Hall of Famer and Sahuaro girls basketball head coach Steve Botkin considered retiring after last season, but a familiar Cougar helped bring him back.
The Cougars (17-5, 1-0 4A Kino) face Mica Mountain (14-5, 0-1 4A Kino) at 6 p.m. in the seventh of eight high school games at the MLK Basketball Classic at McKale Center on Monday.
Among his coaching staff is his daughter, Alyssa Botkin, a 2019 Sahuaro graduate.
Every year, the 2022 Pima County Sports Hall of Fame inductee 鈥渒inda鈥 considers retiring.
鈥淚鈥檝e always said if I鈥檓 tired and too tired to do it, I won鈥檛 do it if I鈥檓 not having fun anymore,鈥 Botkin said. 鈥淎nd then my daughter 鈥 who has been my assistant for four years and played for me for four years 鈥 was living in Spokane, and she moved back to 蜜柚直播. Having her and her energy is fun and I just have a tremendous coaching staff. We鈥檝e been together for a long time, and it鈥檚 hard to leave them.
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鈥淚鈥檝e been doing it since I was 18 years old, so it鈥檚 what I know, and it鈥檚 just hard (laughs) one of these days I鈥檓 gonna have to take that step, but not right now.鈥
Sahuaro head coach Steve Botkin during a timeout at Pueblo High School for the Class 4A state girls basketball championship quarterfinal on Feb. 21, 2023.
A varsity basketball coach for almost 30 years, Botkin started at Rincon/University in 1995.
Then, in 2001, he went to his alma mater. He led more girls basketball games than anyone in 蜜柚直播, earning Coach of the Year honors from the 蜜柚直播 and 蜜柚直播 Citizen.
鈥淲e were like 鈥榶ou鈥檙e not we鈥檙e not going anywhere鈥 because we鈥檙e not done winning, so we were very excited to get him back,鈥 said Sahuaro senior guard Carly Coolidge.
Botkin became the Cougars鈥 athletic director in 2017. He played football at Sahuaro, graduating in 1986.
鈥淚t鈥檚 truly an honor to play for coach Botkin because he鈥檚 got so many recognitions as a coach and everything and I think we have a very good relationship, communicating with each other and he鈥檚 a good coach,鈥 Coolidge said.
Coolidge said they started the season a little slow but have since won 12 in a row and are 12th in the latest 4A rankings.
Sahuaro is coming off a 61-50 win at Walden Grove on Friday night.
Coolidge led the way with 19 points, while senior forward Biale Sika had 12 points for the Cougars. Walden Grove junior guard/forward Ariana Gamillo scored 17 points.
Last year, Botkin pulled the team into his office to let them know they would be playing at McKale this season as part of the MLK Basketball Classic.
鈥淥h, I鈥檓 so excited,鈥 Coolidge said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been talking about it since we found out we were playing in it last year, so we鈥檙e very excited.鈥
Although the Cougars played in the MLK Basketball Classic in 2023, Coolidge didn鈥檛 get to.
鈥淚 had torn my ACL sophomore year when we played, so I was on the bench, but I鈥檝e never actually played on the court before,鈥 Coolidge said.
Salpointe Senior Bria Medina shoots through the contact against Sahuaro at the MLK Basketball Classic at McKale Center on Jan. 16, 2023.
Sahuaro鈥檚 band and cheerleaders are coming to the game at McKale, too.
No. 7 Mica Mountain will come hoping to recover from its 72-30 home loss to No. 1 Salpointe Catholic on Friday. With Sahuaro, Mica Mountain, Salpointe and Ironwood Ridge, every 4A Kino school is in the top 15 of Friday鈥檚 rankings.
鈥淲e were just talking about how much fun that is,鈥 Botkin said about playing at McKale. 鈥淚 want them to have the whole experience of the locker room and going down through the tunnels and stuff like that, it鈥檚 gonna be super fun.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e really excited about it and I think Mica is gonna be a tough, tough game and so it should be a lot of fun.鈥
Coaches for Charity, which hosts the MLK Basketball Classic, raises money for things like elementary school sports equipment and scholarships. A link to their donation site can be found at .
Tickets for this year鈥檚 event will be available at the door 鈥 $10 for adults and $6 for kids 鈥 and cover admission for all of the games.
Other teams featured this year at the MLK Basketball Classic are St. Augustine, Desert Christian, Buena, Rincon/University, Pueblo and Catalina Foothills girls and the Santa Rita, Bisbee, Coolidge, The Gregory School, Palo Verde, Sabino, Salpointe and 蜜柚直播 High boys.
鈥淚鈥檓 on the committee, it鈥檚 run by TUSD, so we try to incorporate as many TUSD schools, but it鈥檚 kind of cool because coaches will start emailing me now for next year and we try to hand select and we don鈥檛 have the same team playing two years in a row, obviously,鈥 Botkin said. 鈥淪o we try to load it with some TUSD schools, but also bring in some out-of-town schools. The whole idea is this is an opportunity for these kids, and I know some people say, 鈥榳ell, this game may not be great 鈥︹ all game are great matchups because the kids have an opportunity to play at McKale, and they鈥檒l remember that for the rest of their lives.
鈥淪o for me, it鈥檚 just so fun and it鈥檚 a win/win, you know?鈥
Playing in a college arena could help later in the season. The Salpointe girls have had the experience, having played at the Phoenix Suns鈥 Footprint Arena on Jan. 6, beating Phoenix St. Mary鈥檚 81-17. The championship game for the Open and 4A tournaments are at 蜜柚直播 Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where the Suns used to play.
鈥淎bsolutely, we talked about the baskets 鈥 the ones that hang are so different with that background and stuff and having those mobile baskets,鈥 Botkin said. 鈥淥bviously it鈥檚 tough to get there, I鈥檝e been doing this for a long time and I鈥檝e only got to the championship game a couple of times, so it鈥檚 tough to get there, but if we if we鈥檙e lucky enough and playing well enough to get there, I think playing at McKale certainly does help playing in the big arena.鈥
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