Arizona undergraduate assistant Josh Pastner's Lone Star State roots may just be pulling him home for good.

Texas Southern University yesterday named Pastner one of six finalists for their vacant head basketball coaching position.

"If I can't stay at Arizona, this is about the next best thing in the world for me," said Pastner, who grew up in Kingwood, about 20 minutes from the TSU campus in Houston. "It is a great feeling to have a shot at this. For years, I have faxed out resumes and heard 'no' so many times. Hearing 'maybe' was music to my ears."

Pastner's undergraduate assistant position with the UA coaching staff has a maximum one-year term and would require him to find another job if no other Arizona assistant leaves the program.