Wildcats move ahead, Former Valley AD to Mexico, Hurley-Black Knight, Martori retirement, more…

Always Something University hasn’t made news this week, but in Tucson, they have a new athletic director, and the basketball coach can now afford an upstairs addition…

November 13th, 2023, Ray Anderson was given a one-way ticket on the Herm Train out of town(or he stepped down). Dave Heeke was given the weighted parachute in Tucson just three weeks ago. Gloom and doom on the budget deficit and calls for President Bobby Robbins to resign didn’t deter the Wildcats 21 days later from going into the Southeastern Conference to snag their new AD away from Missouri…

Paging President Crow. “Hello, anyone home”…

The Tommy Lloyd contract extension didn’t mean as much, but the message out of Tucson is, “We’re good.”  The Arizona Wildcat fans I hear from aren’t impressed with Lloyd’s March resume. Extending one’s contract is nice. Those in my circles haven’t forgotten last year’s first-round flame out to Princeton…

I wouldn’t blame Bobby Hurley one bit if he decided to punch out of Tempe and become an NBA assistant. I like him. He’s in a near impossible situation to win big given the lack of NIL, average(at best, and I’m being kind)game facilities, and year-round support/interest needed. The argument about how Phoenix is a pro sports town doesn’t carry water. Look at what Grand Canyon University has done with basketball. It’s about leadership and support. Not an excuse, it’s just a fact. Bobby is like the black knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Cut off his arms and legs and he keeps on fighting…

No one in Arizona has done more for the sport of wrestling than Art Martori, who is retiring. as the owner of Sunkist Wrestling Club. In 2008, the sport was cut by then AD Lisa Love. I remember sitting on a wall at Karsten Golf course, working on my story for Channel 3 the day it happened. A young man named Anthony Robles was sitting on the wall, too, looking straight down at the ground. His sport had been cut, and he didn’t know what was next. Martori and Jerry Colangelo(among others) stepped up over the next ten days to secure funding to keep Sun Devil wrestling intact. What would’ve happened to the Robles story if that hadn’t happened? Martori will be honored before the Sun Devils dual this Sunday vs Nebraska…

Former Basha and Casteel athletic director Brent Rincon has a pretty cool gig in retirement. Rincon is coaching on the Vera Cruz team in the Mexican Softball League. https://www.wbsc.org/en/news/mexican-softball-league-historic-inaugural-season-to-be-staged-in-2024-supported-by-mexican-baseball-league I spoke with Rincon on Monday about his journey. “I’m having a blast”, he said. Rincon is the only American coach in the League, which runs for just two months. “The League is very well run, with players between the ages of 20-35. The son of former Arizona State star Eddie Bane is the one who connected Rincon to the League back in 2022. “Our owner has his helicopter land in center field to drop him off for work, talk about a power move before practice”, he said with a laugh.

 

Sounds like a sweet gig for a person transitioning out of a thirty-plus-year career in education. Good for him!…

High school basketball playoffs this Thursday and Friday have talent that will be playing in collage and perhaps the NBA and WNBA. Loaded would be an understatement…

When I was at WM Open for Pro-Am Wednesday, three friends gave me wristbands for suites at 16, 17, and 18. Because I was wearing three different bands, each band is good for 10 drinks. I am guessing that one of the changes we may see by the WM and Thunderbirds is the 10-drink per wristband rule change. Does anyone really need 10-drinks? Technically, I could’ve ordered 30…