The Star's longtime columnist on the staying power of UA football and men's basketball (even amid the UA's financial crisis), a record-breaking night for Pueblo High's America Cazares, UA football recruit's pass-catching marks like no other and Adia Barnes' efforts to manage the realities of modern-day college hoops.
Greg Hansen's Notebook is presented by听.
Sponsored: Have you spent money on your AC system?听. Break away from high electric bills and costly repairs! Plus the following on a new heating and air system: 0% financing up to 60 months; manufacturer rebates; 10-year parts and labor warranty; free estimates. Call or text (520) 201-8220 or visit听.

is the longtime sports columnist for the
蜜柚直播and
蜜柚直播.com.
Fear that UA financial crisis may wreck football, basketball unfounded
A fear that the UA's historic financial crisis will damage the school's football and men's basketball programs is unfounded.
Any attempt to diminish or "freeze" the resources 鈥 budget and compensation 鈥 of those programs would, almost overnight, sentence the Wildcats to the bottom of the Big 12 Conference and make them better suited to compete against New Mexico and Wyoming in the Mountain West Conference.
People are also reading…

Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer, left, talks with 蜜柚直播 head coach Jedd Fisch before September鈥檚 matchup in 蜜柚直播. DeBoer is preparing his Huskies for the College Football Playoff semifinals, while 蜜柚直播 is prepping for the Alamo Bowl.
Or join exiled Oregon State and Washington State in the Pac-3.
贰虫辫别肠迟听Jedd听Fisch听and his staff to get raises, salaries keeping them competitive with soon-to-be Big 12 rivals such as Oklahoma State and TCU.
Instead, UA president听Robert听Robbins听last week said that the school will review the athletic department鈥檚 ticket pricing and fundraising operation. Robbins will find some favorable items.
First, 蜜柚直播鈥檚 average home football attendance made a two-year jump of 35.6%, from 34,900 in 2021 to 47,320 this past season. It鈥檚 not enough to impact the department shortfall estimated at $87 million, but there鈥檚 more to it than this season's estimated gain of about $3 million purely on football ticket sales.
Combined with the momentum of a 9-3 season, the athletic department should see increased 2024 revenue in season-ticket sales, merchandising, fundraising, corporate sponsorships and more volume from club/loge suites.
Winning sells.
Further, and more pronounced, Robbins will find that 蜜柚直播 ranked a surprisingly strong No. 4 in ticket sales (all sports) and donor gifts among the Pac-12鈥檚 public schools in the 2021-22 fiscal year. Here鈥檚 the data, acquired from the U.S. Department of Education Equity in Athletics Act and Sportico鈥檚 research of each school鈥檚 finances:
鈥 Oregon, $64 million ($24 million tickets, $40 million donors)
鈥 Washington, $57 million ($29 million tickets, $28 million donors)
鈥 Utah, $44 million ($15 million tickets, $29 million donors)
鈥 蜜柚直播, $39 million ($19 million tickets, $20 million donors)
鈥 UCLA, $36 million ($17 million tickets, $19 million donors)
鈥 ASU, $34 million ($14 million tickets, $20 million donors)
鈥 Colorado, $31 million ($19 million tickets, $12 million donors)

蜜柚直播 Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd talks with UA guard Kylan Boswell (4) before the start of the second half of 蜜柚直播's 100-68 win over Belmont on Nov. 17 at McKale Center.
鈥 Cal, $23 million ($8 million tickets, $15 million donors)
鈥 Oregon State, $19 million ($9 million tickets, $10 million donors)
鈥 Washington State, $19 million ($9 million tickets, $10 million donors)
The UA鈥檚 total also stacks up well, No. 4 overall, against its soon-to-be Big 12 partners. Of the Big 12 public schools, Iowa State led the 鈥21-22 fiscal year with $45 million in tickets-donors revenue, followed by Kansas at $44 million. That鈥檚 in 蜜柚直播鈥檚 ballpark.
One more positive development: A week before Robbins鈥 speech to the ABOR, the athletic department signed an agreement to partner with Altius Sports Programs, a corporate Name, Image and Likeness operation founded two years ago that will recruit, train and oversee a full-time NIL general manager for the 蜜柚直播 athletic department.
The ASP program has a 蜜柚直播 connection. Among its four founders is Salpointe Catholic grad听John听Entz, former 蜜柚直播 basketball video coordinator under听Lute听Olson, 1990-93; Entz comes highly qualified to help his alma mater. He has served as the president of production at Fox Sports, Before that, he was a senior vice president at MLB Network .
Adding a skilled NIL general manager to 蜜柚直播鈥檚 athletic department is a must-have component of operating a competitive Power Five sports department. USC, 蜜柚直播 State, Iowa, Wisconsin, Oklahoma and future Big 12 partners Cincinnati, Kansas and Oklahoma State have already hired NIL general managers from Entz鈥檚 APS group.
You can鈥檛 understate the value of being competitive in NIL. 蜜柚直播 should now be equipped to hold its own.

Pueblo鈥檚 America Cazares slices through Sahuaro defenders during last season鈥檚 Class 4A state girls basketball quarterfinal matchup on Feb. 21.
Cazares鈥 59-point night makes 蜜柚直播 prep hoops history
蜜柚直播 boys and girls high school basketball teams have played roughly 30,000 games dating to 1980, but Pueblo High sophomore guard听America听Cazares听last week did something no one has ever done.
She scored a city-record 59 points 鈥 boys and girls 鈥 in a 110-16 victory over Palo Verde. Cazares, who was Pueblo鈥檚 leading scorer (18 points) in last season鈥檚 4A state championship game loss to Flagstaff, swished 10 3-pointers against Palo Verde. If you watch a highlight video of Cazares it takes about five seconds to realize she is legit.
Her 3-point shot is fluid and accurate, with distance to 22 feet. She dribbles well with both hands. She should challenge Salpointe junior听Taliyah听Henderson, who has scholarship offers from 蜜柚直播 and 10 other top colleges, as the city鈥檚 leading player.
Two nights before Cazares鈥 epic 59-point, nine-steal game, she scored 41 against Vista Grande, with eight steals.
Cazares broke 蜜柚直播鈥檚 girls scoring record of 50 points set by Santa Rita鈥檚听Paula听Pyers听in 1983. She surpassed the boys city record of 58 points set in 2003 by Pueblo鈥檚听Aromeo Grigsby.
Pueblo Head coach听Izzy听Galindo听tole me he did not pile it on against Palo Verde. He played with a junior-varsity lineup in the fourth quarter, but did put Cazares back in the game to take two more shots and break the record.
It鈥檚 early, but Cazares has already scored 345 points, putting her on pace to become the first 蜜柚直播 prep basketball player, boy or girl, to reach 1,000 in a season. The girls record is 932 set by Sahuaro鈥檚听Alyssa听Brown听in 2020.

蜜柚直播 guard Pelle Larsson, left, passes around Purdue center Zach Edey (15) in the first half of the No. 1 Wildcats' eventual 92-84 loss to the No. 3 Boilermakers Saturday in Indianapolis.
Come March, UA loss to Purdue will be distant memory
By the time 蜜柚直播 arrives in Utah鈥檚 Huntsman Center and at Colorado's harrowing Events Center for a wicked February road trip, memories of Saturday鈥檚 92-84 loss against Purdue will be faint.
Beyond that, imagine the difficulty of 蜜柚直播 men's basketball's March trip to UCLA and USC. There are more important games to play.
As with most pre-Christmas games, even No. 1 versus No. 3 spectacles, Saturday鈥檚 was neither a make, or a break, game for the Wildcats (or Boilermakers).
Purdue has now beaten 蜜柚直播, Marquette, Tennessee, Alabama and Gonzaga. Wow. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had a great season so far," Purdue coach听Matt听Painter听said Saturday. No kidding. But there is no currency to being No. 1 in December, as 蜜柚直播 has known since it became No. 1 for the first time back in 1987.
Saturday鈥檚 game was historically special because it matched 蜜柚直播 against 7-4听Zach听Edey, who I believe to be of the four top bigs ever to oppose the Wildcats. It鈥檚 not a recipe for success. Here鈥檚 how it went:
鈥 1967.听Elvin听Hayes, the Big E, led No. 2 Houston to an 81-76 win before an overflow crowd at Bear Down Gym. Hayes scored 28 points and had 15 rebounds for a team that reached the Final Four.
鈥 1982.听Hakeem听Olajuwon, known as the Dream, had a 14-14 double-double with six blocked shots in a humbling 104-68 victory over 蜜柚直播. The Cougars reached the Final Four.
鈥 1990.听Shaquille听翱鈥橬别补濒听had 29 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks as LSU beat No. 2 蜜柚直播 92-82 in Baton Rouge. But the Wildcats had a chance for revenge a year later, beating Shaq and the Tigers 87-67 at McKale Center. What happened? Shaq fouled out in 22 minutes.
If 蜜柚直播 is to get a second crack at Edey, it鈥檒l be in March, again on a supposed neutral court. If that comes during the Final Four, it will be in Glendale 鈥 the opposite of facing Purdue Saturday in Indianapolis, an hour-plus from its campus. Play on.

ALA Gilbert North wide receiver Brandon Phelps, a UA commit, is tackled by Lake Havasu on Dec. 2, 2022.听
Short stuff: Cats WR recruit Phelps' big-time numbers, Meyers (still) one of best golf teachers in U.S.
鈥 蜜柚直播 is expected to sign receiver Brandon Phelps of Gilbert鈥檚 American Leadership Academy (ALA) on Wednesday鈥檚 letter-of-intent signing day. He caught a state-record 271 passes for 4,475 yards at Gilbert-ALA, with 60 touchdowns. Phelps chose 蜜柚直播 over ASU and Michigan State and, on paper, rivals former 蜜柚直播 All-Pac-10 receiver Bobby Wade of Phoenix Desert Vista High School, Class of 1999, as the state鈥檚 top receiving prospect of the last 20 years. Here鈥檚 some context: The most prolific prep receiver in 蜜柚直播 history was Sahuaro鈥檚 Calvin Dacus, who caught 100 passes for 1,356 yards from future Cal quarterback Reggie Robertson at Sahuaro in 1999. Dacus, who signed with NAU, caught a 蜜柚直播-record 215 passes at Sahuaro, a state championship game finalist in 1999. That鈥檚 56 fewer than Phelps. ...

鈥淚 try to make the game very, very simple, very positive,鈥 蜜柚直播's Susie Meyers, named in 2023 one of American's 100 leading golf instructors by Golf Magazine, said back in 2016. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 play in fear.鈥
鈥 For the seventh consecutive year, Golf Magazine has named 蜜柚直播鈥檚 Susie Meyers as one of America鈥檚 100 leading golf teachers. It鈥檚 fitting that Southern 蜜柚直播, a golf mecca with more than 25 courses, has been discovered by the golf industry. Another publication, Golf Digest, last week named Meyers and three of her Southern 蜜柚直播 contemporaries 鈥 Landyn Lewis of the Randolph Golf Complex, Marvel Bernard of Country Club of Green Valley and Derek Deminsky of Forty Niner Country Club 鈥 among the 鈥渂est instructors in every state." Usually that list is dominated by Phoenix golf instructors. Meyers has helped to change that oversight. She joins 蜜柚直播 golf icon Dell Urich as the leading instructor in 蜜柚直播 history. ...
鈥 UA president Robert Robbins told the 蜜柚直播 Board of Regents last week,that the school will not approve 鈥渘on-essential" capital projects. That may delay UA baseball coach Chip Hale鈥s hopes to build a pitching lab at Hi Corbett Field, a keep-up-with-the-Joneses, must-have in modern college baseball. Wake Forest recently spent $7 million for a pitching lab 鈥 a player-development project directed by pitching analytics. Schools infused with enormous football money, baseball powers such as LSU, Vanderbilt, Mississippi and Florida State, already have pitching labs. ...
鈥 Salpointe Catholic and UA grad Trevor Werbylo last year became the fourth 蜜柚直播an ever to have full PGA Tour playing privileges, joining Sabino鈥檚 Willie Wood, Sahuaro鈥檚 Rich Barcelo and Rincon鈥檚 Michael Thompson. Werbylo played in 34 events, earned $317,247 and finished 188th in the FedEx point system. That forced Werbylo to play in the ongoing final stage of Qualifying School, one of the most fiercely contested events in sports. Through Saturday, Werbylo is one stroke out of a tie for 39th. The top five finishers earn full PGA Tour privileges in 2024. The next 40 and ties receive partial PGA Tour status and full Korn Ferry Tour privileges. That makes Sunday鈥檚 final round one of the most important of Werbylo鈥檚 career.

蜜柚直播's Kailyn Gilbert (15) dribbles up the court while head coach Adia Barnes directs her team from the sidelines during the Wildcats' preseason exhibition matchup with Point Loma Nazarene on Nov. 1 at McKale Center.
My two cents:听Barnes working to manage realities of modern-day college hoops
Pac-12 women鈥檚 basketball is so strong that finishing sixth 鈥 behind Top 25 powers UCLA, Stanford, USC, Utah and Colorado 鈥 would be considered a triumph.
Adia Barnes鈥 蜜柚直播 club once seemed stacked to be near the top of that elite group. Imagine how the Wildcats might be if 2022 McDonald鈥檚 All-Americans听Paris听Clark听(now at Virginia) and听Maya听Nnaji听(who has withdrawn from the UA team to concentrate on academics), 3-point shooting whiz听Maddie听Conner听(now averaging 23.7 points at undefeated TCU) and Top 25 recruit听Lauren听Ware听(now averaging 10 points and nine rebounds at Texas A&M) had stayed on board.
Instead, 蜜柚直播 is likely to struggle to avoid the bottom third of the league, mixed with ASU, Cal and the similarly slumping Oregon and OSU programs.
That鈥檚 college sports in 2023. Player movement and retention can quickly squash even the best recruiting efforts. Long-term player development has surrendered to pure commerce.
Unfortunately, no one knows how fluid and fleeting the sport has become more than Adia Barnes.
No. 1 蜜柚直播 Wildcats vs. No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers | Full Game Highlights (ESPN YouTube)