Where does Jamelle Horne go from here? (Photo by WildcatSportsReport.com)

Arizona coach Sean Miller has some straight talk for senior-to-be Jamelle Horne.

“He has to do a better job of being a teammate. A better job of being about one thing only — winning. A better job of having a positive body language, regardless of whether things are going well for him,” Miller said Monday.

“He is going to have to really do some things this spring, summer and fall that will allow all of us to say, ‘You know what, Jamelle Horne had a great senior year.’”

Horne has been one of the most vexing Wildcats to come through the program in recent years. On the positive side is his athleticism. On the other side has been everything else: Low basketball IQ. Immaturity. Inconsistency.

You’ve seen it. You know the drill.

“Jamelle and I have had one talk, and he’s done a really, really good job since our season has ended — working hard, doing the right things,” Miller said. “That is way more important than any talk we can have. But we are going to have a number of others.”

Jamelle, a 6-foot-7 forward, will be the only senior on the team next season (although center Alex Jacobson will be a fourth-year junior).

Miller notes that Horne, like some of the others in the Arizona program, has never had offseason stability. For the first time in his UA career, Horne has the same coach and the same way of doing things for more than 12 consecutive months.

“Perhaps that can bring out his best in his final year,” Miller said. “I also recognize that for our team to be best we can be, he’s going to have to change. And he knows that.”

Horne averaged 9.4 points and 5.6 rebounds last season, and he surprisingly was the team’s best 3-point shooter, hitting 50 of 115 for 43.5 percent. But being physical hasn’t been part of his game, and for all his athleticism, he isn’t a dribble-drive kind of player.

He started 28 games last season, which is no guarantee of playing time next season. Arizona will have sophomore-to-be Kevin Parrom for a full season, and he fits the profile Miller is looking for in a wing player — a tough guy who can play defense.

Arizona also is expected to sign junior college forward Jesse Perry on Wednesday and is still in the hunt for power forward Kadeem Jack, from Rice High in Manhattan, N.Y. (Miller said Monday he hopes to add one player to this recruiting class, which includes signed shooting guard Daniel Bejarano and committed guard Jordin Mayes.)

Miller says, “I believe I owe Jamelle that,” referring to trying to get the best out of Horne as a senior. The coach says he sees it all the time — a player finally “gets it” as the finality of his senior season hits home.

“That is something you want in your program. You want seniors to go above and beyond and have the best year of their career,” Miller said, referencing the impact center Brian Zoubek had as a senior in helping Duke to the national championship.

Miller also said he’s tried to help seniors in the past and had to “throw him off in midseason, in terms of it wasn’t working for him and wasn’t working for our team.”

Bottom line: It’s up to Horne.

He has the talent to help.

Does he have the work ethic, the attitude and the desire?

“It’s a very crucial part of our success next year that Jamelle has the right perspective on his last year and is able to do some things the right way,” Miller said.

Related on TucsonCitizen.com:
New basketball facility helps Sean Miller’s plan fall into place

Sean Miller won't have to be screaming for facility upgrades; he just got them. (Photo by Chris Morrison/US Presswire)

This is Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller‘s primary goal: “I want our team to be the biggest, strongest, best-conditioned team we can be,” he said.

And he’s willing to put him money where his mouth is.

Further imprinting his name and his style on the Wildcats program, Miller and his wife, Amy, are putting up $250,000 toward a new strength training facility at the Richard Jefferson Gymnasium, where the team practices.

“I don’t know if I can have another level,” he said when asked if this takes his commitment to the program to another level. “I feel totally responsible for our program.”

Tucsonans Cole and Jeannie Davis have committed $2.65 million to the project, which also will include a remodeling of the locker room in McKale Center. The Davises donated $1 million in memory of late women’s basketball star Shawntinice Polk to the original construction of the Jefferson Gymnasium.

The new strength and training facility at the Richard Jefferson Gym will utilize existing two-story space and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

“What everybody is doing in the year 2010 is very, very competitive,” Miller said.

“It’s a necessary ingredient. When our young people come into our program and grow older, you will really see that physical development as part of their growth. When you have a team full of guys like that, then you see results and winning being a part of it.”

Getting bigger and stronger was a constant theme from Miller in his first year on the job. But so much of his early energy was spent on acquiring a five-man recruiting class. These wasn’t much of an offseason strength plan because, he notes, “we didn’t have a team.”

Now, he can implement an offseason program. He has nine returning scholarship players who can get on the same page. Miller said sophomore guard Kyle Fogg already has added seven pounds since the end of the season.

That’s exactly what Miller wants. He wants to see his young Arizona players grow into the kind of team he had at Xavier — tough, physical and strong enough to play his brand of man-to-man defense, which focuses on ball pressure and stopping penetration.

“When you look at the weight of the players who play in the NBA, sometimes I don’t think anybody realizes how big and strong they are,” Miller said. “I’m not talking about frontcourt players. You look at guards today. It’s amazing.”

The facility will be headed by Chris Rounds, who came with Miller from Xavier last year in charge of the strength and conditioning program for men’s basketball.

Miller said there also is a trickle down-effect to having a spacious facility mostly dedicated to basketball-related strength and conditioning (women’s basketball and volleyball will share the new facility).

It will entice players to stay for the summer, take classes and train under the same philosophy. Miller figures former players who come back for the summer might stay longer because they can meet their training needs.

That helps the current players in terms of competing in pick-up games, while enhancing the “Wildcat family” and potentially growing closer as a team.

“It’s not a small picture, a gift like this,” Miller said.

As it is, Miller says all of the Wildcats, including the new recruits, will be on campus for the second summer session.

And, of course, improved facilities always help in recruiting, as prospects compare schools and try to envision the place when they can have the most success.

“It’s really important, and that’s why this is so exciting,” Miller said.

Taimi Tutogi's hair and feet are flying as he proves to be a multi-dimensional threat in spring/Photo by Brad Allis, WildcatSportsReport.com

Arizona had its Spring Game on Saturday. What did we learn? Well, we learned that a starting backfield of quarterback Nick Foles, fullback Taimi Tutogi and tailback Keola Antolin would lead the nation in hair.

Other than that …

You really don’t want to draw too many conclusions. It’s just a scrimmage.

The defense made some plays — three interceptions, two returned for touchdowns — but Arizona coach Mike Stoops said the offense was at a disadvantage, working off last season’s playbook because the coaches didn’t want to give anyone a look at its new wrinkles.

So, conclusions? Not so many.

Observations? Opinions? Those we can let fly:

New star in town
Sophomore fullback/tailback/H-back/tight end Taimi Tutogi. Call him Gronk-lite.

Tutogi hauled in a deep pass over the middle with one hand, knocked safety Mark Watley to the turf, made another guy miss and kept churning until two defenders brought him down 73 yards away from the line of scrimmage. Former UA tight end Rob Gronkowski would be proud.

Tutogi, at 6-foot-1 and 258 pounds, did what he had to do this spring. He was given an opportunity and he ran with it. Tailbacks Nic Grigsby and Antolin were in and out of practices due to nagging injuries. Third-stringer Greg Nwoko (shoulder surgery) was out all spring. Tutogi and redshirt freshman Daniel Jenkins made extended auditions.

“Taimi is tough,” said co-offensive coordinator Seth Littrell. “Taimi has gotten a lot of confidence this spring that he really needed.”

It’s hard to imagine there will be a lot of carries available for Tutogi from the tailback position this fall — assuming everyone is healthy — but he’ll be on the field a lot because he can do so many things.

“Taimi Tutogi continues to show that he is not only a great fullback, but he gives us another dimension at running back,” Stoops said. “And, believe me, we have no problems playing him at running back, either.”

Juron Criner, superstar
The 6-4 junior receiver had something of a breakout last season — 45 catches for 582 yards and nine touchdowns, including the game-winner against USC that launched the Wildcats to the Holiday Bowl.

For as much improvement as he made between his freshman and sophomore seasons, he might be making the same kind of jump before his junior season.

“The guy is a big-time talent,” said co-offensive coordinator Bill Bedenbaugh. “There are not many guys like him in the country.”

How’s that for a bold statement?

“He really understands the offense now,” Bedenbaugh continued. “He’s confident. To be a great football player, you have to be confident.”

Criner scored twice in the Spring Game, including once when he used his height and leaping ability to reach over cornerback DeWayne Peace for the ball. Later, he scored on a fade pass from Matt Scott to the left corner of the end zone. Arizona is going to go to that all the time if teams choose to play Criner one-on-one.

Said Foles: “I like having him in the red zone.”

What’s going on in the secondary?
Junior Trevin Wade is going to be one of the cornerbacks, a sure-fire preseason all-conference pick. Beyond that, who knows?

Coaches have been mixing and matching personnel. Safeties playing corner. Corners playing safety. Free safeties playing strong safety … you get the idea. At the Spring Game, guys were changing positions from play to play.

“We’re just making sure everybody can change in and out,” said safety Joe Perkins. At least we think he’s a safety.

I just noticed a trend
Tutogi, Criner and Wade were each rated only two out of five stars by one of the major recruiting services. I think Stoops and his staff can identify diamond-in-the-rough talent, and all the fuss in February over recruiting rankings is wasted energy.

It’s scary when Grigsby gets injured
Grigsby carried only once in the Spring Game, but it was nearly spectacular. He flattened safety Robert Golden on a burst up the middle, but then tackled himself by falling to the ground after a 22-yard gain.

Given the nature of the collision, my first thought was that he re-injured the shoulder that cost him most of the Pac-10 season last year. Grigsby walked back to the sideline and tossed his helmet on the turf in frustration.

But he was happy and smiling and signing autographs after the scrimmage. It wasn’t his shoulder. His hamstring was acting up again.

“I was ready to take off, but my hamstring wouldn’t let me,” he said of his 22-yard run. “That was a touchdown.”

He added: “The shoulder is good. I’m out there throwing it.”

Good. The offense needs his playmaking ability in order to reach its full potential.

Stay worried about the linebackers
This will remain the biggest potential problem as the team heads into offseason workouts and fall camp.

Mid-year junior college transfers Derek Earls and Paul Vassallo did some good things in spring, but Stoops said the group as a whole is still doing too much thinking and not enough reacting.

That is something that can be cured with time and experience.

“If we can get our linebacker group solidified over the next three months, then definitely I think we can make some improvement,” Stoops said.

More from TucsonCitizen.com:
Wildcat Sports Report: Big plays in Spring Game

Ricky Barnes reacts after missing a putt last month at the Arnold Palmer Invitational/Photo by Allan Henry, US Presswire

This is a theory I first promoted last summer when ex-Arizona Wildcat golfer Ricky Barnes was making a run at the U.S. Open championship. And now Barnes is near the top of the leaderboard after one round of The Masters.

Barnes won the 2002 U.S. Amateur — and dazzled early at The Masters in 2003, shooting an opening-round 69 while playing with Tiger Woods. Barnes was young and brash and photogenic. His raw talent was off the charts. Superstar qualities.

But golf isn’t easy, and Barnes never had the reputation as the hardest worker. He struggled to fulfill his promise, toiling on the Nationwide Tour until barely qualifying for his first PGA Tour card for 2009. But at least he got to play with the big boys most weeks.

As it was, Barnes didn’t do much last season until reaching Bethpage Black. He led the U.S. Open by one shot heading into the third and fourth rounds.

His caddy for that event was his brother, Andy, a former UA golfer and current Arizona assistant coach. Barnes told CBSSports.com last summer that this was his enduring message to his brother:

“I keep telling him, hard work beats out talent every day,” Andy said.

Sound familiar?

It sounds like something Andy routinely sees on the wall of the McKale Center weight room.

When Stoops arrived as the head football coach in 2003, his first and most important job was to instill a work ethic on a talent-depleted roster. He instructed that these words be painted on a wall in the weight room:

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

So, that’s how I think that Mike Stoops, in a roundabout way, has helped Ricky Barnes.

Andy is back as Ricky’s caddy at Augusta National this week, and Barnes opened with a 4-under 68 on Thursday, two shots off the lead. Barnes’ second-place finish at the U.S. Open earned him a spot in this year’s Masters, which he hasn’t played since his amateur days in 2003.

“I love being back here,” he said after his round. “I always wanted to get back here as a pro and not just an invite from a member. So I’m glad to be back.”

Two other ex-Cats didn’t fare as well. Rory Sabbatini is tied for 63rd at 3-over. Jim Furyk, who has a history of playing well at The Masters, is tied for 92nd in the 96-man field, shooting an 80.

Brigette Del Ponte

Arizona has two players who have been selected to the list of 25 finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award. Question is, why not three?

Freshman pitcher Kenzie Fowler and junior outfielder Brittany Lastrapes are on the list. Those are two no-brainer selections.

Fowler is 21-2 with a 0.83 ERA, and she threw her third five-inning no-hitter Wednesday in a doubleheader sweep of UTEP at Hillenbrand Stadium. Arizona won the first game 8-0 as Fowler struck out nine and walked two. The Cats won the second game 10-0, also in a mercy-rule five innings.

Second-ranked Arizona improved to 32-4.

Lastrapes, a 2009 All-American, is hitting .443 with 12 home runs and 43 RBIs from the leadoff spot. Her on-base percentage of .543 leads the team.

The Wildcat who could/should also be on the list is freshman third baseman Brigette Del Ponte, who entered the week leading the nation in RBIs per game (1.56 for 32 games). And that was before she homered in each game Wednesday, going a combined 4 of 5 with five runs batted in.

Del Ponte increased her RBI total to 55 — 1.62 per game. That’s in addition to hitting .419 and ranking in the national top 10 with 15 home runs.

It’s a strong list of 25 finalists, but you would think there would be room for one of the nation’s top sluggers.

The list of 10 finalists will be released May 12. The top 10 will be pared to three on May 26, with the winner being announced prior to the Women’s College World Series, which starts June 3 in Oklahoma City.

Nick Foles throws in spring ball under the watchful eyes of quarterbacks coach Frank Scelfo (left).
Photo by WildcatSportsReport.com

With the spring game looming on Saturday, Arizona coach Mike Stoops is ready to declare the strength of the team.

“I have been pleased with the progression of all three quarterbacks,” Stoops said after Wednesday morning’s practice. “I think there is a difference in every one of them when you look at them.”

It’s probably no coincidence that for the first time, Stoops has a quarterbacks coach who does not double as offensive coordinator, as Mike Canales and Sonny Dykes did.

Frank Scelfo, who tutored four NFL quarterbacks while at Tulane, can focus solely on improving the mechanics and the minds of Nick Foles, Matt Scott and Bryson Beirne.

“I think it’s a different aspect that we haven’t had for the quarterback position,” Stoops said of having Scelfo as a dedicated position coach. “You can have all the ability, but you still have to have the proper mechanics to throw the football accurately. Frank’s expertise in that area has definitely helped.”

**Here is more from Stoops about the quarterbacks:

“Nick really went to a different level this spring, along with Matt. I think both of them are much more polished players, just seeing things quicker, reacting quicker, getting the ball out of their hands, throwing the ball down the field better — every aspect of their game. Their intelligence. I just think they are much more confident players.”

**Beirne, a redshirt junior, has always been a good soldier, despite having only the slimmest prospects of playing time. In scrimmage situations, he has shown a good arm and good decision-making. It certainly wouldn’t be a disaster if he was forced into action by injuries.

“I think Bryson has made some positive steps as well in his limited reps,” Stoops said. “So we feel good. The quarterback position is probably the strongest position on the field.”

**It helps the quarterbacks that the receiver position is the “next position I feel really good about,” Stoops said.

Senior Delashaun Dean and junior Juron Criner are 6-4 outside receivers who combined for 87 catches for 978 yards and 11 touchdowns — nine by Criner — last season. They are givens. Stoops on Wednesday also singled out junior Bug Wright, who was limited by injuries last season, and redshirt freshman Richard Morrison, converting from quarterback.

“Richard Morrison is coming on. That has been a really positive move,” Stoops said.

He added: “Our skill is probably as good as it has ever been.”

**The big question on offense heading into the spring was identifying the play-caller after Stoops promoted Bill Bedenbaugh and Seth Littrell to co-coordinators. It was assumed that Littrell, by virtue of his game-day position in the coaches box, would be the one actually calling down the plays to the sideline, and it appears that will be the case.

“He and Bill set up the daily game plan, and then Seth calls it,” Stoops said. “Still, I’m not really worried about scoring points, really. I think we should be able to do that pretty consistently. I think we’re much better offensively than a year ago.”

**There isn’t a quarterback controversy, but Scott’s throwing appears to be improved, and perhaps the coaches won’t be afraid to let him wing it when he comes into the game as a running change-up to Foles.

“I think I have improved a lot,” Scott said.

“Since Coach Scelfo has been here, I have learned a lot and progressed a lot through him. I just feel like I am improving every day. I’m really confident.”

Earlier this spring, Scelfo said Scott’s throwing motion had gotten “too long,” and he had lost velocity and accuracy because of it. He also discussed how he was working on Foles’ footwork.

“Every time I don’t throw it how he wants it, he is going to let me know,” Scott said of Scelfo.

“He is going to tell me how it is. That is what I like about him. He’s a straight-up guy with you. He is going to give it to you straight. And I feel that is what I need.”

This is one of the photos new secondary coach Greg Brown is using for his collection of great UA defensive backs. That's Chuck Cecil being mobbed by fans after Arizona's victory over Arizona State in 1986, when he returned an interception 106 yards for a touchdown.
Tucson Citizen photo

Arizona has two new football assistant coaches. They inherited vastly different traditions.

Quarterbacks coach Frank Scelfo takes over a position that hasn’t produced a player who has thrown an NFL pass since Bill Demory in 1973. Scelfo said when he took the job he figured Arizona had a couple of quarterbacks in the NFL.

“There’s none,” Scelfo said. “When someone told me, I was surprised. I really was.”

Meanwhile, secondary coach Greg Brown takes over a position that has produced two Jim Thorpe Award winners (Darryll Lewis, Antoine Cason) and two others who were certainly good enough to win it (Chuck Cecil, Chris McAlister).

In all, Arizona has had five consensus All-American defensive backs — the four mentioned, plus Tony Bouie — through the Pac-10 years. USC also has five in that span; no Pac-10 team has more.

Greg Brown

“I know I would probably be slighting some other schools, but when I think of defensive backs, I have always thought of the University of Arizona,” Brown said.

“When you think of linebacker schools, you think of Penn State. U of A comes to mind to me when you think of defensive backs.”

Brown knows about good defensive back play. When he was at Colorado from 1991 to 1993, he tutored two Thorpe winners — Deon Figures (1992) and Chris Hudson (1994).

Brown, 52, is completely embracing the Wildcats history. He has been acquiring archival photos of the great UA defensive backs to display in his office, perhaps serving as inspiration for his new charges.

He has been showing old game tape of Cecil and Lewis to his secondary, which includes potential all-conference cornerback Trevin Wade and returning starting safety Robert Golden.

“He brings out the film and shows us how they used to play and everything like that,” Golden said. “He is teaching us a lot of technique stuff, so it’s pretty good. It’s really good, actually. We’re applying that to our game.”

Brown has a lot of game film on Lewis, who won the Thorpe Award — given to the nation’s top defensive back — in 1990. Brown was the secondary coach with Tennessee in the NFL in 1997 and 1998, when Lewis was there.

“Terrific person, terrific player,” Brown said.

Brown said he recently spoke with Lewis, who had legal problems after his playing career. Brown said he hopes to have Lewis, who is in Los Angeles, informally visit with the team in the fall.

“I hadn’t talked to him for three or four years,” Brown said.

“I got a hold of him this spring, and he knew I was here. He was excited to hear that I was here. He’s excited to come out this fall and hang out and meet the secondary.”

That would further bring the past to life for the current players, some of whom weren’t yet born in 1990, when Lewis was beating UCLA with a 70-yard interception return and crumpling Oregon quarterback Bill Musgrave at the goal line.

“We’ve been watching him a lot and learning his technique,” Golden said. “And that has been a good thing.”

The tradition lives.

Chase Budinger splits two Chicago Bulls defenders in a game last month/Photo by Jerry Lai/U.S. Presswire

Remember when former Arizona forward Chase Budinger slid all the way out of the first round of the NBA draft last summer?

Turns out, he was a pretty good steal in the second round.

Budinger, in the midst of the most productive stretch of his rookie season with the Houston Rockets, is the third-highest scorer among all second-round draft picks. (Can you name the other two? Answer below.)

Injuries have cleared the way for Budinger to see more playing time recently, and he has responded by averaging 16.2 points in the past six games.

He has set and matched his career high during that span, scoring 24 against Washington on March 30 and 24 against Boston three days later.

“I think throughout my whole career it’s going to motivate me, to prove people wrong,” Budinger was quoted as saying in the Houston Chronicle.

“A lot of it is just getting the opportunity to play. Having so many guys out, especially in my position, has given me more minutes, more opportunity for me to be more aggressive.”

Compare these two stat lines (stats before Sunday’s games):

Not a lot of difference. The first line belongs to Oklahoma City guard James Harden, the former Arizona State star who was selected third overall last summer. The second line belongs to Budinger, selected 44th by Detroit and then traded to Houston.

With his 17-point effort off the bench Sunday, Budinger has increased his season scoring average to 8.7 points.

And to answer the question from earlier: The top second-round scorer is New Orleans guard Marcus Thornton, who is averaging 14.0 points per game. He was selected one spot ahead of Budinger.

Detroit forward Jonas Jerebko, who had played professionally in Sweden and Italy before entering the NBA draft, is averaging 9.4 points.

(Ex-Cat post player Jordan Hill has done better since his trade from the New York Knicks to the Rockets. Hill, the eighth overall pick in the draft, is averaging 6.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 17.8 minutes in 16 games in Houston. He averaged 4.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 10.5 minutes in 40 games with the Knicks.)

The Rockets have six games left in the season, including one at Phoenix on April 11.