Hansen's Sunday Notebook: ASU has recruited Tucson well

From Lever to Ortiz, Devils have recruited Tucson well

I parked outside El Saguarito Mexican restaurant late Tuesday afternoon just as the ASU Caravan — a big bus painted maroon and gold — parked.

About 50 or 60 Sun Devil fans greeted ASU athletic director Ray Anderson and basketball coach Bobby Hurley. One of the boosters told me it was a wasted effort.

“They never get a good recruit from Tucson,” he said. “This is never going to be an ASU market.”

I went home and compiled this list of Tucson-to-Tempe recruits who have made Tucson a very productive market for the Sun Devils.

1. Lafayette “Fat” Lever, Pueblo High, point guard. Honorable mention All-American 1982. Retired jersey hangs in the ASU rafters.

2. Eric Larkin, Sunnyside wrestler. Undefeated national champion 2003.

3. Jim Crawford, Rincon, pitcher. Won 33 games at ASU, fifth in school history.

4. Jackie Vasquez, Catalina Foothills, softball. First-team All-College World Series 2008 for ASU national champs.

5. Don Hanna, Rincon, pitcher. Went 15-1 in 1976 on College World Series team.

6. Shawn Charles, Santa Rita, wrestling. Four-time All-American, NCAA runnerup 1992 and 1993. Later ASU’s head coach.

7. Carlos Ramirez, Sunnyside, baseball. First-team All-America catcher, 2009, 19 homers, 75 RBIs.

8. Mario Bates, Amphi, football. All-Pac-10 tailback, 1993, gained 1,111 yards.

9. Taylor McCarter, Sahuarita, women’s soccer. Team MVP 2013, second team All-Pac-12, started 80 straight games.

10. Kevin Dukes, Sahuaro, pitcher. Closer on 1981 College World Series championship team, 20 career saves, then second in school history.

11. Eddie Urbano, Sunnyside, wrestling. NCAA wrestler of the year, 1985, undefeated national champion.

12. Steve Martin, Sahuaro, baseball. Starter in baseball, outfielder, and football, receiver, in 1988 and 1989.

13. Sybil Dosty, Salpointe, basketball. Two-year starter, 35 straight starts, 2008-09, honorable mention All-Pac-12.

14. Randy Sooter, Amphi, gymnastics. Eight-time national collegiate club team champion in late 1990s.

15. Marc Barcelo, Sahuaro, pitcher. First-team All-Pac-10, 1993, went 12-4, third-team All-American.

16. Chris Hopkins, Salpointe, football. Gained 1,584 yards as a starting tailback, 1993-95.

17. Ted Dyson, Amphi, baseball. First-team All-Pac-10 first baseman, 1986, hit team-leading .379.

18. Kevin Thomas, CDO, football. Starting center on ASU’s 1987 Rose Bowl championship team.

19. Ryan Schroyer, CDO, baseball. Led ASU in ERA in 2002 and 2003, 17 saves, tied for sixth all-time at school.

20. Thom Ortiz, Sunnyside, wrestling. Three-time All-American, finished No. 2 in NCAA in 1990, and later became ASU’s head coach.

That’s a rounded-off list of 20. My master list was at 37 when I shut it down and realized ASU has thrived recruiting Tucson’s elite athletes.

If Scooby leaves early, he won't be overlooked

One of the subplots of Arizona’s 2015 football season is whether junior linebacker Scooby Wright plays himself high into the 2016 NFL draft and bypasses his senior season in Tucson.

Only four inside linebackers were selected during the first two days of this year’s draft (one in the first round, three in the second) and Wright projects as good or better, than them all.

The San Diego Chargers selected Miami’s Denzel Perryman with the 48th overall choice. Perryman is listed in some evaluations as small as 5-foot-11, 235 pounds. He was clocked in a relatively slow 4.78 over 40 yards. But the Chargers referred to him as a “Hammer,” a prototypical strongside inside linebacker.

If that’s not Scooby, what is?

Wright is listed at 6-1, 245 pounds. He made 163 tackles last season to Perryman’s 110. A third-round inside linebacker draftee, Texas’ Jordan Hicks, is listed at 6-1, 235. Hicks missed much of two seasons with Achilles and hip injuries. He was also suspended for disciplinary issues while at Texas.

Yet Hicks went No. 84 overall to Philadelphia. A CBS Sports review of Hicks said he is an inconsistent tackler with “only adequate stopping power.”

I’m no football scout, but based on Perryman and Hicks becoming early-round ILB choices this weekend, Scooby Wright isn’t likely to be on the board very long next year.

Sahuaro High grads producing film on UA's '88 team

Brothers Brad and Sean Malone were impressionable Tucson kids when Lute Olson coached Arizona to the 1988 Final Four. The Sahuaro High grads now operate a videography business in Southern California and are producing a feature-length documentary — “’88” — on that special team, which, I contend, is the single best club in UA basketball history. It’s a can’t-miss subject. Let’s hope the Malone brothers can come close to the “Memories ’88” video produced by Tucsonan Dana Cooper a quarter-century ago. Cooper’s work stands the test of time; it’s raw, it’s timely and if you can get your hands on it, don’t wait to watch. It’s superb. 

Stanley begins 'mental skills training' 

After he left Tucson a week ago, former UA basketball player Stanley Johnson moved to Santa Barbara, California, where he began working with Graham Betchart, who bills himself as a “mental skills training” coach. Aaron Gordon worked with Betchart last year. Want to sign up? Betchart advertises three individual 25-minute sessions beginning at $299. 

Sabino coach Campos begins busy month 

Sabino High football coach Jay Campos is going to have a busy month. The Sabercats began spring practice last week. He will then fly to West Point, New York, on May 22 to be with ex-Sabino running back standout Stephen Fraser, who will graduate from Army in information technology before beginning his military career. Campos then plans to fly to Texas to be at the wedding of ex-Sabercat and Arizona defensive Brooks Reed, who will be married in Houston on May 30 before moving to Atlanta to start his new contract with the NFL Falcons. Reed was in Tucson recently to visit his family; he spoke to the Sabino football team while here.

Cats still lead Devils in Pac-12 coaches of the year

Arizona State men’s golf coach Tim Mickelson last week was chosen Pac-12 Coach of the Year for his sport. It was the 65th time a Sun Devil coach has been so honored since entering the league in 1978. The most? Diving coach Mark Bradshaw was nine times the Pac-12’s diving coach of the year in his ASU days. Baseball coach Jim Brock won the honor five times.  

UA coach Ianello likely to be named Pac-12 Coach of the Year

If Arizona women’s golf coach Laura Ianello is named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year next week — and why shouldn’t she, given that the Cats won the league championship? — it would push Arizona’s Coach of the Year total to 75. Swimming coach Frank Busch was honored 11 times at Arizona. Lute Olson won the Coach of the Year award seven times and softball coach Mike Candrea has won it 10 times. Former UA track and cross country coach Dave Murray was the Pac-10 coach of the year nine times. 

Oklahoma's Chamberlain breaks home run record; Mauga could be next

Oklahoma senior Lauren Chamberlain broke the NCAA record for career home runs last week; she had 91 through Friday. Until this season, the top four in NCAA home runs were UCLA’s Stacey Nuveman, 90; Arizona’s Stacie Chambers, 87; Arizona’s Leah Braatz and the UA’s Laura Espinoza Watson both at 85. Arizona sophomore Katiyana Mauga had 41 through Friday and, if she stays healthy, could get close to 100 in the 2017 season. 

Arizona at Nevada football to start earlier than most 

Those who have struggled to enjoy the Pac-12’s “Late Night With Larry Scott” football scheduling start times, will like the Sept. 12 Arizona at Nevada game. It will start at 4 p.m., Tucson time, on CBS Sports Network. No other game time for Arizona’s 2015 football season has been announced. 

Match Play lost intrigue with round-robin format

The WGC-Cadillac Match Play championships lost much of its buzz and intrigue when it moved to a three-day round-robin format last week in San Francisco. The traditional one-and-done setup in Tucson was a blessing and a curse, but you can’t deny the “it factor” of its opening rounds in eight Dove Mountain seasons. The ongoing match play at Harding Park is cosmetically beautiful, and after three days of tedious golf, it gained significant sizzle for the weekend as it returned to win-or-go-home stakes. It is good TV now that the Tour has altered the format. 

UA grad Moline gets oversized check at Drake Relays 

At the Drake Relays last week, Arizona grad Georganne Moline, a 2012 London Olympics finalist in the 400 hurdles, finished second in an elite field. She was paid $10,000. Moline was awarded one of those oversized checks for a photo op, the way it used to be done on the PGA Tour. Ever a good sport, she hauled the 2-by-5-foot “check” back to Tucson as she prepares for the USA Outdoor Championships.  

NYT commemorates 25th anniversary of '90 draft 

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 1990 NFL draft, The New York Times last week examined the lives of those men selected in the first round of the ’90 draft. It revealed that former Arizona All-Pac-10 linebacker Chris Singleton attempted to kill himself last year and that he had declared bankruptcy and gone through a divorce. The newspaper further reported that Arizona’s dominating defensive end of the 1990 draft, Anthony Smith, has been in jail in Los Angeles since 2011 on a murder charge. He is awaiting a new trail. Singleton, who was a superior player and, in my opinion, one of the most stand-up UA football players I’ve ever encountered, has since turned his life around. He is remarried and lives in Phoenix. 

Foothills grad Gray dominating at Trinity 

Catalina Foothills grad Ryan Gray, a junior lefty at Trinity (Texas) University, is 7-0 with a 1.81 ERA this season. Gray was the winning pitcher in the Division III team’s conference playoff Friday in Shreveport, Louisiana. He has been dominant, striking out 61 in 54⅔ innings.

Ex-Cat Gulbis throws out first pitch at A's game 

Former UA golfer Natalie Gulbis threw out the first pitch at an Oakland A's game last week, but her LPGA Tour career is ebbing. Gulbis was 138th on the money list last year (with $20,446) and entered last week at No. 111 (with $13,510). She is only 32. 

My two cents: Cal has talent; now needs chemistry

Cal’s basketball acquisition of Georgia super prospect Jaylen Brown a few days after getting 6-11 Ivan Rabb is the most provocative set of moves in the Pac-12 since Sean Miller raided USC to get Solomon Hill, Derrick Williams and MoMo Jones six years ago.

Cal is now undeniably a power player — the bigger question is whether it can be sustained.

Cal’s projected starting five for 2015-16 is probably the most talented in the Pac-12 since Ben Howland’s UCLA Final Four team of 2007-08 that went 35-4. The difference is that Howland was in his 14th year as a coach, 10 at the elite level. Cal’s Cuonzo Martin has not been a top 25 coach. Martin has one season to bring together five rather sizable egos.

Howland’s ’08 team was remarkable in its chemistry. Future NBA players Kevin Love, Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook all averaged 10 points or more and 10-plus field-goal attempts per game. Amazing. Another future NBA player, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, averaged 7.4 shots per game. Howland didn’t employ an up-tempo offense to keep his future stars happy; the Bruins averaged 73.5 points a game, which was No. 85 in the NCAA.

The Bruins won with defense and discipline. As good as they were, they lost to Washington, USC, Texas and Memphis that season, and barely managed to beat Kevin O’Neill’s ragtag Arizona team at McKale Center, 68-66. Pac-12 basketball, which has been a yawner for years, is much the better for Martin’s ability to put the Bears on the recruiting map. But if he had someone like T.J. McConnell at point guard, distributing the ball, it would be much more threatening.

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