The Star's longtime columnist explains what Jedd Fisch's recruiting success means for Arizona's future, Todd HolthausΒ milestone win squad and the lasting legacy of Steve Kerr.
Jedd Fisch delivers eye-opening recruiting class
Jedd FischΒ and his wife walked onto the basketball court at McKale Center at halftime of last weekβs Arizona-Northern Colorado game, paused by UA presidentΒ Robert RobbinsβΒ seats and posed for a photograph with a man wearing a 1998Β Miles SimonΒ jersey.
I expected someone to hand Fisch a microphone at which time he would tell 11,943 fans that "we just signed the second-rated recruiting class in the Pac-12." It mightβve led to the loudest ovation of the night.
But it didnβt happen. Fisch walked off the court and the UA missed an opportunity for Fisch to make the happiest announcement within the Arizona football program since the 2014 Pac-12 South championship game victory over ASU.
Arizona isnβt "back." But its unexpected recruiting success might be the beginning of the end of a historic 1-23 faceplant.
Fisch cited several reasons for Arizonaβs recruiting victories, capped early Saturday morning by the news that five-star wide receiverΒ Tetairoa McMillanΒ of Anaheim's Servite High School had backed out of a commitment to Oregon and signed with the Wildcats.
The first was an all-out dedication and energy to recruiting, which hasnβt been the case at Arizona for the last decade.Β Matt Doherty, the UAβs new director of player personnel, said "when we got here, it was obvious the aggression on the recruiting front couldβve been improved."
Fisch said that one of the first things he did when hired was to "commit a lot of resources to the recruiting department." Arizona now has five full-time positions dedicated strictly to football recruiting, more than at any time in school history.
Keyan Burnett, far right, took an official visit to the UA this summer alongside Servite High School teammates Tetairoa McMillan, left, and quarterback Noah Fifita.
Doherty, hired away from North Carolina State, oversees a department that includesΒ Jeremy Gray, who had worked in player personnel for the Minnesota Vikings;Β Ryan Patridge, who was the MaxPreps 2018 Northern California high school coach of the year;Β Maddy McCormack, hired away from Liberty University; andΒ Tyler Luskin, who had been a recruiting analyst at Michigan.
Fisch said that another key was the track record of his 10 assistant coaches, including four βΒ Ricky Hunley,Β DeWayne Walker,Β Chuck CecilandΒ Brennan CarrollΒ β who have NFL coaching rΓ©sumΓ©s.
A bit of irony comes with Arizonaβs ability to sign four elite-level recruits from Servite: McMillan, quarterbackΒ Noah Fifita, tight endΒ Keyan BurnettΒ and linebackerΒ Jacob Manu. In 1982, Arizona starting offensive linemanΒ Frank Kalil, a Servite grad, became upset at the UA coaching staff because he thought they werenβt diligent in getting him picked for the East-West Shrine game. He told me he regretted his choice to play at Arizona.
Three years later, his son,Β Ryan Kalil, was born in Tucson. After moving to SoCal, Ryan Kalil became a five-star recruit at Servite. He did not visit Arizona, signed with USC and became an All-American and five-time NFL Pro Bowl player. His brother,Β Matt Kalil, also a five-star recruit from Servite, chose not to visit Arizona in 2008, signed with USC and became a first-round NFL draft pick.
Now the connection to Servite has been restored.
The recruiting websites say that McMillan is the highest-rated recruit in UA history. Thatβs misleading. Recruiting websites were hatched about 20 years ago. Long before that, Arizona signed the equivalent of todayβs five-star prospects multiple times, including Amphitheater High School running backΒ Michael BatesΒ in 1989, Sahuaro High School tackleΒ Mike CiascaΒ in 1990, and others such as 1996 Parade All-American running backΒ Leon CallenΒ of Concord De LaSalle High in the Bay Area; 1979 Pittsburgh-area prep All-American quarterbackΒ Kevin Ward; and 1988 Parade All-American defensive linemanΒ Bill SmothersΒ of Camden, New Jersey.
They didnβt always produce to a five-star level.
Bates left the UA after two seasons to concentrate on an Olympic bronze medal-winning goal; Ciasca suffered multiple injuries and was unable to play at his best; Callen gained just 734 yards rushing in three years; Ward switched from QB to receiver (he caught 48 passes at Arizona) and became an All-Pac-10 baseball player, hitting .402 as a junior, before playing for the San Diego Padres; and Smothers never lettered before leaving school.
College football recruiting is an inexact game. Unheralded UA recruits such asΒ Tedy BruschiΒ and walk-onΒ Chuck CecilΒ became college football Hall of Fame inductees.
The most impressive part of Fischβs first UA recruiting class is that he did so with a team that went 1-11. Imagine what he might be able to do if the Wildcats go 6-6 next season.
Cats were ready for ESPN before COVID-19 cancellation
University of Arizona's women's basketball head coach Adia Barnes talking to players during the match against the Marist Red Foxes at McKale Center on Nov. 19, 2021.
On Saturday, 21 menβs basketball games were scheduled to be televised on the ESPN, Fox, CBS and NBC. Only one womenβs basketball game, Tennessee-Stanford, was televised β by ESPN2.
But that is changing, if slowly.
Before it was canceled Saturday night due to COVID-19 issues within the Wildcats' program, Sundayβs Texas-Arizona game was scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN. It was one of 11 games involving Pac-12 womenβs basketball teams scheduled for ESPN platforms this season. That shatters the previous high of four regular-season games, set in 2018-19 and 2019-20.
βThey should show us,ββ UA coach Adia Barnes said last week. βWeβre a great commodity. Over 5 million people watched our NCAA championship game last year."
Arizonaβs victory over Louisville was seen on ESPNU last month. The Wildcatsβ Jan. 30 game at Stanford will be on ESPN2. Stanford is involved in six of the 11 ESPN broadcasts this season; Oregon will be in three games.
Barnes said that casual sports viewers probably donβt watch Pac-12 womenβs basketball but hopes that continues to change. "If they see us, theyβll say, 'Oh, Arizona is pretty good,'" she said. "Our visibility is growing."
Todd Holthaus at 302 wins and climbing
What impressed me most about Pima Collegeβs womenβs basketball team producing the last three ACCAC players of the week is that all are from Southern Arizona: Palo Verde High School's Angel Addleman, Tanque Verde High School's Nikya Orange and Rio Rico High School's Luisa Chavez.
Yet 14th-year coach Todd Holthaus continues as an NJCAA national power year after year with rosters heavy on Southern Arizona ballplayers. Already this season, Holthaus has won his 300th career game at Pima (he is now 302-138) and climbed to No. 6 in the NJCAA Division II poll. The 10-2 record is a bit misleading because Pima counts a season-opening loss to the Mexican National team on its record.
Since being hired away from Flowing Wells High School in 2007, Holthausβ Aztecs have finished No. 2, No. 5 (three times) and No. 8 in the NJCAA finals and produced 12 first-team All-Americans. Looks like there will be more to come.
Abdi: Running 'makes me happy'
About 100 people squeezed into the lobby of the Fleet Feet store on Tanque Verde road late Thursday afternoon. Every seat was taken. All were there for a book signing event with Tucsonβs five-time Olympic distance runner Abdi Abdirahman, whose recently-released book, "Abdiβs World: The Black Cactus on Life, Running and Fun," has become a success. Abdirahman not only participated in a 30-minute Q&A session, but then jogged across the street for a "fun run" with about 50 of his fans in the Udall Park area. At 44, the All-American from Pima College and Arizona said heβs not considering retiring from competitive running. Why should he? He made the USA Olympic team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. "It makes me happy," he said. "If you find something you like to do, you never want to give it up." Abdirahman said his bucket list includes starting a nonprofit foundation in his native Somalia and hopes to help young runners earn scholarships, move to America and get an education.
New York Yankees prospect comes back to UA to graduate
When catcher Austin Wells left the Arizona baseball team after the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he became a first-round draft pick of the New York Yankees. And although Wells has been impressive in his pro baseball debut β he hit 16 home runs in his first full minor-league season last summer and was featured in the Arizona Fall League All-Star game β he didnβt forget about the UA. He continued his education online and last week returned to Tucson and went through the graduation ceremony at the UA's Eller College of Management. Wells, a lefty hitter, is viewed as one of the Yankeesβ rising prospects.
Salpointe's Driscoll is must-see swimmer
Hereβs a name to remember: Salpointe Catholic High School junior Tyler Driscoll last month won two state swimming championships (50 freestyle and 100 butterfly) and last week finished seventh (50 freestyle) in the USA Speedo Junior Championships. Her coach, two-time Salpointe state championship coach Matt Hough, said that after the Speedo meet Driscoll "had a line of college coaches lining up to meet her. Sheβs a junior, only 16, with lots of room to get faster." Driscoll didnβt begin training full-time until last spring and turned the heads of big-time college recruiters because of her sudden improvement and also because she is 6 feet 1 inch, which is the girls swimming equivalent of a 6-10 basketball prospect.
Wildcat connections
UA menβs basketball coach Tommy Lloyd has quickly formed a bond with Jim Rosborough, who was Lute Olsonβs right-hand man at the 1980, 1994, 1997 and 2001 Final Fours. Rosborough, now an assistant coach for the Pima College womenβs team, often attends UA practices. He is a resource that Sean Miller did not tap into during his 12 Arizona seasons. Said Lloyd: "I smile every time I see Jim. Itβs a good day when he stops by my office."
Hou sisters go to LPGA
Arizona womenβs golf coach Laura Ianello knew when she recruited Yu-Sang Hou and Vivian Hou, elite international prospects from Taiwan, that she wasnβt likely to keep them for all four years of eligibility. Both earned the LPGA Tour cards after a months-long qualifying series last week and turned pro. Thatβs life for a Top-10 college golf program. Arizona lost Annika Sorenstam after her sophomore year and Lorena Ochoa after her sophomore year. Together, they combined for 99 LPGA tour victories. The Hou sisters left an impact. During their years at Arizona, the Wildcats won an NCAA championship and three times reached college golf's version of the Final Four.Β
My two cents: Steve Kerr's long-distance shooting legacy lives onΒ
When Golden State Warriors guardΒ Steph CurryΒ broke the NBA record for 3-point baskets last week (he had 2,982 through Friday) it indirectly shined a light onΒ Steve KerrΒ and Arizona, which some β me, for instance β might say is the home of 3-pointers in college basketball.
As an Arizona senior, Kerr made a ridiculous 114 of 199 attempts in the 1987-88 season. It was Kerrβs first active year with the 3-point shot, introduced to college basketball a year earlier when he was out with a knee injury.
Kerr wasnβt around long enough to set the Pac-12 record in 3-point baskets. The record, 349, is owned by OregonβsΒ Tajuan PorterΒ from 2007-10, followed by ArizonaβsΒ Salim Stoudamire, 342, from 2002-05. ArizonaβsΒ Jason Gardner, 318, is one of five Pac-12 players to make 300 3s in a career. It's unlikely any Pac-12 player will hit 300 again because players of that shooting skill usually bolt to the NBA before playing four seasons.
Kerrβs legacy is best seen in the NBA. Arizona has the most NBA players from any school (seven) to make at least 1,000 3s in an NBA career. Hereβs where the ex-Wildcats stand on the all-time list:
7.Β Jason Terry, 2,282
38.Β Mike Bibby, 1,517
72.Β Damon Stouadmire, 1,236
109.Β Gilbert Arenas, 1,079
112.Β Andre Iguodala, 1,070
119.Β Channing Frye, 1,049
123.Β Richard Jefferson, 1,042
Kerr made 726 3s in his NBA days β thatβs ranked No. 221 now β but his legacy carries on.
