Arizona softball's Devyn Netz pitches perfect 5-inning game | Greg Hansen

– Arizona senior pitcher/hitter Devyn Netz pitched a 5-inning perfect game Thursday at BYU, the 11th in Arizona history. It’s unfortunate the game was ended by the run-rule (a lead of eight runs or more after five innings). It would’ve been nice to give Netz a chance at a full-game perfect game, of which there are only five in UA history, four by Alicia Hollowell and one by Susie Parra. Hard to believe, but Jennie Finch never pitched a perfect game at Arizona, although she did throw eight no-hitters.

– Tucsonan Bryce Cotton, 34, a five-time MVP of the Australian National Basketball League, last week announced he will not return for a 10th year in Australia. He is negotiating with other EuroLeague teams for 2025-26 and, in the meantime, signed to play the spring-summer season with the Mets de Guaynabo in Puerto Rico. He is now teammates with Arizona’s 2011 Sweet 16 star Derrick Williams; through four games together, Cotton has averaged 18, Williams 14. Cotton, from Palo Verde High School, is surely the third most accomplished Tucson prep basketball player ever, trailing just Cholla’s Sean Elliott and Pueblo’s Fat Lever.

– As much as I appreciate Mike Bibby for his two wonderful seasons at Arizona (1997, 1998) and his terrific NBA career — 1,001 games in 14 seasons — I worry that he has bitten off too much by agreeing to be the head coach of Sacramento State, a program that has produced just three winning seasons in 35 years. Bibby has never coached at anything but the high school level. He needs a ton of experience in recruiting, film work, game planning, communication skills and NIL knowledge. It’s a huge learning curve. He’ll have to convince some veteran coaches to take a chance and join him on the Hornets’ staff.

– Josh Pastner’s hiring as UNLV’s basketball coach was steered by the College Sports Solution search firm, upon which former Arizona AD Jim Livengood is a leading member. Said Livengood, who was UNLV’s AD after leaving Arizona 15 years ago: “They need to get people back in the Thomas & Mack arena. They need people to come and say ‘I like this and will be back.’ That’s what Josh is about. He connects with people.” Hard to believe, but UNLV averaged just 4,969 at home games last season. No, Jerry Tarkanian isn’t walking through that door anymore. UNLV’s last NCAA Tournament victory was in 2007. No pressure, Josh, right?

– Remember Majok Deng, a three-star basketball recruit at Salpointe Catholic from 2017-19 who led the Lancers to back-to-back state championship games? He just completed his college career at Colorado School of Mines (it was his sixth season after transferring from Pepperdine) and he was named RMAC Player of the Year, averaging 23.9 points. What’s more, Deng was chosen to play in the NCAA Division II All-Star Game Friday in Evansville, Indiana, where he was sensational. Deng made eight 3-pointers, scored 34 points and pulled down 13 rebounds in his last college game.