By
Chris Martin
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Midnight Madness fun for fans, players
The Arizona men's basketball season got off to an emphatic start at Midnight Madness early Saturday morning.
It wasn't so much a team effort at the team's first official practice. In fact, a pair of roommates - junior forward Richard Jefferson and assistant coach Josh Pastner - stole the show.
Jefferson won the team's slam dunk contest in dominant fashion, while Pastner provided all the offense in a scrimmage between members of the Tucson media and UA coaches.
"It's amazing," UA head coach Lute Olson said of Jefferson. "It looks like he's jumping even better than he was before."
Using a cheerleader and a UA student as props, Jefferson positioned the two spectators just outside the left block, about six feet away from the basket. The junior from Phoenix proceeded to jump over the two, dunking the ball.
With the dunk, Jefferson managed to defeat sophomore guard Gilbert Arenas, who faced the junior in the finals.
"The guy's leaping ability is just unbelievable," Pastner said.
Senior guard Lamont Frazier and redshirt freshman Mike Schwertley also participated in the contest.
Though Jefferson's dunks excited the crowd, no UA player managed to ignite the crowd more than the assistant coach, Pastner, who begins his first season as a UA coach after a four-year Wildcat career.
With only two three-minute halves, Pastner came out shooting - nailing his first three three-point shots of the game.
"I wish I could have a defense like that guarding me all the time," Pastner said. "I had a blast, it was a great time."
Pastner scored all 14 of his team's points, as the UA coaches won the game 14-7.
Midnight Madness was concluded with a scrimmage by the Arizona players.
The play - which could best be described as sloppy - gave UA fans a chance to see the team in action for the first time since March, when Arizona was ousted by Wisconsin in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
"The guys were looking forward to this," Olson said. "It was fun for them. They could come out and be relaxed and clown around a little bit. That's we wanted it to be, a fun start to the season. But tomorrow we go with a regular practice session. Now we get down to work."
The UA scrimmage also gave the players a chance to show the off-season improvements in their games and, in senior center Loren Woods' case, showcase fundamentals following off-season surgery.
"Lamont looked quick and effective," Olson said. "I thought that the two freshman recruits (Travis Hanour and Andrew Zahn) did a good job. Travis was a little quicker out there than I anticipated he'd be. It will be an interesting battle at the guard spots. Obviously, Jason Gardner's range is even better than last year. I think it was good for Loren to get out there for everyone to see that there is no problem with that back at all."
Chris Martin can be reached at sports@wildcat.arizona.edu.
