Official 2007 Arizona Wildcats OFFSEASON Basketball thread

[Renz]

Shocking, the best player in Phoenix choosing Arizona.

Nice call Bickley!

LOL! Did Bickley have Lavender choosing ASU?

 

[Lefty]

This will be shocking to nobody except Dan Bickley, but it's pretty much a guarantee that the best player in Phoenix will choose Arizona over all others. I was expecting this for a few weeks now, Lute never lets the local kids that he wants slip away.

It's official. Lute gets another top recruit out of the Phoenix area! The hiring of O'Neil looks like it is paying off already. Maybe Gordon will be next.

http://arizona.rivals.com/barrier_noentry.asp?sid=&script=/content.asp&cid=670616&fid=&tid=&mid=

 

[Lefty]

I know this is a basketball thread but I did not see a football one. Anyway, Stoops gets another big recruit for 2008 in the commitment of Robert Gordon.

http://www.chicagosports.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=60761&sport=1

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

LOL! Did Bickley have Lavender choosing ASU?

No, but he insinuated that after Bayless the migration of Phoenix players to Tucson could come to a halt and that the elite players might stay home for a change. That theory took all of two months to discredit.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

375k a year for an assistant coach is a lot of coin, but when you generate that much money from hoops and Mike Stoops shockingly gets people to fill up the football stadium every Saturday then I guess it's feasible.

O'Neill will be Lute's replacement should Arizona Hoops returns to it's pre-Shakur form. If they don't he's gone and their salaries (roughly a combined 1.75 million) should get us a pretty big name. Like the hire, something had to be done and O'Neill has one of the best resumes of any assistant college coaches hired this summer.

I just read that thred for the first time. That cheesbeef sig you have is all-time classic. LMAO

 

[Lefty]

I just read that thred for the first time. That cheesbeef sig you have is all-time classic. LMAO

That is pretty funny.

 

[Lefty]

Huge news, the Cats have landed five-star Brandon Jennings! This recruiting class easily will be a top-10 one.
http://arizona.rivals.com/

 

[Russ Smith]

Huge news, the Cats have landed five-star Brandon Jennings! This recruiting class easily will be a top-10 one.
http://arizona.rivals.com/

Beat me to it. Funny because I just told Mao yesterday that rumors were Jennings to UCONN and Larry Drew to UA. If this is true and I have no reason to doubt it's not, it's huge for UA.

Jennings may not play more than a couple of years but he's really good. I think he's the best PG in his class, I still don't get why UCLA stopped recruiting him I wish they hadn't.

Don't be surprised if UA gets Larry Drew too, I don't know the scholarship situation but my understanding is UNC is souring on Drew and unless Kansas makes a late bid(they had some contact with him prior and were trying to get Jennings), he may not have any other options at that level.

Congrats to the Cats, glad to see him stay in the conference.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Watch this kid's highlights on youtube or catch an Oak Hill game next year on ESPN. He's extremely talented, probably would've been better than Shakur last year. And according to Rivals it was Kevin O'Neill who locked up Jennings which means his hire is already paying off considering I can't remember the last time Roz even recruited.

 

[Dback Jon]

Watch this kid's highlights on youtube or catch an Oak Hill game next year on ESPN. He's extremely talented, probably would've been better than Shakur last year. And according to Rivals it was Kevin O'Neill who locked up Jennings which means his hire is already paying off considering I can't remember the last time Roz even recruited.

Good signing for UA. How long does O'Neill stay, or with a few more signings like this, does he become Lute's successor?

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

If Arizona goes back to playing defense, winning 25 games, and competing for championships then the boosters and alumni will demand O'Neill and the AD will pay him what he wants. If we continue going 20-12 and finishing in the second tier of the Pac-10 then Lute will retire and we'll spend the money and get Mark Few, Tony Bennett, or whoever else the powers that be want to succeed Lute. Being one of the Top 3 revenue generating programs in the country gets you a terrific coach despite what Skkorp keeps insisting.

I'm not worried about it for now. With the 2006-2008 recruiting classes Arizona will be competing for championships in the near future and that's more interesting that speculating about future coaching staffs. And speaking of staffs, when are you guys going to finally put Weber on the hot seat? That guy can't recruit his way out of a paper sack.

 

[Skkorpion]

I know nothing about the kid. Is he a one-and-done rental on his way to the NBA?

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Jennings thinks he is. However he's very skinny and with his height that might make a two year guy.

 

[Lefty]

I know nothing about the kid. Is he a one-and-done rental on his way to the NBA?

Dave Telop of Scout.com says he is not a one and done guy. Imagine Bayless and Jennings together, that will be exciting.

 

[nathan]

Isn't U of A still really thin up front?

 

[Lefty]

Here is the story about Jennings signing.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/sports/52372.php

 

[Russ Smith]

I know nothing about the kid. Is he a one-and-done rental on his way to the NBA?

He's really good but I don't know if he's that good. He has a bad habit of turning it on and off and that rubs some folks the wrong way. Nobody will say for sure why UCLA dropped him but one rumor is Howland simply felt he didn't consistently play hard. But talent wise he's off the charts, quick on quick, good size, can shoot, impossible to stay in front of, long arms, gets lots of steals and sees the floor. People say he's selfish at times, then other times he's accused of not shooting enough. I love the kid I will trust howland had a good reason not to recruit him, but I think UA got a hell of a prospect.

There's many rumors why he reneged on USC but the most common one is he only signed there because he was homesick(from LA but played in Virginia last year). After the year he realized he could handle not being home, and realized USC wasn't where he wanted to go. People thought he was going to UCONN so this is a huge coup for UA.

Great for the pac 10 too, always want to see the home kids stay home.

 

[Russ Smith]

Humorous story from Inside Carolina today. Apparently Larry Drew committed to UNC and the story claims:

"He picked Carolina over offers from Arizona, UCLA, Texas, Washington, Gonzaga, California and Louisville, among others".

Well I guess they forgot to mention that UCLA withdrew their offer to Drew when Jerime Anderson accepted, and that UA just got Jennings yesterday and that's why Drew jumped on UNC's offer while it was still there?

http://northcarolina.scout.com/2/646152.html

 

[Russ Smith]

I didn't hear it but UCLA fans are saying Brandon Jennings was on 570 radio in LA today and when prompted just threw Tim Floyd under the bus. Said while UA gave him time to think and make a decision after he reopened his recruitment, Floyd hounded and badgered him trying to get him to recommit and trying to "guilt" him into it by saying you made a commitment you should honor it.

He apparently tried to be PC about it but ultimately said here's a guy who's got a verbal from another PG(Venoy Overton who didn't qualify) has offered another PG from LA(Larry Drew) and is hotly recruiting a prepschool PG(Angelo Johnson) and he's telling me I need to honor my commitment to him?

I knew there was a reason I liked Brandon Jennings!

 

[PAQ77]

I didn't hear it but UCLA fans are saying Brandon Jennings was on 570 radio in LA today and when prompted just threw Tim Floyd under the bus. Said while UA gave him time to think and make a decision after he reopened his recruitment, Floyd hounded and badgered him trying to get him to recommit and trying to "guilt" him into it by saying you made a commitment you should honor it.

He apparently tried to be PC about it but ultimately said here's a guy who's got a verbal from another PG(Venoy Overton who didn't qualify) has offered another PG from LA(Larry Drew) and is hotly recruiting a prepschool PG(Angelo Johnson) and he's telling me I need to honor my commitment to him?

I knew there was a reason I liked Brandon Jennings!

Nice! Now he's gotta show it on the court... I'm pumped!

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Two biggest reasons USC Hoops is a paper tiger:

1. Nobody in LA including Trojan homers gives two craps about USC Basketball. They merely want to beat UCLA, watch the Lakers, and talk about the Spring game.

2. Unlike football where the majority of the Pac-10's coaches are just as shady as Pete Carroll (see Bellotti, Stoops, Erickson, Riley, Tedford), the hoops coaches in the Pac are generally known as good and clean guys around the sport and won't put up with too much crap without causing a stir.

 

[Skkorpion]

Two biggest reasons USC Hoops is a paper tiger:

1. Nobody in LA including Trojan homers gives two craps about USC Basketball. They merely want to beat UCLA, watch the Lakers, and talk about the Spring game.

2. Unlike football where the majority of the Pac-10's coaches are just as shady as Pete Carroll (see Bellotti, Stoops, Erickson, Riley, Tedford), the hoops coaches in the Pac are generally known as good and clean guys around the sport and won't put up with too much crap without causing a stir.

I tend to agree with this except I always got the impression Lute would would turn a blind eye to academic shenanigans.

 

[AZBALLER]

How exactly are Riley and Tedford "shady"?

Skkop, no ua fan will admit how shady Lute is, but them and USC are the first to proclaim Erickson as shady...Are ua and usc fans just scared of Erickson?

 

[AZBALLER]

I tend to agree with this except I always got the impression Lute would would turn a blind eye to academic shenanigans.

Can anyone spell Miles Simon?

 

[Renz]

How exactly are Riley and Tedford "shady"?

Skkop, no ua fan will admit how shady Lute is, but them and USC are the first to proclaim Erickson as shady...Are ua and usc fans just scared of Erickson?

Why don't you fill us in? Are you seriously comparing Tim Floyd and Lute Olson?