Arizona revealed on Monday that this fall’s rematch against the Duke Blue Devils, the finale of a home-and-home, will now be played on November 22.
Duke basketball’s revenge game against Arizona got a new official date on Monday.
The Wildcats revealed that the second part of their home-and-home series against the Blue Devils will now take place on November 22.
The announcement moves the game back one day after the initial agreement circled November 21. Some reporters, such as Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman, implied the date change might be imminent earlier this summer.
In the second game of the 2023-24 season, the Wildcats came into Cameron Indoor Stadium and walked away with a 78-73 victory. The battle famously brought former North Carolina star Caleb Love, who transferred to Arizona, back to Tobacco Road. He finished the upset with 11 points, three rebounds, and three assists.
Love announced earlier this summer that he would return to the Wildcats for his final year of eligibility, meaning the Blue Devils have one last chance to exact their pound of flesh from one of the most hated figures in program history.
2025 NFL Draft first impression of Arizona Wildcats offensive tackle Jonah Savaiinaea ahead of the 2024 college season
Arizona had a first-round offensive tackle in the 2024 NFL Draft in Jordan Morgan. The Wildcats have another tackle hoping to rise to that level for the 2025 NFL Draft in Jonah Savaiinaea, and he’s got enough potential to work with that it’s a feasible projection.
Savaiinaea played right tackle in 2023 after moving outside from right guard in 2022. At 6-foot-5 and 330 listed pounds, the Hawaiian native progressed into playing tackle on the opposite side of Morgan, which frequently led to some disadvantageous matchups for his inexperience.
Heading into the 2024 season, a time when Arizona is now a member of the Big 12, Savaiinaea can grow into a more polished tackle prospect. The frame, the length and the athleticism to emerge as one of the best tackles.
The biggest positive standout trait for Savaiinaea is how well he moves off the snap for a man of his size. His kick step and balance are very impressive and consistently quick. Savaiinaea keeps his hands ready to react to pass rushing attacks to either shoulder, and he jabs well enough to parry and buy time for his feet to square up the rusher.
He’s very good pulling across the formation as a run blocker. Quickness, vision, strength while engaging in space–it’s all there for Savaiinaea. He generally down blocks well, though he can approach the interior a little too tall. There is proper leg drive and decent foot frequency in run blocking, engaging his lower-body power nicely even if his hands are too high on the chest or shoulder of the defender.
The high hands and taller posture are definitely things for Savaiinaea to work on ahead of any NFL discussion. They’re coachable, but they also need to be coached. There is also a tendency to overset to his outside and allow quicker rushers to cross him and win through his inside shoulder. His recovery footwork isn’t dynamic enough to get away with that very often.
A lot of what ails Savaiinaea as a tackle prospect is that he often looks like a guard playing tackle…which he was in 2023. As was the case with his old Wildcats mate Morgan, some NFL teams and analysts are going to prefer him playing inside. A strong 2024 with better pad level, more consistent hand placement and overall consistency can elevate Savaiinaea into the late-first range Morgan rose into, but right now he looks more like a player who would have gone in the early part of Day 3 in the last draft.
Jackson Arnold spent time assessing his performance against Arizona and SEC Media Days. He’s ready to be QB1.
[autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]’s first start was far from what many Oklahoma fans and recruiting pundits had in mind. For the former five-star quarterback out of Denton, Texas, his first-ever collegiate start was a roller coaster ride that ultimately ended in defeat. In Oklahoma’s 38-24 loss to Arizona, Arnold threw three interceptions and had a lost fumble.
Since that game, Oklahoma has undergone a myriad of changes. They’ve added players from the portal and Arnold’s had an entire spring to work with new play-caller Seth Littrell. Arnold had his first spring game start.
At SEC Media Days, Jackon Arnold stepped up and reflected on his first collegiate start and what went wrong. He also gave the press an insight into what he’s worked on the most as the starting quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners as he gets ready for his first full season.
“For Arizona, they did a great job mixing up looks and attacking certain concepts that we run while jumping routes,” Arnold said. “But for us, for me, the turnovers were unacceptable. You can’t have that. Especially coming to the SEC. That’s something I had to learn after watching the game, studying the film, and seeing what I did wrong, whether it was timing or a poor decision. You learn from it; you move on from it.”
It’s completely reasonable for anyone to be frustrated with Arnold’s performance. However, it was the young signal caller’s first start at the collegiate level. Arnold reflected on becoming a better player and leader in the offseason, hoping to flush that memory away ahead of his first full season as a starter.
“After that Arizona game, I had to mature and grow up a lot,” Arnold shared with a full media room. “Stepping into that QB1 role, I had to be a real leader for us, for our team, and just stepping into that role, I know I need to mature as a person, as a player too. And the person I am now and the player I am now has improved drastically from where I was in that bowl game.”
Arnold’s coaches and teammates have recognized his accountability for his play against Arizona and his growth. [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], one of Oklahoma’s defensive stars and leaders, discussed it during his media availability. Stutsman said, “Only playing one game last year and having all these expectations thrown onto him, he’s done an amazing job filling that role and doing whatever it takes. I think Jackson is starting to understand that and trying to do everything he can to be turned into that leader.”
Oklahoma’s former starting quarterback, [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], had a wealth of experience before he took a snap with the Sooners. His journey as the starting QB at OU differs from Arnold’s. However, Arnold signed with Oklahoma, knowing they would be joining the SEC and that he would have the opportunity to be the quarterback to lead them into this new era of Oklahoma football under [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag].
He’s had an entire offseason to acclimate and prepare for what’s to come. All that’s left is for him to prove it come August 30th against the Temple Owls.
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Chase Budinger spent three seasons playing College Basketball at Arizona and played 100 games in his career. He was a consistent force for the Wildcats and scored 17 points per game in his career. The UCLA Bruins saw him many times, and he was consistently a thorn in the side of the Bruins. Budinger was the 44th overall pick in the NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons.
Now the former Wildcat, at the age of 36, will be partaking in the Paris Olympics this summer. Earlier this week, he clinched a spot with the US Olympic Beach Volleyball team.
The Paris Olympics 2024 is slated to start on July 24th, 2024, and run through August 11th, 2024. The Beach Volleyball is expected to start on July 27th and wrap up on August 10th. The complete schedule for the US team has yet to be announced.
Really cool that former Arizona standout Chase Budinger, who played 7 years in the NBA, clinched the last U.S. Olympic beach volleyball spot and will play in the Paris Olympics.
Budinger retired from hoops in 2017 and started playing pro beach volleyball in 2018.
Every player on the LPGA has a story, but few had one like Haley Moore.
Every player on the LPGA has a story, but few had one like Haley Moore. The hero of the 2018 NCAA Championship, Moore overcame childhood bullying to reach the biggest stage in golf. Friends and strangers alike came together on GoFundMe to help an inspirational Moore chase her dream.
Now, after several seasons of grinding on both the LPGA and Epson Tour, 25-year-old Mooreās path has taken a detour.
āThese last couple years, I didnāt have my best stuff,ā said Moore from her new digs in Tucson, Arizona.
Last week, Moore began working full-time as an assistant pro at Canoa Ranch Golf Club in Green Valley, Arizona. She plans to become a PGA member and work her way into teaching. Sheās especially excited about working some upcoming junior camps.
Haley Moore hugs the NCAA trophy. (Photo courtesy of Michele Moore)
Moore hasnāt completely shut the door on getting back to the LPGA, but sheās excited about sprinkling in some Cactus Tour events and state opens in the coming years. Maybe thereās a start in the KPMG Womenās PGA in her future through the teaching division.
Moving back to Tucson was an easy decision for Moore after her playing days at the University of Arizona. The nearly 6-foot-2-inch Moore graduated from college at the age of 20 and advanced through LPGA Q-School in December 2019, beginning her professional career in the midst of a global pandemic.
She made five cuts in 12 starts in 2020 and had a second rookie season in 2021, which didnāt go much better. Moore finished 142nd on the LPGA money list that season and began toiling on the Epson Tour the following year.
āEven though she always said āNo, Iām fine, Iām fine,ā ā said Mooreās mother, Michele, ā there was just something in her head, and we were just never able to figure that out.ā
Over the next two seasons, Moore made only 10 cuts on the Epson Tour, with her 2023 season coming to an abrupt end with a back injury. She made only $18,735 in official money on the Epson Tour, and the financial stress took its toll.
In 2024, Moore played the Casino Del Sol Golf Classic in Tucson on a sponsor exemption for her only start on the Epson Tour this season, missing the cut.
āThe last couple years, I felt like I was doing well in the practice rounds ā hitting the ball great ā and then when the tournament days came, itās not like I froze up, but I think itās an actual competition, youāre worried. You have to perform and make the cut to make money ā losing $2,000, $2,500 every week because of expenses.ā
Figuring out to block out the stress of money in the heat of competition was something Moore never quite conquered. Eventually she thought, I canāt keep going on like this.Ā
And so, itās with a mixture of sadness and excitement that Moore enters a new chapter. Already, quite a number of people who have come into the pro shop at Canoa Ranch have recognized Moore from her time as a Wildcat and on the LPGA.
āSheās a freaking legend in Tucson,ā said Michele. āWeāre on campus for five minutes and sheās recognized. People literally kiss her feet.ā
Haley Moore and her mother, Michele, pose with their artwork, a recent hobby for the pair. (courtesy photo)
When Moore was a rookie on the LPGA, the tour created a 30-second video spot on her as part of its Drive On marketing campaign, along with first-person accounts written by Moore and her mother.
āBeing bigger, stronger and better than boys on the soccer field didnāt make me popular when I was a kid,ā Haley wrote. āContinuing to grow didnāt put me in the popular girlsā club, either. Throughout my school years, I heard every taunt and laugh; I endured every insult and rejection. I tried to brush it off.ā
As a pro, Moore created a foundation to help end bullying. Once she gets settled into her new role at Canoa Ranch, sheād like to continue those efforts.
After decommitting from Arizona, four-star shooting guard Jamari Phillips signs with Dana Altman and the Ducks.
The season is still five months away, but Dana Altman is always on the lookout for more talent and the 2024-25 roster just got a lot more talented.
According to On3.com, Oregon just received a commitment from four-star shooting guard Jamari Phillipsout of Glendale, Ariz.
This is a big change as Phillips has been an Arizona commit since 2022, but reopened his recruitment just last week. It didn’t take long for the Ducks to swoop in and sign the 6-foot-3 wing player.
He has a 93 rating on 247sports.com and a 0.9816 player composite on the site as well.
Phillips change of heart might have come about when Arizona’s superstar guard Caleb Love announced he would skip the NBA draft and return to Tucson for one more season. No doubt Phillips’ playing time as a freshman would have drastically been less than he thought.
The Blue Devils play Caleb Love one last time in the 2024-25 season, and one Tuesday report says they know what day they play in Tucson.
The Duke basketball team gets to battle Caleb Love one last time in the 2024-25 season, and a Tuesday report from Jeff Goodman says the date might be set.
After hosting the Arizona Wildcats in the second game of the season last fall, the Blue Devils will reportedly play them in Tucson on November 22.
Love, who helped North Carolina defeat Duke in Mike Krzyzewski’s final home game and in the Final Four during his final postseason back in 2022, transferred to Arizona ahead of the 2023-24 season and beat Duke again. He recently announced he’d return for his last year of eligibility.
The game, which would be the Friday before Thanksgiving if Goodman’s report is correct, would be one day after the initial schedule. When Duke first announced the home-and-home series, the team release said the Blue Devils would play the Wildcats on November 21.
Jay Johnson could end up facing his former team in the super regional.
When the NCAA Tournament bracket was released, many circled the Chapel Hill and Tucson Regional pairing as one of the most intriguing in the sport.
Between North Carolina and LSU in Chapel Hill, and four teams with a top 100 RPI in Tucson, there’s potential for a strong Super Regional match.
One of the more intriguing options is LSU vs. Arizona, which would send LSU head coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] back to his former stomping grounds for a series. It would mark a first for Johnson, who’s yet to face Arizona since arriving at LSU.
Johnson was asked about that potential matchup earlier this week, but for now, his mind remains on the regional in front of him.
“Congratulations to (Arizona) for winning the Pac-12 and the Pac-12 tournament. You know, obviously, I pull for their program if we’re not playing each other, which we haven’t played to this point,” Johnson said. “There’s so much ahead of that, happening for both of us. I really haven’t thought about that.”
Johnson was head coach at Arizona from 2016-21. He led the Wildcats to two CWS appearances and won the Pac-12 in 2021.
LSU begins NCAA Tournament play against Wofford at 5 p.m. CT on Friday evening.
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Caleb Love returns to Arizona for his final year, skipping the NBA Draft. Wildcats gets back the former Tar Heel and PAC-12 Player of the Year.
Once a Tar Heel, always a Tar Heel, but it appears the Wildcats are starting to make a claim as [autotag]Caleb Love[/autotag] will return to Arizona for his final year of eligibility.
Wee hours before the NBA Draft early entry withdrawal, itās been reported that Love will forgo entering this year’s draft and return to the Wildcats. Followed by reports, Love posted a clip of himself in the wildcat threads in a highlight reel indicating that he will return.
Love’s return is a significant boost for Arizona, which had a successful season despite a disappointing ending.
I guess the good news is thereās still a chance to see how the story would play out if RJ Davis and the Tar Heels got a chance to play Love. It was close to happening in the elite 8, but both UNC and Arizona failed to hold their end of the bargain.
Love last season for Arizona averaged a career-best 18 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. He earned PAC-12 Player of the Year after leading the Wildcats to a regular season championship.
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After over a decade together in the Pac-12, Colorado and Arizona will soon meet as Big 12 foes
The Big 12 Conference matchup between the Colorado Buffaloes and Arizona Wildcats on Oct. 19 will be intriguing. It will mark the first time a former Pac-12 rival will face the Buffaloes in the Big 12.
Overall, the all-time series record between the two teams stands at 16-10 in CU’s favor, but the rivalry between the Buffs and the Wildcats has been a streaky one. The teams played 14 times between 1931 and 2011, and Colorado won 13 of those games, including a 2011 game that represented CU’s first Pac-12 Conference victory.
Since then, Arizona has taken advantage of the Buffaloes’ poor performance in the Pac-12. The Wildcats went 9-3 while playing the Buffs every season from 2012 to 2023. Thirty seems to be the magic number in the series; CU was 3-0 in those games when Arizona scored less than 30 points and 0-9 when the Wildcats eclipsed that mark.
In a surprising turn, Colorado is 2-1 in its last three games in Tucson, meaning the Buffs have fared better on the road in recent years than at home when facing the Wildcats. We’ll see if that trend continues this year in Tucson.
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