Wildcats at No. 25 in latest AP College Basketball poll

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The Arizona Wildcats (10-3) cling to No. 25 in the latest AP College Basketball poll, while Pac-12 opponent Oregon (11-2) comes in at No. 4.  Gonzaga (13-1) is No.1 again this week.

Happy New Year from Bookemdanosports

Happy New Year!

from Bookemdanosports

Photo: Dan and Sue in lobby at Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona. Bookemdansports entering 12th year with 3,700 posts and more to come in 2020. Happy New Year to all my readers.

Arizona Wildcats fall to No. 24

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The Arizona Wildcats (10-3) fall to No. 24 in latest AP College Basketball poll. Gonzaga (13-1) is the new No. 1.

Wildcats look tired

Arizona Wildcats Basketball

The Arizona Wildcats (10-3) need a break. They look tired.

The 16th-ranked Wildcats were outplayed by St. John's in San Francisco last night, losing 70-67 to the Red Storm (11-2). Well, the Wildcats will get a much-needed break and can rest their collective shooting hands until Jan. 4 when they open up Pac-12 play at home against the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Maybe two weeks off is the answer.

Last night, Arizona made just three 3-pointers. The Wildcats were 3 for 16 from beyond the arc, but managed to shoot 39.6 from the field, canning 19 of 48 attempts. Nico Mannion was off the mark on nine shots, Josh Green went 2 for 7, Chase Jeter 2 for 6, Jemarl Baker missed all five of his attempts at the bucket and Max Hazzard managed one 3-pointer out of four attempts.

Arizona made more free throws (26 of 32) than field goals. The 13 turnovers didn't help with most of those coming in the first half as the Wildcats trailed at intermission, 40-26. Arizona's late spurt in the second half was a carbon-copy attempt at winning, much like its losses to Baylor and Gonzaga.

Mannion finished with 19 points, Green ended up with 11 and Zeke Nnaji was the best player on the court for Arizona with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Nnaji was 8 for 10 from the field.

Rest up, Arizona.

Wildcats drop one spot to No. 16 in AP Poll

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Arizona's 84-80 loss to Gonzaga at McKale last Saturday was worth a one-spot drop in the latest AP College Basketball Poll. Arizona comes in at No. 16, while the big four remain at the top with Kansas   at No.1, Gonzaga moves up to No. 2, Louisville is No. 3 and Duke is No. 4.

Oregon clings to No. 8 and Washington is No. 22.

Arizona takes on St John's this Saturday in San Francisco at the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Al Attles Classic. The Red Storm own a 9-2 record and one of their two losses was to Arizona State (80-67) on Nov. 23.

Ducklow's infield hit leads to walk-off win

Tucson Old Timers  (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Team White's Dick  "Double D" Ducklow knocked in two runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning for a walk-off 9-8 win over Team Blue today at Udall Park in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

Joe Opocensky, the starting pitcher for Team Blue, needed just three outs to escape with an 8-7 win, but he had to maneuver through the heart of the Team White lineup. Reed Palmer and Ron Ryan started things off in the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back singles to center and Mike Dawson reached base on an infield hit to load the bases.

Opocensky got the next two batters to hit into force outs and that brought up Ducklow, who hit a slow roller to second baseman Jerry Hamelin. The throw to first was wide of the bag and too late to nip Ducklow. Two runners scampered home and Team White picked up the hard-fought win.

Dawson, the starting pitcher for Team White, owned an early 4-1 lead after three innings of play, but a few errors by his teammates during the middle innings allowed Team Blue to finally grab the lead.

Team Blue's Arnie "Montana Kid" White collected two hits and knocked in three runs.

The TOTS return to action on Wednesday. Game time: 10 a.m.

Photo: Dick Ducklow, 77, from Spring Valley, Wisconsin.

Zags take down Wildcats at McKale, 84-80

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


It happened in Waco against Baylor... and tonight at McKale Center it happened again.

The 15th-ranked Arizona Wildcats (10-2) missed too many shots once again, shooting just 38.5 percent (30 of 78) from the field and made just eight of 30 shots from beyond the three-point line en route to a 84-80 loss to 6th-ranked Gonzaga.

Freshman sensation Nico Mannion dished out 10 assists for Arizona, but made just three of 20 field goal attempts -- including a dismal 1 of 10 from beyond the arc.

Not good enough to beat Gonzaga. The Zags improve to 11-1 on the season.

The Wildcats needed a good performance from freshman Zeke Nnaji and they got it. Nnaji finished with a double-double, collecting 16 points, while contributing a game-high 18 rebounds. Arizona's other freshman guard Josh Green scored 17 points, but made just five of 15 field goals.

Mannion finished with just seven points.

Wildcats roll to a 50-pt win over Omaha

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The 15th-ranked Arizona Wildcats rolled to a 99-49 win over Omaha tonight at McKale.

Five players scored in double figures and a sixth player, freshman center Christian Koloko, came off the bench to grab a team-high 10 rebounds.

Nico Mannion, who finished with 13 points, dished out 11 of Arizona's 25 assists, while Chase Jeter and Josh Green scored 15 points apiece. Dylan Smith hit 4 of 6 from beyond the 3-point line to finish with 14 points, while Ira Lee came off the bench and tallied 12 points and grabbed six rebounds.

Arizona (10-1) out rebounded the Mavericks 47-33 and ended up hitting 38 of 66 shots, a 57.6 percentage from the field. The Wildcats canned 12 of 26 from long range for 46.2 percent.

The 50-point win serves as a tune up for Arizona's showdown on Saturday at McKale against 6th-ranked Gonzaga.

Arizona's lone loss worth a 3-spot drop in AP Poll

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Arizona's 63-58 loss last Saturday in Waco to Baylor was worth a three-spot drop to No. 15 in the latest AP College Basketball Poll.

All things considered, not too bad of a drop. Louisville (9-0) remains No. 1.

Gonzaga (10-1), the Wildcats' opponent on Saturday night at McKale is currently ranked No. 6, while Arizona's Pac-12 opponent Oregon (7-2) slips in at No. 10. Baylor (7-1) moves up to No. 11 thanks to its hard-fought win in Waco over the Wildcats.

Wildcats throw up bricks in Waco

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The 12th-ranked Arizona Wildcats (9-1) went 2 for 18 from long range in Waco, Texas today and fall from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 63-58 loss to 18th-ranked Baylor.

A frustrating game for coach Sean Miller and the Wildcats.

Arizona scored just 24 points in the first half, but despite the poor shooting had a shot to tie the game at 61-all with five seconds left in the game when Josh Green missed a three-point shot from the corner.

The Wildcats battled from behind the entire game and were led by Nico Mannion's 15 points and five assists. Still, Mannion was off target for most of the 40 minutes and ended up 3 for 14 from the field. Arizona made just 14 of 52 from the field, a miserable 26.9 percent -- including a dismal 11.1 percent from beyond the three-point line.

The Wildcats head back to Tucson to the friendly confines of McKale and take on Nebraska-Omaha on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Ochoa top TOTS' hitter in November

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Jesse Ochoa, 68, led the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers during the month of November with 17 hits in 28 at bats at Udall Park for a .607 batting average.  Ochoa also led the club in RBI with 16.

The hard-hitting Reed Palmer was not far behind with 16 hits in just 21 at bats for a hefty .762  batting  average.  Palmer, who walked a club-high six times during the month, hit one of two home runs.  Ernesto Escala also hit his first homer with the TOTS. Palmer's homer was his 18th of the season and he is 11 home runs shy of his own single-season, club record of 29, set in 2018.

Lloyd Barzell, Tim Tolson, Ron Ryan, Pete Peters and Mike Steele finished with 13 hits apiece  during the month. Mike Dawson ended up with 12 hits for the month, while Dave Byars collected 11 hits and Joe Opocensky had 10.

The TOTS played just eight games in November. Four players -- Palmer, Dawson, Opocensky and Bob Daliege -- tied for the most pitching victories with two.

Floyd Lance, 94, led the 80-somethings with two hits in 20 trips to the plate. Lance played in seven of the eight games. Forty players played during the month.  Bad weather has caused some rain outs recently. In fact, the field at Udall was unplayable on Monday and Wednesday of this week and the first game for December was played today -- a 10-2 win by Team White over Team Blue. Palmer picked up the pitching victory, while Dave Margolis was saddled with the loss.

The TOTS return to action on Monday at Udall. Game time: 10 a.m.

Photo: Ochoa

The combination lock

Life in the 70s


One of my fears in high school was forgetting the combination to the lock on my hallway locker.

I recall breaking out in a sweat as I took small steps the final eighty feet or so from my locker. I could see it just ahead. After three years as an underclassman, I was now a senior...it's now 1963 and I was  still battling in my mind, desperately trying to remember the combination.

I could hear the bell ring in the background. I had just minutes to reach the entrance to my next class.

Yes! Suddenly it came to me. Left, right...left. Or was it, right, left...right? Six digits away from a grand opening. A click. A push on the lever. Success!

Why my locker was normally empty was another story. Not one picture even of an image of a blonde, blue-eyed classmate staring back at me. To tell you the truth I was scared of women even back then.

I'm not sure I have ever got over that.

Fast forward to 2019...almost 2020, and in the far corner of my brain are 2,000 passwords...stored, ready to leap out and open up a window of opportunity, allowing me to get through another day, another week...another year.

I realize now that I have come a long way. I have a mind...a real mind. I have the ability to store numbers and exist comfortably in the 21st century.

It's a number's game and I'm still counting...still looking for the right combination to get me on down the road.

Arizona reaches No. 12 in AP College Basketball Poll

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Arizona (9-0) is No. 12 in this week's AP College Basketball Poll after winning the Wooden Legacy Classic on Sunday. Louisville takes its turn at No. 1.

The Wildcats face #18 Baylor (5-1) in Waco, Texas on Saturday, Dec. 7, takes on Nebraska-Omaha (5-4) at McKale Center on Wednesday, Dec. 11 and lock horns with #9 Gonzaga (8-1) at McKale on Saturday, Dec. 14.

Wildcats win Wooden Legacy Championship

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Dylan Smith scored 20 points and Chase Jeter netted 17 points and hauled in nine rebounds to lead the Arizona Wildcats to a 73-66 win over Wake Forest in the championship game tonight at the Wooden Legacy Classic in Anaheim.

The Wildcats, shorthanded tonight with out the injured Stone Gettings and the services of Zeke Nnaji and Ira Lee, who both had fouled out, received a lot of support from freshmen Nico Mannion (9 points, 7 assists) and Josh Green (8 points and a team-high 12 rebounds).

Arizona brings home the hardware and improves to 9-0 on the season.

Joiner scores 2 TD's in Arizona's season finale

Arizona Wildcats Football


Jamarye Joiner hauled in two touchdown passes from Khalil Tate, but that was all the Arizona Wildcats could muster in a 24-14 loss in Tempe to ASU last night.

Joiner, the former Tucson Cienega High School star, caught seven passes for 140 yards.

Arizona's season is over. The Wildcats finish the season with seven straight losses and a 4-8 record.

Mannion leads Wildcats into Wooden Legacy final

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Nico Mannion scored 24 points on 11 of 14 shooting from the field to lead 14th-ranked Arizona to a 92-82 win in the semi-finals over Penn tonight in Anaheim at the Wooden Legacy Classic.

The Wildcats (8-0) face Wake Forest on Sunday in the championship game.

Green, Smith lead Wildcats to win over Pepperdine

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Arizona put together a 10-0 run midway through the second half and turned a 42-all score at halftime into a 69-57 lead over Pepperdine at the quarterfinals of the Wooden Legacy Tournament tonight in Anaheim.

It got a little dicey after that.

Arizona (7-0) survives 93-91 on a running shot from Nico Mannion with two seconds left on the clock. The 14th-ranked Wildcats ended up out scoring the Waves 51-49 in the second half.

Josh Green finished the game with 24 points, while Zeke Nnaji, Mannion and Dylan Smith finished with 16 points apiece. Chase Jeter also hit in double figures with 10. Green, Mannion and Smith were a combined 10 for 15 from 3-point land.

And the Wildcats needed all of those 3-pointers.

Arizona scrambled to a 86-84 lead on a Smith 3-pointer at the three-minute mark and then led 91-89 on a dunk from Nanji. Colbey Ross, who scored 20 points, hit a jumper in the paint to tie the game at 91-all.

Bottom line: Arizona gets the win and moves to 7-0.

The Doc Holliday Run

The Doc Holliday Run

Forty minutes east of my son's house sits a bar called Doc Holliday's.

Holliday died in Glenwood Springs, Colorado on November 8, 1887 at the age of 36.

My two sons and I arrived in Glenwood Springs yesterday and moseyed up to the bar at High Noon.

Down the road apiece is Linwood Cemetery -- a marker is in place, signifying the final resting place of Wyatt Earp's famous sidekick.

How does an old-time city boy exist in two different worlds

Living in the 70s

I took a huge "trip" for me this week -- actually, when all is said in done, I'll be away from the Old Pueblo for two weeks. It's the middle of the winter, for goodness sakes...well, that's how this old man looks at things.

A resident of Tucson, Arizona for most of my life, there's been a time or two when winter never comes. But here I am, setting in a "Colorado Room" at my son's house and having a cup of coffee, watching the deer and the antelope play. Sorry, I just went off on another tangent. That's deer, wild turkeys and a bear or two (actually I haven't seen the latter this week...as far as the antelope are concerned, the last one I saw play was a few miles east of Show Low, Arizona last spring).

So, here I sit and wondering if I could "live" as a resident of Colorado, or should my "old bones" stay put in a land where the temperature reaches 110 degrees in July. The temperature around Grand Junction will reach in the single digits by daybreak.

It's a beautiful land...it's a beautiful country whether you're talking about Colorado or Arizona.

I have a buddy, a teammate on my old-time baseball team, who has it all. He lives during the summer and fall on his 85-acre ranch in Red Lodge, Montana, while spending the hard winters in Tucson. Arnie White, 78, is as fit as a fiddle and can handle himself in Alaska if need be.

As for me, the "city boy" who grew up wearing shorts, a T-shirt and tennis shoes year around, I should continue to watch ESPN, stay inside the house during the summer months and continue to play early-morning baseball, bike the Catalina Foothills and age gracefully.

I don't need to buy a winter coat, or those special white thermal underwear my son wears. Of course, he is 6-2  and 260+, and if I borrowed a pair, it is likely I could cover my entire body and get a comfortable night's sleep.

I''ll be home on Sunday, after a trip through Southern Utah, Monument Valley...Flagstaff...hit I-17...avoid the rush hour in Phoenix... and be back home by sundown.

There are pretty sunsets in Colorado and Arizona.

That's the thing about living in America. You can choose where you live, but dress accordingly.

Arizona crushes Long Beach State

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The Arizona Wildcats (6-0) crushed Long Beach State 104-67 at McKale Center last night for their sixth win of the season as five players scored in double figures. Arizona, led 38-33 at the half, but scored 66 points in the second half, while jamming home enough highlight-reel shots to keep ESPN busy.

Nico Mannion scored a game-high 22 points and Zeke Nnaji kept up his attack on the basket, canning nine of 13 from the field for 21 points. Max Hazzard played just 18 minutes, but hit on 4 of 6 from 3-point land for 14 points, while Josh Green and Jemari Baker Jr. netted 11 points apiece.

Chase Jeter led the 14h-ranked Wildcats with six rebounds and Green came up with three steals.

Way to go, Wildcats!

Utah 35 Arizona 7

Arizona Wildcats Football

The Arizona Wildcats have one game left on the 2019 schedule.

Of course, that comes next Saturday in Tempe against the Arizona State Sun Devils.

As expecting, the Wildcats lose big at Arizona Stadium tonight falling to the 8th-ranked Utah Utes, 35-7. The Utes are heading for bigger and better things, while the Wildcats...well, they have a shot against their rival next week. A slim one, but a shot.

The Sun Devils (6-5) surprised the sports world with a win over 6th-ranked Oregon today, the Wildcats (4-7) surprised no one.

Going to the movies...

Grandpa's journey to the movies


Us old timers have been through it many times. A journey to the movies with a grandchild can be taxing at times -- either for the grandparent or the grandchild. One of the two is likely to squirm in his or her seat during the film. After all, after the popcorn, the milk duds and the sodas, it's time for the "attention span" and it's any one's guess as to who wins out -- the adult, or the child.

Unless the movie is called "A  Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" -- the current flick, released today, with Tom Hanks in the lead role as Fred Rogers.

For my readers -- mostly old-timers born in the 1940s...well maybe I should include the 1950s as well (Man, how fast time goes by!) -- there's no reason to go into who exactly Mr. Rogers was. Fred Rogers died in his home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on February 27, 2003. Best known, of course, for his television show, which was aired on PBS from 1968 to 2001.

Fast forward to a Friday morning -- November 22, 2019 -- and I, the grandpa...and my grandson, Chase, head for the movie theater in the town of Rifle, which sits along the Western Slope of Colorado, on I-70 between Grand Junction and Denver.

Before the movie was over I was in tears and my grandson for the most part sat quietly in his seat and  watched as Tom Hanks took over the screen for the better part of an hour and 25 minutes. I did not expect the movie to be "a learning tool" for a 10-year-old (or, maybe...in the back of my mind, I did), nor did I expect to be so moved that I was forced to use my right hand and hide a tear or two from the eyes of my grandson.

There was a moment when my grandson put his left hand on my right arm and said, "Are you okay, Grandpa?"

I took a moment and said to him there will come a time, years from now, when he would remember and recall bits and pieces of the movie. "That's what movies are all about," I said.

We walked out of the theater. There was a chill in the air. It was 39 degrees. The expected high for the day was to be 42 degrees by mid afternoon.

I looked at my grandson and eyed the beautiful mountains surrounding the town of Rifle. "You know what the best part of it all is?"

"What's that, Grandpa?"

"You've got your whole life ahead of you. Enjoy it all...the movies...the deer in your backyard...the turkeys walking up the street...your school days...your high school days...getting married and having kids."

He chuckled. I smiled and said, "let's head home."

Note: It is not unusual for Tom Hanks to move me. After all, he's the guy who talked to a volleyball for thirty minutes in, Cast Away. A great actor and his portrayal of Mr. Rogers was simply perfection.

Arizona improves to 5-0 with 71-64 win over South Dakota State

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Arizona, down 32-29 at the half, gradually pulled away from South Dakota State midway through the second half at McKale Center tonight en route to a 71-64 win. Josh Green led the Wildcats with 15 points, Nico Mannion added 14 and Zeke Nnaji, while in foul trouble for most of the game, played just 21 minutes, scoring 12 points and connecting on 4 of 5 field goals.

The 14th-ranked Wildcats improve to 5-0 and face Long Beach State on Sunday at McKale.

Wildcats ranked 14th in AP Basketball Poll

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Movin' on up!

Arizona (4-0) moves to No. 14 this week in the Associated Press college basketball poll.

Oh, yes! Duke (4-0) is No. 1.

Nnaji does it again

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Freshman Zeke Nnaji hasn't missed a shot from the field in two straight games.

Nnaji led the Wildcats with 19 points and was a perfect 7 for 7 from the field at McKale Center today as Arizona won by 30 over the New Mexico State Aggies, 83-53. Nnaji has canned his last 17 field goals.

Ten Wildcats scored today with Jemari Baker finishing with 16 points and Nico Mannion ended up with 15 points. Arizona hit 10 of 21 from 3-point land with Baker knocking down four and Mannion with three.

Arizona improves to 4-0, while the Aggies fall to 2-2.

Arizona falls to 4-6

Arizona Wildcats Football


As expected the Arizona Wildcats (4-6 overall, 2-5 Pac-12 South) lose at 6th-ranked Oregon last night, 34-6.

Just two games left in the season for the Wildcats, unless they can beat Utah at Arizona Stadium on Saturday and then beat the Sun Devils in Tempe on Nov. 30.

As for last night's game, J.J. Taylor led the Wildcats with 74 rushing yards, 55 receiving yards and 94 yards on four kickoff returns. He was a busy man. As for the final result it could have been a lot worse for our Wildcats. They played hard and return home today without any added injuries.

As for 8th-ranked Utah, the Utes beat UCLA yesterday, 49-3, to improve to 9-1 and sit atop the Pac-12 South with a 6-1 record. The Utes have won six games in a row.

Pigpen hits game-winner in walk-off TOTS' win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Game of the Week

Pigpen Price, 74, hit an RBI-single down the third base line and Pete Peters, 70, scored from third as Team White prevailed 3-2 with a walk-off win over Team Blue today at Udall Park in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

Arguably, the best game of the week with two pitchers, Reed Palmer for Team White and Mike Dawson for Team Blue, locked in a pitching duel for seven innings.

Team Blue took an early 2-0 lead in the third inning thanks to a two-run single from lefty Dennis Crowley, but in the fourth inning RBI-singles from David Byars and Palmer tied the game and the battle was on.

Team Blue went quietly in the top of the seventh as Palmer breezed through the frame. In the bottom of the seventh inning with one out, Peters singled and moved to third on a ground out. That brought up the youngest player on the club, 61-year-old Ron Ryan, with a chance to win the game.

Dawson threw nothing but strikes to Ryan and struck him out for the second out. That brought up Price, who went into the game with a .200 batting average for the month. Dawson offered an inside fastball to Price. The ball was out of the strike zone, but Price found the pitch to his liking and drilled a shot by Team Blue's third baseman Mike Steele for the game-winner.

"I bet it's been 10 years since I've hit a game-winner with the TOTS," Price said. "It feels good to contribute."

It was Price's only hit of the game, after grounding out in his first two at bats.

The big hitter is Byars, who went into today's game with seven straight hits to his credit for the week. Byars, who lined out in his first at bat, ended up with two more hits during the game and is on fire with 9 hits in 10 trips to the plate.

The two teams played errorless ball, while Reed and Dawson threw nothing but strikes today and there were no walks in the game. Unfortunately, Dawson threw a high-inside fastball to Pigpen, instead of a strike.

The TOTS return to action on Monday at Udall. Game time: 10 a.m.

The Men at Udall

For the Love of the Game


Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball


A decade of memories (2010-2019)




Hall of Fame Players



         Clarence Fieber                              

   

                                                                   Chico Bigham

                                                                  Richard McAnally






                                                                       Ed  Rife

Carl Brutovsky

 
                                                                  Jim Pagels

                                                                      Joel Blutfield

 
                                                                     Conrad Royskund

The Players

The Aces

                                                           The Originals

The Chairman of the Board

Brad Tolson

The Iron Man

Jerry Smarik

The TOTS

(2010-2019)