Gardner to suit up for Raptors, Suns

The NBA career of former Former UA basketball star Jason Gardner has barely just begun, but is already off to a tumultuous start.

Gardner, snubbed in the NBA draft, originally agreed to play for the Toronto Raptors during the Long Beach Summer Pro League, but was cut earlier this week, ending his stint with the team.

The 5-foot-10 point guard also agreed to attend the Phoenix Suns' mid July mini camp, with an eye on playing for the Phoenix team's entry in the late July Salt Lake Revue.

The Long Beach league is still crowded with former Wildcats this summer. Despite Gardner's removal from his roster, Toronto's head coach is former UA assistant Kevin O'Neill. Former UA forward Rick Anderson is slated to play for the Los Angeles Clippers while Luke Walton and Bennett Davison, a key player on the 1997 UA national championship team, are playing for the Los Angeles Lakers' squad.

Washington state high school basketball star Marvin Williams announced July 4 that he chose North Carolina, rebuilding under new coach Roy Williams, over Arizona and Washington. Verbal commitments are not binding, and Williams is unable to sign a letter of intent to play for the Tar Heels until the fall and many think he may skip

college like former UA signee Ndudi Ebi.

Ebi will suit up for the Minnesota Timberwolves' summer league team along with Rick Rickert, who verbally committed to the UA before choosing the University of Minnesota instead. Former Wildcat Michael Wright, who left the UA after his junior year, will also suit up for the T'Wolves' summer team.

Wright, who was a second round draft pick of the New York Knicks in 2001, was a high school teammate of current Timberwolves' superstar Kevin Garnett and in 2001 as well, Minnesota drafted former Wildcat Loren Woods, though he is not expected to be retained.

UA incoming freshman Mustafa Shakur scored 11 points in helping the USA Junior World Championship squad (which went 5-0) to a gold medal at the 2003 Global Games last Saturday. The U.S. team will next travel to Greece to compete in the 7th annual FIBA Junior World Championship, July 10-20.

Gymcats to host 2004 regional

Last week, the NCAA announced the UA will be able to host a women's gymnastics NCAA regional on Saturday April 3 at McKale Center.

The announcement means that the Gymcats will host the 2004 Pac-10 Championship and the NCAA regional back to back. Arizona still has to qualify for the regional to finalize the selection, but the Gymcats have made it to the regional meet during each of the last 17 years.

The UA last hosted a regional in 2000. In 2003 the Gymcats, averaging 770.8 fans per meet, was 30th in the nation in attendance.

Lofton could join All-Star game

Fans have until 3 p.m. today to vote to add former UA basketball and baseball player and current Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Kenny Lofton to the National League All-Star team.

Lofton, who played guard for the UA basketball team from 1985-89 while also playing baseball at UA, was added on Monday to the All-Star game's "You have final say" portion of the selection process, where fans choose the final players selected from each league.

Lofton replaced the Chicago Cubs' injured outfielder Corey Patterson on the National League ballot. The other NL players up for the last spot are Orlando Cabrera of the Montreal Expos, Florida Marlin Luis Castillo, Benito Santiago of the San Francisco Giants and Milwaukee Brewer Geoff Jenkins. Voting takes place at mlb.com and ends at 3 p.m. local time.