Based on his pedigree coming in to college, it was presumed by many that Brayden Burries would step on the court and just dominate. Kind of like how Koa Peat did in his first collegiate game and most since.
Arizona
Cardinals Confident in Paris Johnson’s Position Change
ARIZONA — Change is coming to the Arizona Cardinals.
After debate all offseason of where tackles Paris Johnson Jr. and Jonah Williams would play moving into 2024, we finally have an answer.
“Jonah [Williams] is going to go right. Paris [Johnson] is going to go left. We’ll see how that looks,” Gannon told reporters yesterday as OTA’s began.
“I think it’s going to be good – Paris obviously playing both – Jonah playing both. We’ll start there and see how it goes. … That’s what they’re both comfortable with right now. We’ll see how it looks.”
Gannon said he ultimately has “veto” power over the move, citing things can be flipped back at any point.
Johnson – the No. 6 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft – spent his rookie season at right tackle after playing left tackle at Ohio State the year prior.
Many believe left tackle is Johnson’s natural position, and with D.J. Humphries now out of the picture, he can anchor Murray’s blindside for years to come.
Even if it means switching sides from BFF and Cardinals right guard Will Hernandez.
“We’ve made eye contact a couple of times where we kind of just look at each other… and we kind of just snap back into it,” Hernandez joked after Monday’s practice.
“But at the end of the day, we all are here to do what’s best for the team. Nobody here is thinking about themselves or where they want to play. So we’re all good with whatever the coaches want to do. Either way, I know he’s gonna thrive out there on the left side, and he’s gonna do a hell of a job. I’m excited to see it.”
Center Hjalte Froholdt agreed.
“All I know is Paris has taken responsibility on being the left tackle and kind of the guy on the left side. He looks smooth, looks natural. He’s played there before,” said Froholdt.
“He’s at a different level too. I think for him heading into year two compared to rookie year where it’s like, ‘OK, now I’m taking an extra step. I want to be even better than what I was’. He’s like, ‘I know what is expected of me. The game, the tempo and everything’. So it’s really cool to see where Paris is at even with a little caveat of switching positions.”
The switch also signals Williams will stay at right tackle for a second straight year after making the switch for the Cincinnati Bengals last season. Williams requested a trade after Cincinnati signed left tackle Orlando Brown (which kicked Williams to the other side).
Williams eventually rescinded the request and played at RT in 2023 for the Bengals, a position he also played at for Alabama at the beginning of his college career. Williams inked a two-year, $30 million deal with the Cardinals this offseason.
Hernandez isn’t worried about developing a rapport with his new running mate on the right side.
“It’ll be easy. These guys aren’t bringing in just regular Joe’s – Jonah’s a dog. I really like him,” Hernandez said.
“Same thing [happened] with Paris. We’re clicking quick. He’s also a vet. He knows what it is and how it’s supposed to look and what you’re supposed to do. I really like it. I like his mindset. And I think we’re gonna do big things get on the right side.”
Pitching was a big reason why Arizona made it back to the College World Series last season. The return of many key arms for 2026 makes it likely the Wildcats will again have a stellar staff.
Who guides those pitchers, however, is uncertain.
Michael Lev of the Arizona Daily Star is reporting that pitching coach John DeRouin is leaving the program for a position within the New York Mets organization. DeRouin had been elevated to pitching coach over the summer after Kevin Vance was hired as head coach at San Diego State.
DeRouin, who was a pitching strategist under Vance the previous two seasons, was integral in developing Arizona’s arms, particularly starters Owen Kramkowski and Smith Bailey and reliever Tony Pluta. That trio are among several key pitchers returning from the CWS team, with DeRouin’s promotion factoring in their decisions to stay in Tucson.
“John is like the pitching whisperer,” head coach Chip Hale said last month.
Hale could promote from within again, elevating Owen Cuffe. Whoever he hires will technically be his fourth pitching coach in five seasons. Dave Lawn handled the role in 2022-23, retained from Jay Johnson’s staff, before Vance was hired in 2024.
DeRouin is the latest in a string of college baseball coaches leaving for pro jobs. The most notable is Tennessee head coach, hired last month as manager of the San Francisco Giants
Arizona begins preseason practice in January ahead of the 2026 opener Feb. 13 against former Pac-12 rival Stanford at a tournament in Surprise.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The firm hired by Michigan to search for a football coach to replace Sherrone Moore has contacted representatives for Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham and Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz, according to a person familiar with the situation.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Saturday because they were not authorized to share details of the search.
Moore was fired on Wednesday, when the school said an investigation uncovered his inappropriate relationship with a staffer. Two days later, Moore was charged with three crimes after prosecutors said he “barged his way” into the apartment of a woman he’d been having an affair with and threatened to kill himself.
College football’s winning program suddenly needs a coach.
After the 35-year-old Dillingham was linked to numerous open jobs last month, he said he was not leaving his alma mater.
Two weeks ago, Drinkwitz agreed to a six-year contract that increases his average compensation to $10.75 million annually.
Michigan is hoping to hire a coach this month, helping its chances of retaining recruits and keeping key players out of the transfer portal in January.
Dillingham, who is from Scottsdale, Arizona, graduated from Arizona State in 2013 and started his coaching career as an assistant for the Sun Devils. After coaching at Memphis, he was the offensive coordinator for Auburn, Florida State and Oregon before returning to Arizona State.
Dillingham orchestrated a quick turnaround, leading the Sun Devils to the Big 12 championship and the College Football Playoff for the first time last year.
Arizona State was 8-4 this season, improving Dillingham’s record to 22-16 over three seasons.
The 42-year-old Drinkwitz is 46-28 in six seasons at Missouri after going 12-1 in a year at Appalachian State. He has built the Tigers into a steady Southeastern Conference program, earning five straight bowl bids.
Not everything happens instantaneously. And some things, like Burries’ breakthrough performance on Saturday night, are worth waiting for.
The freshman guard scored a career-high 28 points, fueling top-ranked Arizona to a 96-75 win over No. 12 Alabama in Birmingham. The Wildcats (9-0) earned their fifth win this season over a ranked opponent, matching the 1987-88 team that also went 5-0 in nonconference games against ranked foes.
Burries, who started heating up a few weeks ago and had averaged 17 points over the previous three games, was 11 of 19 from the field and drained five of Arizona’s 10 3-pointers. His performance was especially big because fellow freshman Koa Peat struggled with foul trouble, finishing with a career-low five points in 20 minutes, while Jaden Bradley also had to sit for an extended period in the second half becauise of fouls.
Bradley and Motiejus Krivas scored 14 apiece, with Krivas pulling down 14 rebounds, while Tobe Awaka had 15 boards as Arizona dominated Alabama 52-32 on the glass. The Wildcats had a 22-3 edge in offensive rebounds, leading to a 15-2 advantage in second chance points.
Alabama (7-3) got 24 points from Labaron Philon and 21 from Latrell Wrightstell Jr., with that duo going 15 of 28 including 6 of 12 from 3. But the Crimson Tide, who began 7 of 13 from 3, made only five more the rest of the way while the UA’s 38.5 percent shooting from outside was actually better.
Arizona was down 41-39 at the half, the first time it has trailed after 20 minutes this season. The Wildcats were back in front within two minutes and built a 49-43 lead thanks to a 10-0 run, but during that stretch Peat and Bradley each picked up their third foul.
Yet somehow, Arizona nearly tripled its lead with that duo on the bench.
The UA led 55-48 with 14:01 to go whenAwaka was called for a flagrant foul after Alabama coach Nate Oats appealed on a play that saw the Crimson Tide called for a foul. Both teams made 1 of 2 free throws from that, but then the Wildcats scored the next 11 with their defense fueling the charge.
Back-to-back steals by Ivan Kharchenkov and Burries led to transition baskets, with Burries lobbing to Awaka for a dunk and then scoring seven straight to put the UA up 67-49 with 11:22 remaining.
Kharchenkov had 10 points and five steals, most by an Arizona freshman since KJ Lewis had five two seasons ago.
Burries fourth 3 put the Wildcats up 20 and his fifth made it 75-54 with nine minutes left. Alabama hit back-to-back 3s for the first time since seven minutes left in the first half to get within 82-65 but got no closer.
Arizona built a 19-12 lead on a 3-point play by Burries but Alabama’s outside shooting got it right back into it. A 7-0 run put the Tide up 26-22 midway through the first half.
Alabama’s 7th made 3 put it up 37-30 but then went cold, allowing the UA to retake the lead. A 9-0 run with seven straight from Bradley and then capped by a Peat jumper put the Wildcats up 39-37 with 1:51 left in the half.
Two late baskets by the Crimson Tide put it back in front at the break.
Arizona returns home to take on Abilene Christian on Tuesday night before facing San Diego State in Phoenix next Saturday.
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