By Monty Phan
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Basketball is in the air.
The preseason polls; talk of who got "A" season, who got "B" season, and who got no season; the more frequent appearance of Lute's mug on the front page of the sports section and above the newscaster's shoulder on the 10 o'clock news. In a nutshell, the hype is here.
The 1994-95 Arizona men's basketball season is just around the corner, and UA coach Lute Olson got his first solid look at the team during the first set of practices last week at McKale Center.
At his weekly press conference Tuesday, Olson praised both veterans and newcomers alike, exuding overall satisfaction at the state of the team.
"Just in general about the first week, everything is going well," Olson said at his press conference Tuesday. "The guys have worked hard. The new guys have picked things up very well. Joseph Blair had a good week and has really been helpful with some of the younger and newer guys on the front line."
Olson also discussed using the triangle offense, where three big men are used to try to exploit a size mismatch in the post. Though Arizona doesn't have a forceful, dominating center, it does have five players over 6-foot-8. (6-8 1/2 junior transfer Ben Davis is ineligible for the semester, but is able to practice with the team.) The most likely center candidates would be Blair at 6-10, 6-9 Jarvis Kelley, and 6-9 Ray Owes, with Davis thrown in when he becomes eligible.