No. 20 Golden Bears prove to be no match for No. 1 Arizona as UA rolls by 15

All season, the talk around the college basketball world is how complete the Arizona basketball team really is ÷ they've got depth, athleticism, quickness, and balance on the offensive end.

After a reality check on Thursday, losing at home 82-77 to unranked Stanford,

the top-ranked Wildcats (16-2 overall, 8-1 Pacific-10 Conference) rebounded nicely, defeating No. 20 California State (14-4, 7-2 Pac-10) handily at home on Saturday, 95-80. [Read article]

After each UA basketball game, Lute Olson sits down with the media and reads over the official box score while he sips on an orange Gatorade.

Usually he points out the things his team does wrong ÷ for example, free-throw shooting against Stanford ÷ but Saturday night there wasn't much he could say that was negative.

"I am very pleased with the effort we got from all the players," Olson said. "We did a great job doing what we needed to do to limit their shots." [Read article]

Maybe it was the offensive line, the offensive scheme, or something about playing in Arizona stadium.

The numbers were usually there, but the W's certainly weren't for former UA quarterback Jason Johnson.

Once again in front of NFL scouts, Johnson showed why he has a chance to make it in the league. Splitting time with the AP Player of the Year and Heisman Finalist Brad Banks, it was Johnson that led the South team to victory in Saturday's Hula Bowl. [Read article]

Arizona morphed its meager offense into a high-octane machine overnight.

The Wildcats bombed Brigham Young University 32-3 Saturday and 17-13 Friday to rebound from Thursday's season-opening loss. Arizona pounded out 32 hits and capitalized on 10 Cougar errors to clinch the series on Saturday. The blitzing offense was a sharp contrast from the 11 strike-out performance on Thursday.

"I don't think it was anything anybody did, except we played again," head coach Andy Lopez said. "I really believe it's a talented young group of people but they're still young." [Read article]

At practice on Wednesday, Arizona gymnastics head coach Bill Ryden told sophomore Jamie Duce that he doubted she would compete in Friday's meet against Arizona State.

But when Duce heard the news she just gave her coach a little shrug and smiled. She knew she was going to compete even if she was still recovering from the flu.

So on Friday night, not only did she compete, but she scored high on three events, including the floor, which is considered physically the toughest event in gymnastics. [Read article]

Traveling to the USF-Louisville Slugger Tournament in Tampa, Fla. was supposed to show how productive the 2003 Arizona softball (5-0) team could be over the course of the season.

And they're off.

Scoring 23 runs to their opponents' one, the No. 2 Wildcats held a tight grip over the three-day tournament.

Yesterday, Arizona completed the undefeated weekend by beating Northwestern 6-0.

Freshman Alicia Hollowell was in the circle and struck out 12 batters while only allowing two hits. [Read article]

If there was any question as to who the unsung heroes are for the Arizona Icecats, look no further than its unheralded corps of defensemen.

The group of talented blueliners helped push the No. 6 Icecats past in-state rival No. 19 Arizona State this weekend, 7-4 and 4-2.

With the team's top blueline tandem, senior Bill Pardue and freshman Mike Pelletier, both playing on the heels of illnesses earlier in the week, the rest of the defensive unit stepped up for the Icecats over the weekend. Freshman Justin Guerra, sophomore Drew Williamson and juniors Keith Mitchell and Dan Whitlock kept the defensive unit in place against the physical-minded Sun Devils, while Pardue and Pelletier were still able to make their mark despite playing sick. [Read article]

The Arizona swim and dive teams had the opportunity to make a statement this weekend in Texas. Too bad they didn't have a little more time.

With only two individual victories on Friday, one by junior Juan Veloz in the 400-yard individual medley, and on the women's side a victory by senior Beth Botsford in the 200-yard backstroke, the Wildcats knew they needed a much better effort on Saturday. [Read article]