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AG's Wildcat Report - Dispatches on the Wildcats, from Anthony Gimino

Archive for February, 2012

Sean Miller makes the case for Solomon Hill on All-Pac-12 team

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012
Solomon Hill

Solomon Hill strikes his 3-point pose against UCLA last Saturday. Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

The Pac-12 selects 10 basketball players as first-team all-conference, and Arizona Wildcats coach Sean Miller knows one name he wants to see on there.

“Solomon Hill has had an all-conference season,” Miller said on his weekly radio show on 1290-AM (KCUB) on Monday night.

“It would be really disappointing if Solomon wasn’t an All-Pac-12 performer. He’s gotten better and better with each passing week.”

And that includes his 3-point shooting.

Miller notes that San Diego State, in Arizona’s sixth game of the season, didn’t bother to guard Hill, playing off him and letting him shoot. Gonzaga did the same, planting 7-footer Robert Sacre in the lane, taking its chances that Hill wouldn’t make the Bulldogs pay with open jump shots.

That strategy worked: Hill was 1 of 9 from behind the arc in those games, both losses.

“Right now, there would be nobody we would play who would dare do that,” Miller said of leaving Hill unguarded.

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Trevin Wade’s 40-time is middle of the pack among cornerbacks at Combine

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012
Trevin Wade

Trevin Wade broke up 13 passes as a senior. Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Former Arizona Wildcats cornerback Trevin Wade ran the 40-yard dash in 4.59 seconds at the NFL Combine on Tuesday, rating near the middle of the pack for his position group.

Wade’s time was the 19th-best among 34 cornerbacks. Central Florida cornerback Josh Robinson recorded the fastest time at the combine with a mark of 4.33 seconds.

\Wade wasn’t known as a speed burner with the Cats, so his time is probably in line with expectations.

Wade was 10th in the bench press among 29 cornerbacks who participated, completing 18 reps of 225 pounds. Arizona State’s Omar Bolden led way with 24 reps.

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Arizona’s Kyle Fogg wins second Pac-12 weekly award this month

Monday, February 27th, 2012
Kyle Fogg

Kyle Fogg goes up for two points while fouled by UCLA's Jerime Anderson on Saturday. Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

Arizona Wildcats senior guard Kyle Fogg capped a superb February with his second Pac-12 Player of the Week honors.

Fogg won Monday after leading Arizona to a home sweep of USC and UCLA.

He averaged 18.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists while playing his usual standout defense. His two primary defensive assignments — USC’s Maurice Jones and UCLA’s Lazeric Jones — combined to make 5 of 26 shots and score 12 points.

The Joneses each lead their team in scoring and would typically combine to score about 28 points.

Lazeric Jones was held to 1-of-12 shooting and two points.

“He is a great player,” UCLA coach Ben Howland said of Fogg. “He was guarding our best scorer and held him really well.”

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Ex-Arizona Wildcats Foles, Criner on the slow side at NFL Combine

Sunday, February 26th, 2012
Nick Foles

Running away from defenders hasn't been Nick Foles' strength. Photo by Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE

Former Arizona Wildcats Nick Foles and Juron Criner weren’t blazers in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine on Sunday.

Foles was timed in 5.14 seconds for 40 yards, according to NFL.com, the worst of the 14 quarterbacks who participated in the 40-yard dash. Foles isn’t noted for his speed, so the poor time doesn’t come as a huge surprise, although he had been hoping to dispel his “lumbering” image.

One of the other critiques of his game has been his accuracy on down-field passing.

NFLDraftScout.com’s Rob Rang wrote on CBSSports.com that Foles struggled when throwing longer routes in drills on Sunday, but added that “Foles has good enough tape to withstand the disappointing workout.”

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Near the end of his career, we can see clearly now about Kyle Fogg

Sunday, February 26th, 2012
Kyle Fogg

Kyle Fogg embraces coach Sean Miller during Senior Day ceremonies following Saturday's game against UCLA. Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

Kyle Fogg didn’t arrive with “All-American” behind his name. He doesn’t shoot like Salim, jump like Hassan, amaze like Gilbert, score like Khalid.

But we have been wrong just about every time we have underestimated Kyle Fogg.

When the Arizona Wildcats signed this late-blooming high school guard in the spring of 2008, it wasn’t seen as a recruiting coup as much as a sign of how the program was struggling after a year of turmoil.

Lute Olson had just returned from a season sabbatical because of illness. He had revamped his coaching staff and needed a few fresh bodies for the roster. Yeah. That’s it. Kyle Fogg, a fresh body. Best available.

It was written locally at the time that, “In the last 20 years, Arizona wouldn’t give a player like Kyle Fogg the time of day.”

It wasn’t an inaccurate statement.

But, as I say, we have been wrong just about every time we have underestimated Kyle Fogg.

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Still climbing: Miller sees steady improvement after win over UCLA

Saturday, February 25th, 2012
Jesse Perry

Jesse Perry goes up for two points in the second half vs. UCLA. Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

The phrase “if the season ended today” is often used at this time of year. So, let’s play that game: If the season ended today …

The Arizona Wildcats would be in the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team.

Barely, perhaps. But in.

UA had to have Saturday’s game against UCLA. A loss at this point of the season to a team with a triple-digit RPI would be a great excuse for the selection committee to draw a line through Arizona’s name.

Saturday’s game went a lot like the Cats’ season: Struggle early, muddle through with little margin for error … and then play their best at the end.

“We had a very low starting point this season, and I know we’ve steadily improved,” coach Sean Miller after a 65-63 victory at McKale Center in which the Bruins’ Jerime Anderson missed an 18-foot jumper at the buzzer.

“We’re a much better team right now than we were at any point in January, that’s for sure.”

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Arizona-UCLA game blog: Cats pull out a two-point victory

Saturday, February 25th, 2012

UCLA’s Jerime Anderson misses a contested 18-footer at the buzzer … and Arizona has a happy Senior Day with a 65-63 victory.

The Cats missed 4 of 6 free throws in the final 23 seconds.

Kyle Fogg missed two of those, but he was otherwise huge down the stretch. He scored 16 of his team-high 20 points in the final 10 minutes; he scored 13 points in the final 6:01.

Fogg was one rebound away from his third double-double in four games.

Postgame:
Still climbing: Miller sees steady improvement after win over UCLA
.

* * *

Back to Kyle Fogg at the line, 7.8 seconds left. He misses the first. UCLA is going to have a chance to win. He makes the second, though, for a 65-63 lead.

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Jerime Anderson at the line for UCLA, shooting one-and-one with nine seconds left. He makes both. Arizona leads 64-63.

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On the in-bounds do-over, Josiah Turner tries to get the ball to Kyle Fogg, who is fouled with 12.3 seconds left. He misses the first, but makes the second … which is HUGE. Arizona up 64-61.

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Josiah Turner has trouble getting the ball in bounds from underneath the UCLA basket, and he barely gets a timeout called before a five-second violation. That’s UA’s last timeout.

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UCLA’s Joshua Smith, after grabbing an offensive rebound off a missed 3-pointer, is fouled. He makes both to cut the deficit to 63-61 with 12.6 seconds to go.

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Arizona football will scrimmage in Phoenix area this spring

Friday, February 24th, 2012
Rich Rodriguez

Rich Rodriguez says he expects an 'ugly' spring practice. Photo by Mark Evans, TucsonCitizen.com

The Arizona Wildcats football team will be on the move this spring.

The north end zone of Arizona Stadium is unplayable, as construction crews move earth in the early stages of a $72 million facilities project.

As mentioned last month, Arizona is likely to move its spring game to Kino Stadium, which hosted the Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game last month.

UA athletic director Greg Byrne said last week that a contract hadn’t been signed but that the spring game, to be held April 14, “probably” would be at Kino, the home of the Triple-A Tucson Padres.

Before that, Arizona will hold a scrimmage in the Phoenix area.

Coach Rich Rodriguez told TucsonCitizen.com earlier this week the Wildcats will scrimmage in the Valley on March 24, likely at Glendale Community College.

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Ex-Cat Mike Bibby among the best of all-time ‘Best in the West’

Friday, February 24th, 2012

Mike Bibby, seen here in December 1997, is among the best high schools produced in the West. Photo by Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images Sport

Frank Burlison knows more about West Coast basketball than any scribe alive, so his list of the region’s best high school players from the past 35 years is supported by plenty of authority.

Burlison founded the prestigious “Best in the West” high school basketball team for the Long Beach Press-Telegram in 1977, which is the same year he become a voter for inaugural McDonald’s All-America Game.

He scoured his memory to come up with a list of the Top 20 all-time Best in the West players, a list that includes two former Arizona Wildcats — including one that might surprise you. (Burlison adds that ex-Cat Richard Jefferson was a “tough cut” from the final list of 20.)

You should guess that point guard Mike Bibby, from Phoenix Shadow Mountain High is among the best. Wrote Burlison:

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Foles among those to be featured on Gruden’s QB camp

Friday, February 24th, 2012
Nick Foles

How will Nick Foles' delivery hold up to scrutiny from Jon Gruden? Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

Former Arizona Wildcats quarterback Nick Foles will be put to the test in Gruden’s QB Camp this spring.

Jon Gruden, the former NFL head coach and current Monday Night Football analyst, will be breaking down the top quarterback prospects for the NFL Draft in a series of ESPN specials.

Foles and the other quarterbacks will visit with Gruden in Tampa for a workout and film session, in which Gruden is known to be brutally honest with his critiques.

Foles, who is attending the NFL Combine this week, is ranked as the 77th-best prospect in the draft in Gil Brandt’s pre-combine ratings on NFL.com. (Former UA receiver Juron Criner is at No. 96.)

Foles’ episode on the 30-minute Gruden’s QB Camp will air April 23.

All the quarterbacks, including Arizona State’s Brock Osweiler, will appear in a one-hour show on April 19.

Here is the full schedule for the show:

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