Opinion by Greg Hansen : Opening doors for hoops stars

The Wildcats didn't get a point from an Arizona player; it has no Arizona natives on its roster.

The Boilermakers' career scoring leaders, one through 10, are almost exclusively Hoosier-bred, from Rick Mount to Dave Schellhase.

By comparison, Lute Olson has had just four Arizona players in 24 years play significant roles: Tucson's Sean Elliott and Phoenicians Channing Frye, Richard Jefferson and Mike Bibby.

"That's a factor, a big factor,'' said UA associate head coach Jim Rosborough. "After Sean left, we've never really had the hometown kid who could help get us over a hump. And you get one or two every 10 years out of Phoenix if you're lucky.''

Only three Division I basketball players from Tucson high schools are on active rosters: Salpointe Catholic guard Daniel Waddy at Colgate, Rincon's David Jackson of Idaho and Salpointe power forward Damir Suljagic of Texas Tech.

Pretty sad for a community of more than 1 million people.

Now, with the energy of former Salpointe and Pima College head coach Brian Peabody, who has coached in Division I at Western Carolina, Tucson is showing ambitious signs of developing younger basketball players.

Peabody and Fred Killion, a volunteer coach at Sabino High School this year and retired director of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tucson, have started a basketball academy for the non-profit organization Tucson Heat. Former UA standouts Matt Muehlebach and Joe Nehls have indicated they will help to develop the academy and move the idea forward.

"Our intent is not to be simply an AAU travel program; that's not the mentality we have with this concept,'' said Killion. "The idea is to develop Tucson's young basketball players, yes, but in concert with community service, academics and youth development.''

The Tucson Heat will start with players entering next year's ninth, 10th and 11th grades. Part of the program already includes Santa Rita freshman guard Terrell Stoglin, who is probably Tucson's leading prospect since Sunnyside's Jermaine Watts (of DePaul) almost 15 years ago.

"We're not going to specialize,'' said Killion. "If you want us to help your son be a better ballplayer, that's why we're doing this.''

Those interested in being part of the Tucson Heat should contact Killion at fredkillion@comcast.net.

Good, Old days

UA fans, party like it's 1997 with NCAA catalog of DVDs

If you've forgotten the days that Arizona routinely rolled through NCAA tournament opponents, a marvelous new media resource now provides access to classic UA hoops memories.

DVDs of 29 Arizona NCAA tournament games are now available via NCAA On Demand, which can be found at www.NCAAondemand.com.

Games from the UA's 1994 Sweet 16 and Elite Eight victories over Louisville and Missouri to all six games of Arizona's 1997 run to the national championship are available. The Web site also makes available DVDs of Arizona's national championships in softball and women's golf.

You can thank me later.

short stuff

Ground broken on Arizona basketball practice facility

Lute Olson's long-awaited basketball practice facility is at last being constructed. Ground has been broken on the north side of McKale Center, although the two courts, part of a $20 million athletics expansion project, aren't expected to be available for the 2007-08 season. … Len Gordy, captain of Arizona's 1977 basketball team and for six years an assistant coach under Fred Snowden, had a reunion with UA boosters at the New Orleans Arena last week. After coaching at Clemson and Creighton, Gordy still sits on Creighton's bench during games. But he is no longer a coach. He is director of the athletic department's multicultural diversity program. … The UA's 2007-08 season opener will be Nov. 11 at McKale Center, probably against Mississippi Valley State. It will be part of an as-of-yet unnamed four-team event that will span two weeks, therefore counting as just two games rather than three, as per new NCAA procedures for early-season tournaments. Kansas will be involved in the execution of the "tournament,'' but the Wildcats will play KU at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence next year, not Tucson. Kansas is scheduled to be Arizona's Fiesta Bowl Classic opponent at McKale Center in December 2008.

UA's Candrea bests his son in picking up win No. 1,100

UA softball coach Mike Candrea's 1,100th career victory on Friday night, against Pacific, came against a familiar face. His son, Mikel, is a first-year assistant on the UP coaching staff. … Amazingly, with six losses through Friday, Candrea's team has already surpassed the loss total of his 1994, 1997, 1998 and 2001 teams and matched the loss total of his 1995 club. That's the best possible perspective of what it is he has accomplished here. … Flowing Wells High School grad Vanessa Campillo reached the NCAA women's basketball tournament Saturday, against Arizona State. Campillo, a junior guard with UC-Riverside, missed eight games with a concussion but returned for the Big West tournament, swishing a three-pointer late in the championship game to help defeat Long Beach State. Campillo started six games. … John Meloan, who compiled a 24-4 record while pitching for Arizona coach Andy Lopez, has made a big impression on the Los Angeles Dodgers while in his first big-league spring training. L.A. manager Grady Little told reporters "he has lit up our eyes; he sticks out.'' Meloan is expected to open in Double-A Jacksonville and has been tagged as the Dodgers' closer of the future.

Caballero-turned-Longhorn Williams out with knee injury

All-Big 12 shortstop Desiree Williams, a junior from Flowing Wells High School, is out indefinitely after injuring her left knee while making a tag play at second base for her Texas Longhorns three weeks ago. Williams, who hit 12 home runs last year, a UT record, was Arizona's 2004 high school player of the year. … Pima College's ability to hire Armando Quiroz to replace Stacy Iveson as its softball coach is a coup. Quiroz built a national power at Flowing Wells and is already tapped into the recruiting network here and regionally. … Kris Sanchez, an All-Southern Arizona outfielder at CDO in 2002 who signed to play at Arizona, has resurfaced at Hawaii. Sanchez is having a fabulous year, batting .409 through 23 games, leading the Warriors in batting average, home runs (five) and RBIs (33). He left the UA after one season to play at Central Arizona College. … Salpointe Catholic and UA grad Jay John, head basketball coach at Oregon State, was given a public vote of confidence last week by OSU athletic director Bob De Carolis. In his fifth season, John went 11-21 (3-15 in the Pac-10) and has three years remaining on his contract. If John can produce a winning record next year, in what could be the most difficult Pac-10 season in history, he'll be the Pac-10 coach of the year.

myers turns pro

Key piece to UA swim team stands among elite company

Two days after leading Arizona's women's swimming team to a No. 2 finish in the NCAA championship, All-American and USA World Championship standout Whitney Myers turned pro.

Before leaving Tuesday for Australia and next week's World Championships, Myers accepted an offer from Octagon, a marketing and endorsement company of global clout. That New York-based group represents the world's leading swimmer, Michael Phelps, and America's other top swimmers, from Katie Hoff to Ian Crocker. It also has John Elway and Mia Hamm as clients, among others.

If Myers emerges as a 2008 Olympics medalist, her personality could make her an international celebrity.

My two cents

Katz out of the bag: Skeptics are taking a long look at Lute

At exactly 11:37 p.m. Friday, Central Daylight Time, two hours after the UA basketball team quietly left New Orleans Arena, laughter and loud talking created a momentary din outside the media work room.

The source of the noise: Florida coach Billy Donovan and several Gator players. They were followed by an entourage of about 20 celebrants, including Andy Katz of ESPN, who makes it his business to be at the scene of college basketball's biggest stories.

Donovan even had his arm around Katz.

Compare that to Arizona's earlier exit. Lute Olson and his wife, Christine, walked down a corridor, accompanied by Katz and UA basketball publicist Rich Paige. It was a lonely foursome.

Olson even had his arm around Katz.

But now Olson is becoming a story for all the wrong reasons. People in the national media, such as Katz, are watching to see if Olson becomes basketball's equivalent of Joe Paterno, a Hall of Fame coach who has stayed on the job too long.

More than anything, that type of speculation must drive Olson to return his treasured UA basketball program where it has so often resided: at an elite address.

The vultures are circling.

There should be no doubt about Olson's motivation and effort to go out on top.