SAN DIEGO — Close to 100 Wildcats fans took in Arizona’s 40-minute practice session from Viejas Arena Thursday afternoon, with a handful of them arriving just in time after driving in from Tucson earlier in the morning.
“We drove through this morning and came directly here,” Michael Moynihan said. “This is just such a fun team to watch, you can tell they really love playing with each other.”
Michael, 68, and his wife Debbi, 65, are longtime Arizona fans, following the Cats several NCAA Tournaments in the past. This year, they plan on traveling throughout March until Arizona is eliminated. They already drove to Las Vegas and back for the Pac-12 Tournament.
Arizona fans Michael Moynihan, left, and his wife Debbi watch their team take the court for their open session on Thursday.
If Arizona makes it to San Antonio and potentially New Orleans, the Moynihans said they’ll drive there, too.
“Totally worth it,” Debbi Moynihan said.
UA PG Kriisa a ‘gametime decision’
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said Kerr Kriisa will be a “gametime decision” vs. Wright State with an ankle sprain. Kerr participated in Arizona’s 40-minute practice session on Thursday, mostly shooting 3’s without going full speed but still making the majority of his shots.
The UA point guard did not have a visible limp, though the black and purple swelling around Kriisa’s right ankle was still visible above his sock and extended to just below his shin.
Arizona guard Kerr Kriisa moves around the court on his recently sprained ankle, still sporting some discoloration, as the team gets ready to face off against Wright State.
Lloyd said he could see a scenario where Kriisa plays but doesn’t start, but added he wouldn’t know for sure until Friday.
Lloyd expects another UA-heavy crowd
After being impressed with the fan turnout in Las Vegas, Lloyd believes there will once again be a heavy Arizona presence this weekend in San Diego.
“I’ve heard there’s lots of people that have a house in Tucson and a second house in San Diego,” Lloyd said.
Of the other practice sessions at Viejas Arena (Texas Tech, Alabama, Seton Hall, TCU, Wright State), the Wildcats had the most fans in attendance.
Obama, Barkley and more love Cats
If you think predicting the Wildcats to get to the Final Four or the national championship is a sneaky pick, think again. Arizona has emerged as a trendy choice among celebrities to win the South Region and head to New Orleans.
These are just a few that picked Arizona to make its first Final Four since 2001:
Former U.S. President Barack Obama
Former Suns great/TV analyst Charles Barkley (Arizona as champions)
ESPN’s Seth Greenberg
Radio host Dan Patrick (Arizona as champions)
ESPN’s Jay Bilas
ESPN’s Rece Davis (Arizona as champions)
ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt (Arizona as champions)
Radio host Rich Eisen (Arizona as champions)
Actor Kevin James
Racecar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Actor Josh Duhamel
Former NBA star/TV analyst Chris Webber (Arizona as champions)
Familiar foes advance in the South
Arizona’s already seen Michigan and Tennessee earlier this season, and the chances of meeting one of them again got stronger with both winning their first round matchups. No. 11 Michigan upset No. 6 Colorado State 75-63 and No. 3 Tennessee blew past Longwood 88-56.
The Vols and Wolverines will meet Saturday for a trip to the Sweet 16.
