Hansen's Sunday Notebook: Miller unlikely to see recruiting advantage

Coaching U19 team doesn't usually pay off in recruiting

Coaching the USA under-19 basketball team isn’t meant to be a piece of recruiting bliss for Arizona’s Sean Miller, or an advantage for anyone.

Yet when Miller begins his term as head coach of the U19’s this weekend, he’ll be coaching players ranked Nos. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 10 nationally by various scouting services. Two of them, No. 1 Josh Jackson of Michigan and No. 6 Terrance Ferguson of Texas, already list Arizona among their three favorite schools.

But historically, coaching USA pre-college all-star teams has not helped any head coach in recruiting, except Florida’s Billy Donovan, who landed Michael Frazier off the U19 team of 2013.

The U19 and U18 head coaches of the last decade — Washington’s Lorenzo Romar, Oregon’s Ernie Kent, Davidson’s Bob McKillop, Oklahoma’s Jeff Capel, DePaul’s Jerry Wainwright and Pitt’s Jamie Dixon — didn’t strike a rich recruiting vein while coaching the summer ball prospects.

Romar did get center Spencer Hawes, but he is a Seattle-area native, and Capel whiffed on three elite guards: Kyrie Irving, Austin Rivers and Abdul Gaddy.

College basketball recruiting is now such an advanced process that kenpom.com, the top analytical resource in the game, has a PASR Recruiting Forecast — predictive analysis for successful recruiting. It investigates every elite prospect and produces Las Vegas-type odds on their college choices.

Who knows if it’s accurate? But it’s fun to follow. Kenpom.com gives Arizona a chance to land nine of the top 60 players from the Class of 2017. Here’s the top four:

Alex Barcello, point guard, Tempe Corona del Sol: 91 percent probability he’ll sign with Arizona. ASU is 8 percent.

Markus Howard, shooting guard, Gilbert Perry: 89 percent Arizona. ASU is 5 percent.

Cody Riley, small forward, Los Angeles: 39 percent Arizona.

D.J. Harvey, small forward, Maryland: 24 percent Arizona.

A more immediate interest is whether Arizona will join the pursuit for Phoenix Shadow Mountain point guard Michael Bibby, a junior-to-be. So far, Memphis, USC and Nevada have offered Bibby scholarships. Arizona is waiting to watch how he recovers from a knee injury that sidelined him for a full year.

Bibby, coached by his father, 1998 UA All-American Mike Bibby, played his first-ever game at McKale Center on Saturday, as part of the Sean Miller Shootout, against Sunnyside.

Tucson's Sanders continues exemplary volunteer, fundraising work

Tom Sanders is one of the most significant figures in the history of UA sports. He was the school’s first fundraiser of the modern athletic era, raising money to build Hillenbrand Stadium and Hillenbrand Aquatic Center, among many other UA projects.

He was the force behind the Jim Click Hall of Champions, and the man who gathered almost all of the memorabilia from UA athletes of 1900-1975, putting them on public display. He was the connection to past UA athletes that had gone dark for decades.

As meaningful as Sanders’ time in the UA athletic department was, his work as a Tucson/UA swimming official is likewise exemplary.

A week ago, for example, he officiated the 800-entrant Southwest Swim Classic, morning and evening, over four days. Before that, he worked an SAAA summer youth meet, with seven heats in each event, all day. He similarly works all UA swim meets and many AIA high school meets.

His pay? Maybe a Subway sandwich and a bottle of Gatorade. Some years, a T-shirt is part of the booty.

Sanders is believed to be the longest-tenured certified swimming official in Arizona. He began in 1977, and became nationally certified in 1983. He estimates his total pay at $50.

Sanders, a UA grad, continues to work in the Tucson fundraising community, recovering from serious back surgery and again gutting it out to swim mile after mile to stay in shape.

“I’m good at my starting job — as good as or better than I’ve ever been — so therefore, and because I really love the sport, I have no plans to hang up my whistle,” he said.

He is one man making the Tucson sports community better.

Ex-Cat standout Barrett out after surgery

2012 Olympic high jump silver medalist Brigetta Barrett will not compete in the U.S. national championships next month and the ensuing world championships. She has returned to Tucson and undergone hip flexor surgery, and is expected to begin training again in September under UA coach Sheldon Blockburger.

Former UA NCAA champion Ross training in Tucson

Another former UA NCAA high jump champion, Nick Ross, remains in Tucson, training with Blockburger. Ross was probably the top all-around athlete on campus in 2013 and 2014, but it doesn’t translate financially the way it does for basketball and football players. Ross is working at Desert Diamond Casino, hoping to land a larger endorsement contract after this summer’s U.S. finals.

Rondae rents bus for hometown players

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has rented a tour bus and will transport 40 young basketball players from his hometown of Chester, Pennsylvania, to attend the NBA draft in Brooklyn later this month. True to his home turf, Hollis-Jefferson has “CHESTER” tattooed across the top of his back.

Rincon/University grad Leverenz signs scholarship with Tennessee

Rincon/University High grad Brianna Leverenz, younger sister of 2012 Olympic bronze-medal swimmer Caitlin Leverenz, has signed a scholarship to swim for the Tennessee Volunteers. Caitlin, who remains a top USA prospect in the 400 IM for the 2016 Rio Olympics, was an NCAA champion at Cal.

Stanford honors CDO grad Martinez with media day invite

Stanford’s football staff thinks so highly of senior linebacker Blake Martinez of CDO that it has chosen to feature him at Pac-12 Football media day on July 30 in Hollywood. Every school selects two players for the event.

UA grad Baffert throws out first pitch at Dodgers game

UA grad and Triple Crown winner Bob Baffert threw out the first pitch for a Dodgers game last week at Dodger Stadium. For a guy who grew up riding horses and chasing chickens in Nogales, it wasn’t a bad delivery. High and outside, but it won’t make anyone’s NOT Top 10 list.

Tucson High grad Clark creates local youth hoops league

Giving back: Tucson High grad Christine Clark, a three-time All-Ivy League guard at Harvard and now playing professionally in Italy, has created an eight-team girls summer basketball league for Tucson middle school players. She also will stage a skills challenge competition June 26 from 5-6 p.m., at Pima College. To register email cdclark24@gmail.com. She will hold an All-Star Game after the skills academy. Clark has re-signed to play in Italy in 2015-16.

Salpointe grad Dosty hired as assistant at Seattle U

Salpointe Catholic grad Sybil Dosty, who declined a scholarship offer from former UA women’s basketball coach Joan Bonvicini 10 years ago, and played at Tennessee and ASU, has been hired to be Bonvicini’s assistant coach at Seattle U. Dosty spent last season as a graduate assistant at ASU.

Rincon/University grad Clayton also an assistant at Seattle U

Within the Seattle athletic department, Dosty will work with ex-Rincon/University volleyball standout K.C. (Clayton) Bennett, who is now an assistant volleyball coach at Seattle. Bennett has worked her way through the system since being named to the Louisiana Tech’s All-Decade volleyball team. She was an assistant coach at Rincon and Sahuarita, played pro volleyball in Italy and England, and was part of the Oregon State volleyball staff in 2014.

Ex-Cat Furyk only Tucson-related golfer in U.S. Open

None of the eight Tucson-affiliated golfers who reached last week’s Sectional Qualifying for the U.S. Open were successful in advancing to the big event this week: Current UA player George Cunningham, Rincon-University High grad Michael Thompson and former Wildcats Robert Gamez, Alex McMahon, Brian Prouty, Jason Gore, Ricky Barnes and Rory Sabbatini were just short. Ex-Wildcat Jim Furyk is the only Tucson-related golfer in this week’s field.

Byrne was prepared for Lopez retirement

New Arizona baseball coach Jay Johnson got his first phone call from Greg Byrne the day Andy Lopez retired. That’s being prepared.

Johnson always dreamed of being coach

Johnson’s father, Jerry Johnson, a retired high school coach in Oroville, California, said that Jay was so diligent about becoming a coach that he wasn’t a troublesome teenager. “There were no sleepless nights with Jay,” he said. “He knew what he wanted and he toed that line. The only incident we ever had was when he said a cuss word to an umpire as a high school junior. I took him out of the game and when he got home he cried for an hour. He never did it again.”

Cats No. 26 in NCAA baseball attendance

Even though UA was not good from 2013 to 2015, the Wildcats ranked No. 26 in NCAA baseball attendance this season, 2,665 per game. Only ASU (3,057) and Oregon State (2,859) topped that in the Pac-12.

Sahuaro's Medina drafted by Rockies

There was no surprise when Sahuaro High right-hander Javier Medina was drafted 77th overall, by the Rockies, last week. Before the AIA declared his Mexican visa ineligible, Medina pitched 19 innings in an 18-day March stretch against Flowing Wells, Mountain View and Marana in which he struck out 37 batters in 19 innings and allowed five hits. He didn’t pitch again, but scouts had seen enough. He signed for $750,000 with a $20,000 allotment for college education.

If Warriors win, Kerr won't take credit

If Warriors win, ex-Cat Kerr won't take credit

I saw Steve Kerr on TV in the final round of the 2002 Lake Tahoe Celebrity Golf Classic. He shot a 74. Where did he get the time to learn to play golf that well? A year or so later, I asked him about the 74. In his typical self-deprecating style, he said “check out what I shot a day earlier.” I looked it up; he shot 84. If the Warriors win the NBA Finals, the last man who will try to take credit is Steve Kerr.

UA's Miller shows off handles

Videos of the week: Sean Miller doing his long-ago dribbling tricks at McKale Center for his 400 summer campers. Between Meadowlark Lemon, Pete Maravich and Steph Curry, Miller might’ve been America’s best ball-handler. Click the photo below to see the video.

My two cents: UA wise not to break bank on Johnson

Arizona hopes to break ground on a $6.5 million Wildcats Academic Center by the end of the year. It will be a stand-alone structure near McKale Center for the CATS Life Skills Program, the compliance office, study rooms, a computer lab and a tutorial center.

The conceptual design study has begun.

That’s why you don’t have to hire a baseball coach for $500,000 a year. There are more important things, and Greg Byrne has maintained that perspective.

In Pac-12 baseball, Oregon pays coach George Horton $650,000. UCLA is paying John Savage close to $900,000. In total compensation, Oregon State and ASU are well over $400,000 for baseball coaches.

Byrne is paying Jay Johnson a base salary of $160,000, although a deal with Nike and the bats-and-balls people will up that to something near $300,000.

Johnson gets credit, too. In 2012, he was offered a chance to be the head coach at San Jose State. He declined, choosing to remain an assistant for the San Diego Toreros. He was betting on himself, and last week, his ship came in.

It wasn’t a luxury liner, but it has floated in college baseball’s deepest waters for 65 years.