Arizona could have used Jeff Withey's defensive presence around the basket this season. Photo by Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

A 7-footer, a high-scoring combo guard and a shooting ace.

That describes three former Arizona Wildcats who have each had big games in the past few weeks, including Kansas center Jeff Withey on Wednesday night. He went for a career-high 25 points in the Jayhawks’ 68-54 victory at seventh-ranked Baylor.

There are six former Arizona basketball players at different colleges (and it would be seven, but guard Garland Judkins was dismissed from the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi team last summer before his senior season).

Let’s take a look at the transfers, ranked in order of how much the Cats miss them:

Read the rest of this entry »

Mike Bibby, seen here in December 1997, tops the list of UA earners in the NBA. Photo by Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images Sport

We know that former Arizona Wildcats basketball players have made mountains of moolah playing in the NBA, but how much exactly?

The Wall Street Journal pegs UA alums as having earned the third-highest salary total in the NBA since 1985, raking in $738 million. Arizona trails North Carolina ($853 million) and Duke ($809 million).

The Cats rank ahead of Georgetown ($727 million) and Michigan ($715 million).

But I think they should have a bigger cushion.

I have kept a database of Arizona’s salaries in the NBA for several years, writing as recently as last summer that the salary total from Lute’s recruits will eventually approach a staggering $1 billion.

While dismissing a few stray hundreds of thousands of dollars here and there, my numbers differ from the Wall Street Journal’s by about $31 million.

Read the rest of this entry »

That's Richard Jefferson jumping into the arms of Justin Wessel after the 2001 Wildcats advanced to the Final Four. Photo by Ronald Martinez, Getty Images

Former Arizona forward Richard Jefferson is the Wildcats’ representative this season in the new class of inductees for the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Hall of Honor.

Jefferson played three seasons for the Wildcats, from 1998 to 2001, ending in a national championship game appearance vs. Duke. He averaged 11.2 points and 5.0 rebounds in his Arizona career, becoming a defensive ace, too, as a junior.

He is one of 11 players and one coach who will be inducted during the conference tournament next month. The others are: Kurt Nimphius (Arizona State), Lamond Murray (California), Burdette Haldorson (Colorado), Jim Barnett (Oregon), A.C. Green (Oregon State), George Selleck (Stanford), Ed O’Bannon (UCLA), Sam Barry (USC), Arnie Ferrin (Utah), George Irvine (Washington) and Steve Puidokas (Washington State).

Arizona’s other inductees into the league’s Hall of Honor are:

Read the rest of this entry »

Jordin Mayes is averaging 5.5 points this season. Photo by Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Arizona Wildcats point guard Jordin Mayes, suffering from a stress reaction in his right foot, could optimistically return next week, coach Sean Miller said Tuesday.

Miller basically ruled out Mayes from this week’s home games vs. Colorado and Utah, saying an appearance from Mayes is “probably improbable.” After that, who knows?

Could be next week. Could be as late as the Pac-12 tournament next month.

“It’s a matter of when his pain subsides, and we anticipate it will,” Miller said.

“As it subsides, he will be cleared to practice, and he’s able to practice and handle the discomfort that he has, then we’ll clear him for games.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Nick Foles attempts one of his 15 passes at the Senior Bowl. Photo by Chuck Cook-US PRESSWIRE

Three former Arizona Wildcats have been officially invited to the NFL Combine: Quarterback Nick Foles, wide receiver Juron Criner and cornerback Trevin Wade.

Those three were on an initial list last month, but no other ex-Cat was included in the final list of 328 draft prospects. Six former Arizona State players are on the list.

Criner helped himself at workouts for the Senior Bowl last month, likely moving into the second- or third-round range. A good time in the 40-yard dash would improve or further second his place as a top 100 pick.

Foles received mixed reviews for his week at the Senior Bowl, although he played well in the game, including a touchdown pass to Criner. Foles can use the Combine — held Feb. 22-28 in Indianapolis — to separate from a pack of “second-tier” quarterbacks behind Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and, perhaps, Ryan Tannehill.

Wade, a second-team All-Pac-12 selection as a senior, is generally seen as a late-round pick (perhaps middle-round pick, if all goes well).

“The reality is he played better as a senior than he did as a junior, and scouts are looking for that,” NFLDraftScout.com senior writer Rob Rang told me last month. “Scouts are looking for that mental toughness to come back after a tough year.”

Arizona’s next-best draft prospect likely is defensive back Robert Golden, who recently did a Q&A with New Era Scouting. NFLDraftScout.com rates Golden as a seventh-round or free agent prospect.

Kyle Fogg shoots over Stanford's Dwight Powell on Saturday. Photo by Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE

Arizona senior guard Kyle Fogg earned his first conference player of the week honor after leading the Wildcats to a sweep of the Bay Area schools.

In winning the Pac-12 weekly award, Fogg averaged 18.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and four assists in wins at Cal and Stanford. He scored a season-high 23 points vs. the Bears.

Fogg made 8 of 13 3-point attempts, had two blocks, three steals and also played the kind of shut-down defense that coach Sean Miller has raved about all season. He had the lead role against Cal’s Allen Crabbe and Stanford’s Chasson Randle, helping the Cats hold that duo to 8-of-28 shooting.

This is the third weekly honor for Arizona this season; Solomon Hill won the award on Dec. 5 and 26.

Fogg, averaging 12.5 points per game, has taken over the team lead in scoring from Hill, who is at 12.2 points per game. Fogg also is averaging a team-high 13.0 points through 11 conference games.

Arizona (16-8 overall, 7-4 Pac-12) will play host to Colorado on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Davonte' Neal of Scottsdale Chaparral is the top unsigned player in the country, according to ESPNU. Photo by David Wallace/The Arizona Republic

UPDATE: The 247Sports network has reported that Neal has eliminated Oklahoma and Ohio State from consideration, making the Arizona Wildcats one of four finalists.

Arizona will have to wait two more weeks to find out about a big piece of unfinished recruiting business.

Wide receiver/defensive back Davonte’ Neal will announce his college choice on Feb. 21, his father, Luke, told Dick Obert of the Arizona Republic.

Neal, a two-time Gatorade state Player of the Year and ranked as high as the eighth-best player in the nation (according to ESPNU), has taken official visits to Notre Dame, Ohio State, Arkansas and North Carolina.

Neal is still considering visits (official or unofficial) to Oklahoma and Arizona.

Neal would be the centerpiece of coach Rich Rodriguez’s first recruiting class, which is ranked 44th from Rivals.com, 46th from Scout.com and 50th from 247Sports.

The Wildcats signed two of Neal’s teammates from Scottsdale Chaparral — defensive end Dylan Cozens and linebacker Cody Ippolito — and will have at least one more walk-on.

Read the rest of this entry »

If Rob Gronkowski had only been a step closer ... Photo by Richard Mackson, US PRESSWIRE

Former Arizona Wildcat tight end Rob Gronkowski almost made what would have been something like, oh, the greatest play in the history of football.

A Hail Mary to win the Super Bowl?

Nearly.

On third-and-Super Bowl from the New England 49-yard line, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady unleashed a pass into the end zone. Tight end Aaron Hernandez was there — as was a trio of New York Giants defenders — and the ball was batted into the air and slightly back toward the goal line.

Read the rest of this entry »

Jesse Perry (right) prepares to block a shot from Stanford's Aaron Bright in the second half. Photo by Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE

The Arizona Wildcats don’t have Derrick Williams. They don’t have MoMo Jones. They don’t have an injured Kevin Parrom.

They don’t have the run-and-gun sensibilities of the great Lute Olson teams. They don’t have a true low-post scorer. They don’t really have a guy you would call a 3-point ace.

But they do have defense.

Never mind defections and injuries and a lack of height, the one thing Arizona can most control — effort on defense — has provided something that seemed to be in short supply just a week ago: Hope.

The Wildcats locked down Stanford on Saturday, winning 56-43 with the kind of stellar defensive effort that was the fuel for an improbable sweep of the Bay Area schools.

Read the rest of this entry »

Josiah Turner looks for an opening against Stanford's Aaron Bright in the first half. Photo by Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE

Stanford’s 43 points mark its lowest point total ever in 83 games against Arizona. The previous low came in the first meeting — a 44-28 Stanford win in Tucson on Dec. 20, 1937.

The Cardinal shot 16 of 63 from the field (25.4 percent). The Wildcats blocked eight shots.

* * *

It’s over. Arizona wins 56-43. The Cats pull off the sweep on the Pac-12′s toughest road trip. Cal was 14-0 at home this season; Stanford was 12-1.

I didn’t see these wins coming at all, and the Cats did it without Kevin Parrom for both games, and for Jordin Mayes today.

* * *

A steal and a fast-break dunk by Nick Johnson puts this on on ice.

* * *

A turnover for Arizona with 1:21 to go. Stanford could have rocked Maples Pavilion but Aaron Bright misses a 3-pointer.

* * *

Arizona getting close to the road sweep, but needs to finish in the final two minutes. Stanford shooting only 26.2 percent as the Cats lead 49-32 with 1:48 to go.

* * *

Arizona on a 10-0 run and it takes a 45-37 lead with about five minutes to go as Solomon Hill passes out of the lane to wide-open Brendon Lavender, who buries a 3-pointer.

* * *

Angelo Chol, who has come back in for Solomon Hill, fuels a fast break with a blocked shot at the rim. Arizona leads 38-37 with 7:32 to go.

Read the rest of this entry »