Ten reasons 2019 could be a banner year for Tucson sports

Recap of the 2018 sports highlights in the Old Pueblo

For a town so based on Arizona’s basketball and football fortunes, 2018 could have been looked at as a truly disastrous year.

Instead, with one pick in the NBA Draft and three touchdowns in the Super Bowl, things in Tucson took a turn for the better.

Here we look at the 10 top sports stories in Tucson for 2018. On Tuesday, we’ll look at the 10 worst, but hope springs eternal Wednesday, when we look forward to 10 of the stories that will dominate the 2019 sports landscape.

Ayton becomes Wildcats’ first No. 1 pick in NBA Draft

First, Deandre Ayton took over Brooklyn, becoming the first No. 1 pick in Arizona history at the Barclays Center on June 21.

Then, just a few months later, Allonzo Trier took a bite out of the Big Apple, giving the Wildcats two big rookie splashes this season.

Of course Ayton, off to a terrific start with the Phoenix Suns, is the bigger deal. Ayton opened his career averaging better than 16 points and nearly 11 boards in his first 10 weeks on the job, topping 20 points eight times, including four straight games in mid-late December. This wasn’t a surprise after Ayton averaged 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds in his one season at Arizona, where he was named a consensus first-team All-American while earning Pac-12 regular-season and tournament MVP honors.

Trier’s immediate success in New York? More of a surprise. The embattled Arizona star, who missed parts of two seasons because of suspensions and was an undrafted rookie free agent, signed with the Knicks on a two-way contract. But by October, it was clear he’d be in the big leagues, rather than in the G-League. By mid-November, he blossomed into a scoring threat for New York, scoring a career-high 25 points in a Nov. 23 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Less than three weeks later, Trier signed a new, full-time contract with the Knicks, becoming the first two-way player to sign a guaranteed NBA contract within the first two months of the season.

Arizona snags Sumlin

Pair the man who turned Johnny Manziel into Johnny Football with perhaps the best combination of arm and legs since Johnny Football turned into Johnny Heisman? Sure, makes sense.

Arizona made a splash — though perhaps not the splash it wanted — when it reeled in former Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin in mid-January to become its 31st head coach, replacing the fired Rich Rodriguez.

Sumlin, who went 56-21 in six years at Texas A&M but only 5-7 in his first season with the Wildcats, was brought in for his offensive acumen and his ability to guide Khalil Tate, who opened the season with ample Heisman hype.

“This is a tremendous day for Arizona football and I am thrilled to welcome Kevin to our family,” Wildcats athletic director Dave Heeke said after the hire. “He is a proven winner who will have an immediate impact on not only our football program, but also on our department and university.”

Super-sub Foles guides Eagles to Super Bowl title

Nick Foles, Super Bowl MVP.

Before last February, that may have seemed ridiculous. But after the miraculous run that Foles had in Carson Wentz’s stead late last year — and watching what he’s doing with Wentz injured this year — perhaps it’s not so crazy.

Foles stepped in after Wentz tore his ACL in Week 14, helping the Eagles clinch their first division title in four years. A week later, the former Wildcats star threw for four touchdowns in a win over the New York Giants.

But during the playoffs, and indeed in the Super Bowl, Foles was nearly flawless. The longtime backup had 352 passing yards and three touchdowns to lead the Eagles to an upset win over Minnesota in the NFC Championship game, then followed up with a 373-yard, three-touchdown game in the title game, even catching a touchdown pass.

Though thousands of miles away, Arizona fans cheered for their former QB.

Tate puts off the NFL, returns to Arizona

It’s not often a Heisman candidate returns for his senior season. But Khalil Tate is nothing normal. The Swiss Army Knife quarterback gave Arizona and head coach Kevin Sumlin an early Christmas announcement as it was announced on Dec. 19 that Tate would be back in Tucson in 2019 in a bid to improve his draft stock and Arizona’s record. Perhaps, after rushing for just 224 yards as a junior while battling a sprained left ankle, Tate had few options.

But after he grew as a quarterback, finishing with 2,530 passing yards and a sterling 26-to-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio, Tate returns for his senior year hoping to be healthy and right as he shows off for pro scouts in his last season.

After an NFL draft evaluation pegged Tate’s draft status as outside the first two rounds, the decision became easier.

Still, it bodes well for the Wildcats.

UA reels in top recruiting classes in basketball

Sure, Sean Miller collecting a top-five recruiting class in the face of mounting scrutiny from both the NCAA and federal investigators is a feat to be proud of. With Nico Mannion and Josh Green heading a heralded class, the Wildcats should right the ship in no time. As of press time, with the verbal commitment of Zeke Nnaji, Arizona had the top incoming class in the country. Astounding.

Maybe more shocking is the recruiting success of Adia Barnes and the UA women’s program. Despite a 6-24 record in 2018, Arizona brought in the best recruiting class in program history.

Led by Cate Reese, the first McDonald’s All-American in program history, and with Washington transfer Aari McDonald running the point — and ranking in the top five in the nation in scoring at nearly 25 points per game — the Wildcats are off to an 11-1 start in 2018-19.

UA women’s golf title

After an 18-year drought, the Arizona women’s golf team claimed its third national championship.

Haley Moore dropped in a birdie putt on the sudden-death 19th hole to lift the Wildcats to the title over Alabama in late-May, the team’s third consecutive overwhelming upset. No. 8-ranked Arizona needed surprise wins over UCLA and Stanford to prevent the Crimson Tide from winning their second title in six years, helping lift the Pac-12 to its fourth consecutive women’s golf crown.

Pima College wins men’s soccer championship

As if the success of the Pima College men’s basketball team wasn’t enough this year — and the Aztecs’ runner-up finish at the NJCAA championship tournament was pretty darned good — then the program’s men’s soccer championship became the feather in the cap the school coveted.

In setting a program record with 31 wins, shattering the previous mark by seven, the men’s basketball team eclipsed already lofty expectations for head coach Brian Peabody, advancing all the way to the title game before falling to No. 1 seed Triton College, 89-85.

The men’s soccer team, led by head coach Dave Cosgrove, a former Pima player himself, did one better.

The Aztecs won their first national title in program history with a dominant defense led by goalie Nils Roth and a star-studded offense led by 30-goal scorer Hugo Kametani, culminating with a double-overtime victory against No. 3 Barton in Daytona Beach, Florida.

“It’s historic,” Cosgrove said. “We won 18 games in a row, for the first time in school history. And in those 18 games, we trailed for nine minutes.

“We’ve given up less goals this year than any team in history.”

Roadrunners claim AHL division crown

In just their second season, the Tucson Roadrunners clinched the American Hockey League’s Pacific Division and scored a 3-1 series win over San Jose in the first round of the playoffs before falling, 4-1, to the Texas Stars.

The Roadrunners rode the hot hand of goalkeeper Adin Hill, who posted a sparkling 2.28 goals-against average in a 19-11-4 season, sparking a 13-win turnaround for Tucson. Hill was at his best late in the regular season, including a 4-0 division-clinching win at San Diego, a game in which he saved a season-high 36 shots.

Indoor Football for Tucson

Tucson sports fans who are looking for some sports action during the mostly down time of February to June got a brand-new toy to play with as the Indoor Football League announced its seventh franchise in mid-August. The Sugar Skulls will join franchises in Phoenix; Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Sioux Falls, Iowa; Grand Island, Neb.; and Green Bay, Wis.

“It’s an untapped market,” said Kevin Guy, the team’s primary owner, along with his wife, Cathy. “This is a niche product that’s going to fill the lull season in the sports world from March to April and running until (UA) football starts up again in the fall.”

The Sugar Skulls will play at the Tucson Arena, which will be transformed from a hockey arena into a football venue.

Geist sets freshman throwing mark

Arizona thrower Jordan Geist entered college with high expectations. However, few could have predicted his immediate success.

The Wildcats freshman set an indoor freshman record in the shot put with a throw of 70 feet, 4.5 inches; this after taking home both the shot put and discus titles at the Pac-12 championships, for which he was named Pac-12 freshman of the year. He also piled up first-team All-American honors in the shot put and second in the discus.

By the time he’s done in Tucson, the potential future-Olympian will likely have shattered all of Arizona’s throwing records.

Sports memories to leave in 2018

With the Arizona men’s basketball team caught up in myriad scandals in 2017, the 2018 sports calendar was already written in pencil in Tucson.

When the most important sports entity in town is under federal investigation, not much else matters.

Combine that with a football coaching change, and it’s clear that 2018 was going to be a struggle.

But no one could have foreseen what unfolded in Tucson.

Here are the 10 worst sports stories of the year in the Old Pueblo.

Drama, scandal envelop Miller’s Wildcats

Throughout the 2017-18 Arizona men’s basketball season, a cloud loomed over the program, courtesy of an FBI investigation that began in 2017 targeting inappropriate payments to athletes across college basketball.

But when ESPN dropped a much-disputed bombshell report by Mark Schlabach in mid-February, that Miller allegedly discussed a $100,000 payment to ensure Deandre Ayton played for the Wildcats, the team came under even further scrutiny from the national media. Some, including the Arizona Daily Star’s Greg Hansen, wondered if Miller should ever coach Arizona again.

Then, in October, ESPN’s Schlabach reported that call records connected Miller with coveted recruit Brian Bowen’s handler, and Arizona was pulled through the mud once more.

Forget yet another disappointing ending to another disappointing season: The Wildcats’ reputation is in peril, and that’s scarier than any first-round exit.

And speaking of …

Unbelieva-Bull: Fourth-seeded Wildcats routed by Buffalo in first round.

With the future No. 1 pick in the draft in Deandre Ayton and a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Arizona men’s basketball team certainly envisioned a deep tournament run, and potentially Sean Miller’s first Final Four appearance.

Instead, the fantasy turned into a nightmare and in a hurry.

The 13th-seeded Buffalo Bulls bullied the bigger, faster, stronger Wildcats in an 89-68 upset, one of the most shocking results of a topsy-turvy tournament.

The Bulls hit 15 of 30 3-point attempts and looked far more like a Pac-12 Tournament beast than a mid-major giant killer. By midway through the second half, it appeared Arizona was headed for an upset, though no one predicted a final margin of more than 20.

“It kind of felt weird,” UA freshman guard Brandon Randolph said. Buffalo “came out of the gate and just destroyed us. They just kept coming at us and we obviously had no answer for that, so I’m gonna give them a lot of credit for that.”

Another premature exit for Arizona softball

After a 7-1 loss to UCLA in the first game of their Super Regional matchup, the Arizona softball team got off to a big start in Game 2.

After the defense rang up a big double play to stifle a UCLA scoring opportunity in the first inning, Alyssa Palomino smashed a two-run home run in the bottom of the inning to give the Wildcats a big early lead.

But the Bruins scored one run in each of the second, third and fourth innings and rode out the rest of the win, advancing to their fourth straight Women’s College World Series. There was a time when Arizona advanced to WCWS after WCWS. Those days are long gone.

The loss kept the Wildcats from their first appearance in Oklahoma City since 2010, after six straight appearances. That followed a one-year absence in 2004, after 16 straight from 1988-2003.

Swoon costs bowl bid

Kevin Sumlin’s first regular season could have ended with a flourish, with a Territorial Cup win over Arizona State, which would’ve clinched a bowl berth in his first season at the helm.

If not for those pesky Sun Devils.

Arizona led 40-21 entering the fourth quarter, only to allow 20 unanswered points in the final quarter in a 41-40 loss that was even more heartbreaking than it sounds.

Arizona’s Josh Pollack had a 45-yard field goal attempt to win the game in the final seconds, but the kick went wide right, costing the Wildcats the postseason.

The Wildcats didn’t just cough up a big lead heading into the final quarter, but they led by 16 points with under 12 minutes left. A Khalil Tate interception and a fumbled exchange between Tate and J.J. Taylor on the ensuing possession cost Arizona dearly.

For the year, Arizona finished a disappointing 5-7, with a 4-5 record in the Pac-12.

Appleman hired as Arizona diving coach, only to be replaced within weeks as scandal comes to light

Arizona thought it had found its man: John Appleman was hired as Wildcats’ diving coach in early June, just weeks after parting ways with former coach Omar Ojeda.

But after USA Diving suspended Appleman in mid-July without citing a reason, Arizona rescinded the offer to its would-be coach and instead hired Dwight Dumais, the youngest brother of the famous Dumais diving family.

The day before Appleman’s USA Diving suspension, a federal class-action lawsuit was filed against USA Diving, the Ohio State University Diving Club and its former coach Will Bohonyi, who was accused of sexually abusing 50 divers at Ohio State and USA Diving, including a minor. One of the victim’s teammates allegedly reported the abuse to Appleman in 2014, but neither Appleman nor the school took action.

As a result, Arizona acted quickly to avoid scandal, but it was still tainted by the search.

Wildcat baseball team misses postseason after 13 one-run losses

Despite a non-conference RPI that ranked 11th nationally and a 11-5 stretch to close the season, the Arizona baseball team was not selected for the NCAA Tournament after going 34-22 on the year and just 14-16 in the Pac-12.

The Wildcats, three years removed from a College World Series appearance, finished the year with a respectable .285 team batting average, and opposing pitchers struggled with a 6.06 ERA against Arizona.

But the Wildcats had 13 one-run losses that killed their playoff chances.

Pima says goodbye to football program

Pima College had a tremendous year, with a national championship in men’s soccer and a runner-up finish in men’s basketball, but it was not without its difficulties as financial concerns caused the shutdown of the football program.

“I can assure you, the decision we made is no less difficult than other decisions we’ve made across the college,” athletic director Edgar Soto said during a mid-June press conference, after the Maricopa County Community College District announced it would end football programs at the Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa and Glendale community colleges starting next season.

In their last season, the Aztecs finished 6-4 and advanced to the C.H.A.M.P.S Heart of Texas Bowl in Waco, Texas, where they lost to No. 4 Kilgore College 28-0 in the program’s last game.

Football wasn’t the only program to get the ax: Pima will also cut two of the four golf and tennis programs — one men’s team and one women’s team.

Former Arizona track coach Carter sentenced to five years

One of the most sordid chapters in Arizona athletics history ostensibly closed in mid-May when former Arizona track and field coach Craig Carter was sentenced to five years in prison for threatening a former athlete, with whom he’d had a sexual relationship that she deemed non-consensual.

Carter was convicted of two counts of aggravated assault, including one with a deadly weapon, almost three years after he was arrested for choking former UA thrower Baillie Gibson in his office. After harassing Gibson’s roommate, Julie Labonté, he was also charged with four counts of aggravated harassment after he violated a protective order by attempting to contact her via social media.

Roadrunners’ playoff run ends early against Texas

The Tucson Roadrunners capped off a fine season in 2017-18 with an AHL Pacific Division title. But after winning their first-round series over San Jose, the Roadrunners exited the playoffs on a low.

The Texas Stars eliminated Tucson, four games to one, after a 3-2 overtime win closed out the series. The Roadrunners had entered the series as favorites after finishing in front of the Stars in the standings. But Tucson fought Murphy’s Law against the Stars — two pucks clanked off the post in the series-ending loss — and the law won.

Gronk begins inevitable decline with Patriots

For so long, former Arizona star Rob Gronkowski appeared invincible, like some kind of supermachine with the strength of a buffalo and the speed of a slightly fast buffalo.

But in this, his ninth season, the superstar New England Patriots tight end appeared human, for maybe the first time.

Gronk finished the regular season with just 45 catches for 658 yards and three touchdowns, the most limited production of his illustrious career. We all knew that with the punishment he’s taken in his career, he’d eventually see the downswing.

But it was still jarring.