1. I really believe in spite of the avalanche of bad news, the team will be better next year. Even with less talent, at least we have some real coaches, and I suspect the guys will play harder.

   Now if we could just get rid of Livengood and Stoops, things would be so much better.

   The sooner those two clowns are gone the better. Hansen wrote an article a few years ago about how Michigan wanted to hire Livengood away from the UA, funny, I don’t see anything like that happening.

   
   — Steal Your Face    05/18/2008 11:24 PM    #

2. Nice strong group of young men. It should be a lot of fun following them during the season.

   
   — Billy Bob    05/19/2008 05:07 AM    #

3. If Budinger comes back, we can be a Top 10 team in spite of all the chaos.

   
   — cw    05/19/2008 07:17 AM    #

4. Everybody is assuming that Negedu won’t be here, but a binding letter of intent is just that…BINDING! The U of A made decisions and other recruits made decisions based on Negedu’s LOI. That is the system. He signed to play for Lute Olson and the U of A. If he doesn’t want to play here now, then he can sit out a year, but when he thinks about delaying the possible NBA, he will sing a different tune. Relax, he will be here.

   
   — Taco Bill    05/19/2008 07:19 AM    #

5. Hey Taco, Jerryd Bayless signed to play here, and be coached by Lute Olson. Since Lute blew him and the whole season off shouldn’t he have to sit out a year too? Plus, it cost us (UA) way over a million bucks for Lute to sit out. With Negedu here and unhappy we’re probably wasting a scholarship. C’mon tough guy, you’re talking about a high school kid, geeeze!

   Personally, I love the assistant coaches who have just signed on to join our program. They’re both grown men and King Lute probably won’t treat them (walk over) like he could with a couple of young guys who played for him. I think we’ll see better skills from the kids on the floor. And, that would be refreshing.

   
   — Al M    05/19/2008 07:56 AM    #

6. Well,

   We all knew it had to get a little worse before it got any better. I, personally, feel the in-house clean-up was well-timed and on par with an organization realizing ineffectiveness. In the end, these changes will bring brighter days, it just may take a few years.

   One change remains…getting that big-named coach in here as Lute fades.

   
   — Nick    05/19/2008 08:08 AM    #

7. Hey Al,

   Your statement doesn’t make any sense at all….“Jerryd Bayless signed to play here, and be coached by Lute Olson. Since Lute blew him and the whole season off shouldn’t he have to sit out a year too?”

   Don’t you know anything about NCAA rules of signing Letters of Intent? The summer before arriving for a full ride basketball scholarship is WAY TOO LATE for changing your mind unless the head coach leaves or something really major happens in the program. Even in that case, the player would have to request for the NCAA to make an exception to the rule. Josh Pastner leaving does not qualify for an exception. If every kid that got cold feet was able to back out on their commitment, then the whole system would break down. By the way, Jerryd is already gone.

   
   — Taco Bill    05/19/2008 08:13 AM    #

8. #4 well said, these kids are killin me with the way they think they can try and opt out of a contract basically (LOI) and move on. Asst. coaches leaving, and players going pro are hardly valid reasons for leaving..
   It’s time for as reality check manny..

   
   — JW    05/19/2008 08:43 AM    #

9. A nice wrapup Bruce. Objective, without a lot of negative spin. I’m glad the players will still talk to you.

   Negudi says that his visit here while Lute was on leave was a disaster. Pastner leaving is also a big negative for him, but maybe Pastner can get him to honor his loi if he can talk to him. It might look bad for Pastner if Negudi went to Memphis after being released. Finally, the way Tangara was treated might have left a bad taste in his mouth. In any case, Negudi is still just a kid (like all of them) so it’s not over ‘til it’s over.

   It’s beginning to look like a brand new beginning for Lute and the Arizona Basketball Team. Hopefully, Lute will be energized at the prospect. I’m somewhat concerned at Lute’s touchiness at times, but perhaps the contentious divorce is weighing on his mind. Hopefully the drama will end soon.

   
   — Edwin S    05/19/2008 09:30 AM    #

10. If anyone has a rivals.com membership they should read this article about Negedu, and then see if they feel good about the direction the UA basketball program is headed:

    http://arizona.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=808927

    Here are some of the quotes:
    “I told him I need my release and if they are not going to give it to me I am still not going to come back,” Negedu said. “He told me I should take a visit to Arizona and I told him I have already made up my mind.”

    “The first time I visited Arizona everybody was nice and everybody was smiling and it seemed everybody having a good time,” Negedu said. “When I took my visit when O’Neill was there, it was terrible.

    “Nobody really asked me about anything and I knew they were losing games but nobody really hosted me. I had nobody to talk to and I had no friends when I was there.”

    “I told Josh that he does not feel happy about being here. I told him, ‘You don’t seem happy like you used to anymore’ and he said it was about the fact that they were losing. I know it did not have to do with losing. I could see what was going on and I told him that I was still probably coming to Arizona. I know now that if I go there I will end up transferring.”

    “I can’t be forced to do something I do not want to do,” he said. “I hope everything works out fine but I have made up my mind that I am not coming to Arizona. I do not want to walk into a situation that I know I will be regretting.”

    He also says he would sit out a year before playing at UA.

    
    — evan    05/19/2008 09:35 AM    #

11. The article from Rivals.com is pretty telling and pretty sad. Seems like the kid has it figured out pretty well. People are not enjoying being a part of this program. You’ve got to be a blind homer not to see it. When one person leaves, he is a malcontent. When 5,6,7 players or coaches talk about choosing to leave, you’ve got a serious climate issue there. You can see by Negedu’s quotes that he’s not coming to U of A. Making him pay a price for backing out is pointless and is only going to scare away future recruits. If Lute is too stubborn and vindictive to let the kid off the hook, Livengood needs to be the boss and step in. If Livengood won’t, then President Shelton needs to get involved. Don’t think the President is happy with what’s happening.

    If Lute can right this ship and compete at the top of the Pac-10 next year, he’s a genius. If things continue to slide, somebody has to take action before it’s too late. Hanging onto Lute for too long would be disatrous to the program. We should have some answers by midway through next season.

    
    — Bret    05/19/2008 10:12 AM    #

12. Thanks for posting those quotes. Unfortunately, Negedu hasn’t called me back in several days but he did give some other media sources some strong statements.

    
    — Bruce Pascoe    05/19/2008 10:16 AM    #

13. Well apparently he doesn’t feel things have changed since O’Neil left since he still says he’s not under any circumstances going to UA.

    
    — evan    05/19/2008 10:34 AM    #

14. hey al,

    taco is not being a tough guy. these kids are not just high school kids. if thats the case then they should not be as pampered. he is an adult now, good time for him to learn a tough lesson in life. i was two years removed from high school and 18 when i went to iraq. i dont feel for this spoiled baby; he has a bad trip in which nobody kissed his @^% while he was here so now he wants out of his scholarship! no way kid, tough break. a verbal commitment is one thing, you signed your name, thats a big deal in this country.

    
    — russ    05/19/2008 10:36 AM    #

15. “ESPN’s Forde, as mentioned by Mr. Pascoe, has signed, sealed and delivered the “expected” news, today, for all Wildcat fandom. Chase is gone. It’s Sayanara to McKale. Soon to be a well-paid multi-millionare.”

    Hey VOICE—We’re still waiting for the link re: Chase.

    Is there one, or not????

    
    — vegasallen    05/19/2008 10:41 AM    #

16. If I were UA/Lute/Livengood i would give the partial release. Sit out a year, but no loss of eligibility at the new school. If he doesn’t want to come, you can’t force him. However, he shouldn’t get off free with a full release.

    
    — Darren    05/19/2008 10:42 AM    #

17. So Voice,it appears that Marco is correct and you are just spouting.

    No link after all..

    Do you have an excuse or are you just dreaming stuff up?

    
    — vegasallen    05/19/2008 11:41 AM    #

18. Voice – why do you insist on spelling his name incorrectly?

    As for the team next year, lets hope the new staff can help Jordan Hill stay on the court and help Jamelle Horne develop a consistent jump shot to go along with that athleticism. Lots of scoring to be replaced next year, and if Jennings can’t qualify…I’d rather not think about it.

    
    — Darren    05/19/2008 12:01 PM    #

19. This Super Regional should be a very exciting series.

    Oklahoma beats up on Oregon, twice.
    The most impressive win was the 11-0 beating.

    And Oklahoma has already GUARANTEES a win over the CATS.

    I believe it was stated as follows:
    “We’re so pumped to go out to Arizona and play them and beat them and come back to Oklahoma City,” said senior Susan Ogden,

    source: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-run-rules…?tm=1211170229

    And YES, the Arizona coaches already have the following “guarantee” clipping.

    Thanks for the guarantee- OKLAHOMA.

    Note:
    I believe Arizona Football coach: STOOPS will be at the game on Friday.
    And his brother maybe there to support Oklahoma.

    
    — aillen    05/19/2008 12:02 PM    #

20. Things can change very quickly. A starting five of Budinger, Wise, Jennings, Hill, and maybe Withey or Horne could make us a top 10 team. If Chase comes back, a lot of this ranting about Josh Pastner leaving or this kid Negedu backing out will go away. Negedu coming or going means very little, he’s just a kid. We’ve had a dozen transfers like him in the past decade, none of whom would have put us over the top. The focus should be on whether Budinger returns.

    Arizona is always one great season away from shutting up the critics.

    
    — cw    05/19/2008 12:06 PM    #

21. Marco,

    I don’t see why he shouldn’t be given a full release. If he doesn’t want to play at the UA, why force him? Why force him to sit out a year? Besides, if he is a Pastner guy, I would rather not have him anyway. I mean, seriously. Given Pastner’s track record here, does this guy really give you warm fuzzies? I would rather the UA sign some obscure Juco transfer who can step in right away instead of having to rely on one of Pastner’s gems. Granted, I know the guy was considered a “top” recruit, but we have had plenty of those lately with little to show for it.

    
    — Robert    05/19/2008 12:06 PM    #

22. Bruce – do you think that there is something to the fact that Negedu has not returned your calls but has talked to national media? Just curious, and it might be nothing at all.

    From that CBS article, Negedu says, “but I do not picture myself at Arizona anymore. I just want my release.” Sounds pretty selfish, ‘his’ release…laughable, he put his name on paper after Lute went on LOA, after ONeill was interim, etc etc…I still think that he should get a partial release, but I wouldn’t be surprised Lute Plainview Olson doesn’t give him any release at all.

    
    — Darren    05/19/2008 12:07 PM    #

23. I really want Budinger to come back, but if he doesn’t that his business and completely understandable.

    If the circumstances were different (the Olson soap opera) then I would hold Negedu to his LOI, but what Lute has done he needs to take the high road and let him go. Don’t hold this guy responsible for your missteps.

    
    — JK    05/19/2008 02:16 PM    #

24. Vegas
    Voice
    -If one has truly lost hope, one would not be on hand to say so..

    See You Bandwagoneers
    next year.

    
    — QT    05/19/2008 02:30 PM    #

25. Hey Taco..you wrote “That is the system. He signed to play for Lute Olson too, and the U of A.” I responded that Bayless signed on here to play for Olson and then couldn’t when Olson quit on his team for the entire season. And, he’s (Olson) old enough to know better. Now, you somehow went thru this whole lot of baloney that didn’t make any sense to me at all about how Negedu HAS to ante up to his promise to play here. You don’t think lots of things changed from last November to the present? Sheeesh! Anyway, bottom line? Lute announced his LOA on the same day, in fact the same afternoon, of our FIRST basketball game of the season. Didn’t give anybody much of a chance to make a choice did he? And, he also had an assistant coach tell his recruits that he was gone. Didn’t even man up then to stand in front of “his” team and recruits and tell them he was gone. Give it up Taco…one is a 73 yr old man and the other is a high school kid.

    
    — Al M    05/19/2008 02:52 PM    #

26. I can relate to Lute’s impulse to dig in his heels with Negedu’s release request. He (Lute) has been so embattled on so many fronts (and if of his own making could make it feel even worse) that a knee-jerk refusal on his part seems only human. Add to that the prospect of setting a precedent by letting Negedu slide, one that could open the floodgates for Jennings or Withey and could give further pushes to Wise and Budinger.

    However, I find myself hoping that Lute will find it in himself to rise above his baser (and maybe survival?) instincts and do the magnanimous thing. Let the kid go, full release. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that forcing him to choose between UA or a year on the sidelines can possibly work out well for the UA program.

    Bite the bullet(s), accept the damages already done, but don’t compound the destruction by adopting the worst face for the program for future recruits and for returning players.

    
    — Portland Catfan    05/19/2008 02:55 PM    #

27. Wow! # 12 Evan…thank you so much for that link about young Mr. Negedu. It sounds like a terriffic young man smart enough to look between the lines about what was pretty obvious to anybody with his eyes wide open. Our program was in such disarray during the season it was pitiful. I wish you the very best Negedu wherever you land other than here. The way Tangara was treated was a disgrace. And, I’d make sure that my fellow countrymen knew it if ever contacted by an Arizona recruiter. What a pitiful statement about our program this last season. Last? Go Josh! Do it right in Memphis!

    
    — Al M    05/19/2008 03:00 PM    #

28. Whatever Marco ( post 30 )!!

    If you took the time to seriously peruse Mr. Pascoe’s blog above, then, you’d come to the stark reality that Bruce is basically stating the same RATIONAL conclusion which Mr. Forde, myself and countless others have REALIZED.

    I guess WE all subscribe to the same “misguided logic” you accuse moi of.

    Again, from the time I read your opinions it was abso-LUTE-ly evident that you lack the sagacious mind to “connect the dots” involving the inner turmoil surrounding the once mighty Wildcat college hoops program.

    
    — voice of REALISM    05/19/2008 03:15 PM    #

29. Thankfully both JK and Al M are the genuine “voices of reason” on this blog au contraire to Marco and his tribe of dunces.

    
    — voice of REALISM    05/19/2008 03:18 PM    #

30. Isn’t Lute on record as saying if a kid doesn’t want to be here then he doeasn’t want him here either? So what gives? Negudu’s coach very plainly said the “situation” here at Arizona is somewhat troubling and that is a major reason the young man wants out. And, Lute isn’t going to give it to him? Hah! I wonder what kind of effort and morale we get from forcing a kid to go clean across the country to play for a team he doesn’t want to play for. Geeeze, this is so ridiculous. Olson needs to try and salvage whatever he can for our program and then retire. He’s got grandkids to play with, and his place in La Jolla to enjoy his family and time. It’s desparately time for him to get out of UA basketball. He could’ve so easily been the Grand Old Man on campus. A familiar father figure, a mentor, a commentator, oh just so many good things as he gracefully aged. But, instead we’re being forced to deal with a cantakerous man who apparently thinks he still needs to be playing the major college basketball game. C’mon Lute…give it up!

    
    — Al M    05/19/2008 03:21 PM    #

31. Marco, too bad your vain, INSECURE ego has too stoop to the “classless” low brow level of “dissing” Negedu’s character- Think childish and overpriveleged.

    Who the FREAK’ are you too be judge, jury and executioner if Negadu!!!?? You don’t even know the man, and believe me he’s more man than you’ll ever be.

    It’s one thing to come after moi but to attack Negadu, and probably other Wildcat player’s in the pass behind closed doors with your like-minded henchmen, is IDIOTIC senseless. Only a COWARD such as you would be low down to pursue such behavior!

    You once “called me out” when I questioned your RACISM but I just laughed it off as a typical HOMBRE MACHO with money, nothing more and nothing less. That’s all I needed to abso-LUTE-ly know about your Neanderthal low brow mannerisms. Too bad a “monied” one such as you doesn’t have the foggiest idea of what CLASS is all about.

    
    — voice of REALISM    05/19/2008 03:30 PM    #

32. Wow, when it rains, it pours:

    http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/239707.php

    I say, clean the entire athletic program out. That means starting at the top with Smilin’ Jim Livengood. Jim needs to be put out to pasture…

    
    — Steal Your Face    05/19/2008 03:46 PM    #

33. I think Livengood needs to hire all the experts on this blog…
    You sit at your cubicles, typing away your frustrations..
    I am really upset that Lute did’nt hire right off of this blog, is he blind to see that all of the answers are right here in -steals, -voices,and some of the others comments?

    LUTE ! please read these comments, the answers are here!!! LMAO

    Put down that pork rine and get back to work..

    
    — JW    05/19/2008 03:58 PM    #

34. Marco — I’m in agreement with your points (“For those who think he should get a free pass…”) but I think you are fighting the wrong battle. Why do you insist that “he must live up to his written commitment” is the most important issue here?

    Lute is appealing to the court system to release him from his commitment to his marriage because “stuff happens and things change.” Same deal here for Negedu, and to his credit Negedu claims he is willing to accept the consequences up to and including sitting out the year.

    The key point for me is “what kind of program is UA running?” Is it in Lute’s and UA’s best interest to become “hard-ass U” — or to show the program is bigger than the recruits that come and go every year, and will just move on and win with the players that want to be there?

    
    — Portland Catfan    05/19/2008 04:14 PM    #

35. Darren — UA’s compliance chief, Bill Morgan, cleared up what he said Sunday: There are actually three options: A full release, a non-release with recruiting restrictions (meaning nobody can talk to him) and a non-release without restrictions (sort of a partial release). If there are recruiting restrictions, Negedu would not be able to talk to anyone for four years about playing elsewhere. if there are no restrictions, Negedu could go elsewhere but he’d have to sit out a year AND lose a year of eligibility.

    I have no idea why I can’t reach him, BTW, but I suspect he was just tired of talking by the time I tried to reach him yesterday. He won’t call today, either.

    Marco — I don’t think there will be an issue with scholarships, since Lute has at least two right now. but Morgan said the full release would obviously get one back, the partial one where he went elsewhere would give a scholarship back but only once the first day of school begins and he doesn’t show up.

    
    — Bruce Pascoe    05/19/2008 04:29 PM    #

36. Maybe Lute could trade Negedu to Roy Williams for Stepheson?

    Bruce, do you hear anything about Stepheson’s situation? It seems USC or UCLA would fit his needs. All these LA blue chips suddenly need to be close to home!!

    Anybody seen Kyle Fogg play? What little I found about him sounds pretty good; e.g., there was mention of defense (!) in addition to smooth shooting touch and overall athleticism (and listed at 6’3”). Plus his coach said if UA offers, Fogg will probably jump at it.

    
    — Portland Catfan    05/19/2008 04:42 PM    #

37. I can understand Negedu wanting to leave. The last 8 months have not been the brightest for Arizona in the last 25 years.

    However, by his own admission, Negedu visited and experienced Arizona during this worst time. Most of his impression of Arizona is from the last 8 months. Things lately, although not perfect yet, have begun to improve. KO is gone, Lute is back, some solid new coaches have been hired, and new players are coming in.

    I think Negedu should revisit Arizona, meet and talk with Lute, the new coaches and players. Be “hosted” in what has to be a much better situation than over the last 8 months. If after visiting he still wants out, let him. He could at least say he gave Arizona another fair look and it just wasn’t right. I think then most people would not have as much problem with him backing out.

    
    — SCDave    05/19/2008 06:43 PM    #

38. Bruce

    Looks like Kyle Fogg committed-appears to be a good pickup as he is higher rated than Lavendar. Are there any SF/PF on the horizon to replace Negedu?

    
    — jim    05/19/2008 07:15 PM    #

39. Stephenson to USC,
    A legit reason for a transfer bye the way…

    
    — JW    05/19/2008 09:38 PM    #

40. -Voice of Tough Guys
    its got a ring to it Or how bout -Be Wilder Men!

    either way lets get back to basketball boys

    
    — JW    05/19/2008 09:56 PM    #

41. Bruce (or anyone else with knowledge),

    Hansen’s article about Pennell and Dunlap says that Bayless punched out Zane a few hours before the WVU game. What was THAT about??

    Ugly, ugly.

    
    — True Fan    05/20/2008 12:27 AM    #

42. It seems to me that one of the most important things to teach young people is that there are consequences for one’s behavior. The letter of intent is binding for a reason. If someone enters into a contract that they know is binding, they should also know that there will be consequences for breaking their word. You honor your commitments or there are consequences. Arizona would likely have gone after other recruits if it did not have Negedu’s commitment. Now they are without him as well as anyone else they could have recruited. Releasing him fully makes no sense whatsoever, it turns the whole system into a joke and encourages irresponsible behavior. It’s not about being a “hard ass.” I don’t see that things have changed so much that there is a sufficient reason to bail out. If anything, the coaching staff has probably been strengthened. The school, accomadations,head coach, etc remain the same. He knows the rules and so do the people that are advising him.

    
    — Barney    05/20/2008 12:53 AM    #

43. Seems to me that it is difficult enough for a program to plan around verbal committments until Nov. signing day; but then to allow “contract breaking” six months later makes it nearly impossible to plan. The “students?” we might have been able to attract between last year and this make it necessary protect the entire system by taking some kind of a hard line with Negedu. Maybe though, a visit with Dunlap and Pennell and hopefully Reggie Geary might bring about a change of desire.

    
    — larry    05/20/2008 09:24 AM    #

44. # 54 agreed and it also seems like he is trying to bully the school into getting his release. If he wanted his release why couldn’t he go about it without the press? I am not saying he is not a nice you man but someone needs to advise him how to handle things. So many of these athelets get what ever they want and they are never told “no” it would just be nice for this to be handled privately and out of the press. As would the rest of this mess. I am sure all of us Wildcat fans would rather this whole ugly scene had not unfolded in the public eye.

    
    — john    05/20/2008 10:31 AM    #

45. Marco,

    You are assuming that Jennings will be here next year. Check out Fox Sports.

    
    — Robert    05/20/2008 01:00 PM    #

46. The reason you are seeing all of these national articles being so negative and seem like they are piling on is because the national media also does not like Olson.

    He is very egotistical, I guess you could classify him as a bona fide snob. He is respected but I think a lot of people are happy to see his demise.

    
    — JK    05/20/2008 01:58 PM    #

47. Marco,

    What’s really interesting about the story is that Jennings apparently passed the exam. So, essentially they are saying that they suspect that he cheated. But instead of proving that he cheated, the NCAA is making Jennings prove that he did not cheat by making him take the exam again to confirm. What a bunch of crap!
    I can’t think of many other organizations that do this.

    
    — Robert    05/20/2008 02:40 PM    #

48. Good pick up on the guard. We need help in the backcourt, and apparently Zane’s not too tough. I know it kind of crude, but I would have love to have seen that fight. I thought all year Zane ran his mouth a bit too much. Appears he does that behind the scenes as well.

    I think the AD was right to let Negedu out of his scholarship. As people have said before the kid is only 18, Arizona hasn’t really lived up to its part of the bargain, and its just look bad to hold the LOI over him. This isn’t football, a couple of recruits get a bad impression and your team is screwed.

    And i knew Chase was soft… but crying? He may have to get his pampers resized. But seriously, O’Neill got a kid at Northwestern, Sean Wink, to give up basketball after he had been 1st or 2nd team all Big 10 the previous year. Although, in my humble opinion, I really thought Chase started to play better at the end of the year when he started to do some of the stuff O’Neill was telling him – i.e. shooting midrange jumpers and attacking off the dribble. Regardless, hopefully Olson’s gentle touch will bring him back in the fold. Crying… I can’t believe it.

    And lastly, I hope Hansen’s article is true, because its pretty vicious to spread rumors like that.

    
    — Mike H    05/20/2008 04:54 PM    #

49. So Jennings does poorly on the test back at Compton, then he goes to Oak Hill, whereupon he (or someone) does much better on the test, at which point the NCAA refuses to accept the last test score and gives Brandon two more tries (with presumably some retinal scan or DNA test at the same time)?

    As if all that were not depressing enough, the Fox story had to throw in a reminder of UA losing Stephen Jackson!! Big fish who have escaped the UA hook — Jackson, Rashard Lewis, Ndudi Ebi (where is that guy now?), Luke Recker (what an oddysey), maybe now Emmanuel Negedu (we’ll see if he pans out somewhere). See, this crap is nothing new. Let’s all calm down and see what happens with Jennings.

    
    — Portland Catfan    05/20/2008 05:05 PM    #

50. It’s not “new,” Portland, but back in the day, we had extra padding on the roster. Recker might have left because he saw that he wasn’t going to start, not ahead of (a very young, albeit great, Gilbert Arenas); and Jackson was compensated by other talent (and would go on to accumulate a lot of baggage). Ebi was never proven, and he is now one of the tragic stories of potential stardom turned lost child. Now, however, we don’t have anyone to fill the vaious personnel gaps that keep forming. Yikes. What happened to Gaddy.

    ***
    By the way, I didn’t know Jennings was originally from Comptom. Which high school?

    
    — True Fan    05/20/2008 05:37 PM    #

51. Mike H/67:

    How do we know that Zane “ran his mouth” a lot? I didn’t see it from my perch on the couch. I certainly didn’t know he had that reputation.

    Agreed, the team’s aura was very funky during the WVU game, but not a whole hell of a lot different from the final league games—folks tired, unhappy, not having fun playing the game.

    
    — True Fan    05/20/2008 05:54 PM    #

52. Good to know about Jennings…the NCAA has set this precedent before. I can’t think of any examples of high profile guys off the top of my head, but it has happened before.

    Remember in those interviews where Jennings mentions how he likes Oak Hill because he can just be away from distractions and concentrate on what he needs to concentrate on? That may be more than lip service. Full confidence that he will qualify. He did it once, and the NCAA Clearinghouse’s requirements are meager. He will do it again. He will wear a Wildcat uniform.

    
    — Darren    05/20/2008 08:51 PM    #

53. This is a sad way for LO to go out.

    
    — chris from the oc    05/20/2008 08:55 PM    #

54. True Fan. I thought for a guy who didn’t play a lot he had a lot to say. He complained about not getting his 10 minutes a game, when we were winning, and i thought that was a tad out of line. I think he seems a bit cocky. Cocky is good when you are the starting 2, not so positive whey you only get 3 minutes a game in blowouts. But hey I’m rooting for him.

    
    — Mike H    05/20/2008 09:23 PM    #

55. Mike – ummm, KO promised him that 10 min when he yanked his redshirt. He played some games, then wouldn’t see time at all later. This was a microcosm of the whole team’s rotation though. Any more examples of him being ‘cocky’?

    
    — Darren    05/20/2008 10:02 PM    #

56. (laughing) at all the idiots and ‘hard’ guys that wanted young Negedu to pay a price for not wanting to come to a program that is in such awful disarray.

    Thank you, Jim Livengood, for doing the “right” thing. You are a good man.

    And, I am especially laughing hard at that ugly “social leper,” since he has no life but to haunt these blogs, and who has written at least a dozen comments on this one blog alone, including #40, that Negedu would not be released from his loi, and that he would be here next year. Sheeesh!

    Man, that poor boy farco marco is as dumb as they come.

    
    — Al M    05/21/2008 03:26 AM    #

57. Maybe Fogg is a gem. He played for an elite UAA team and was the MVP of a tournement that probably featured some top notch recruits. Maybe this is one of the 4-year players we’ve been waiting for. Also, remember Horne was rated higher than Negedu is now. Perhaps he’ll excell without KO. I’m trying to stay positive

    
    — CC    05/21/2008 07:17 AM    #

58. (laughing) Thanks farco, I won my bet. I knew you’d respond asap in your typically ugly and stupid manner <g>.

    Now run along little one, so many blogs, and so few hours :-)

    Fifteen (15) for this one alone…sheesh!

    
    — Al M    05/21/2008 08:42 AM    #

59. Voice,

    Well, there ya go. It’s exactly what I’ve been saying for some time now. Look, the guy is what, 73/74 year old? Players aren’t going to come here to play for a guy who may quit on them with little notice. It’s an absolute freakin’ miracle that we were able to land Jennings. As it turns out, KO had a role in that. How ironic is that?

    This is what makes the acquisition of Dunlap so important. Lute could very well leave for “non health” related reasons again and this program is going to need someone to fill the void. By all accounts, this Dunlap guy appears the real deal. He has head coaching experience and has experience as an assitant in the NBA. Before it’s all said and done, he may very well be the most important acquisition this season. I wouldn’t be shocked if he named the new “successor” to Lute some time in November. We shall see.

    
    — Robert    05/21/2008 12:55 PM    #

60. Bruce — Thanks for publishing more background on Pastner’s role in the Negedu decision. Earlier I posted my skepticism in case Memphis suddenly appeared in the equation, but I feel better about that given your article today. There is enough to feel down about without adding a lower opinion of Pastner to the mix.

    
    — Portland Catfan    05/21/2008 01:10 PM    #

61. Voice – are you kidding me? Comparing UCLA’s run to Arizona? Tell me, when has Arizona ever made 3 straight Final 4’s? Arizona has never made 2 straight? Hell, Florida won two in a row and then couldn’t even make the NCAA tournament this year. Have some perspective. UCLA is the dominant program in the west, and Lute can attribute some of his success to the Lavin years.

    
    — Darren    05/21/2008 01:56 PM    #

62. Robert-

    I am going to have to slightly disagree with your position on the confidence you show in Dunlap. I think the hire was an excellent choice but nobody knew squat about this guy before and yet you would anoint him the head position?

    He has no division 1 head coaching experience and or recruiting for that matter, let’s not be so quick. When September rolls around everybody will be screaming for Stoops neck and a proven head coach, let’s not make the same mistake with the basketball program.

    
    — JK    05/21/2008 02:38 PM    #

63. Good comments about Dunlap’s value; his addition is a key move for sure. It seems to me Pennell also will add a great deal of value.

    Of course the most important factor will be how well the staff will perform as a coaching team, blending their individual strengths and providing the effective growth environment that seems to have been missing for at least a couple of years. It seems that Lute is also trying to restore some semblance of the “family feeling” of the program that’s been sadly missing since 2001 (by asking the assistants to host team functions at their homes, for example).

    The Coach-3 appointment will undoubtedly be made with an eye toward staff chemistry as well as plugging gaps in recruiting and scouting coverage. Even the “video assistant” role seems to be an important decision what with the veteran guy there also leaving. All this will be interesting to watch and I’m hoping will get UA back to the mode of being much tougher in March than in December (have not seen that since 2005).

    Oh — did someone post that Stepheson (PF leaving UNC)has been scooped up by USC? Is that a done deal?

    
    — Portland Catfan    05/21/2008 05:24 PM    #

64. Portland — You’re a moron! Don’t you remember the 2006 Cats that got shipped back to Philly as an 8 or 9 seed, where they squashed Wisonsin and then pushed 1-seed Villanova to the wire in a Cat-fight?

    Wouldn’t you say that team was better in March than in December, bozo?

    
    — Portland Catfan (alter ego)    05/21/2008 05:33 PM    #

65. Sepatown!

    
    — Guert    05/21/2008 06:52 PM    #

66. I would like to take a minute and point out to the masses that UA is still being well represented in the playoffs, Iggy, Terry, Walton, the two Stoudamires, were/are still active in the playoffs, and that’s something we can all have a little pride in.

    And let’s not forget Bibby, who clearly helped Atlanta down the stretch grab the 8th seed in the east, they don’t get there without him.

    It ain’t all peaches and cream but it could be a lot worse…

    
    — scott    05/21/2008 09:19 PM    #

67. Guert was that a pootie tang reference? Awesome!

    
    — Darren    05/21/2008 09:27 PM    #

68. This is just crazy. I have said from the beginning that the CATS need inside help and now they just lose Negedu! THANK GOD It’s BASEBALL SEASON!

    
    — Wildcatike    05/22/2008 04:25 AM    #

69. Is UofA ready to officially turn over their bread and butter sports of baskeball and women’s softball over to ASU?? It’s happening in basketball faster than you can think.

    
    — sundvlpwr    05/22/2008 08:58 AM    #

70. Hmmm; Natl Press again—an ABC sportscaster has said the program is spiraling down to Or. State level.
    A new start? Reggie Geary is a fine young man with an attitude that seems to be a good base. Its time for all UA fans to quit worrying about Lutes LOA, etc. and see what the new staff can do to right the ship; otherwise I’m afraid that ABC guy is on the mark.

    
    — larry    05/22/2008 09:20 AM    #

: Olson's radio strategy continues
: It's halftime of the offseason