LOS ANGELES β Arizona guard Max HazzardΒ played in the Wildcatsβ game at UCLA on Saturday after sitting out Thursday at USC with what the program called a βpersonal issue.β
UA officials confirmed before Saturdayβs UA-UCLA game that Hazzard could play, though they declined to specify the nature of his absence nor whether the issue is final. After Thursdayβs game, UA coach Sean Miller said he didnβt know what Hazzardβs status was going forward.
βI really canβt say much beyond that,β Miller said then.Β
Hazzard entered the game with 13:09 left in the first half, replacing Nico Mannion. Ninety seconds later, Hazzard hit a fast-break layup to give Arizona a 12-7 lead. His jumpshot in the final second of the first half gave Arizona a 33-27 advantage at the break. Hazzard played 20 minutes, scoring seven points on 3-of-4 shooting. He added four rebounds and two assists.Β
The move came just in time to salvage a homecoming of sorts for Hazzard. His grandfather, Walt Hazzard, is a UCLA basketball legend. Max attended Loyola High School in Westchester and played his undergraduate seasons at UC Irvine.
Part of the family
Dave x BILL x Me= π.. on @espn tonight https://t.co/mvBeDBKOX2
— Richard Jefferson (@Rjeff24) February 29, 2020
When former UA standout Richard Jefferson joined the Bill Walton-Dave Pasch duo on ESPNβs broadcast Saturday, it wasnβt so much an interruption for Walton as much as it was hugging a family member.
Jefferson has been good friends with Waltonβs son, Luke, ever since they took a recruiting visit to Arizona together in 1997.
βWhen (Luke) came back from that visit, he said, βIβm going to Arizona. I just met my best friend for life,ββ Bill Walton said.
Jeffersonβs presence actually may have shaken things up more for Pasch, the play-by-play broadcaster who has become known for playing off and reeling in the tangentially inclined Walton during broadcasts.
βItβll be a little different,β Pasch said with a smile before the game. βMy mindset with Bill is already different and then you add somebody elseβ¦but Iβm looking forward to it.β
'Pointe of pride
As Arizonaβs director of basketball operations, Ryan Reynoldsβ main job on road trips is making sure the travel and logistics are smooth every step of the way.
But during the Wildcatsβ pregame shootaround Saturday afternoon, Reynolds had a different duty: Watching the stream of Salpointe Catholicβs Class 4A state championship victory, then telling Miller and assistant coach Justin Gainey what was going on.
All three had major rooting interests in the Lancers: Miller and Gainey both have sons who played key roles in Saturdayβs win, while Reynoldsβ dad, Jim, is Salpointeβs head coach.
βJustin and I watched the first half before shootaround, and then during shootaround, I was keeping Sean and Justin up to date,β Reynolds said.
Jordan Gainey had seven points, 11 rebounds and two assists in Salpointeβs 54-48 win over Peoria in overtime. Braden Miller made a layup that helped put the game away in overtime.
Itβs the first state title for Jim Reynolds after a long career coaching high school basketball in Ohio.
βHeβs excited,β Ryan Reynolds said. βWhen my dad had his best 10-year run in Ohio, if you were going to win the state title then, youβd have to beat LeBron (James) or O.J. Mayo β and that wasnβt happening.β
In the moment
Arizona recruiting target Ziaire Williams talks to a Sierra Canyon coach during a timeout in the CIF southern open division finals before a full house at Long Beach Stateβs Pyramid. Williams has 15 points so far and Sierra Canyon leads 40-33 over Mater Dei in third quarter pic.twitter.com/lr2Z8soEKa
— Bruce Pascoe (@BrucePascoe) February 29, 2020
Even though two of his top college choices were facing each other on Thursday in Los Angeles, Ziaire Williams had other things on his mind.
His focus paid off Friday night, when the UA and USC recruiting target scored 25 points to lead Sierra Canyon High School to the CIF Southern Section Open Division title in a 59-48 win over Orange County power- house Mater Dei before 6,245 fans at Long Beach Stateβs Pyramid.
A 6-foot-8 βpoint forwardβ for the star-studded Trailblazers, who also have the sons of James (Bronny) and Dwyane Wade (Ziare), Williams filled the box score better than everyone else on the floor. He had 25 points on 9-for-17 shooting from the field and 5 of 6 free throws, while collecting six rebounds, four assists, four steals and one block with only one turnover.
βI was trying to do whatever it takes to win β rebound, score, find the open man, just whatever it takes,β Williams said, still grinning long after the photos had been taken and trophies handed out. βIβve been waiting for this game my whole high school career, so that was definitely where the motivation came from.β
Back in fashion
Free pizza and T-shirts for students? ... wonder if that promo is needed now pic.twitter.com/xrtQHYmZgJ
— Bruce Pascoe (@BrucePascoe) March 1, 2020
When Trevor Davis and Rachael Ray were UCLA freshmen in 2016-17, theyβd join the student lines outside Pauley Pavilion and find them winding up a hill and around a corner hours before tipoff.
βThat was insane,β Ray said.
The reason: The Bruins went 31-5 that season, while point guard Lonzo Ball and his father, LaVar, made a virtual realty TV show out of the whole thing.
βIt was national news,β Davis said.
Then came two years of apathy around the less successful Bruins of 2017-18 and 2018-19, before UCLA started a midseason revival this year.
Davis and Ray showed up three hours before Saturdayβs game to become the first two in line, with seven others to quickly follow.
βItβs easier,β Davis said of the lineup. βBut I think itβs good because my freshman year people were coming because of the hype. Now everyone whoβs here is super into it.β
UCLA showered the first 1,000 students who showed up Saturday with free T-shirts and pizza.