Whatever happens in Annie Chandler’s swimming future, the former Arizona Wildcat will have a hard time matching what happened on the medal stand over the weekend.

Her boyfriend, Olympic gold medalist Matt Grevers, who trains in Tucson and competes with the Tucson Ford Dealers Aquatics swim club, won the 100-meter backstroke at the Missouri Grand Prix on Saturday.

Event organizers, in on the proposal, had asked Chandler to help present the medals after the race … and, eventually, Grevers lured Chandler onto the medal stand. He dropped to one knee, took out the ring (which had been slipped to him by his brother) and popped the question.

Chandler said yes.

Chandler, 24, was an 18-time All-American at Arizona and swam on six NCAA champion relay teams for the Wildcats. She was a finalist for last year’s NCAA Woman of the Year Award. She graduated cum laude with a bachelor of arts degree in journalism and a minor in art history.

She is training for a shot at the Olympics this summer.

Grever, 26, won two Olympic gold medals in 2008 helping Team USA in the relay preliminaries, and he also won silver in the 100-meter backstroke.

Sean Miller had this kind of reaction several times on Saturday. File photo by Pat Shanahan, The Arizona Republic.

I’m going to write very little about Arizona’s close call against Utah on Saturday afternoon. No need. Wildcats coach Sean Miller said it all after the game.

I’m here to be your press conference transcriber.

Not a very sexy job, but it probably best serves you on a day like this when the Wildcats avoided an NCAA Tournament bubble-bursting disaster by nearly losing to Utah — a team that entered McKale Center 0-12 away from home and lost to the Cats by 26 points in Salt Lake City last month.

Arizona’s expected Saturday walk in the park turned into high anxiety. The drama had a happy ending as the Wildcats finished on a 12-0 run to win 70-61, but they drew the ire of Miller, who is never afraid to unload his emotions after a game.

So, let’s tell most of the story in Miller’s own words.

We’ll quickly dispense with some of the niceties. He praised how Utah players “stepped up.” He said this was freshman guard Nick Johnson’s best game at Arizona because of his 18 points and timeliness of those points. Miller saluted the four second-half 3-pointers from Brendon Lavender. He recognized Kyle Fogg’s 17 points and six steals.

And then …

“The other side of it, I’m just incredibly disappointed — in myself and in our team,” he said.

“For our team to have pathetic confidence in a game like this … we looked frightened. We missed open shots. We looked lethargic. We did the same thing that we’ve done against Oregon at home, at times against Washington.

“It’s not alarming anymore because we’re almost in March. It’s just really disappointing. …

“When you’re a full scholarship player at Arizona, you play with confidence. We don’t practice and play the best schedule (that we can), play in big arenas and do those things, for you not to be able to make a wide-open shot or run fast. For me to say that I’m tired of it would be a major understatement.

“I’m thrilled the team was resilient and we responded. Sometimes that is what it takes. We’ll take the win, but I’m tired of just sitting over there on the bench watching guys for eight or 10 minutes and it’s almost like, ‘You can’t catch, you can’t shoot, is everything OK, fellas?’”

Arizona had entered the game playing its best basketball of the season, winning three in a row, including a Bay Area sweep and a Thursday night victory over Colorado, the supposed tougher half of this week’s homestand.

But Miller has been saying it — we’ve all been saying it — the Wildcats have little margin of error.

Their formula for competing has to do with defense, effort and hitting their fair share of 3-point shots. Miller saw none of that in the first half. Slow starts have been common all season.

Utah was 12 of 22 from the field, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range, in he first half. The Cats were just at 33 percent from the field. Effort?

“Those were two evenly-matched teams today. Evenly matched,” Miller said, the implication being that they should not have been evenly matched at all, given Arizona’s six-game edge in the conference standings.

“And there is a reason. We’re playing seven players. If three or four of those players don’t play as hard as they are capable of, with incredible energy, doing the things that we do as a team, I’m going to tell you right now, you can pick any team in the nation to come to our home court and it will go just like it did today. …

“The things we do well, we have to do well every game. When we don’t, we’re a disaster. And we were a disaster for a significant portion of that game.”

Arizona fell behind by 13 in the first half, struggling against Utah’s 2-3 zone. Miller said Arizona shooters sometimes had enough time to tie their shoes and spin the ball in their hands … and they still missed the shot.

“When we started to miss, we got really tight. When we got really tight, we got away from moving the ball and we got away from getting the ball close to the basket,” Miller said. “We were taking threes just hoping that they were going to go in. …

“There is only so much you can do. We’re coaching through it. We’re fighting hard. Sometimes you yell and scream. Sometimes you say nothing. But we don’t have a confident team. And it’s disappointing.”

The Wildcats took their first lead of the game with 12:09 to go, when Lavender made a 3-pointer to cap a 15-0 run. Everything looked swell in McKale. And then Utah scored the next seven points. The Cats didn’t lead again until Johnson nailed a 3 with 1:24 left.

Utah didn’t score in the final 5:42 of the game.

“If you keep playing hard, you have a funny way of wearing the other team down. I do think we had great energy at the end,” Miller said.

It was a different story for the first 24 minutes or so.

“The more talented you are as a team, the more experienced you are as a team, the more room for error you have that you can turn it on and off,” Miller said.

“Some of the best teams in the country, as they play with different effort levels, you don’t really notice. If you’re Arizona, and you don’t play with effort level, it’s bad. Effort level, confidence on offense, taking good shots, playing with poise … that was missing.”

Near the end of his postgame press conference, Miller uttered the words that should be this team’s slogan: “We are playing for our lives in every facet of the game.”

That’s the thing. Arizona is good enough to compete with most everybody on its good days. On the other hand, Arizona isn’t talented enough to run away from anybody — not even Utah at home — on its worst days.

“The thing I’m most proud of is that even though we were a disaster, it’s hard to put that behind you and make big plays and rally so that you can be a disaster and still win. And that’s what we did,” Miller said. “Whether you win by one or 100, you move on.”

But Miller wasn’t about to move forward without sending a public message about his displeasure.

He, of course, gets the last word. This is how he closed his press conference:

“It’s not all great; it’s not all bad,” he said. “But the recognition of what happened here today, it’s important that our team understand in an effort to move forward.”

* * *

Arizona holds Utah scoreless for final 5:42 of the game and ends on a 12-0 run to avoid what would have been a horrible loss. The Cats survive 70-61.

Just win, right?

* * *

Utah gets two 3-point attempts, but both are off the mark. Arizona will survive.

* * *

With the shot clock winding down, Jesse Perry drives inside and gets fouled with three seconds left in the possession. He makes both free throws for a 66-61 lead with 31.8 seconds left.

* * *

Nick Johnson puts in a 3-pointer for a 64-61 lead with 1:24 to go. Arizona gets the ball back with 1:04 left when Utah’s Kareem Story steps on the baseline while trying to drive to the hoop.

* * *

Brendon Lavender has hit four 3-pointers in the second half to help keep the Cats in it. Utah has countered with an unbelievable 9 of 15 accuracy from 3-point range. It is going down to the wire, scored tied at 61 with 3:20 to go. And this was a team the Wildcats beat in Salt Lake City by 26 points.

* * *

Just something to keep in mind: Utah entered the game with an 0-9 record in road games. Including neutral site games, the Utes are 0-12 away from home.

* * *

Arizona can’t shake the Utes, who are lights out from 3-point range. They are 8 of 12 from beyond the arc, and their latest make puts Utah up 56-53. How does a team that normally shoots so poorly from 3 do that against the nation’s best against the 3? Go figure. Small sample size, I guess.

* * *

No quit in the Utes, who get up off the mat after UA’s 15-0 run. A short jumper by Jason Washburn, a 3-pointer by Cedric Martin and a 3-point play from Martin gives Utah a 51-46 lead. Some very surprising drama at McKale Center.

* * *

Utah has five turnovers — and is 0 of 2 from the field — during Arizona’s 15-0 run.

* * *

SG Brendon Lavender hits a 3-pointer with 12:05 to play to give the Wildcats their first lead of the game against Utah, 46-43. Lavender’s shot gives Arizona a 15-0 run, as shots from the outside are finally falling against a 2-3 zone.

* * *

Here is the beginnings of an Arizona run. Brendon Lavender makes a 3-pointer, the UA defense forces a shot-clock violation, and then Kyle Fogg nails a 3. The Cats are down 43-39 as Utah takes a timeout with 13:53 to go.

* * *

OK, the TucsonCitizen.com site was down for a while, so there are some gaps in the updates … but we’re back. Utah led 33-25 at halftime and the Utes are continuing to scare the Wildcats, leading 43-33 with 15:14 to play.

Coach Sean Miller has talked about how devastating it would be “if our defense leaves us.” That is what is happening, as the Utes have made 16 of 27 shots from the field, including 6 of 8 from 3-point range.

* * *

Another four-point play for Arizona, this time from Nick Johnson with 2 minutes to play in the half. Arizona has eight points on two plays … and 15 points on all the other plays combined.

* * *

Kyle Fogg is the only Wildcat with an offensive game today, making a four-point play when he sank a 3-pointer and was fouled on the play. With the free throw, Fogg cut the deficit to 28-19 with 5:20 to go in the half.

* * *

It’s not getting better. Utah has hit two more 3-pointers to double-up Arizona 26-13 with 6:31 to go. Sean Miller has tugged on his tie enough to move the knot down several inches.

* * *

Kyle Fogg removes the lid from the rim and hits the UA’s first 3-pointer of the game with 10:19 to go in the half. He hits another one with 9:45 to go.

All better now?

Well, the Cats are still down 17-11.

* * *

The Wildcats are doing so poorly on offense, you would think Utah was using a triangle-and-two.

* * *

Arizona is one of those offensive funks that happens, oh, just about every game. The Cats are 0 of 6 from 3-point range — with some wild misses — and are 1 of 10 from the field. Utah leads 12-3 with 11:34 left in the half.

I guess the Wildcats don’t like these noon starts.

* * *

Arizona entered the game as the best team in the nation in defending the 3-point shot, allowing 26.5 percent. Utah, meanwhile, has been one of the worst shooting teams, making only 29.4 percent from behind the arc.

Naturally, the Utes made their first two 3-point shots and have come out swinging, leading Arizona 12-3 with 14:54 to go in the half.

* * *

Kyle Fogg checks in with 16:41 to play in the half, Arizona trailing 8-2.

* * *

Kyle Fogg was late for a walk-through, according to a UA official, which is why he did not start today. He is seventh in school history with 110 starts.

* * *

Arizona is expected to have a comfortable victory over Utah, which enters the game with a 2-10 conference record. But here’s a twist: Senior guard Brendon Lavender is starting for senior Kyle Fogg, who has started all 25 games this season.

Fogg looks fine in warm-ups, so perhaps he was just late for a team function or something like that. There has been no official word from Arizona about the reason for Fogg not starting.

Fogg is averaging a team-high 12.6 points per game.

Check back here during the game for more updates … and have your say in the comments section.

The Arizona Wildcats’ recruiting class might have more steals than stars — at least that’s the hope for a class that ranks near the bottom of the Pac-12 — and quarterback Javelle Allen looks like one of the former.

Allen was rated a three-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com, putting him in the thick middle of BCS-level recruits. There was little buzz about him.

Rivals.com didn’t rank him among the Top 25 dual-threat quarterbacks. Scout.com ranked Allen 81st among all high school senior quarterbacks. The 247Sports network gave Allen two stars out of five.

The question is, why?

Was Allen just not very good … or did he just bloom as a senior after most top programs had completed their quarterback recruiting? Did he simply not get evaluated much by the recruiting services?

All of the above?

As is the case for all recruits, time will tell, but you can build an argument that Allen is better than the modest ratings.

“In regard to why he got overlooked, he didn’t have great junior numbers,” said Prosper High coach Kent Scott.

“With our offense, we were putting him in position to take advantage of the skills he’s got. We had been very multiple and got sidetracked on some triple-option stuff, some flexbone, from the Pistol. It just didn’t lend itself to throwing the football.

“He’s a great runner, but we just weren’t utilizing him the way he was capable of being used. He is truly a dual-threat quarterback.”

Allen, a left-hander who had transferred to Prosper from Humble (Texas) High before his junior season, passed for only 569 yards as a junior, never attempting more than 12 passes in a game. Although he ran for 1,094 yards, he didn’t have the profile that made the recruiting services pause for a write-up.

Between Rivals and Scout, Allen — even as he transitioned to a spread offensive to maximize his skills as a senior — was mentioned in only one story through the 2011 season. That came last summer, when Allen said he had interest from New Mexico State and Arkansas State.

Allen last season completed 138 of 224 passes for 2,347 yards, with 30 touchdowns and five interceptions. He ran for 1,539 yards and 22 touchdowns, averaging 9.38 yards per carry, for a team that went 9-3. Prosper won seven of those games by at least 34 points.

“If you factor in that in half of our games he was sitting on the bench in the third or fourth quarter, that makes his numbers more impressive,” Scott said.

“If the ball was in Javelle’s hands, our guys felt like we had a chance to score from everywhere. You look at his numbers, his completion percentage, the kid makes great decisions.”

Allen is one of two quarterbacks in Arizona’s recruiting class, the other being Josh Kern from San Antonio. One of them figures to be the backup to senior Matt Scott next season.

Coach Rich Rodriguez said he thinks both quarterbacks have something of the “it” factor that is needed for a quarterback to become a leader.

Of Allen, Rodriguez said, “His coach talked glowing about how he was the guy who would take the team out there on his own in the summer for seven-on-seven, would lead the team during the season and just had everything you would want in a quarterback.”

True. Scott does say that, raving about Allen’s personality.

“He really matured over the last 12 to 16 months in how he leads. He makes the other people around him better,” Scott said.

“He goes over and works with our elementary school students, and the teachers tell me they have to peel the kids off him. The kids just idolize him. If he didn’t have two great parents, I would adopt him in a minute.”

Arizona got involved in Allen when Rodriguez brought in one of his former assistants, quarterbacks coach Rod Smith, who had been recruiting Allen to Indiana. Scott said that Indiana “kind of backed off” when Smith left, opening a door for the Wildcats.

By the time Allen emerged as a senior, many top colleges already had filled their quarterbacks slots in their recruiting classes and were evaluating juniors, further squelching any recruiting buzz around him.

“I know I’m biased because he’s my kid, but I think this is the steal of the Class of 2012,” Scott said. “He is extremely capable of playing at the level Arizona is expecting of him.”

* * *

Here’s a random note: Allen is used to throwing to the son of a major-league centerfielder.

Torii Hunter Jr. and Darius Hunter were junior receivers last season at Prosper (and a third son of Anaheim Angels outfielder Torii Hunter, Money, plays defensive back for Prosper). At Arizona, Allen could soon be throwing to Trey Griffey, the son of Ken Griffey Jr.

* * *

Arizona’s recruiting ranking would improve if Davonte’ Neal picks the Wildcats on Feb. 21, but, for now, UA’s class is ranked 45th nationally by Rivals.com, 46th by Scout.com and 50th by 247Sports.com. Arizona’s class is rated 11th in the Pac-12 by each recruiting service.

* * *

Allen played on the USA 19-under team in the International Bowl on Feb. 1, throwing a touchdown pass late in the third quarter.

Freshman center Angelo Chol played a season-high 24 minutes vs. Colorado. Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

Arizona out-rebounded the best rebounding team in the Pac-12 by double digits, which was a nice surprise.

Undersized frontcourt players Solomon Hill and Jesse Perry combined for 33 points and 25 rebounds with no fouls, which was amazing.

And freshman center Angelo Chol, in the biggest bombshell of the night, knocked in an 18-foot baseline jumper, nothing but net.

How are you liking these Wildcats now?

Arizona (17-8 overall, 8-4 Pac-12) put some air between itself and Colorado with a surge halfway through the second half and went on to post a 71-57 victory in McKale Center on Thursday night.

It was another night of the kind of smothering defense that we have to come to expect from the Wildcats, who entered the game ranked fourth nationally in 3-point field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to hit 26.7 percent.

Arizona improved on that even further after Colorado made just 3 of 16 3-pointers (18.8 percent).

“Our defense is there. It’s proven that our defense is there,” Hill said. “Once we start clicking on offense, the sky’s the limit.”

It was also a night in which Chol showed how valuable he is going to be as the Wildcats try to sprint into March. He had eight points and two blocks in 24 minutes, and then coach Sean Miller hinted at an even bigger role (more on that later).

Admit it: Two weeks ago, you were ready to say, “Wait ’til next year” with Chol.

He had gone scoreless in a three-game stretch vs. Colorado, Washington State and Washington, with four rebounds, five turnovers and only one block in 28 minutes.

Then a (not so) funny thing happened.

Kevin Parrom suffered a season-ending broken foot … and, well, someone had to eat up those frontcourt minutes behind Perry and Hill. And it sure wasn’t going to be erstwhile starting center Kyryl Natyazhko, banished to the walk-on area of the bench.

It was going to be Chol, raw offensive skills and all.

“I was frustrated because I wasn’t contributing much,” he said.

The extra minutes, the extra responsibility, was, in a strange way, liberating. He felt better because he could do his part. He showed it with more aggressive play on both ends of the court, and he’s becoming, rapidly, the feared at-the-rim defender the Wildcats have lacked all season.

As one sign read in the Zona Zoo on Thursday night: “Pay the Chol toll.”

He has averaged six points, 2.7 blocks and 2.0 rebounds in the past three games.

“The difference is when Angelo comes in a game now, he impacts the game in a positive way,” Miller said. “He just doesn’t fill in and give those guys a breather.”

Chol is a long and bouncy 6-foot-9 whose range on offense has generally been no longer than his wingspan. His long jumper Thursday night even flummoxed Colorado coach Tad Boyle.

“When he hit that 17-footer, oh my God,” Boyle said. “That was the shot we wanted (him to take).”

Chol isn’t going to live offensively with that shot any time soon. His contributions will mostly be on defense and with a dunk or two.

His emergence begins to answer a question that has hounded Arizona all season: How do the Wildcats deal with a team that has great size?

Miller said he’s been hesitant to use Chol, 6-7 Perry and 6-6 Hill in the same lineup. Part of that is because he doesn’t want to mess with Hill, who is now flourishing at power forward, with four double-doubles in the past six games.

But the day is coming for that lineup, which, if successful, will help Arizona match up against all-comers in March.

“I do believe that down the stretch, we’re going to have to play those three guys together because on defense Angelo is really making a big, big jump,” Miller said.

It’s no longer, “Wait ’til next year” for Chol.

Now, it’s “Wait ’til next game.”

The Cats didn’t shoot well from distance — only 3 of 16 from beyond the arc — but made up for it by being feisty on the boards against the best rebounding team in the Pac-12 at plus-5.9 per game.

Arizona had a 43-31 edge on the glass, and Jesse Perry and Solomon Hill each had two rim-rattling follow dunks late in the game after missed 3-pointers. Hill finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds.

UA will try to make it a four-game winning streak Saturday at noon against Utah, which lost at Arizona State tonight. It shouldn’t be hard for the Cats to keep the momentum going.

* * *

Jesse Perry follows up a 3-point miss by Brendon Lavender for a 62-50 lead with 3:35 left. McKale erupts … and the Buffs are in a tight spot.

* * *

Josiah Turner quietly have a good game. Not doing anything fancy — other than the occasional laser into the lane — but he has six points, four rebounds and two assists as the Cats lead 58-48 with 4:14 to go. Maybe UA can avoid having a game go down to the wire?

* * *

That was a key offensive stretch for Arizona, which scored on six consecutive possessions to take a 51-42 lead with 8:23 to go. To recap:

A layup by Jesse Perry, a three-point play from Josiah Turner off a lob pass from Nick Johnson, a Kyle Fogg 18-footer, two free throws by Johnson after a drive to the hoop, a driving layup by Fogg along the baseline and a free throw by Hill.

* * *

Can’t complain about Solomon Hill’s all-around game. He had 13 points in the first half, now has 10 rebounds and dropped off a nifty pass to Jesse Perry for a layup and a 41-39 lead with under 11 minutes to go.

* * *

It’s turned into a pitchers’ duel of sorts at McKale Center, with the teams inching along offensively, with the Cats leading 39-38 with 11:55 to play. Are Arizona’s defensive numbers so good this season because there are so few scary-good offensive players in the Pac-12? Just wondering…

* * *

Angelo Chol with a 18-footer along the baseline? (Rubbing my eyes …)

* * *

There is something about Colorado that disrupts Arizona’s shooting eye. The Cats were 3 of 20 from 3-point range in the first meeting and are 3 of 12 here early in the second half.

* * *

Halftime: Arizona leads 34-28. Each team shot 10 of 25 from the field in the first half.

* * *

How ’bout that Arizona defense? The Cats held Colorado without a basket for 9:02 after Spencer Dinwiddie made a three-point play with 9:53 to play in the half. Over the next nine minutes, Colorado missed eight shots from the field and committed six turnovers.

* * *

Nick Johnson ends Arizona’s field goal drought with a 3-pointer with 3:30 to play. He then comes down and soars to block a shot at the rim. Think of how good he can be a in a year or two.

* * *

We’re at the final media timeout of the first half — 3:58 to play — and the Cats haven’t scored a basket since 11:17, when Solomon Hill scored to give UA a 20-18 lead. How bad has the offense been on both sides since then? Consider that Arizona still leads 25-23.

* * *

As often happens when Arizona plays, the game has turned into a mess offensively. The Cats have missed seven shots in a row with 5:32 to go in the half, but it’s solid defense against Colorado is mostly keeping the game at a standstill. The Wildcats won’t be crisp offensively for any significant length of time until at some point next season.

* * *

A softball update: Arizona wins its season-opener over McNeese State, 8-1, at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe.

* * *

Arizona, with its lack of size, has little business being as good on the boards as it is, coming into tonight with a plus-2 per game margin in conference games. Colorado (with a plus-5.9 rebounding margin for all games) is the conference leader in that category, but the Cats have the edge so far, 10-6, with 7:58 to go in the first half.

* * *

Josiah Turner picks up his second foul with more than nine minutes left. With Jordin Mayes out with a foot injury, foul trouble for Turner is the last thing the Cats need.

* * *

Some fast and furious non-stop action, as the first media timeout doesn’t come until the 11:36 mark — it is always taken after the first stop in action past the 16:00 mark.

As play resumes after the timeout, Solomon Hill puts in a basket for his seventh point as Arizona takes a 20-18 lead.

* * *

Arizona coach Sean Miller praised Colorado senior guard Carlon Brown at his weekly press conference. Brown had 19 points in the first meeting vs. UA. “He’s relentless with his effort,” Miller said. “He’s big and physical and strong, but he’s really skilled.”

* * *

Good news for former Arizona Wildcats player Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers. He’s been selected to his first NBA All-Star Game.

* * *

Arizona will try to avenge its one-point loss at Colorado last month as the Buffs visit McKale Center for the first time since 1974.

As if often the case, the Wildcats figure to need every point (considering five of the past eight games have been decided by four points or less). And that means the UA needs to shoot free throws better.

Arizona was 30 of 54 (55.6 percent) from the line in two games last week, when they still managed to sweep Cal and Stanford. The Wildcats relied on hot 3-point shooting and excellent defense to get those victories, but could stand to give itself a little more margin of error by making more of the freebies.

The Cats are shooting only 65 percent from the line in conference games, with freshmen being among the biggest offenders.

Point guard Josiah Turner is at 60 percent (27 of 45) in league games. Nick Johnson is at 55.2 percent (16 of 29. Angelo Chol has taken only four attempts, making two.

This will be our spot for in-game coverage and analysis, so keep checking back as the Cats try to improve to 17-8 overall and 8-4 in the Pac-12.

Brandon Ashley at the Boost Mobile Elite in Venice Beach, Calif., this summer. Photo by Gary Randazzo, Wildcat Sports Report

Two Arizona basketball recruits have been selected to the prestigious McDonald’s All-America team, the first time since 2007 that a future Wildcat has been so honored.

Forwards Grant Jerrett and Brandon Ashley made the 12-player West squad for the McDonald’s game, which will be played March 28 at the United Center in Chicago.

They are part of Arizona’s top-ranked recruiting class, which also includes 7-footer Kaleb Tarczewski and guard Gabe York, two more national top 50 recruits. Tarczewski, in fact, is rated No. 5 by ESPN.

He very well could have earned McDonald’s All-America honors, but Tarczewski wasn’t eligible because he was recently reclassified as a fifth-year senior, according to the Arizona Daily Star’s Bruce Pascoe.

York, rated 36th by ESPN, missed time this season after an appendectomy and a two-game suspension for playing in an unauthorized game.

For what it’s worth, Jerrett and Ashley will give Arizona a McDonald’s All-American on the roster for the first time since 2008-09, when Chase Budinger was a junior.

Does it matter?

Consider that since 1979, only one team has won the national championship without having a McDonald’s All-American on its roster. That was Maryland in 2002. McDonald’s has sponsored an All-American team since 1977.

Arizona, which has a scholarship to give because of the transfer of center Sidiki Johnson, is one of six schools in the mix for 6-6 Shabazz Muhammad of Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas. Muhammad, rated the No. 2 player in the nation by ESPN, told ESPNU on Thursday afternoon that he is likely to announce a decision in April.

Here is a list of McDonald’s All-Americans who have played at Arizona, including transfers:

Note: Two other McDonald’s All-Americans signed with Arizona but went straight to the pros – Ndudi Ebi (2002 All-American) and Brandon Jennings (2008).

Davonte' Neal is going to make some school this happy. Photo by Pat Shanahan, The Arizona Republic

Arizona Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez will have to try to land Scottsdale Chaparral High School star Davonte’ Neal without the help of being able to host a recruiting trip.

Neal’s father, Luke Neal, told the Arizona Republic this morning that Davonte’ had planned to take his final recruiting trip to Arizona this week but canceled that mainly because of a family situation.

Neal, a receiver/cornerback who is rated as high as the eighth-best prospect in the country by ESPNU, will still consider the Wildcats among his final four choices.

Luke Neal told Dick Obert of the Republic that his son has no favorite among Arizona, Notre Dame, Arkansas and North Carolina. Davonte’ Neal recently eliminated Ohio State and Oklahoma from consideration.

Asked about what is most important in choosing the school, Luke Neal said, “The ability to be able to play right away and to graduate.”

Neal will announce his decision Feb. 21.

Even without taking an official or unofficial visit to Arizona, Neal should know plenty about Arizona. His high school coach, Charlie Ragle, is now on Rodriguez’s administrative staff as a liaison to in-state high schools.

Two of his high school teammates — defensive end Dylan Cozens and linebacker Cody Ippolito — signed with the Cats. At least one other former Chaparral player will walk-on — running back/linebacker/safety Lucas Petrullo.

For the latest updates, check Obert’s blog at azcentral.com, one of our Gannett partners. Here is a direct link to his latest story on Neal.

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:

C Jeff Withey, Kansas
He announced his intention to transfer from Arizona in late October 2008, after coach Lute Olson announced his retirement. He managed to practice with the team but never made it to the season-opener of his freshman year.

The Cats sure could use his height right now.

After being deep in the rotation last season, the 7-foot junior leads the Big 12 in blocked shots at 3.0 per game; he nearly has as many blocks (72) as the entire Arizona team (80). Withey nicely fills a complementary role for KU with 8.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He also shoots 86.1 percent from the line.

After a couple of subpar performances, he shattered his previous career high of 15 points with his 25-point effort vs. Baylor.

“That’s probably about as good offensively we’ve had a big man play here in a while,” coach Bill Self said.

MoMo Jones is helping Iona average 83.2 points per game. Photo by Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

G MoMo Jones, Iona
Arizona has struggled to replace his leadership and late-game skills after Jones transferred last summer, with the intent to be closer to his Harlem, N.Y., home and an ailing grandmother. The NCAA granted him a hardship waiver, so he didn’t have to sit out a year.

Jones, who mostly played point guard in two seasons Arizona, can play off the ball at Iona because of the presence of Scott Machado, who leads the nation with an amazing 10.0 assists per game.

Jones, who is averaging 16.2 points, earned the most recent Player of the Week award for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. He scored 43 points last week vs. Canisius, making 16 of 23 shots from the field, including 7 of 12 from 3-point range.

Iona, whose RPI number of 56 is six spots better than Arizona’s, will be a team to watch in the NCAA Tournament should it advance.

G Zane Johnson, Hawaii
Johnson has carved out a very good career in the WAC, leading the Warriors in scoring last season with 15.8 points per game and replicating that production this season with a team-high 15.7 points per game.

It’s easy to forget than Johnson started 11 conference games for Arizona during the 2008-09 season, but he averaged only 3.4 points in his two years in Tucson.

Johnson, known for his shooting ability, has taken 70 percent of his shots from 3-point range. He’s one of the top 3-point shooters in the WAC, making 40.7 percent last season and 37.2 percent this season. Johnson scored 29 points vs. New Mexico State on Jan. 21.

“He’s a better athlete than you think and he’s bigger than you think,” Utah State coach Stew Morrill said recently. “He gets a lot of his shots off because he gets them off quick.”

C Sidiki Johnson, Providence
Johnson had the body to help Arizona down low this season, but he didn’t make it through his first semester, leaving school after landing in coach Sean Miller’s doghouse.

His transfer to Providence was announced last week.

The good news for Arizona is that it has another scholarship to give out and add to its top-ranked recruiting class. And, you never know, there could be another transfer after the season, giving Miller another chance to sign a player in the spring period.

G Laval Lucas-Perry, Oakland
He’s been gone for a while, leaving after the first semester of his freshman season in 2007.

Lucas-Perry, from Flint, Mich., then played two seasons at Michigan before being dismissed and landing at Oakland for his final season of eligibility. The Wildcats saw him earlier this season when the Grizzlies visited McKale Center. Perry had 11 points in an 85-73 loss to UA.

He is averaging 9.2 points but is shooting only 24.8 percent from 3-point range.

G Daniel Bejarano, Colorado State
He is redshirting at Colorado State after barely getting off the bench at Arizona as a freshman. He appeared in only eight games last season.

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.

That is mostly accounted for by the more than $29 million the Memphis Grizzlies still owed Michael Dickerson when he stopped playing after the 2003-04 season because of injuries.

The WSJ, which used Basketball-Reference.com as one of its research tools (as did I), credits Dickerson with career earnings of $17,113,162. The total value of his contracts, however, was about $46.5 million.

Jared Diamond, the author of the Wall Street Journal story, wrote in an e-mail that “we did not count money that was owed to a player after his playing career ended.” Fair enough.

But I will continue to say that NBA money earned by UA alums from 1985 through last season — the time frame fits perfectly with “Lute’s recruits” — is closer to $770 million than the figure reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Something to keep in mind as we continue to keep score.

Here is my individual salary breakdown of UA alums in the NBA:

Sources: The USA TODAY salary database, Basketball-Reference.com, a variety of news stories and Tucson Citizen archives. The USA Today database and basketball-reference.com do not agree in all cases, but the differences are usually minor.