Fowler

There is no timetable for the return of Arizona sophomore pitcher Kenzie Fowler, who suffered a concussion Sunday when she was hit by a foul ball, according to a statement from the university media relations office.

According to the UA, Fowler is undergoing daily medical evaluation. She was taken from the game to a hospital and released Sunday evening.

Fowler is 21-6 with a 1.69 ERA. She has struck out 175 in 153 1/3 innings.

Arizona’s other pitcher is freshman Shelby Babcock, who is 14.2 with a 3.43 ERA. She has pitched 114 1/3 innings.

Arizona begins a three-game series against Arizona State on Thursday at Hillenbrand Stadium at 7 p.m.

The Sun Devils were ranked No. 1 in last week’s USA Today coaches poll. Arizona was No. 8.

Tickets are sold out for the series, although some standing-room only tickets will be available for each game beginning an hour before first pitch.

The Friday night game begins at 7 p.m. Saturday’s game starts at 1 p.m.

MoMo Jones celebrates after Arizona's 93-77 victory over Duke. Photo by Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

This is the third in a series of player-by-player look-backs at the Arizona Wildcats basketball season. Others: Jesse Perry; Solomon Hill.

MOMO JONES, PG, 6-0, 196, So.

–Not a classic point guard, Momo Jones was the team’s biggest question mark as he inherited the starting job from departed Nic Wise. Jones had some uneven moments early in the season but grew into the role, never lost his New York City swagger, and played his best basketball late in the season.

–The personal highlight of Jones’ season was his career-high 27-point effort in the triple-overtime victory at Cal (video below). He converted a three-point play with 16 seconds left in regulation, made a 3-pointer with five seconds remaining in the second overtime and drove for the go-ahead layup with about a minute to go in the third OT. “To other people it might be something new,” Jones said after the game, “but to me it’s just another day in the life of MoMo Jones.”

–His most complete game might have come against Duke, when he scored 16 points, had six assists and committed no turnovers.

–Jones, after the loss to UConn in the regional final: “It was a heck of a season. That’s the only way to sum it up. It was a heck of a season. .. Of course, you want to go the Final Four, but a lot of people didn’t expect us to get here. We got here.”

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Bryson Beirne gets ready to deliver a pass in Saturday's scrimmage. Photo by Brad Allis, WildcatSportsReport.com

Arizona senior quarterback Bryson Beirne is in his fifth year in the Wildcats’ spread passing attack. How comfortable is he with the offense?

“Ultimate comfort,” he said after Saturday’s spring game. “It’s like walking down the street.”

Beirne has spent his time at Arizona backing up Willie Tuitama, Matt Scott and Nick Foles, seeing only mop-up duty. He completed 5 of 5 passes last season.

His role could change in 2011.

Coaches want to redshirt Scott, so if Foles has to leave a game — or is out for a week or two — Beirne has to jump in and take meaningful snaps.

Is he ready? At this point, how can he not be ready?

“The only way spring was different for me was that I had a lot more fun,” Beirne said.

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Richard Morrison celebrates the first of his two touchdowns in Saturday's spring game. Photo by David Kadlubowski/The Arizona Republic

Related: Jake Fischer injured in spring game; Adam Hall encouraged by early rehab

Arizona didn’t use any of its up-tempo offense. It used, as is customary in spring games, the most basic schemes from its playbook.

And yet, in a reversal from the spring’s first scrimmage, the quarterbacks could hardly miss and the Wildcats’ passing game carved up the defense for 462 yards and four touchdowns on 60 plays.

“Overall, I think it was a pretty good day offensively,” said coach Mike Stoops. “I thought we moved the ball, threw the ball pretty well.”

Arizona’s three senior quarterbacks — Nick Foles, Matt Scott and Bryson Beirne — combined to complete 31 of 42 passes for 380 yards and four scores.

Beirne — who will be the backup this season as Scott tries to redshirt — got the scoring started with a 26-yard pass on a slant to slot receiver Richard Morrison.

Morrison, a sophomore, also scored the Arizona’s second touchdown on a 23-yard pass from Foles. Morrison caught a short pass on the left side with his back to the end zone, faked outside and then spun inside into open space, running free for the goal line.

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Linebacker Jake Fischer is taken off the field after suffering an injury to his right knee.
Photo by David Kadlubowski/The Arizona Republic

What is it that coaches always say? They just want to get through spring practice, especially the final scrimmage, without any injuries.

The Arizona Wildcats did neither.

In the wake of previous ACL tears to backup running back Greg Nwoko and starting safety Adam Hall, starting linebacker Jake Fischer suffered a potentially serious knee injury late in Saturday’s spring game at Arizona Stadium.

It was too early for coach Mike Stoops to speculate on the injury, but he said, “We’ll be disappointed if it’s significant. That will be another major blow for us.”

Depth at linebacker already took a hit in the offseason when backups R.J. Young and Trevor Erno left the team.

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Arizona basketball signee Nick Johnson and Arizona State signee Jahii Carson are good friends, which shows in this fun “interview” that includes UA-bound big man Angelo Chol.

This was posted on YouTube several days ago, but let’s shine a little more light on it.

With Johnson and Carson — you can read more about their banter here — we could be entering a new era of (good-natured) trash talking in the Arizona-ASU rivalry.

Trace Biskin jumps rope before practice. Photo by Michael Chow, The Arizona Republic

Arizona Wildcats coach Mike Stoops was asked what quality new offensive line coach Robert Anae brought to the team.

“Patience,” Stoops said with a chuckle.

Anae has been working this spring with a bunch of pups. Big pups to be sure. But pups nonetheless. The all-new offensive line will display the results of Anae’s work Saturday at the team’s final spring scrimmage at Arizona Stadium (1:30 p.m.).

“Everybody since day one after the bowl game has been saying, ‘What’s going to happen with Arizona with their offensive line being young?’” said junior guard Trace Biskin. “You know, whatever.

“We come out here and just try to get better. We don’t care how old we are. We’re just looking to get better every day. Coach Anae stresses that as long as we play tough, we’re going to be fine.

“You can correct mistakes, but you can’t correct toughness.”

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Alex Zendejas throws his helmet after having an extra point attempt blocked at the end of the second overtime against ASU last season. Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

Alex Zendejas didn’t run away from trouble. Now, he has to fix it.

His name became something of a curse word for Arizona Wildcats fans late last season. You know the details. Two low extra point attempts — one in the final minute of regulation, one at the end of the second overtime — were blocked by Arizona State.

Those kicks were the flashpoints in a 30-29 home loss.

Zendejas followed up with another uneven kicking performance in the Alamo Bowl, missing two of three field goal tries.

“I hear it from every angle still,” Zendejas said earlier this week, talking about fan reaction.

“But I never considered leaving. I was here. I wanted to finish out here. I mean, it’s been tough … but it’s not who I am. I’m not going to run away from something that’s happened.

“I love this school. I love the program, the coaches, the players. It was never my intention to leave. I love it here.”

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Derrick Williams salutes the student section after his game-saving block against Washington.
Photo by Chris Morrison, US-PRESSWIRE

So, Derrick Williams is gone, off to the NBA. Good for him. He deserves to cash in his lottery ticket.

Tweeted Williams on Wednesday night: I dont think anybody thought i would only be here for 2 years… not even me.. i hope i left y’all with memories that will last forever!

Without Williams’ efforts, Sean Miller would still be rebuilding at Arizona. The Wildcats would have won single-digit games without Williams in 2009-10. There would have been no Pac-10 title and no undefeated home season without him this year.

And probably no NCAA Tournament at all.

Certainly, no thrilling ride to the Elite Eight.

Tweeted Williams: Best two years of my entire life! Couldn’t have ask for anything better!

Now, he has a chance to be a very high pick in the NBA Draft. Perhaps the No. 1 pick if he really wows the scouts in the workouts … and if the team with that No. 1 pick isn’t looking for a point guard.

He shouldn’t have any regrets about his decision.

Yeah, for fans, there is the agonizing “what if?” factor. What if he had stayed for his junior season? Arizona would be a preseason top five team, with as good a chance as any for the national championship.

But, really, there is nothing else to do but thank him for the points, the dunks, the blocks, the first half against Duke, the salutes after a big play, the winning … and then wish him the best in the NBA.

Just as Sean Elliott and Steve Kerr were early recruits that helped make Lute Olson an Arizona legend and ushered in two decades of brilliant basketball … Williams was that player for Miller.

And he’s been such a good kid, level-headed and likable, that he still will be doing Arizona proud as he moves on to the NBA to join nearly a dozen ex-Cats in the league.

Mike Bibby, Jason Terry, Richard Jefferson, Luke Walton are all in their 30s. Gilbert Arenas, who already seems to have lived a lifetime, will be 30 next year.

They are the players with ties to Arizona’s best days — the 1997 national championship and the 2001 title game.

Time for some new blood?

Williams will be the flag-bearer of the new Arizona era, the Sean Miller era.

Not a bad representative at all.

Tweeted Williams: just want to say I LOVE ALL YOU WILDCAT FANS.. especially the ones that were there when i first arrived! YOU ALL MEAN SO MUCH TO ME

More coverage from the TucsonCitizen.com Sports Network:

Steve Rivera: Williams makes the right move

Javier Morales: Is Williams the best player to wear an Arizona uniform?

Brad Allis: What Williams’ departure means

Vote: What is your favorite Derrick Williams moment?

Earlier this month, I asked to you on Derrick Williams’ best dunks of the season — the one-handed put-back against Duke is the winner — and now let’s expand the scope.

With Williams leaving after his sophomore season to enter the NBA Draft, let’s look back and ask:

What was your favorite Derrick Williams moment?

I want to say the entire first half against Duke, but I think that might be be a runaway winner … and, besides, I’m looking more for a singular play rather than a 20-minute stretch.

So, for your consideration:

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