Seen and heard in Newark: UA fans few and far between, plus Byrne-Miller relationship

NEWARK, N.J. — Arizona alum Ian Aguilar was one of the few Wildcat fans outside the Prudential Center before the East Regional’s two Sweet 16 games started Thursday, and even he didn’t make the trip from Tucson to see basketball.

It just sort of turned out that way.

Before he showed up outside the arena Thursday afternoon in a dark blue “Block A” jacket, Aguilar spent most of the day and the night before at a hospital, where his sister gave birth to a boy named Jack.

“I’m a new uncle,” Aguilar said, grinning.

Maybe even an uncle of Arizona’s newest basketball fan. Noting the coincidence involved in being around for a family birth just when the Wildcats happened to show up for the NCAA Tournament, Aguilar wondered if the boy could have some sort of effect.

“I keep saying 'Do it for Jack,'" Aguilar said.

A teammate of former UA forward Aaron Gordon at San Jose’s Archbishop Mitty High School, Aguilar hung out with fellow UA fans Mike and Ryan Walsh before the game across from Newark Fan Fest and two restaurants crowded with fans.

While Ryan went to UA and now lives in the Washington, D.C., area, Mike said his efforts to attend UA were thwarted by COVID, and that he lives in New Jersey.

Mike Walsh said UA fans don’t travel well to the East because of the cold weather, saying “they’re SoCal babies.” In any case, it was true that there were so few UA fans around at least before the BYU-Alabama game — about four hours before UA and Duke tipped off — that the three of them spoke to the Star and two other media outlets.

“We gotta stop doing media,” Aguilar said jokingly.

Duke party wins out

Up the street from where Aguilar’s small UA group stood around was Redd’s Biergarten, the site of what Arizona said was a "Pre-Game Meet Up" that started at 6:45 p.m. local time.

While that was true, a pair of UA fans who showed up at 5 p.m. were turned away — because Duke had rented the entire place out for an alumni party until 5:30.

While barring non-Duke patrons from entering, a doorman suggested, “Come back in 45 minutes and have a beer.”

Normally a hockey-themed bar for fans of the New Jersey Devils, who play at the Prudential Center, Redd’s had temporary “Duke” and “Forever Duke” signs plastered on the windows, next to banners touting “$5 Shots All Season Long.”

Byrne, Miller to meet again

Former Arizona athletic director Greg Byrne, who oversaw the Wildcats during most of the Sean Miller era, said he was glad to see Miller become the head coach at Texas — even if that means his Crimson Tide will now face Miller in SEC play.

“I’m a big Sean Miller fan,” Byrne said. “We’ve remained close and Regina (Byrne’s wife) and Amy (Miller’s wife) are still close.”

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

Miller moved over to Texas earlier this week from Xavier, which hired Miller in 2022 — a year after Arizona fired him. While Miller will get a crack at turning the Longhorns into Final Four contenders, Byrne’s men’s basketball team has already done so under coach Nate Oats.

The Crimson Tide, which is scheduled to face Arizona next season in Birmingham, Alabama, won 31 games in 2022-23 and reached the Final Four last season before losing to eventual champ UConn.

“We’ve been fortunate,” Byrne said. “Nate does a great job, works his tail off and develops kids.”

Familiar face

Known as “Mr. Oakland” a year ago, Trey Townsend became one of the Wildcats' more familiar faces before the Sweet 16.

After playing a key role in UA’s advance to the Big 12 Tournament championship game, Townsend was chosen to interview with local media at Arizona’s Selection Sunday party, and he has been a regular on the NCAA Tournament interview podium.

This week was no exception. Townsend took the podium along with Caleb Love and guard KJ Lewis before Arizona’s pregame interviews.

“It’s an honor that my coaching staff and my teammates believe in me as a player,” Townsend said. “I came in here a fifth-year guy just trying to bring a level of leadership, maturity, just being an older guy, especially being in this tournament.”

Not only is Townsend a fifth-year player, but he transferred to Arizona after leading Oakland to a first-round NCAA Tournament win over Kentucky and an overtime loss to North Carolina State last season. That was a storybook finish not only for Oakland but also individually for Townsend, who grew up with the program, born to parents who both played for the Golden Grizzlies.

“I was fortunate enough to play in (the tournament) last year with Oakland, so I was able to learn a lot from that experience,” Townsend said. “I’m just trying to pass the messages along, trying to enjoy this opportunity and this moment. Because so many teams play their whole season just to get here and don't even make it.”

“(It’s) just appreciate it all, appreciate being with this one team because you're only going to be with this one team for this one season. I've been trying to pass that message along and be as much of a leader I can — you know, whatever I am on the scoring chart or whatever it is, I feel I can bring any sort of leadership and mentorship to the team."

Scheyer a near-miss

Before becoming an All-American and helping lead the Blue Devils to the 2010 NCAA title, Duke coach Jon Scheyer nearly chose the Wildcats out of a suburban Chicago high school. He said his final three choices were Duke, Illinois and Arizona.

“That feels like a long time ago,” Scheyer said when asked about it this week. “I just loved coach (Lute) Olson. He was awesome to me to be around. I had a great visit there, although the visit was on the heels of Arizona actually playing Illinois, in an Elite Eight game, I think.

“But just loved coach Olson, loved the way they played. And ultimately wasn't about what wasn't right at Arizona, it was about what was right at Duke. That's where I felt I belonged and where my heart belonged.”

As it turned out, not only did Arizona blow a 15-point deficit in its infamous 2005 Elite Eight loss to Illinois, but Olson left Arizona before Scheyer’s sophomore season of 2007-08 and permanently retired in October 2008.