Current and former Arizona Wildcats are making news. We’ve got views.
News: The UA men’s basketball team loses 70-54 at Texas Tech, ending its seven-game winning streak.
Michael Lev is a senior writer/columnist for the Arizona Daily Star, Tucson.com and The Wildcaster.
Views: I try to be a voice of reason amid sports seasons filled with emotional highs and lows. This was a tough spot for Arizona, facing an NCAA Tournament-bound team in one of the most difficult atmospheres in the country. The Wildcats were due to lose after streaking to a 5-0 start in the Big 12. All those factors converged Saturday afternoon in Lubbock.
But I came away from this particular game feeling concerned, if not alarmed, as two problematic patterns persisted.
The first is the ongoing slump, or whatever you want to call it, of star guard Caleb Love. This topic has been discussed ad nauseum among UA fans. It’s been dissected every which way by those of us who chronicle UA basketball.
Love seemed to be fully back on track after a sterling three-game homestand capped by a 33-point, seven-rebound, seven-assist, zero-turnover game vs. TCU. He then reboarded the struggle bus.
In the past five games, Love has averaged 10.8 points while shooting 28.3% from the floor. Those are unfathomable figures for a player with Love’s résumé.
He seems lost on the court for reasons that can’t be adequately explained. His drives lack purpose. His shots lack confidence. His contributions have been a net negative.
As a UA fan observed on social media, Love’s performances are either a home run or a strikeout. Very rarely does he produce a single or a double — which, frankly, is all this Arizona team needs.
The occasional round-tripper would be nice — especially in a challenging road environment like Lubbock.
Love provided help on the boards (six rebounds) and had a team-high three “stocks” (steals plus blocks). But he shot 3 of 13 and missed all five 3-pointers he attempted. That just isn’t good enough.
Arizona forward Trey Townsend (4) and forward Tobe Awaka (30) throw up a roadblock on UCF guard Darius Johnson (3) in the first half of their Big 12 game Jan. 11, 2025, at McKale Center.
Meanwhile, another veteran starter who was supposed to provide consistent production continued to fall short.
Transfer Trey Townsend failed to score in double figures for the seventh straight game. He’s averaging 7.0 points on 34.9% shooting in Big 12 play.
I liked what I saw from Townsend the previous game vs. Baylor. He defended well, boxed out and provided opportunistic scoring. He played a gritty, scrappy, effective game.
Townsend reverted to his previous form vs. Texas Tech. He struggled to get his shot off inside vs. taller, more athletic players. He also couldn’t connect from midrange, finishing 2 of 8 overall inside the 3-point arc. He’s 5 of 24 for the season from outside the arc, so he isn’t stretching the floor either.
The time has come to give freshman Carter Bryant more run at the four-spot. Yes, Bryant makes mistakes on defense. But he has so much more game. The potential benefits outweigh the costs.
News: The UA women’s basketball team defeats Kansas 74-59, ending its three-game losing streak.
Views: Five Wildcats scored in double figures in Sunday’s much-needed victory in Lawrence. None of them was Breya Cunningham — a noteworthy development for a team that relies heavily on the sophomore center.
Cunningham didn’t have a bad game by any stretch, finishing with eight points on 4-of-6 shooting with four rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. She was limited to 20 minutes because of foul trouble.
But it was encouraging to see others step up, especially on the road. The Wildcats had been 1-3 this season in games in which Cunningham failed to reach double digits.
Sunday’s standouts included Cunningham’s classmate, Montaya Dew, who again flashed the potential that made her the highest-rated signee in program history. Dew’s 11 points were a career best. Her two made 3-pointers matched her career high. Her five field goal attempts were the most she’s taken in a Big 12 game.
Arizona forward Montaya Dew (12) tries to keep control of the ball as Seattle players defend in the second half during a game at McKale Center on Dec. 2, 2024. Arizona won 78-43.
Dew also had five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and only one turnover in 28 productive minutes.
Dew has experienced ups and downs in her return from a knee injury that cost her the 2023-24 season. She’s an unselfish player by nature, and that can be a good thing. Her 42 assists rank second on the team, and her 2.33-1 assist-to-turnover ratio is easily No. 1.
Dew can score inside and out, but she doesn’t shoot the ball as often as she probably should. Hopefully her performance vs. Kansas will embolden her to take advantage of those opportunities.
Arizona needs a consistent No. 3 behind Cunningham and Jada Williams. Several players have auditioned for that role, including freshman Lauryn Swann, who’s a truly gifted 3-point shooter.
None possesses Dew’s all-around skill set.
News: Eight teams square off in the NFL divisional playoffs, none of which features an Arizona alum.
Views: Technically, no UA products played this past weekend. But I consider defensive back Christian Roland-Wallace of the Kansas City Chiefs to be more of a Wildcat than a USC Trojan.
Denver Broncos wide receiver Devaughn Vele, right, makes a catch as Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace defends in the second half of their game Jan. 5, 2025, in Denver.
Roland-Wallace played 41 games over four seasons at Arizona. He played 12 games in 2023 at ’SC before joining the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent. He played 16 snaps, including 13 on special teams, in Kansas City’s 23-14 victory over Houston on Saturday.
Roland-Wallace is certainly more of a Wildcat than running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who will play in the East-West Shrine Bowl later this month. Through no fault of his own, Croskey-Merritt played in only one game at Arizona. Yet if he gets drafted and/or makes it to the NFL, he’ll be classified as a Wildcat.
That would be a boon for an Arizona program that hasn’t produced many pros in recent years, but it also defies logic.
Given the pervasiveness of the transfer portal — and the number of players who play for multiple programs — it’s time that we introduce the “slash” to players’ profiles. Tony Fields II — who, like Roland-Wallace, played most of his college career at the UA before spending his final season elsewhere — should be listed as Arizona/West Virginia. Roland-Wallace should be Arizona/USC.
I realize this could get unwieldy for players who play at three or more schools. But it’s nonsensical to just ignore the fact that players such as Roland-Wallace and Fields (who’s been on the L.A. Rams’ practice squad) played most of their careers at Arizona. The UA should get credit for that.
News: The UA baseball team lands at No. 21 in D1Baseball’s preseason Top 25.
Views: Perfect Game had the Wildcats at No. 12. They probably belong somewhere in between.
Arizona coach Chip Hale talks with the home plate ump between innings of the game against Grand Canyon in the NCAA Regionals on May 31, 2024, at Hi Corbett Field.
Regardless, those accolades are meaningful and present a different challenge for Chip Hale entering his fourth season at the helm: Dealing with heightened expectations.
Arizona was picked to finish ninth in the preseason Pac-12 coaches poll last year — a laughably bad projection in retrospect. The Wildcats ended up winning the league’s regular-season and tournament championships — fueled, in part, by the lack of respect they received entering the season. Hale’s team played with a chip all year long.
Arizona struggled to handle the pressure of being a regional host, getting swept on their home turf. That experience should help the Wildcats in 2025.
Arizona also could fall out of the rankings sooner than later because of a nonconference schedule that features No. 1 Texas A&M, No. 4 Tennessee, No. 15 Clemson and No. 17 Mississippi State. But the Wildcats’ RPI will be stellar.
If there’s a common thread between this year and last year it’s the stacked schedule. Going through that made the 2024 Cats better. I expect the ’25 squad to follow suit — enduring short-term pain for the sake of long-term gains.
