Arizona

What to watch for when Arizona men’s basketball opens Big 12 play vs. TCU

Published

9 months ago

December 30, 2024

What to watch for when Arizona men’s basketball opens Big 12 play vs. TCU

And so it begins.

More than nine months after ending its wildly successful run in the Pac-12 Conference with another title, Arizona is on the cusp of officially beginning its journey through the Big 12. The anticipation around Wildcat Nation rivals that of another recent date on the calendar.

“It’s a little bit like Christmas Eve when you’re a little kid growing up,” coach Tommy Lloyd said Sunday, the day before the UA hosts TCU. “We’ve been talking about this for a long time, and it’s here. It’s Big 12 Eve for us, and we’re fired up.”

Added junior guard Jaden Bradley: “We’re excited. Going into probably one of the best conferences known for basketball, so we’re excited going into this. As a basketball player, that’s one of the things that you want to play best of the best, and going into the Big 12 we’re definitely getting that for 20-plus games.”

Arizona (6-5) was picked to finish 5^th in the league back in October but struggled going through its nonconference slate. The five losses are its most before Jan. 1 since the 2010-11 season, and as it stands right now the Wildcats probably wouldn’t make the NCAA Tournament after being a No. 1 or No. 2 seed the previous three years under Lloyd.

But Lloyd doesn’t see any difference in his team’s “vibe” since returning from a short holiday break, one that allowed he, his staff and the players to all reset.

“I think you always look at it as like, hey, it’s a fresh start,” Lloyd said. “You break your season up into little segments, and the Christmas break is a natural pause. So now let’s get back to it. I think the team has a good vibe around it right now, but now you got to go out on game day. You got to build some game confidence. And that’s what I’m hoping our next step is.”

Here’s what to look for when the Wildcats host the Horned Frogs (7-4) at McKale Center:

A stern defensive test right out the gate

TCU ranks 17^th in the country in adjust defensive efficiency, a few spots ahead of Arizona (20^th). The Horned Frogs allow 63.8 points per game on 40.3 percent shooting, with opponents making only 28 percent of their 3-point attempts.

“They’re a great defensive team,” Lloyd said. “They got this big guy, (Ernest Udeh), and his ball screen defense is about as good as you’re going to see. His ability to get his hands on balls from the way he guards ball screens and the deflections he gets from the 5 position, it’s really impressive, and it really caught my attention. They do a great job protecting the paint. You beat somebody, there’s another defender waiting for you.”

Arizona has faced five top-100 defenses this season and lost each of those games, and against teams ranked higher than TCU the Wildcats have scored 55 (Duke) and 54 (UCLA) points, respectively.

“It’s not going to be easy for us,” Bradley said. “We gotta adjust and find ways to win games. We’re going to have to work for a full 40 minutes to get wins.”

The Frogs have had to lean on defense because their offense has struggled for the most part. They’re shooting 43.3 percent, worst in the Big 12, are second-to-last from 3 (32.9) and rank 343^rd out of 363 Division I schools in free throw shooting (64.0).

They also are missing one of their leaders, senior Frankie Collins, who broke his foot three games ago and is out for the season. The former Michigan and ASU guard leads TCU in scoring (11.2 points per game), assists (4.4) and steals (1.9).

“TCU and Jamie Dixon is a program, it’s not about a player,” Lloyd said. “He’s had so much success over a long career, and Jamie’s one of the class acts in our business. Missing one player, I’m sure it sets it back. And obviously we know Frankie Collins is a good player. We played against him every year I’ve been here.”

Leaders wanted

A year ago Arizona had several players that you could consider the team’s leader, two of which are in the NBA and the other is at Indiana. This season? Not so much, despite having the reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year in Caleb Love and a pair of returning guards in Bradley and KJ Lewis. None of them have stepped up to be the guy in that respect, but there’s still time.

“We’re still working on that,” Lloyd said. “I think we have guys stepping up in that position. I think Caleb’s certainly trying to grow. I think JB, in his own way, he’s a little bit more quiet, but I think he definitely has a voice with the guys. And then now I’m hopeful, as we get into conference play, some of our veteran transfers can kind of step up in that role. Saying we have a definitive leader, we’re probably not there yet. Last year we had some guys that at this time, or on day one, I can say, yeah. Pelle (Larsson), Keshad (Johnson), Oumar (Ballo) in his own way.

“Leadership’s huge, but leadership can come in a variety of ways. What leaders do is they can pull people together in tough times. They can help hold people accountable to a standard. Whether that’s effort or execution, and it’s great when it can come from a voice within the team, as opposed to just coming from the coaches. When you can have your coaching and your coaching staff aligned with the leadership of your team, I think you’re gonna find a group that’s really in sync. We’re fighting for that. I don’t think there’s any anybody on either side working against each other.”

A very different matchup from the previous meeting

Arizona and TCU last faced off in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, a second-round 1/8 game in San Diego that saw the Wildcats escape with an 85-80 victory in overtime. The Wildcats had three future NBA draft picks on the court, with Bennedict Mathurin going for 30 and Christian Koloko 28 while Dalen Terry nearly won it in regulation after getting a steal at halfcourt but his layup was just after the buzzer.

“I remember that the game came down to a few offensive rebounds, I think kind of on free throws,” Lloyd said. “I remember Ben Mathurin was awesome. I remember Dalen Terry hit a huge three in the corner. I remember Kerr (Kriisa) gave a great effort trying to come back and play when I don’t think people realize he probably had no business trying to play with that sprained ankle that he sprained in the Pac-12 Tournament. It was an awesome game.”

That TCU team was just as good defensively but far more methodical on offense, ranking 246^th in adjusted tempo. The 2024-25 Frogs are averaging nearly three more possessions per game and take more than 35 percent of their shots in transition, compared to 25.1 percent in 2022.

TCU still makes teams work on defense, the average length of possession (18.5 seconds) one of the longest in the country. Arizona has the 20th-shortest average possession length (15.4).

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Arizona

Sam Leavitt says running helps rhythm, needs to stay healthy

Published

6 days ago

September 23, 2025

Press Room

Sam Leavitt says running helps rhythm, needs to stay healthy

TEMPE — Sam Leavitt has run the ball more to begin this season than any other four-game stretch of the Arizona State quarterback’s career.

Leavitt’s 15 rushes against Baylor set a new career high after his 12 carries against Texas State were among his previous career highs (also 13 in the Peach Bowl).

“I don’t think it was really part of the game plan. It was kind of just what happened,” Leavitt said Tuesday of the new career high. “More so taking what the defense gives me. Try not to do that throughout the rest of the season as much, keep my body a little healthier. But yeah I’m just trying to win the game at the end of the day.”

Leavitt missed one game last season due to a cracked rib sustained while fighting for extra yards against Utah. Arizona State saw firsthand how valuable he is to the offense when it rolled quarterback Jeff Sims out at Cincinnati, one of two Big 12 losses the team had.

“(Leavitt) ran more (at Baylor) than we like to usually run quarterbacks, but he did because it was needed in the game,” ASU coach Kenny Dillingham said.

While the usage is higher than any other stretch in his career (10.5 rushes per game), he’s also picked his spots well. Of his 42 rushes, 14 have been for first downs, and six of those have come on third or fourth down.

He’s also had nine explosive runs, defined by ASU defensive coordinator Brian Ward as pickups of at least 12 yards, including a 52-yard scramble against NAU.

His 220 scramble yards — distinguished from designed run plays, according to PFF — are the most in the country and 63 more than the next-best Power Four quarterback (Auburn’s Jackson Arnold).

TCU coach Sonny Dykes told reporters the Horned Frogs should prepare better for Leavitt’s scrambling after facing athletic SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings, but the numbers indicate a different story.

Jennings has nearly as many scrambles (13) as Leavitt (16), but his production is far below at 6.5 yards per scramble compared to Leavitt’s 13.8. Stripping away the outlying 52-yarder, Leavitt would still average 11.2 yards per scramble. Leavitt also has doubled up Jennings’ yards on designed runs (59 to 28).

“The SMU quarterback was more of a ‘run around to throw.’ This quarterback is more of a runner. He wants to run, and he’s very effective. He’s very fast, he’s very elusive and he does a good job getting down before you tackle him,” Dykes said.

Sam Leavitt in better rhythm passing when running the ball

Four of Leavitt’s six touchdown passes on the year have come after he carried the ball within the previous four plays, his level of engagement higher when feeling the hits.

“Early on, I like to kind of get the juices out, you know, butterflies out by running it a little bit, but later in the game I’m kind of settled in already,” Leavitt said.

After ASU lost to Mississippi State, Dillingham emphasized the importance of Leavitt feeling a rhythm early in games, with the QB run game as a way to get “feisty” signal callers feeling it.

Leavitt rushed the ball twice before he attempted a pass against Baylor and once before his first pass against Texas State. He then had two carries in the final 14 minutes of the Baylor win and three carries in the second half against Texas State.

Catch ASU-TCU on Friday at 6 p.m. MST on the Arizona Sports app, ESPN 620 AM or 98.7 FM HD-2. It will be televised on FOX.

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Arizona family devastated after rollover crash on I-10 kills 3 people

Published

2 weeks ago

September 14, 2025

Press Room

Arizona family devastated after rollover crash on I-10 kills 3 people

BUCKEYE, AZ (AZFamily) — A Valley family is reeling from an unimaginable tragedy and searching for answers after a deadly rollover crash left three people dead and one seriously injured.

The crash happened on Thursday in Buckeye along Interstate 10 near Palo Verde Road. According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, 48-year-old Isreal Vasquez was pronounced dead at the scene. Two young boys, ages 6 and 9, later died at the hospital.

Authorities said the family’s vehicle rolled over, but it’s still unclear what caused the crash. DPS is asking anyone who was in the area at the time to come forward with information.

Arizona’s Family spoke with members of the family who said they are relying on memories to get them through this dark time.

“They were always laughing and making jokes and being silly,” Ariana Lopez, a cousin, said. “I think about the crash and it comes back and hurts all over again.”

Lopez is hanging on to each one of them right now. She has recalled each moment.

“It breaks my heart because she was a single mom, and it was always the three of them together,” Lopez said. “And then to lose her whole life — her two sons and her dad as well — it’s heartbreaking.”

Lopez said while she looks back at each photo, she only has a few words she wishes she could say to them if they were here.

“It’s always nice to look at those memories, and it reminds you life is so short — hug your loved ones,” Lopez said. “Thank you for always being there for us. We need to make him proud.”

The family has started a GoFundMe to help with medical bills, three funerals and child care.

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Arizona

Arizona high school football Week 4 rewind: Upsets, statements and comebacks

Published

2 weeks ago

September 13, 2025

Press Room

Arizona high school football Week 4 rewind: Upsets, statements and comebacks

There were comebacks, statements, big performances and upsets across Arizona in Week 4 of the high school football season. The Arizona Republic looks back — and ahead — as teams start to separate from the pack.

What we learned

Chandler Basha cemented its No. 1 ranking in the state with another punishing performance, a 42-14 rout of No. 4 Gilbert Williams Field on Friday, Sept. 12. The Bears can line up in various formations and strike fast. This time, head coach Chris McDonald, also the offensive coordinator, often flanked out three receivers, including running back Noah Roberts, way outside. He had them bunched together, causing the secondary to adjust.

It was “pick your receiver” for Brodie Vehrs. He would wing it to a target, who followed the blocks from the other two receivers for big gains. Then, lulling the defense, Vehrs would simply hand off to tailback Josh Gaines, who gutted the middle of the defense for scoring runs of 19 and 23 yards in a 21-point third quarter that put the game away.

The Bears sent another team that was feeling great about itself to the film room, seeking answers. Basha will wear down teams with its size, athleticism and depth. McDonald’s defense is so stacked that he’s got guys not starting who have Division I scholarship offers.

Biggest question

How good is Chandler Hamilton?

We know about two-time defending Open state champion Peoria Liberty (2-1) and Basha, but are the three Hamilton blowouts telling us they’re right with those two teams?

The Huskies hung 63 on ALA Queen Creek, 62 on Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor and now 54 on Queen Creek Casteel. What we know now is ALA Queen Creek’s defense is nothing close to last year’s Open semifinal defense. The Patriots are 0-3, giving up 143 points. SDO and Casteel are both 1-2.

The Huskies might get a little more resistance next week against 2-1 Phoenix Brophy, which lost its only game to Basha (42-6) in the season opener. But the sophomore sensations of QB Jax Sculley and WR Roy Oliver III are special, the running game keeps defenses guessing.

Coach Travis Dixon has got something really good going in his second season leading his alma mater. They may have to wait until Oct. 24 to know how great this team is. That’s when the Huskies face Basha.

Biggest takeaway

Maybe the biggest shocker was ALA West Foothills’ 21-14 win over No. 1 (4A) Tucson Mica Mountain.

It was the Guardians’ first signature 4A win since moving up from 3A, where they lost to Tucson Pusch Ridge in last year’s championship game. They came into the season with adversity, losing quarterback Hudson Mitton and head coach Chad Mitton, Hudson’s dad. Hudson is now at Mesa High. Chad Mitton is not coaching. A few key players transferred out. And, after getting dominated by Snowflake in a 30-10 loss last week, there were more questions than answers.

Consider those questions answered.

Mica Mountain, the defending 4A champion, saw its 17-game winning streak end against a more physical, more confident, tougher team. Bryan Rauzan, who took on the head coaching position before the season began, can build off of this. But they still have a brutal 4A schedule remaining with games that include Phoenix Arcadia, Phoenix Northwest Christian, Peoria, Phoenix Thunderbird and improved Phoenix St. Mary’s.

Best bounce back

Chandler junior quarterback Will Mencl has been one of the emerging stars in the first three games. Despite putting up 319 passing yards and 70 rushing yards last week in California, it wasn’t enough in a 24-23 loss to Cathedral Catholic. He bounced back with a career night in a 49-29 win over ALA Queen Creek, completing 31 of 35 passes, piling up 569 yards total offense with seven total touchdowns.

His first two varsity seasons ended with injuries, but Mencl is doing things that are putting him in the early Player of the Year conversation as he tries to make this a big bounce-back year for the Wolves (2-1), who went 5-6 last year and didn’t get into the eight-team Open playoff for the first time.

Hamilton QB Jax Sculley talks team’s win over Casteel

Hamilton High School QB Jax Sculley discusses the team’s 54-14 win over Casteel on Sept. 12, 2025.

Best starts

Tolleson is off to its first 3-0 start in 12 years, behind the special connection between quarterback Youngman Lee and wide receiver Rico Blassingame in a 32-27 win over Avondale West Point. Youngman, a summer move-in from the Seattle area, completed 15 of 29 for 335 yards and four TDs. Blassingame, who has committed to Minnesota, caught nine passes for 153 yards and a TD. In his first three games in Arizona, Lee has completed 37 of 53 passes for 826 yards and nine TDs with two interceptions. Blassingame has 19 catches for 276 yards in three games. How much of a difference has Lee made? Last year, Tolleson went 1-9, following a 3-7 2023 season.

Meanwhile, St. Mary’s is 3-0 for the first time since 2006, behind sophomore QB Luke Horn, who was 15 of 24 for 426 yards and four TDs in a 48-0 win over Tucson Empire. Junior receiver Anthony Cannon had seven catches for 201 yards and one TD. Horn has thrown for 1,021 yards and eight TDs in the first three games.

Best comeback

Scottsdale Saguaro had the host Tucson Salpointe Catholic Lancers in a 17-0 halftime hole. The Lancers took their first lead, 28-24, with six minutes left. Saguaro took the lead back, 31-24, with 2:38 to play. Salpointe drove down the field before starting QB Matt Avelar (26 of 35, 321 yards, four TDs) got knocked out of the game with an injury. Enter senior Rayce Alvarez, who threw a TD pass with 40 seconds left for a 34-31 victory.

Saguaro (1-2) turned the ball over on the second play of its next possession. Saguaro’s two losses (the other to Scottsdale Desert Mountain) have been by a total of six points. R.J Gory had 14 catches for 173 yards and three TDs for the 3-0 Lancers, who now have to make two straight trips to the Valley (Mesa Red Mountain Sept. 19 and ALA Queen Creek Sept. 26) with another trip to the Valley on Oct. 17 to face Basha.

Best final quarter

Watch out for Tempe Marcos de Niza, which improved to 3-0, after a 27-point, fourth-quarter eruption in a 41-28 win over rival Tempe McClintock. The Padres have scored more than 40 points in each of their first three games. They trailed McClintock, 14-7, in the first half. Defense fueled the comeback with interceptions by Keilor Hemmings, Alejandro Gomez and Brian Irick.

“We are going to play for each other and we are going to play for four quarters,” coach Anthony Figueroa said.

Best small-school statement

In a football rivalry that began in 1904, host Eagar Round Valley, now in 3A, outlasted 2A St. Johns 38-21. Round Valley took a 25-7 halftime lead, recovering a pooch kick and scoring on a Brenton Walker 34-yard pass play with four seconds left. Round Valley (4-0) recovered two other onside kicks in the game. Still, St. Johns has inspired the White Mountains community and reignited the rivalry, starting the season 3-0 before suffering its first setback to a team that has a shot at winning the 3A title.

Look ahead

Key 4A games to keep an eye on Thursday, Sept. 18, include Gilbert Mesquite (2-1) against St. Mary’s at Phoenix Washington, and Arcadia (3-0) hosting Glendale Deer Valley (3-0).

On Friday, Sept. 19, Williams Field (2-1) will see how it responds from the Basha loss with a game at Chandler.

Hamilton will travel to Phoenix to take on Brophy Prep (2-1) at Central in another pivotal 6A game.

In a key 5A game, defending champion Goodyear Desert Edge (3-0) travels to play ALA Gilbert North (3-0).

Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. He also covers Grand Canyon University athletics and the Arizona Rattlers. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert

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