The rebuilding is never done

Mike Stoops' coaching staff begins the NCAA spring recruiting session this week, a period in which Arizona coaches are permitted 15 working days to evaluate players (and their academic status) on high school campuses.

UA co-offensive coordinator Bill Bedenbaugh estimates he will visit "75 to 90 schools" himself, mostly in the Houston area. This is a critical period for the Wildcats, and especially for Bedenbaugh, who also is the offensive line coach.

Arizona's roster is talented and deep enough that the Wildcats seem capable of being Pac-10 contenders in 2010 and 2011 - with one exception. Their offensive line will lose starters Colin Baxter, Adam Grant, Conan Amituanai and Phillip Garcia after this season. After that? Gulp.

The offensive line is the one area on Stoops' team that doesn't have a ready list of capable underclassmen, or anyone, on the depth chart. As Arizona State displayed last season, if you don't have a quality offensive line in the Pac-10, you don't have much of a chance.

This isn't unexpected. A program of Arizona's level always seems to scramble to fill one needy area every year. This year it is linebackers (no starters return), although co-defensive coordinator Tim Kish is such an upbeat personality that he has created a positive energy and has seven useful players competing for three spots.

Ironwood Ridge grad Jake Fischer, a sophomore to be, emerged from spring drills as Arizona's leading linebacker. "He's extremely intelligent," Kish said. "He's a such a tough nut; a little bit of a throwback." What Fischer lacks in size, he makes up for with some Spencer Larsen-type qualities.

Now it's Bedenbaugh's turn to remake his depth chart while simultaneously coaching one of the Pac-10's top offensive lines of 2010.

making his mark

Santa Rita's Stoglin shines at national All-Star game

In his first major appearance on the national stage, Santa Rita point guard Terrell Stoglin was productive Friday at the Capital Classic in Washington D.C.

The left-hander made three of his six three-point attempts and scored 11 points while playing 19 minutes for the USA All-Stars, a team made up exclusively of ACC and Big East recruits. Stoglin started and was one of five USA players to score in double figures.

UA guard MoMo Jones played in the same game last year, scoring 18 points. Stoglin said he plans to move to Maryland in July in preparation for his freshman season with the Terrapins.

SHORT STUFF

ASU vs. UA rivalry stays with ex-Wildcat Negri

I had the pleasure to lunch last week with two of the great Wildcats of any era: football-baseball standout George Bland of Tucson High, a former Tucson Conquistadore who had a successful career as an oral surgeon, and Jim Negri of Douglas, a third-team All-America running back in 1942, who had a long career in the military. I enjoyed Negri's perspective on the ASU-UA rivalry. "A couple of years ago I was watching the ASU-Fresno State baseball playoff game on TV," he remembered. "I thought 'I'm from Arizona, I'm older, more mature. I should cheer for the team from Arizona. Fresno means nothing to me.' But then as the game wore on, I found myself cheering for Fresno State. I was delighted when they won and kept ASU out of the College World Series. I guess that ASU thing always sticks with you." … Ricky Barnes' top-10 finish at the Masters last week made him the sixth Tucson-affiliated golfer to crack the top 10 at Augusta. Dan Pohl was second in 1982; Rory Sabbatini was second in 2007; Jim Furyk was fourth in 1998 and 2003; Don Pooley tied for fifth in 1988; and Ronnie Black tied for sixth in 1984. Barnes is so photogenic and personable that he was the lead subject of last week's Inside the PGA telecast. The 2001 U.S. Amateur champ was profiled in "A Day in the Life of Ricky Barnes." He wore his UA workout clothes, drove a new Audi, revealed that he is engaged to beach volleyball player Suzanne Stonebarger and gave a tour of his sweet Scottsdale bachelor pad. "Life is good," he said. "I have no complaints. It is good to be Ricky Barnes."

Former Wildcats should donate to UA athletics

In total, Tucsonans Cole and Jeannie Davis have now donated $3.65 million to the Richard Jefferson Gymnasium. That's actually more than Jefferson, who gave $3 million. Cole Davis is an American success story - "I wasn't a ballplayer," he said with a laugh, "I wasn't fast enough" - who hit it big in the RV and fifth-wheel trailer business. His Indiana-based company, Keystone, which began in 1996 with $11 million in sales, was so successful that it had sales of $380 million by the time he sold it five years later. It would be a terrific benefit for Arizona if its NBA-playing basketball stars gave back to the school, but except for Jefferson and a $50,000 contribution from Mike Bibby when his jersey was retired, the NBA players have chosen to put their charitable money into individual foundation and NBA-related community work. Jason Terry gave $46,000 to the UA as part of a payment to satisfy an NCAA penalty. … Game of the Week in Tucson: Defending state baseball champ CDO takes its 22-1 record to Catalina Foothills for a 4 p.m. game Wednesday. The Dorados' Ryan Cota has been sizzling. The Pima College commit has a 19-game hitting streak and has hit .611 over his last nine games (22 for 36). Foothills, 14-6, has won eight of its last nine games.

Legends of LPGA Tour set for Tucson National

Former LPGA golfers who won 183 tournaments (including 27 majors) will play in the Legends Tour next weekend at the Omni Tucson National. In the first of what will be six Legends Tour events in 2010, Tucsonans Cindy Rarick and Christa Johnson will be part of a field that includes Patty Sheehan, Jan Stephenson, Amy Alcott and Pat Bradley. Tickets for the Saturday-Sunday event are $10 daily, available at the gate. Those interested in being on-course volunteers should phone Reggie Browning at 990-5842. … When Pima College All-America point guard Abyee Maracigan signed with Idaho State last week, she was thoughtful enough to invite those who coached her to the ceremony. Brad Esker of Richardson Elementary, Michael Perkins of Flowing Wells and Todd Holthaus of Pima all attended the signing. It was a touch of class. … Tucson PGA Tour regular Rich Barcelo has earned $103,739 in seven events this year, but he's still struggling to get in tournaments. He was the ninth alternate to the ongoing Verizon Heritage event in Hilton Head, S.C., and moved up to the No. 1 alternate by Thursday morning. So his trip to South Carolina was a gamble that didn't work. Two weeks earlier, however, Barcelo began as the No. 6 alternate at the Shell Houston Open, got the last spot in the field, then earned just over $35,000. There won't be any suspense for the former Sahuaro High School golfer this week: He has already made the field for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Wildcat freshman pitcher is off to an amazing start

Here's some perspective on UA freshman pitcher Kurt Heyer. After striking out 14 Wazzu hitters Friday night, Heyer has a 6-0 record with an unthinkable (for college baseball) ERA of 2.15. When they were UA freshmen pitchers, future first-round draft picks Ryan Perry had a 7.34 ERA and Daniel Schlereth had a 4.56 ERA. The same year, freshman Preston Guilmet, who would be the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year as a sophomore, had a 4.50 ERA and was 3-7. Heyer knew pressure long before he became Arizona's No. 1 starter. He pitched in the CIF championship game last June at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, where he pitched a five-hitter but lost 1-0. His senior year high school ERA was 0.84. … Marisa Baena, who led Arizona to the 1996 NCAA women's golf championship, and won the individual title herself in 1997, has retired from the LPGA Tour. She is only 32, and won the 2005 LPGA World Match Play title, but has a chronic hip injury that kept her from being as good a pro as she was in college. … Hard to fathom the good fortune of ex-UA assistant coach Mike Dunlap, who will be paid $400,000 by the Oregon Ducks next year if he coaches there or not. He earned $350,000 in his one Arizona season, and $750,000 at Oregon this year (including a $400,000 signing bonus). He is now one of three finalists to be the head coach at Colorado. Dunlap is a good coach when he's got good players. He is not a recruiter. But he is a good campaigner. He has sold his image as a guru of X's and O's. It will be interesting to see if CU bites.

MY TWO CENTS

Miller's goal: keeping Cats together as he builds his program

The most telling of Sean Miller's plans upon donating $250,000 for the Jefferson center's strength-and-conditioning facility was that he doesn't want his players to scatter over the summer.

"I don't need 17 coaches coaching our players in the summer," he said. "I need one."

Miller is a hands-on, keep-it-in-the-family proponent. I can't imagine him permitting a personal trainer such as Chase Budinger's sidekick, Trent Suzuki, actually being on the court during pre-game warm-ups, kibitzing in the locker room and sitting on the bench during games.

"We need players to invest when no one is watching in May and June," Miller said.

Miller is less about celebrity and more about being a good soldier. That should work best.