Deadspin: Arizona Wildcats

Rich Rodriguez Took The Arizona Job Without Ever Visiting The School

Barry Petchesky — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:35:36 EST

On KTAR radio in Phoenix this morning (via Sports Radio Interviews), RichRod said he signed his contract without seeing the campus, or the barren wastelands that surround Tucson. Or, presumably, the roster. More »

Rich Rodriguez Will Reportedly Be The Next Head Football Coach At Arizona

Dom Cosentino — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:10:40 EST

And per Bruce Feldman, he plans to bring a bunch of his former assistants from Michigan and West Virginia with him. [Free Bruce; photo via Getty] More »

Arizona Is Once Again Responsible For A Batshit Crazy Late-Night Play

Timothy Burke — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 01:13:24 EDT

Pac-12 football has long been the viewing domain of East Coast drunks and insomniacs, Midwestern degenerate gamblers looking to recover the day's losses, and Pacific coast... football fans. And it's often the home to the weird, the wild, and the stupid, which is exactly what happens here as Arizona's Robert Golden picks off a Washington fumble mid-air (they called it an interception, but that's obviously bullshit and I refuse to hold that against Huskies QB Keith Price) and then takes it to the end zone in the most haphazard pattern possible. A similar play happened two years ago between the two teams, when Washington's Mason Foster returned an interception that bounced off an Arizona receiver's foot: More »

Let Us Rejoice In Duke's Misery

Emma Carmichael — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 16:05:00 EDT

The Duke University men's basketball team has earned a special privilege in college sports and within March Madness: It will never be considered the underdog. As far as we're concerned, for as long as Coach K is patrolling the sideline and as long as his hair stays a surreal jet-black, Duke will exist solely to be on the wrong side of an upset. We watch them to watch them lose and we hope they will look sad while doing so. And last night, they lost to a team that for 20 minutes made them seem lazy on defense and inferior on offense, and they looked so very sad when it was all over. More »

If You Didn't Know Derrick Williams Before, You Do Now

Jack Dickey — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 13:15:00 EDT

"He just gives you a presence all the time, that kid. He looks like he never gets tired. He is unique. He's a very unusual player to guard. He's a great player. A great kid. I told him afterward he is special .... He gives you confidence. You always know you have that guy on the court. There is a physicality to this game. Clean, beautiful. He's a beautiful player." More »

Last Night's Winner: Arizona State Does Its Part To Embarrass The Bowl System

Barry Petchesky — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 10:35:00 EST

Thursday was your day, Sun Devils. First, your researchers define biological life as we know it. Then, more importantly, your bizarre win over Arizona (2 blocked PATs!) allows you to officially petition the NCAA to admit the bowl system is a farce. More »

Arizona Fans Do Not Like White Trash Cracker Iowa Fans

Brian Hickey — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 11:15:00 EDT

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Lesson No. 1 learned when you go to Tucson to watch your college-football team do battle with the Arizona Wildcats? If you're married to a white dude, you can talk all the race smack you want. More »

Arizona's Puss-Devil Bologna Man

A.J. Daulerio — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:00:52 EDT

Football season is upon us, which means that thousands of angry, horny, feisty pretend fans will converge upon this great nation's red cup-littered parking lots to participate in traditional tailgating revelry. These are not those stories More »

No One Wants To Coach At Arizona (UPDATE)

Dashiell Bennett — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:30:12 EDT

Dan Wetzel is now reporting that Sean Miller changed his mind and will take the job. I guess this post convinced him. More »

Tim Floyd To NOT Take Over Arizona

Dashiell Bennett — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 10:30:20 EDT

Reports say that the former Idaho/New Orleans/Iowa State/Chicago/New Orleans (again!)/USC coach will become the permanent replacement to Lute Olson at Arizona. Will his seed finally find its purchase? UPDATE: He turned them down. [KTAR] More »

NCAA Sweet 16: (1) Louisville vs. (12) Arizona

Dashiell Bennett — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:00:27 EDT

Midwest Region: No. 1 Louisville (30-5) vs. No. 12 Arizona (21-13)
When: Friday, 7:07 p.m., EDT
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

LOUISVILLE CARDINALS

1) Introducing T-Will Terrence Williams, better known as T-Will, is as exciting and athletic as any player entering the dance. He is Mr. Everything for this Cardinal team, whether it be due to his court leadership, quirky demeanor that keeps the team loose or scissor-kick windmill dunks that rile up the crowd and leave the opposition in amazement. The man is a triple-double waiting to happen (he holds two of the programs three all-time). In the Big East title game, he put up a ridiculous 11 points, 7 boards, 7 steals and 6 assists. A mid-season tweak of his shooting motion has turned a once poor stroke into a deadly weapon. T-Will is among the most complete players in the land and the Cards would be nothing without his leadership. It is very comparable to how David Padgett led the squad last year, but better in many ways. Some in Louisville think he was spited on postseason honors, but the man is not looking for high fives and handshakes from the media through awards and accolades. He's looking to finish off his senior year with a national title. More »

NCAA Tournament Live Blog: (5) Utah Vs. (12) Arizona

The Rowdy Hardy Fan Club — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:05:00 EDT

Your live blogger for this game will be Alex Resch, who contributed to KFFL. He is from Delaware and therefore is not betting on this game. More »

NCAA First Round: (5) Utah vs. (12) Arizona

Dashiell Bennett — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:35:05 EDT

Midwest Region: No. 5 Utah (24-9) vs. No. 12 Arizona (19-13)
When: Friday, 7:10 p.m., EDT
Where: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida

UTAH UTES

1) Fun Facts The men's basketball team won the NCAA title in 1944 and the NIT crown in 1947. Arnie Ferrin, the only four-time All-American in Utah basketball history, played for both the 1944 and 1947 teams. He also went on to help the Minneapolis Lakers win NBA Championships in 1949 and 1951. Wat Misaka, the first person of Asian descent to play in the NBA, also played for Utah during this era. The University of Utah's mascot started out as the "Runnin' Redskins", which was changed in 1970 because of its lack of political correctness. More »

Tom Penders Accuses ESPN Of Video Witchcraft, Not Returning Calls

Rick Chandler — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:50:55 EST

OK, you recall how Houston's Aubrey Coleman used Chase Budinger's face as a doormat on Sunday. Coleman was ejected and then suspended, but that's not the end of our story. More »

Aubrey Coleman Steps on Chase Budinger's Face, Gets Ejected, Laughs

KOGOD — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:30:02 EST

Houston was leading Arizona at the McKale Center by a score of 63-51 when Aubrey Coleman decided to stomp on Chase Budinger's face. As it turns out, that's just the wakeup call the Wildcats needed. More »

David Hasselhoff Will Sing To Mormons

Rick Chandler — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 09:15:02 EST

Yes, The Hoff will belt out the National Anthem at the Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday, and we can only hope that ESPN will cover it live. No doubt this is why the game is already a sellout. [Las Vegas Sun] More »

Maybe Arizona Basketball Is Not A Complete Disaster

Dashiell Bennett — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:30:06 EST

Remember that whole thing about Arizona's basketball program turning into a Shakespearean tragedy? It seems those reports may be been greatly exaggerated by someone. (Okay, it was me.) More »

Someone Please Explain "Overtime" To The Arizona Wildcats

Dashiell Bennett — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:00:46 EST

People can't seem to get over the fact that Donovan McNabb was unclear on the concept of tying (he's a professional football player!), but we guess Arizona's basketball team didn't get the memo either. See, if two teams have the same score when that last buzzer goes off, the game continues with an extra five-minute period. If only someone had told them, they might not have committed two intentional fouls in the final 30 seconds of a tied game. More »

Lute Olson Soap Opera Gets A Little More Creepy

Dashiell Bennett — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

It's safe to say that the last couple years of Lute Olson's life have been difficult. Health problems and a nasty public divorce led him to miss most of last season on the bench at Arizona and walk out on his team just before this one began. But it seems that the split from his wife, Christine, is even crazier—and scarier—than we thought. More »

Arizona Basketball Is Kind Of A Mess Right Now

Dashiell Bennett — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:45:29 EDT

See update below ... Late yesterday, Lute Olson finally made it official—he's dunzo at the University of Arizona. (That also means Dick Vitale was ... *shudder* ... correct.) Yesterday was just the latest misstep, however, in an awkward, drawn out and at times ugly exit for a legendary coach who has now spoiled two seasons for his program, leaving them in a lurch just a few very short weeks before the season begins. More »

Lute Olson Finds It Hard To Say Goodbye

Dashiell Bennett — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:45:00 EDT

Still no official word from the University of Arizona on Lute Olson's alleged retirement as the head coach of the Wildcats. Perhaps that's because he decided to inform more important people first. The order of ranking goes something like this—insane color commentator, then the assistant coaches, then the families of the high school kids you are recruiting, your ex-wife, the mailman, the guy who runs the wax dispenser down at the car wash ... then if there's time, you tell your team and maybe your employers. It's important that you respect the process. More »

Lute Olson Leaving Arizona ... Or Not

Dashiell Bennett — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:20:47 EDT

ESPN's Dick Vitale reported on the SportsCenter this morning that Arizona men's basketball coach Lute Olson is stepping down because of failing health and that Arizona will "conduct a national search" for a new coach. Olson did miss practice yesterday and also failed to show up at an annual Rotary Club of Tuscon luncheon for the first time in 18 years due to "health related reasons," otherwise known as "not feeling well." However, the Sports Information Office at the University of Arizona told Deadspin that it's "just a report by Dick Vitale" and "there's nothing to it." So... who's full of it? There's been no follow up or corroboration on ESPN or ESPN.com as of yet, but we'll keep an eye on it. Developing! UPDATE: U of A denies to the report to ESPN as well. More »

Maximizing Your Collegiate Experience

KOGOD — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:45:30 EDT

It might be hard to remember, but the University of Arizona was once home to a highly respected college basketball program. The 2002-2003 season in particular featured a tremendous team, including players like Andre "Iggy" Iguodala, Channing "Ham Sandwich" Frye, Will "Thrill" Bynum, Luke "Lookout" Walton, Isaiah "Extra Cream Cheese" Fox, and my favorite neighbor, Salim Stoudamire. However none of those notables had their Pac 10 Championship ring up for auction over the weekend. More »

Lute Olson's Back And Surly Like A Fox

DAULERIO — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:30:57 EDT

The University of Arizona has its long-standing head basketball coach back on the bench, but he apparently upped his prickliness quotient during his season-long leave of absence . First order of business? Fire the guy who kept the ship afloat while you were gone. Kevin O'Neill, who was at one point penciled in as permanent head coach if the Silver Fox couldn't get his silvery shit together, was given these favorable options from Olson: More »

NCAA Pants Party: West Virginia Vs. Arizona

Leitch — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:10:48 EDT

West Virginia Mountaineers (24-10) vs. Arizona Wildcats (19-14) More »

Arizona Wildcats

Leitch — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 16:43:24 EDT

1. Depth That Rivals A Wading Pool. If we were comparing depth, a team like Tennessee might be an aging porn actress while the Wildcats are a young virgin, still contemplating how long "true love" actually lasts. The Wildcats have three (3!) players that are averaging over 8.8 points a game and only five players averaging over four points a game. Along with the problems of balanced scoring, only one player is averaging more than 5.3 rebounds a game and only two cheerleaders are charting more than six back-handsprings a game, down from last year. More »

Don't Throw Water Bottles In The Desert

sussman — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:40:00 EST

Storming the Floor mentioned this yesterday, and now we have the moving picture evidence of the water bottle heave during the Arizona-USC game on Thursday night. More »

Arizona Plays Two-On-Five ... And Still Almost Wins

Leitch — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 13:05:27 EST

So here's a story that's kind of fun: The Arizona women's basketball team only dressed six players in their game last night. It did not end well. More »

Lute Olson Extends Leave, Files For Divorce

Unsilent Majority — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 12:30:41 EST

Arizona's basketball team is playing in ~~Champaign~~ Chicago right now without head coach, and that's something they'll have to get used to. Responding to mounting pressure from the media and within his own program Lute Olson announced that he won't return to the team this season, and now we know why. More »

Not A Good Night To Be A Duck

Leitch — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:35:07 EST

With everything else going on and dominating those sports pages of ours, it almost passed notice that the BCS race imploded again last night with Oregon's loss to Arizona. It also obliterated Dennis Dixon's Heisman chances; he's not likely to play the rest of the season. All told, a rather eventful evening. More »

Chase Is Living the Life

Unsilent Majority — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 16:25:56 EST

I'm not sure if this picture is from Halloween or if Arizona sophomore Chase Budinger is just a big fan of Larry Bird, but that hardly matters. Who wouldn't want to be a basketball player at the U of A (One lucky soul even got the privilege of being my neighbor for a couple of seasons)? You're always welcome at the NCAA tournament, the campus is beautiful, and the women are both plentiful and pliable. I think it's safe to assume that this has nothing to do with Lute Olson's departure. More »

Coach Is Taking Some Personal Days

Unsilent Majority — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:35:35 EST

Legendary Arizona Wildcats coach Lute Olson surprised everyone with yesterday's announcement that he's leaving the team for an undisclosed amount of time, effective immediately. More »

Best wishes go to University of Arizona...

sussman — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 18:45:00 EST

Best wishes go to University of Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson, who is taking a leave of absence from coaching. He isn't saying why, but Chris McCosky is pretty sure it's not because of a dirt bike. [Arizona Republic] More »

Arizona Is Prettier Than Tennessee, And Knows It

Leitch — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 11:45:13 EDT

Last night — in ESPN programming we were not watching — the Arizona Wildcats softball team beat Tennessee 5-0 to win the NCAA Championship. One of the fun aspects of NCAA softball is that, if you have one good pitcher, she can just pitch every game. Tarnye Mowatt pitched all 60 innings for the Wildcats, which might have helped. You know what else might have helped? The MySpace message her sister left for her, pregame. More »

NCAA Pants Party: Arizona Vs. Purdue

Leitch — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 13:15:11 EDT

Arizona Wildcats (20-10) vs. Purdue Boilermakers (21-11) More »

Arizona Wildcats

Leitch — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 00:00:24 EST

1. Stretch Marks. The 2006-2007 season has resembled that of a young Alpha Phi freshman, heading to Tucson after a long summer of working out and tanning in the sun. Sure, she looks great when college begins, but five months of drinking any possible liquid (Everclear, YUMMY!) and ordering Domino's on her Cat Card has lead to a larger ass and a sudden case of college acne. Arizona begins the year 12-1 before dropping eight of the next 16 games, including six of eight during a stretch in January. More »

Don't Expect Your Rec League To Adopt These

Leitch — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 15:45:10 EST

These, friends, are the future of college basketball uniforms, and that future is: SPANDEX! OK, not quite Spandex, but there's certainly a skin-tight vibe going on for the four teams who will supposedly try out the new duds during their conference championships this week: Ohio State, Syracuse, Florida and Arizona. They say the shirts are "10 inches tighter," and boy, are we happy they didn't have these things when Robert Traylor was playing. More »

"It's All About The Cats!"

Leitch — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 15:00:20 EDT

We never tired of goofy old team promotional songs, and here's a particularly good one, from a late-'80s Arizona Wildcats team. Ever wonder what Sean Elliot, Steve Kerr and Tom Tolbert would look like rapping? Here's your chance. More »

NCAA Pants Party: Arizona Vs. Wisconsin

Leitch — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 15:30:15 EST

Arizona Wildcats (19-12) vs. Wisconsin Badgers (19-11). More »

Arizona Wildcats

Leitch — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 00:00:37 EST

1. The Other 'Stached Star. Freshman Marcus Williams, maybe the most underhyped freshman in the nation, sports his own version of the '70's porn-stache, a la Gonzaga's Adam Morrison, but for a very awkward reason. Supposedly — and this comes from a girlfriend of his from high school — he sports the semi-facial hair because he feels his baby face isn't tough enough during hoops games. Hey, you can't knock the kid for anything he does; he's second in scoring for the Wildcats and is shooting 44 percent from beyond the arc, best on the team. More »