Basketball Guide Articles
Arizona faces second consecutive season of adjustments with interim head coach
By Bryan Roy
Phyllis Goodman spent the past 24 years watching her fresh-faced children develop and graduate under their ageless father - a man committed to offering guidance and support regardless of the circumstances.
She looked on from section 16 of McKale Center in high spirits and energy throughout the ups and downs of their family.
By Bryan Roy
Facing the same situation as last year, the Arizona men's basketball team needs to answer these five questions in order to fare better than the short-lived Kevin O'Neill Era in Tucson:.
UA forward embraces leadership role after passing on NBA
By Bryan Roy
Chase Budinger wore many different basketball jerseys over the summer while attempting to prove himself at the professional level.
After completing his nationwide summer circuit bouncing between NBA cities and camps, only one jersey remains.
It reads "Arizona" across the front.
By Lance Madden
At first glance, losing the nation's No. 1 high school player in Brandon Jennings to the pro ranks of Europe could have been the worst thing to happen to the Arizona men's basketball team outside of Lute Olson's retirement.
A slick-shooting, high-flying, pass-friendly point guard with an explosive personality to match would have offset the team's youth and helped balance out the scoring between forwards Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill.
By Lance Madden
Last year the Arizona men's basketball team had a glue guy named Jawann McClellan, a senior who was far beyond his years as far as maturity was concerned. The guard, who was once a five-star recruit, endured multiple injuries and family trouble that resulted in academic struggles, but he was always emotionally strong and did his best to keep the team together, even in the hardest of times.
Fast play of inside offense gives women's basketball an advantage
By Nicole Dimtsios
Seniority is always a good thing, especially when the inside offense is dominated by them.
Senior center Beatrice Bofia and senior forwards Sarah Hays and Amina Njonkou, along with sophomore forward Ify Ibekwe, make up the core of Arizona's post offense.
By Nicole Dimtsios
The Niya Butts era of basketball is compounded with a surge of new faces including five freshmen.
Four guards and one center, all hailing from the Golden State of California, hope to make an impact on this year's team, especially in the offense. New faces mean an adjustment to the style of play and acclimation to basketball at a higher level of play.
Butts surrounds herself with top-notch cast
By Tim Kosch
As any good coach knows, regardless of the sport, it is impossible to produce success alone. First-year head coach Niya Butts took this philosophy to heart when she was hired and assembled one of the most energetic and promising coaching staffs in the country.
New coach brings sparkling resume to UA
By Tim Kosch
After 16 years of consistent basketball, the shadow of the recently departed women's head coach Joan Bonvicini looms tall.
But no one is more suited for the challenge than 6-foot Niya Butts, Arizona's new head coach.
Butts, who was hired in April, comes to Tucson with an eager attitude and limitless potential, and although this is her first head coaching gig, she is more than ready for the challenge.
By Lance Madden
D.J. Shumpert loves watching game film. His favorite game is on DVD: UA's win over Kentucky to capture the national title in 1997.
A week after the fall semester began, Shumpert, a 6-foot-8-inch Tucson native, was granted a scholarship from the Arizona men's basketball team - something that was nearly unrealistic for the Wildcat history buff just months before.
By Lance Madden
He's built like a linebacker, has the smile of a child and the patience of a saint.
After three years of under-accomplishment and the contemplation of a transfer from Arizona, this is finally Fendi Onobun's year to shine.
The 6-foot-6, 249-pound forward out of Houston, Texas, unselfishly came out of his redshirt his freshman year when Jawann McClellan broke his wrist midseason.
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