With Isaiah Fox's season in jeopardy, the Arizona men's basketball team took its first step toward replacing the power forward yesterday by recruiting some size from within the UA athletics department.
Now that Arizona's football season is over, redshirt freshman quarterback Ryan O'Hara will join a Wildcat hoops squad desperate for another body to put on its front line.
"He's fully eligible. He's added to our roster," said assistant coach Jim Rosborough. "As far as everything stands, he'll travel with us to St. Louis and New York City."
The departure of interim head football coach Mike Hankwitz opened the door for the O'Hara to join the No. 7 UA basketball squad. According to Rosborough, Hankwitz preferred that O'Hara not play basketball after the basketball coaching staff inquired about his availability last month, citing his role as the Wildcats' third-string quarterback.
O'Hara's stay with the basketball team may be a brief one, as football seems to be the freshman's true passion. But for now, Olson's squad will take whatever support it can get for its dwindling roster.
"Ryan is concerned, as is his father, that Ryan is a football kid first," Rosborough said. "At least for the next couple weeks, it would be very helpful if he could be with us."
Rosborough said he called new UA football head coach Mike Stoops to discuss O'Hara's role with the basketball team. Stoops is currently in Norman, Okla., preparing for Saturday's Big 12 Conference championship, his final game on Oklahoma's sidelines. Rosborough said he has not yet spoken to Stoops directly, but added that he doesn't expect O'Hara's new role to be a problem.
At 6-foot-6, O'Hara would provide the Wildcats with much-needed depth at forward after the loss of Fox.
O'Hara is no stranger to success on the hardwood. The Pasadena, Calif. native was a four-year letterwinner in both football and basketball at Muir High School.
Expected to challenge sophomore Nic Costa for the starting spell QB role this past August, O'Hara was demoted to third-string QB behind Costa and eventual starter Kris Heavner midway through the season. Hankwitz used O'Hara's height to the team's advantage late in the season, playing him at wide receiver for several plays last week against Arizona State, along with having O'Hara attempt to block extra points and field goals.
O'Hara has already sat in on film sessions and is expected to participate in his first workout with his new team this afternoon.
Junior Frye emerging as Wildcats' go-to guy
Olson praised the play of junior center Channing Frye in the Wildcats' first two games of the season. The 6-foot-11 junior, who is leading the team in scoring (17.5 per game) and rebounds (10.5 per game) is emerging as one of the premier centers in the country.
"He's really made great progress every year and he's gotten a lot more aggressive," Olson said.
According to the Hall of Fame coach, Frye's aggressiveness is paying dividends for the Wildcats, allowing an already strong rebounding squad - despite its lack of size - to become even tougher under the boards.
"He's challenging shots, which (is) what he needs to do," Olson said. "We've just got to make sure that he's challenging them when the ball gets halfway to the basket instead of trying to get it off the guy's hands, because we can't afford to get him in foul trouble."
Frye has teamed up with Hassan Adams this season to form a menacing shot-blocking duo. In two games, against Northern Arizona and Florida, the pair has swatted eight shots apiece. Frye had five blocks against the Gators.
December kind to Cats
Last Friday's 78-77 loss to now-No. 2 Florida marked several team and individual firsts. In suffering its first loss of the season, Arizona, which is holding opponents to a 36.5 thus far, opened 1-1 on the year for the first time since the 1994-95 season.
Historically, the Wildcats have dominated in early season matchups, going 16-4 in opening season tournaments since the 1997-98 season.
If history is any indication of what is to come for the Wildcats in the next month, Arizona should fare well. Since taking over the team in 1983, Olson has led the Wildcats to a 111-36 record in the month of December, including a 71-19 mark since the 1990-91 season.
Ranne sees first first-half action
When guard Jason Ranne took the court against the Gators, it marked the first time in the senior's four years and 26 career appearances as a Wildcat that the walk-on played in the first half of a game. Ranne is averaging 1.0 points and 1.5 rebounds per game in limited action during the Wildcats' first two games.
-Brett Fera contributed to this report.