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By Arlie Rahn
Arizona Daily Wildcat
November 6, 1996
The Arizona men's basketball team is beginning to feel the effects of recruiting too well.With the nation's No. 1 recruiting class entering this season, the Wildcats failed to land Duncanville (Texas) High School star Chris Owens, who chose Tulane over Arizona. Owens was rated among the 20 best prospects in the nation by many publications.
"Monday night Chris made his decision," Duncanville head basketball coach Phil McNeely said. "He was thinking about Texas Tech for a while, but his final choices were Arizona and Tulane. After some thought, he just felt Tulane was a better fit for him."
This marks the second time in a month that Arizona has been the second choice for a potential recruit. Michael Batiste, a 6-foot-9 forward from Long Beach (Calif.) Community College, passed on the Wildcats for Arizona State.
Owens, a 6-8 forward, visited the Arizona campus on Oct. 4-5, reportedly leaving with a good impression of the Wildcats.
"Once he returned from the (Arizona) campus, he thought very highly of the program," McNeely said. "But since we already had one player from our program at Tulane, he felt more comfortable there."
Another factor was Arizona possessing the top recruiting class in the nation last year, putting a premium on minutes for young players. Tulane, on the other hand, would offer Owens an opportunity to play significant minutes next season.
"I don't know how much Arizona's depth played into Chris' decision," McNeely said.
"But I'm sure it had a little to play in his final decision."
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