Arizona reaches Number 1 in AP college basketball poll

 Way to go, Wildcats!

#2 Arizona slams #20 Auburn at McKale, 97-68

Arizona Wildcats Basketball 

from the desk of Dan Price

My Wildcats are rolling!

Arizona took care of business tonight at McKale Center with a 97-68 trashing of #20 Auburn. When the polls come out late Monday, the Wildcats should be No. 1 in the country.

Tonight, in front of a packed house, #2 Arizona scored 60 points in the paint and dismantled Auburn with 18-year-old Koa Peat leading the way with 18 points, four rebounds, and five assists, while Brayden Burries and Jaden Bradley added 16 points apiece as the Wildcats led 44-32 at the half and then enjoyed 30-point leads at times in the second half.

Ivan Kharchenkov scored 12 points and dished out eight assists, and Anthony Dell'Orso chipped in 11 points. Motiejus Krivas played just 24 minutes, grabbed nine boards and scored eight points, while Dwayne Aristode scored eight points in just 13 minutes.

Arizona moves to 8-0 and keeps pace with #3 Michigan and #4 Duke. But this week's No. 1, Purdue, lost by 23 to No. 10 Iowa State, 81-58, as the Boilermakers fell to 8-1. It's very scary at the top, and it may be too early for my Wildcats to be ranked No. 1. But I'll take it!

It has been quite the journey for the University of Arizona over the last few weeks, with both the football team posting a 9-3 record and now bowl-bound, while Tommy Lloyd is all smiles, or should be, with the way his basketball team is performing.

Lloyd would be the first to caution the Arizona fans that it's way too early in the season to be strutting around the Old Pueblo, holding our hands in the air and yelling at the top of our lungs, "We are No. 1!" We are a long way from Big 12 play, and next week we head across the country to face a non-conference foe, Alabama.

Still, I'm a happy camper. Go, Wildcats!

It's time to turn over a new leaf...

 

Amelia, Oh Amelia, you have that eye when you walk along those Colorado highways with that camera of yours -- especially those captured images along the Western Slope.

And you have a knack for getting my juices flowing, so to speak, igniting a thought or two in my head and springing this 80-year-old brain into action.

Lately, that's been a problem. I find myself shying away from my old laptop. It's not that I have writer's block. That has never been a problem. It's more like: do I have anything worthwhile to say, and honestly, does anyone care whether I post my thoughts?

I'll explain my dilemma away and blame it on old age.

But thanks to Amelia, the owner of Priceless Captures Photography by Amelia and the wife of my grandson, Daniel, I'm back for at least a moment.

In Amelia's photo, it's just a lone leaf in the middle of the road. But what if it's the final journey for that wandering leaf? The final sunset. It must be tired, after all, the poor leaf has been around a while. It has bounced around for some time now, joining other leaves from time to time, seemingly at its best when surrounded by other leaves. When they are together, they have a purpose and a direction.

The leaves are powerful in numbers, and the wind doesn't bother them at all, but keeps them alive.

Thanks, Amelia. If I were a leaf, I'd love to be on that highway near you.

Your pictures are my calendar.

Happy holidays to my family.

TOTS Chronicles: In the spotlight -- Dennis Crowley and Spiro Roberts

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60 and over baseball

Honoring two TOTS centerfielders this week who can play the position -- Dennis Crowley, 76, and Spiro Roberts, 69.

Way to go, boys! Well, they aren't boys anymore, but they can cover some ground.

TOTS Chronicles: Cuttler's return

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Gary Cuttler, 70, battled through back surgery in 2023 and is back in the batter's box doing his thing, taking to the pitcher's mound on occasion, while playing a mean first base when called upon.

The New Jersey native joined the TOTS in 2022, and it didn't take long for his new teammates to discover he could play the game. In fact, Cuttler would fast-forward his way to the top of the club's monthly batting statistics.

Unfortunately, the back surgery came calling and has kept Cuttler (photo on the left) from the batter's box regularly... until now.

 Cuttler, who is just weeks away from his 71st Birthday, led the club in November with 15 RBI. He batted .444 with 12 hits in 27 at-bats and played in eight of the 10 games.

Welcome back, Gary!

Dan Gruniesen, the youngest member of the TOTS, led the club in hits in November with 15 (15 for 29), a .517 batting average with 12 RBI, while Jon Beady and Joe Opocensky tied for second in hits with 14 apiece. Beady went 14 for 24, and Opocensky finished 14 for 28. 

John Mathews, still working for a living, played in just five games but batted a blistering .733 with 11 hits in only 15 at-bats. Other top hitters included Randy Livingston and Sam Dean with 13 hits apiece, while Doug Harding and J.B. Bulawin tied with Cuttler in hits with 12.