Maxx Wolfson

Let me begin by saying it's nice to be back in Tucson. Each day that goes by is one day closer to the start of Tucson's best event ÷ MLB spring training.

Anyway, in case you happened to take a couple weeks off from UA athletics, let me help you catch up.

Willy B is turning Yellow ÷ Yellow Jacket, that is. Bynum, who was just eight games into his sophomore season with the Wildcats, has bolted for Georgia Tech. He will now get to play with super freshman Chris Bosh for the next two and half years. Hopefully everything works out for Bynum, but come on, if you can't start in your four years in college, like he thought would've happened if he stayed in Tucson, is the NBA really realistic for him in the future?

Johnson shows he's got some game ÷ The player everyone seemed to love to hate this year, quarterback Jason Johnson, is actually doing his best to get to the next level, and we're not talking CFL here. Johnson threw for 275 and had two touchdowns and also was picked twice in the East-West Shrine game. He might have shown enough NFL scouts that he has the talent to be a third-string quarterback. Look what the Eagles got out of A.J. Feely.

Football team is scoring big wins in recruiting ÷ Who would have thought that John Mackovic could have still recruited anybody? Definitely not this reporter or any of the experts I talked to right after all the news broke in November that 40 plus players wanted to walk out on their head coach. But Johnny Mack has signed 19 players in a class that could finish in the Top 20 nationally with another two or three top recruits that could be choosing UA in the next three weeks. Coach B's team making progress ÷ Always playing second fiddle to the men's basketball team, the women's team is playing some good basketball as of late. Despite losing to Washington Saturday in a game that the Wildcats should have won if it wasn't for stupid mistakes and missed free throws, UA cracked the top 20. Behind an experienced senior class and the emergence of Shawntinice "Polkey" Polk, this team should be primed and ready for a tourney run come March.

Salim's smooth ÷ When Salim Stoudamire gets on a roll he could be the most dangerous shooter in the nation, as he proved over the weekend when he shot 46.7 percent from behind the arc. He also showed a new side to his game by playing point guard and allowing Jason Gardner to get a rest. If Stoudamire can stay healthy for the rest of the season he could end up on some All-Conference lists in just his second season at Arizona.

Quick takes · LeBron James played at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion when I was back home in L.A. in front of a sell-out crowd. The Bruins haven't sold out Pauley all season, will they when Arizona comes to town Saturday? I doubt it · Bill Walton said James could start on any team in the NBA right now and that might be the most realistic thing the "Big Fella" has ever said. The kid with the Hummer will be an all-star in two years · The choice for the next basketball coach at UCLA will be the talk around Westwood for the rest of the season, since it looks like now Lavin will be there all season. Didn't former Bruin Kareem-Abdul Jabbar try coaching last year in the NBDL? Could he be a candidate? · Spring training is only 43 days away when the Colorado Rockies take on the Arizona Diamondbacks · On another note I will be "sick" and unable to make it to class in 43 days ·