New Icecats play roles in streak

The second half of the Icecats' 2004-05 season has been a storm for opposing squads.

In their first four games of 2005, Arizona is undefeated and has outscored its opponents 34-3.

Playing big roles in this whirlwind of dominance are two newcomers - freshman forward Kyle Chilton, giving Arizona another lightning-quick scoring option, and junior defenseman Nick Wedster, who has added a thunderous defensive presence. [Read article]

Salim Stoudamire verified his role last week as a team leader for the UA men's basketball team. Stoudamire averaged 26.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in two home victories against USC and UCLA. Stoudamire shot over 56 percent from 3-point range and hit the game-winning trey with 2.5 seconds remaining in Arizona's 76-73 win over the Bruins Saturday. For his efforts, Stoudamire received the Pacific 10 Conference Player of the Week award, his third career selection and the first for the team this season. [Read article]

Following its two wins last week, the Arizona men's basketball team inched closer to the Top 10 in both major polls.

The Wildcats jumped to No. 13 in The Associated Press poll, up from last week's No. 17 ranking. They also moved from No. 16 to No. 12 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. This week's ranking marks the 295th consecutive week the Arizona basketball program has been ranked in the AP poll during the regular season. [Read article]

The Arizona baseball team was tabbed to finish third in the Pacific 10 Conference Preseason Coaches Poll Friday.

The poll was one of the closest since the Pac-10 merged the Northern and Southern divisions in 1999. Stanford was picked to win the conference with four first-place votes, with Washington finishing right behind the Cardinal with two first-place votes.

The Wildcats tied with ASU with 51 points for third place, with the Sun Devils receiving two first-place votes and the UA getting one. [Read article]