SB Nation User Blog: joenewby4040

WildcatSportsReport - Starting DL Transferring Home

joenewby4040 — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:16:56 -0000

WildcatSportsReport - Starting DL Transferring Home

This should open the door for Jonathan Hollins to start this year. Tough break for the Cats, but let's hope Hollins doesn't miss a beat.

The "Arizona Brand"

joenewby4040 — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:14:30 -0000

Andy Katz reports that nobody pulled off a bigger recruiting turnaround for the 2009 basketball class than the Cats. Coach Miller may not have realized the power of the "Arizona Brand" before getting to Tucson, but quickly realized that the Arizona name carries serious weight.

"The Arizona brand speaks for itself," Miller said. "It's an amazing recruiting tool."

On April 7, 2009, the Cats did not have one recruit for the 2009 season. That quickly changed with Miller grabbing Solomon Hill, Derrick Williams, Lamont Jones, Kevin Parrom, and Kyrl Natyazho. The Cats are looking like they will be a work in progress from the beginning with such young blood coming and minimal returning starters. Nic Wise will have to lead the charge for this group to start gelling by Pac-10 time. Here is a look at the 2009-2010 basketball schedule:

Date	Opponent / Event	Location	Time / Result

11/01/09	Red-Blue Game	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
11/04/09	vs. Augustana College	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
11/10/09	vs. Western New Mexico	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
11/15/09	vs. Northern Arizona	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
11/19/09	vs. Rice	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
EA Sports Maui Invitational
11/23/09	Chaminade, Cincinnati, Colorado, Gonzaga, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin	Lahaina, Hawaii	TBA
11/24/09	Second Round	Lahaina, Hawaii	TBA
11/25/09	Third Round	Lahaina, Hawaii	TBA

12/02/09	vs. UNLV	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series
12/06/09	at Oklahoma	Norman, Okla.	TBA

12/09/09	vs. Louisiana Tech	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
12/12/09	at San Diego State	San Diego, Calif.	TBA
12/21/09	vs. Lipscomb	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
12/23/09	vs. North Carolina State	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
Fiesta Bowl Classic
12/28/09	vs. BYU	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA

12/31/09	at UCLA	Los Angeles, Calif.	TBA
01/02/10	at USC	Los Angeles, Calif.	TBA
01/07/10	vs. Washington State	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
01/09/10	vs. Washington	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
01/14/10	at Oregon State	Corvallis, Ore.	TBA
01/16/10	at Oregon	Eugene, Ore.	TBA
01/23/10	at Arizona State	Tempe, Ariz.	TBA
01/28/10	vs. Stanford	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
01/30/10	vs. California	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
02/04/10	at Washington	Seattle, Wash.	TBA
02/06/10	at Washington State	Pullman, Wash.	TBA
02/11/10	vs. Oregon	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
02/13/10	vs. Oregon State	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
02/20/10	vs. Arizona State	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
02/25/10	at California	Berkeley, Calif.	TBA
02/27/10	at Stanford	Palo Alto, Calif.	TBA
03/04/10	vs. USC	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA
03/06/10	vs. UCLA	Tucson, Ariz.	TBA

The Cats have their work cut out for them by playing in Maui against Maryland, Gonzaga, Wisconsin and then traveling to Norman to play Oklahoma. After that brutal start, the Cats take on N.C. State at home followed by BYU in Tucson. After all of the non-conference madness the Cats Pac-10 opener is against UCLA in Los Angeles.

Recruiting Spotlight: Daniel Jenkins

joenewby4040 — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:33:17 -0000

VITALS:

Name: Daniel Jenkins

Position: RB

Height: 5'9"

Weight: 187

Speed: 4.5 in the 40 yard dash

High School: Moreno Valley, California (Rancho Verde)

Rivals: Four out of five stars

Recruited By: Tim Kish

STRENGTHS:

Jenkins is one of those little guys who seems to always know how to make guys miss in the open field and will always make forward progress no matter how big the defender tacking him is. If Jenkins is in the open field, it's already a mismatch. His agility and speed make him one hell of a moving target for defenders to try and grasp. Scouts, Inc had this to say about Jenkins:

Very shifty picking and sliding through traffic. Sharp, decisive cutter which gives him deceptive power. Slippery and is difficult to get clean shot on. Makes defenders miss with his great lateral foot-quickness, jump-cut skill and burst through the hole. Reaches top-speed quickly and is very fast-twitched. Flashes great acceleration when he plants and accelerates north-south. Breakaway threat in high school when he reaches the second level with his good top-end speed. Loose hips and very elusive in space; could be a nightmare in an open spread system.

WEAKNESSES:

Jenkins biggest weakness has got to be his size. Standing at 5'9", his durability and yards after contact may diminish exponentially from what he enjoyed in high school. As with all of the young guys, Jenkins needs to put on extra pounds while keeping his speed and quickness a top priority. Jenkins made it to Tucson in June to begin voluntary workouts with the team. Here is what Souts, Inc. had to say about Jenkins:

Size is a major concern as well. Runs hard, is determined but YAC should greatly diminish and durability is an issue if employed as a high-carry in-line runner.

VERDICT:

Jenkins has Nic Grigsby and Keola Antolin in front of him on the depth chart. Jenkins will also be competing with Kylan Butler, another Freshmen running back. He will need to learn the offense and all of his blocking assignments before he would be able to start putting in significant time at running back. There is no question that Jenkins has the skills to play this year and I believe that we will see him get significant playing time this season. Because of his great pass catching ability, there is a small chance that Jenkins could be used at the slot receiver position in order to get him more touches during the season.

Recruiting Spotlight: Terrence Miller

joenewby4040 — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:33:37 -0000

VITALS:

Name: Terrence Miller

Position: Tight end

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 220

Speed: 4.7

High School: Moreno Valley, California (Rancho Verde)

Rivals: Three out of five stars

Recruited By: Tim Kish

STRENGTHS:

6'4". 220 lbs and runs a 4.7? I'll call that a strength. Miller was a wide receiver in high school but will move to TE for the Cats. Miller is a big guy who can run vertical routes and use his body to create space between him and his defender. Scouts, Inc. has the following to say about Miller:

Adjusts well to the difficult throw. Shows good body control, concentration and athleticism. Utilizing his long body and wingspan extending for the grab. Mismatch on the jump ball.

WEAKNESSES:

Miller is not a proven blocker, as he did play wide receiver in high school. His size at 220 puts him at a serious disadvantage (Jack Baucus and Rob Gronkowski) on the line going up against bigger, stronger defensive linemen. Coverage against a tight end versus a wide receiver is a little different, but nothing Miller shouldn't be able to handle. Here is what Scouts, Inc. had to say about Miller:

Not a real sharp route runner but can separate on drag and dig routes and covers a lot of ground with his long stride. Shows some strength after the catch breaking initial tackles but lacks good breakaway speed. Could struggle separating as a route runner as well if employed at receiver. As a true tight end or H, he would need to add good bulk and strength to improve his blocking skills; does show he can stalk-block well downfield.

VERDICT:

Look for Miller to be in the same boat as Baucus this year. Sitting in the wings, waiting, and hopefully learning from Rob Gronkowski. His athletic abilities are what makes him special. He could gain another 15-30 lbs and stay at tight end or he could work on his speed and move back to his old high school position. Unfortunately for Miller, his playing time for this year is going to be limited or non-existent. Some playing time on special teams is not out of the question considering his 4.7 speed and size to blow people up.

Looking for Arizona Desert Swarm Writers

joenewby4040 — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 21:55:31 -0000

For those of you that read the blog often, you have probably noticed that the content is down a little bit the past weeks. This is a result of the summer months being extremely slow and the fact that I am very busy with work and cannot always get to the blog. I truly think that the SB Nation is the best platform for Arizona Wildcats fans to come together and keep up to date for all of the news out of Tucson. So, I am asking for some help. If anyone believes that they would like to help out with the blog, please e-mail me at azdesertswarm@gmail.com and maybe we could work something out. There are always small tidbits of news (no matter what season it is) that are just not making the website right now and I need some help getting them on there. I hope that everyone is enjoying the site so far.

Joe

Arizona vs. Iowa Set For ABC Regional

joenewby4040 — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:39:47 -0000

Arizona vs. Iowa on September 19, 2009 will be shown regionally by ABC Sports. Kickoff in Iowa is slated for 2:30 p.m. CDT, 12:30 in Tucson. The game will be shown in the Tucson market on KGUN-TV 9, or on ABC cable partner ESPN2. The Pac-10 televeision markets have the USC-Washington game slated for ABC at 12:30 p.m. That didn't take long.

Recruiting Spotlight: Jonathan Hollins

joenewby4040 — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:32:57 -0000

VITALS:

Name: Jonathan Hollins

Position: Defensive Tackle

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 280

Speed: 4.85

High School: Transfer from College of the Canyons (Santa Clarita, California)

Rivals: Three out of five stars

Recruited By: Sonny Dykes and Dave Nichol

STRENGTHS:

Hollins enters the 2009 season with the Cats as Junior transfer from the College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California. Hollins is currently listed on the depth chart at defensive tackle and should push for playing time immediately. Earl Mitchell, Dominique Austin, and Sione Tuihalamaka will all play as well, giving Arizona a huge advantage on the defensive line. Hollins will be a good compliment to Earl Mitchell (All Pac-10 Honorable Mention) because of his 280 lb frame and his playing time at defensive end in high school. Hollins should be an immediate asset to the Cats in the middle.

WEAKNESSES:

Hollins versatility at 280 lbs is also his weakness. The Pac-10 promises to have enormous offensive linemen from every school who will be formidable opponents and may be able to take advantage of his 280 lb. frame. Hollins needs to focus on his leverage and be able to plug holes or take on multiple blockers to free up his linebackers. Arizona's defense is returning 10 players who had significant playing time last year and Hollins must step up in order to get playing time.

VERDICT:

Look for Hollins to compete with Dominique Austin for a starting role this fall. We'll see how the defense wants to mold Hollins: hole plugger or shifty pass rusher on the inside. If Hollins is to be the former, he needs to put on more weight and hopefully will enter the fall at more than 280. If Arizona chooses the latter, look for Hollins to use his speed and be a solid stunt guy up front to create havoc in the middle.

Pac-10 Football T.V. Schedule

joenewby4040 — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 03:06:01 -0000

The Pac-10 released the T.V. schedule for this coming football and it is weak for the Cats. Arizona got no respect and is only scheduled to be on national T.V. one time on December 5, 2009 at USC. There are plenty of open slots for the Cats to get picked up, but right now, only December 5 is on the schedule. Didn't we win a bowl game last year?

Recruiting Spotlight: Cordarius Golston

joenewby4040 — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:32:13 -0000

Before we dive into Cordarius Golston, I want to direct everyone's attention back to OL Jake Baratz. I posted a picture of him earlier this year on his recruiting spotlight and it was not him. Thanks for the heads up Mr. Baratz! Another picture is up of Jake and he looks like a monster. Good luck next year!

VITALS:

Name: Cordarius Golston

Position: Linebacker

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 195

Speed: 4.5

High School: Lancaster, Texas (Lancaster)

Rivals: Three out of Five stars

Recruited By: Mark Stoops

STRENGTHS:

Golston was a second team All-District 15-4A selection as a sophomore and was a first team all-district selection as a junior after a 100-tackle, five-sack season. Golston has a huge upside to him with his 4.5 speed and gap filling ability. Scouts think that he can really plug holes and be a true inside out kind of backer. The Arizona Athletics site says that Golston could start summer camp palying on the outside backer instead of the middle. At 6'1", Golston has the ability to pack on more muscle onto his frame. He is currently 195 lbs. and needs to beef up to take on D-1 tackles. Here is what Scouts, Inc has to say about Golston:

Golston lacks great size and speed measurables on paper, but he is productive and plays with a lot of energy between the white lines. Actually looks a bit bigger on film than listed size and has room on his well-built frame for added bulk. At his best playing downhill and supporting the run between the tackles. Stays square to the line of scrimmage when filling.

WEAKNESSES:

As was the case with Jake Fischer, Golston has the ability to plug the inside, but is going to have some trouble playing sideilne to sideline. This analysis should be taken with a grain of salt. The guy has 4.5 speed. If he comes to campus and is able to learn the scheme, the coaches will have him reacting properly and he'll get to the sideline. Here are some other things Scouts, Inc has to say about Golston:

However, he lacks great sideline-to-sideline range and overall speed for a sub-200 pound 'backer. Hip-fluidity in space is marginal. Tends to lose some in transition opening and turning to run. Lacks good change-of-direction quickness and could struggle to mirror quicker zone runners between the tackles.

VERDICT:

Cordarius Golston is currently listed at the Will linebacker on the Arizona Depth Chart along with Jake Fischer. Surprise, surprise. Their writeups were almost exactly the same: "great inside plugging ability. Lack of sideline to sideline play." I think that Golston will be a solid linebacker no matter where they line him up. If we begin to struggle in the middle, he should slide over and start learning that spot. Let's hope that with his speed, Golston gets some time on special teams this year for real time experience.

Hoops on Campus - NY Daily News

joenewby4040 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:32:39 -0000

Hoops on Campus - NY Daily News

We'll be following the basketball recruiting class for 2010 for a long time. Angel Nunez seems very interested. Our 2010 class is looking unbelievable.