The Weekly Wildcat

The Weekly Wildcat
June 20, 2006

(The Weekly Wildcat will appear each week on Tuesdays as part of a running series, updating Wildcats supporters on the sports happenings at the University of Arizona)

I don’t ever intend to bring religion into this weekly report but God bless football and basketball. With the NBA Finals hinting at a Game 7 in Dallas and the league’s amateur draft looming ahead, men’s basketball has been brought to the forefront with the recent re-enlist of Mustafa Shakur after passing on the opportunity to play pro ball a season early. While many fans are tired of Shakur and his three relatively unsatisfactory years at the point for UA, I firmly believe that his presence on the floor next season may provide our school with one of those shining moments. So, let’s take a deeper look.

Men’s Basketball

You can never put a tangible value on a senior point guard in college. The formula for winning the NCAA Tournament is not an exact science but it seems to boil down to one of three factors: A young, talented team that is so green to the tournament that they don’t know any better except to win (see Florida and UCLA from last season); a senior laden team that has been there, done that, and simply outclasses a younger team (see Mateen Cleeves’ Michigan State championship team); a player who gets hot at the right time, becomes an unstoppable force, and puts a team on his back while carrying them to the championship (see Danny Manning, Miles Simon, Carmelo Anthony and next year’s Ohio State team with seven foot freshman recruit Greg Oden).

Although UA is still relatively weak on the inside, if you look closely, our team possesses players from all three categories. Shakur and Ivan Radenovic provide us with senior leadership and should be two of our primary contributors. Marcus Williams is definitely a Climb on My Back and I’ll Take Us Home kind of player. Chase Budinger has all the tools to be a freshman sensation and is more than capable of duplicating the kind of tournament performance Williams displayed last year, filled with youthful exuberance and fearlessness. Then there’s Jawann McClellan, a bona fide ‘X’ factor that, if healthy, should provide us with Hassan Adams-like numbers. If Kirk Walters can give us eight and eight a night, we’re looking at six players that are going to be tough to beat. Add into the mix long-armed J.P. Prince, defensive stopper Daniel Dillon and all-around hustlers Fendi Onobun and Mohamed Tangara and things start to look even better.

The key, though, is for this team to mesh as one. Last season was a complete disaster. Forget about the two well-played NCAA games. Any team can get up for those. The season as a whole was defined by selfishness both on and off the court. Furthermore, cancer bugs like Chris Rodgers have no place in UA athletics. I’m sure he’s a great person, but he is clearly misguided. Plus, he and Coach O are both Psychology majors. That’s like trying to push two magnets together. Fortunately, Chris is gone and if our boys can put the T-E-A and M back in Team, we’re going to be a tough squad to beat next season.

Football

I almost wept this morning when I read this headline in the Tucson Citizen, “Back Picks UA over USC.” I mean, seriously, have you ever seen anything more beautiful that doesn’t involve a sunset, some wine, and a girl you’re trying to bed. Nicolos Grigsby, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound running back from St. Paul High in Santa Fe Springs, California pledged Monday to UA and in doing so, turned down USC and Oregon. Other schools Grigsby was considering included Miami, Arizona State, Washington and Utah. John Moredich reports that USC was selling Grigsby on the idea that he would be USC’s next Reggie Bush in that they’d play him all over the field, creating as much open space for him as possible. My goodness, the thought of UA with our first outstanding tailback since, dare I say, Chuck Levy, makes me happier than a dog with two peckers.

Football skills aside the best thing about Grigsby, though, is his name. Let us not forget that some names are destined for greatness and Arizona for so long has had so few. For us guys, having a great name can be the difference from you sinking a put to win the Masters or pulling a Carl from Caddyshack and pretending your playing the 18th hole at Augusta while tearing apart a flower bed with a hoe. Simply put, having a great name puts you on the fast track for stardom just like having a great name for women can help men gauge your “hotness” level without ever seeing you. Think about it, have you ever met a Carmen, Caitlin or Justine who is not just hot, but smoking hot? Now, think about the times you met a Diana or a Judy. For men, we see a name like Braeylon or Adonis and we automatically think athlete. Grigsby has one of those defining names. Let’s hope finally having a great name-guy in our backfield translates into more wins.

By the way, my buddy Scott Gordon recently had a baby boy and named him Camden. Camden Gordon, an absolutely great sports name. Scott and his wife Heather’s understanding of what really is in a name virtually guarantees Camden that he’ll be starting at quarterback for Notre Dame or Arizona in 2024.

Did You Know?

-More than 90 Wildcat athletes have competed in the Olympics? Seven won gold medals at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

-UA’s intercollegiate athletics program consistently ranks among the nation’s top 10 each year in overall performance on the playing fields and courts.

That’s all for now…please visit my site each Tuesday for the latest edition of The Weekly Wildcat. Until then, Bear Down!