Hansen's Sunday Notebook: Ex-Wildcat's hard road

He scored a then-state-record 2,104 points at Sunnyside High School, and in 1989 was Arizona's top high school basketball player. He became, and remains, the only Tucson basketball player to accept a scholarship at the UA since Sean Elliott.

His dreams of becoming a latter-day Elliott died when the Wildcats recruited Chris Mills to play small forward. By 1993, Lute Olson had twice suspended Johnson for academic issues and ultimately dismissed him from the team.

Now, at 40, Johnson has written an account of his life. "Shattered Dreams" is a self-published Internet book available for $11.99 at djsbook.blogspot.com.

"I'm not bitter; this isn't about me not becoming the next Sean Elliott," Johnson said. "But I have a story to tell. I wanted to clear up some misconceptions."

Since leaving Arizona in 1993 and playing at Division II Clark Atlanta University, Johnson has gotten married and is the father of five children. He played pro basketball in Taiwan and in France. He has spent time in jail. He has not found a niche in the working world.

"I was so lost in the classroom," Johnson writes in his Web-based book. He talks about his learning disability and his struggles that began even before he became a local legend at Sunnyside.

"I was as lost as a child who couldn't find his way home," he writes.

"Shattered Dreams" is a lot like Johnson's post-Sunnyside days: It's rough and unpleasant. It is a grim reminder that not everyone who plays basketball at McKale Center winds up in the NBA or with a Final Four ring on his finger.

Spring training

Baseball analysts put down Tucson, and show off how little they know

ESPN baseball analyst John Kruk and two other baseball outlets last week blamed the Colorado Rockies' slow starts of the last four years for holding spring training in Tucson. Ha ha ha ha. They cannot be serious. Can they?

By making 12 or 13 bus trips to the Phoenix area every year, the Rockies supposedly "lost their legs" and "didn't face enough quality pitching" during spring training. Forget that Florida spring training teams face travel demands greater than the Tucson-to-Phoenix trip. And forget that from 2001 to 2007, the Diamondbacks, Rockies and White Sox all reached the World Series after "losing their legs" in Tucson.

Forget that in 2001, D-backs outfielder Luis Gonzalez had 20 homers and 41 RBIs by May 17, and that in 2008 D-backs pitcher Brandon Webb started the season 9-0 with a 2.56 ERA.

Last week, city workers finally removed the large Colorado Rockies sign from the façade of Hi Corbett Field. I hope they weren't too exhausted to return to work the next day.

SHORT STUFF

3 coaches unable to keep Lancers the top program

After Brian Peabody coached Salpointe Catholic to 243 victories in a 10-year stretch, 1994-2003, the Lancers have been unable to remain as the leading boys basketball program in Tucson. Michael Steward, Sean Loomer and Jerry Zander have all come and gone. Zander left the Lancers last week after going 41-18 in two seasons. He is returning to the Seattle area. … Willie Tuitama is playing football again. He is starting for the Nebraska Danger of the Indoor Football league. The UA career passing leader, who now lives in Grand Island, Neb., has completed 15 of 34 passes for 168 yards and three touchdowns in his first two games. The IFL is a low-brow league; one of the 22 teams in the league is the Arizona Adrenaline, based in Prescott. … Kerri Strug was back on her home turf last week. The 1996 Atlanta Olympics gold medalist was inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in Phoenix. At 33, the gymnastics legend is the project manager for the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in Washington, D.C. … Flowing Wells grad Rachelle Federico was named Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention for women's basketball last week. A senior at Cal, Federico has a 3.3 GPA in communications. She is scheduled to graduate in May. … After returning from an East Coast tour of four NFL teams, UA all-conference pass-rusher Brooks Reed will be a guest of the Cardinals on Monday/Tuesday. They can use someone like him.

Scurran back on sideline, coaching in Global Bowl

After leaving Sabino, Santa Rita and Pima College, three-time state championship football coach Jeff Scurran is coaching again. He leaves for Germany on Tuesday to coach Team USA in the Global Bowl on April 16 in Munich. His 30-man team includes Salpointe Catholic linebackers Jordon Backerman, Conner Siegel and Dylan Furrier; Cienega quarterback Jordan Mills and Bobcats receiver Javier Olono; and Catalina Foothills linemen Ethan Evanoski and Luis Parra. "This is a showcase of these kids," Scurran said. "They do things the right way. They'll stay with kids on U.S. military bases in Germany. It's as much about cultural awareness as about football." … Former UA athletic director Jim Livengood is in the business of hiring a basketball coach again, this time at UNLV. He won't have the cash or the cachet to pursue someone the rank of Sean Miller or Tim Floyd this time, and he might quickly hire BYU assistant Dave Rice, a former UNLV assistant. But it wouldn't be a shock if Livengood gave serious attention to UA assistant Archie Miller, 32, who is going to be a head coach sooner or later. In the diluted Mountain West Conference, without BYU and Utah, Livengood won't be able to hire a big name. … Flowing Wells grad Chris Ayer completes his season in the NBA's D-League on Monday and is just hitting his stride. The 6-foot-10-inch Loyola Marymount product, who plays for the Dakota Wizards, scored 36 points two weeks ago against New Mexico and had 18 Friday night against Tulsa. He is averaging 12.7 points.

MORE SHORT STUFF

Stoops says defense will be stronger; believe him

After his team's scrimmage Saturday morning at Arizona Stadium, Mike Stoops said "when it's all said and done, I think, defensively we'll be stronger than we've ever been." That's a lot of faith in a defense that has absolutely no depth at linebacker, no game-ready defensive ends and has just lost potential star safety Adam Hall with a serious knee injury. But I believe Stoops because he doesn't exaggerate and he knows defense as well as any coach in college football. … When the Pac-10 shook up its football officiating crew for 2011, veteran Tucson refs Cleo Robinson and Brian O'Cain were not included in the new group of refs. Both leave with terrific reputations; Robinson, a Marana High grad, has been one of college football's top referees for two decades. … The Southern Arizona Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame will hold its annual dinner honoring 11 student-athletes tonight at the UA. Among those to be honored will be incoming UA center/guard Jacob Arzouman of Salpointe Catholic. The Joe Kearney Award for contributions to amateur football will be presented to Amphi Hall of Fame coach Vern Friedli. … How times change: while researching a column on the late Hadie Redd, the first black man to play basketball at Arizona, I came across a 1954 story that said the Utah Redskins had dropped Arizona from their football schedule because "it is Utah's policy to schedule games with better teams around the country." Now, a half-century later, Utah moves into the big leagues, joining Arizona as a Pac-12 school. … And wouldn't it be appropriate if the UA placed Redd's jersey, No. 23, on the wall at McKale Center and honored it for posterity? … Tucsonan Sara Brown made her first cut as part of the Ladies European Tour this weekend in Morocco. She had missed the cut in her first two LPGA appearances in March. Brown, a Salpointe grad who has dual membership to the LPGA and LET, is scheduled to remain in Europe, playing in Spain and Turkey, while the LPGA goes dark for all but one week in April.

MY TWO CENTS

Should Williams turn pro early? It's a matter of dollars and sense

Unless there is a radical shift over the next 10 weeks, Derrick Williams seems likely to be selected No. 1 or No. 2 overall in the NBA draft.

Last year's No. 1 pick, Kentucky's John Wall, received a guaranteed rookie-slotted contract of $5,144,280 this year and $5,530,080 next year. If the Washington Wizards pick up his option for Year 3, Wall will be paid $5,915,880.

That's $16.6 million over three seasons (the Wizards hold an option for Wall's fourth year, at $7,459,924). If all goes well, Wall will have earned $24 million when he becomes a free agent in Year 5.

Williams' college-or-pro decision doesn't compare to that of Washington point guard Isaiah Thomas. The under-sized Husky guard has submitted his name to the NBA draft and is likely to stay there because, as height-challenged UA junior power forward Michael Wright said in 2001, "I'm not going to get any taller by coming back for my senior year."

Williams doesn't need to get any taller. He already has the entire package. At worst, he seems certain to be guaranteed $10 million for the next two years, getting the clock started toward his first free agent contract - real big money! - in 2014 or 2016.

What would you advise him to do?