ERIC M. JUKELEVICS/Arizona Daily Wildcat Arizona junior guard Jason Gardner drives to the basket while junior forward Rick Anderson sets a pick earlier this season against Arizona State in Tempe. Gardner was named a finalist for the Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year award yesterday.

Gardner named a Naismith finalist

By Jeff Lund

The list of postseason awards junior guard Jason Gardner is eligible for grew again yesterday when he was named one of the 20 finalists for the Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award.

Though Gardner's shooting percentage has dipped recently, his assist and steal numbers have risen. Gardner is averaging a team-high 20.1 points per game and is second on the squad with 4.9 assists per outing.

Gardner said he was unaware of the selection to the list of finalists, but said he is honored to be included.

"I didn't even know about it until just now," Gardner said. "It feels really good."

Gardner is also a finalist for the John Wooden Award.

Against the Washington schools last week the 5-foot-10 guard tallied seven assists in each game. In his career, UA is 37-7 when Gardner dishes five assists or more.

Gardner was one of four Pac-10 players named as a finalist. The others were UCLA junior guard Jason Kapono, Southern California senior forward Sam Clancy and Stanford junior forward Casey Jacobsen.

Bonvicini hires new coach

By Lindsey Manroel

After nearly a two-month search for an assistant coach, UA women's basketball head coach Joan Bonvicini announced yesterday that the search has ended.

Kellee Barney was named the team's new assistant coach, Bonvicini said.

Barney will replace former Arizona assistant coach Karen Caires who resigned in mid-December with a family emergency.

Barney brings with her 16 years of Division I coaching experience and six years as a head coach at Gonzaga University.

She was at the helm of the Bulldogs' program from 1994-2000 and comprised a 45-117 career record.

"I am extremely excited about the opportunity to work with Arizona women's basketball," Barney told Arizona's student media relations. "It has been a dream of mine to work at Arizona. The program just has the total package.

"I know I will have to work hard right away, but it's fantastic to be back in basketball and to get to work with Coach Bonvicini," she said.

The new assistant coach is a 1983 graduate from the University of Idaho where she was a part of the women's basketball team's 1982 Northwest Empire League and regional championship.

"We're very happy to have Kellee as a part of our staff," Bonvicini told student media relations. "She has great experience in the Pac-10 and on the West Coast and her experience as a head coach will help us tremendously."

Barney's responsibilities will include recruiting, scouting and floor work with the team.

Baseball cracks Top 30 for first time in 2 years

By Staff and Wire

For the first time in two years, the Arizona baseball team has cracked the Top 30 in a national poll.

After starting the season 10-1, UA was ranked No. 20 in the latest Baseball Weekly/ESPN College Coaches poll released yesterday.

The Wildcats' last appearance in the poll came on Jan. 24, 2000.

Arizona is one of four teams from the Pacific 10 Conference that were included in the poll with Stanford ranked No.1, Arizona State at No. 5 and Southern California at No. 7.

The Wildcats hit the road for the first time this season when they travel to the state of Texas for one game against Texas A&M Corpus Christi tomorrow and a three-game set against Texas A&M over the weekend.