Associated Press Lute Olson heads for the interview area at the conclusion of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame luncheon June 5 in Los Angeles. Olson was elected to the Hall fo Fame from an unusually large group of 24 finalists.

1. Finally: Olson elected to Hall of Fame.

The third time was the charm for men's basketball head coach Lute Olson, who, along with six other candidates, was elected into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame during a luncheon in Los Angeles.

Olson was selected from a group of 24 finalists, the largest field in history.

"I felt fortunate to just be nominated, and I feel that much more fortunate to be selected," Olson said. "I think it ranks right up there with the NCAA Championship and the 1986 World Championship. This is definitely one of the special things that has happened in my career."

2. Gladding transfers, leaves UA with no returning pitchers.

UA sophomore pitcher Jenny Gladding has decided to transfer to a school closer to her home of Palm City, Fla.

That, plus the graduation of two-time national player of the year Jennie Finch, leaves the softball team without a returning pitcher with game experience. Gladding and Finch made up the Wildcats entire pitching staff last season.

It will be the first time in head coach Mike Candrea's 18-year tenure at UA that he has not had a returning pitcher at the start of a season.

She compiled a 35-8 record in the circle for the Wildcats, including a 14-2 freshman campaign in which she owned a 0.92 ERA. She finished the year 21-6 with a 1.89 ERA. In her two years she struck out 358 batters in 262 innings.

3. Tough loss to Bear

A team of destiny played its way to a title in Oklahoma City this season during the College Softball World Series again this year, however this time it was not Arizona.

The No. 2 Wildcats' attempt for a second consecutive national championship fell short May 27 when a six-run seventh inning carried No. 4 California to a 6-0 victory and the Golden Bears' first NCAA championship.

After falling to Cal for the third time in four contests this season ÷ and the first time in five tries at the World Series ÷ UA head coach Mike Candrea simply tipped his hat to the victors.

4. Livengood named candidate for U. Minn job.

Word leaked that UA director of athletics Jim Livengood was the top candidate for a similar job at Minnesota.

Livengood had several discussions with Minnesota officials but decided to remain at Arizona.

The offer he received from Minnesota would have made him one of the highest-paid athletic directors in the nation.

5. Top UA receiver subdued by Scottsdale police after nightclub brawl.

The Arizona football team received more troubling news when an arrest warrant was issued for star wide receiver Bobby Wade.

The UA senior was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct in an early-morning fight June 23 in the parking lot of Polly Esther's, a Scottsdale nightclub.

After the 21-year-old Phoenix native failed to show up for a court date early July 25, a warrant was issued for his arrest, which was negated after Wade appeared in court later that day.

In court, Wade pleaded innocent to three misdemeanor charges.

Last season Wade caught a career-high 62 passes ÷ eight for touchdowns ÷ totaling 882 yards.

6. Kenyon, Glenn shine at world championships.

In the biggest meet of his life, Mike Kenyon put up his best results.

Kenyon, who was a senior at UA this season, finished fifth in the men's 400-meter dash at the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Stanford in June.

"For him to do what he did in that short period of time is just amazing," said UA director of track and field. "Mike's turnaround in the course of a half-year is the biggest that I have ever dealt with an athlete. It brings tears to my eyes every time I think about it."

Former UA sprinter Brianna Glenn won the women's long jump and finished seventh in the 100m.

7. Wildcats win some Down Under, lose one back home.

It's been a pretty interesting summer for the men's basketball team so far.

The Wildcats got back from a 27-day, 10-game road trip in Australia with an 8-2 record and an open-roster spot.

Only three days after hitting the game-winning shot for the Wildcats against the Sydney Kings to close out the trip, sophomore forward Andrew Zahn announced he was transferring after spending most of his time with the team at the end of the bench.

While the loss of Zahn, who averaged 5.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game during the trip, diminishes the Wildcats' depth on the front line, Zahn wasn't expected to play a significant role this season.

8. UA football players arrested.

Three UA football players were arrested early in the morning on July 28 on charges of fighting in front of a local bar.

Sophomore strong safety Danny Perry, junior defensive end Andre Torrey and junior tight end Javier Martinez were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly fighting with other bar patrons in front of Che's Lounge, 346 N. Fourth Ave.

"There are two sides to every story and I expressed to them the need to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. Then we'll talk about any action that we see is appropriate," said head football coach John Mackovic.

9. Three UA players taken in MLB draft.

Neither Brad Hassey nor Chris Cunningham had to wait until the second day of Major League Baseball Amateur Draft in June to hear their names called, as they might have once thought. Both players were taken on the first day of the three-day long draft.

Hassey, a former UA shortstop and a member of the All-Pacific 10 Conference team, was taken in the 19th round by the Toronto Blue Jays. Cunningham, the Wildcats' catcher, was selected as the first pick in the 13th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Sean Rierson, a draft-eligible sophomore, was picked the next day in the 26th round by the San Francisco Giants.

10. UA finishes 9th in Sears Cup.

UA finished No. 9 in the 2001-2002 Sears Directors' Cup rankings of Division I collegiate athletics programs, rating in the top 10 for the ninth time in the award's nine-year history.

Arizona was paced by strong spring finishes by softball, men's and women's golf, women's tennis and women's track and field. UA finished with a total of 852 points.

Stanford won its eighth consecutive overall Sears Cup, with 1,499 points thanks to four national championships. Texas, Florida, North Carolina and UCLA rounded out the top five, with Michigan at No. 6, Minnesota and Georgia ahead of the Wildcats. Louisiana State finished No. 10.