

Needs to work on: His shot selection and defense, but the 6-foot-5 rookie improved the latter. Tries to do too much sometimes.

Compares to: Former UA player Gilbert Arenas (Washington Wizards)

What Kevin O’Neill says: “He’s a big numbers guy. He’s got good ability and doesn’t mind taking big shots. He’s an aggressive scorer. He’s everything he said he was coming out of high school.”

KEVIN LOVE, UCLA

17.3 ppg, 11.3 rpg

Skills: At 6-10, he has great hands for a big man. He anticipates and sees the floor well. He can shoot 3-pointers (37.9 percent) and is well-schooled in fundamentals.

Needs to work on: His physique and quickness. Imagine how hard he would be to stop then.

Compares to: Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz), Elton Brand (Los Angeles Clippers)

What Kevin O’Neill says: “A guy who is quickly becoming the heart and soul of that team, even as a freshman. He is solid, tough, hard-nosed; great competitive spirit.”

JERRYD BAYLESS, UA

19.9 ppg, 4.6 apg

Skills: The 6-foot-3 guard from Phoenix has a winner’s mentality. He’s fearless and tough-minded, strong with the ball, pushes the tempo and usually knows his limits.

Needs to work on: Becoming a more consistent jump shooter.

Compares to: Chauncy Billups (Detroit Pistons)

What Kevin O’Neill says: “His value to our team is very obvious. When he’s not there, we struggle. He’s as competitive a guy as I have ever been around – at any level.”

CHASE BUDINGER, UA

17.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg

Skills: Smooth and nonchalant. His instincts rival those of ex-UA star Luke Walton. The 6-7 forward passes and runs the court well. His jumper is near flawless.

Needs to work on: His defense and his killer instinct. He’s improving with each, but his aggressiveness has been questioned.

Compares to: Rip Hamilton (Detroit Pistons)

What O’Neill says: “Chase is a guy who is elevating his game week by week. His conditioning is better and his aggressiveness is better.”

Citizen Staff Writer

STEVE RIVERA

srivera@tucsoncitizen.com

LOS ANGELES – A season ago, the Arizona men’s basketball team stumbled into Los Angeles and left even more down. The Wildcats were swept by Southern California and UCLA.

All those involved this season say it is different – the vibe, the morale and the attitude.

Arizona takes a three-game winning streak into the Galen Center to face USC on Thursday, then UCLA at Pauley Pavilion Saturday night.

“Last year we didn’t have any confidence going against the L.A. schools,” forward Chase Budinger said. “We’re (now) playing better as a team. Still, it’s going to be very tough. Both (opponents) are very good. We’ve got to go out there and play hard.”

USC coach Tim Floyd expects the Cats to play aggressively against his young team, which starts two freshmen and three sophomores.

“They are playing as good as anyone in the country,” Floyd said. “People nationally are missing out on what’s going on at Arizona.”

UA remains unranked for the fourth consecutive week, but the Ratings Percentage Index puts the Cats at No. 7 overall because of strength of schedule, which includes close losses to No. 1 Memphis and No. 2 Kansas.

“This is a team that is together and is gelling,” Floyd said.

He said the key is UA freshman guard Jerryd Bayless. When he was out with a knee injury, Arizona lost three of four games. Since his return, UA is 4-1.

Bayless will face off against USC freshman guard O.J. Mayo. The two are tied for second in Pac-10 scoring at 19.9 points a game.

“Bayless is a special player,” Floyd said. “Of all the freshmen that are being talked about, he’s the guy who doesn’t get talked about enough.”

Bayless is averaging 23 points a game since his return, improving the Wildcats’ offensive bite.

“Our confidence is pretty high,” Bayless said. “Everybody is feeling good about the way they are shooting. Hopefully that continues at USC.”

UA THIS WEEK

Thursday: Arizona (14-6, 4-3) at USC (13-6, 4-3), 8:30 p.m., FSNA

Saturday: Arizona at No. 5 UCLA (18-2, 6-1), 7 p.m., ESPN

The Associated Press
SPORTS PEOPLE

The Associated Press

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Todd Pletcher, a University of Arizona graduate, earned his fourth consecutive Eclipse Award as trainer of the year with 139 votes, easily outdistancing runner-up Steve Asmussen, who trained Curlin and received 65 votes.

Curlin, the Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, swept Horse of the Year and 3-year-old male honors at the 37th annual Eclipse Awards on Monday night.

Citizen Staff Writer
COLLEGE BASKETBALL

STEVE RIVERA

srivera@tucsoncitizen.com

BERKELEY, Calif. – Arizona sophomore Chase Budinger ran hot and cold against the California Bears.

He got hot – or at least warmer – at the perfect time for the Wildcats, who also got a spark from Nic Wise in the second half to rally past the Bears 79-75 at Haas Pavilion on Saturday.

Budinger missed his first five shots in the second half before he hit a basket with 1:29 left – one he called “relieving” – to keep UA ahead. He hit two free throws with 48 seconds left to give Arizona the lead for good as UA avoided falling to 1-4 in Pac-10 play.

Budinger, who went 6 for 8 in the first half, finished with 21 points.

“In the second half they pretty much played zone and I was settling for 3-point shots when I should have been attacking,” Budinger said. “Then at the end, they went to a man-to-man defense. I was able to get through screens.”

Arizona, which has beaten Cal 17 of the last 19 times, moves to 12-6 overall and 2-3 in the Pac-10.

Jerryd Bayless had a team-high 24 points, but it was Wise who helped the Cats rally.

The sophomore guard, who suffered a possible concussion in the first half, came off the bench in the second half and hit two 3-pointers. He added a lay-in that tied the game at 64 with 4:18 left.

Wise, who added clutch free throws in the final minute, finished with 15 points.

“It’s a great win for us,” UA interim head coach Kevin O’Neill said. “Cal was desperate for a win; we were desperate for a win. Anytime you go on the road and get a split you should be happy.”

Cal’s Ryan Anderson led all scorers with 30 points, but the Cats persevered despite trailing 59-52 with seven minutes left.

“We had lost three (conference games) in a row,” Budinger said. “We were kind of down and desperate. It was a must-win game.”

Player of the game

California’s Ryan Anderson, who had a game-high 30 points in a losing effort. He went 10 for 13 from the floor.

Cheers

To UA’s Jerryd Bayless and Chase Budinger, who combined for 45 points. Bayless had 24 and Budinger had 21 after both had miserable games Thursday.

Jeers

To California, which continues to struggle in closing out games. It led UA by seven with seven minutes left.