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Tickets for Arizona’s Red-Blue Game in October went on sale Wednesday and the heat did not keep the fans away. More than 7,000 tickets were sold in the first 30 minutes. Only a few upper-deck tickets remained by the end of the day.
It may be June, but it's always basketball season here! #BearDown #BestFans. pic.twitter.com/5peTlV3G00
— Arizona Basketball (@APlayersProgram) June 1, 2016
When the calendar hits June in Tucson, it is supposed to be the start of some down time before football players report at the beginning of August.
But this year, so much is going on with the Wildcats:
BASKETBALL
Eight former Arizona Wildcats (including Warriors broadcaster Tom Tolbert) will be at Oracle Arena along with their former coach Lute Olson on Thursday night for the start of the NBA Finals. If you have been locked in a cell or lost in a cave, the seven former Wildcats directly involved with the Finals between Golden State and Cleveland are Steve Kerr, Bruce Fraser, Luke Walton and Andre Iguodala with the Warriors and Channing Frye, Richard Jefferson and Bret Brielmaier with the Cavaliers.
GOAZCATS.com’s longtime Tucson sports reporter Steve Rivera interviewed Olson about the strong Arizona contingent, all of whom he coached. “We will be cheering for the Cats when they play,” Olson told Rivera with a chuckle. “And then sit on our hands otherwise.”
Arizona has seven former players in the NBA Finals. yes, Lute is proud. He'll be pulling for, um, "the Cats."https://t.co/pLa2rdQxTr
— Steve Rivera (@SteveRivera95) June 1, 2016
Arizona coach Sean Miller and assistant Joe Pasternack are rightfully trying through social media to ride the wave of the publicity of such a strong Wildcat contingent in the Finals.
Congratulations to Coach Olson. A true display of the great coach that he was and the first class person that he is. pic.twitter.com/FhsLVEgi2p
— Sean Miller (@UACoachMiller) June 1, 2016
The NBA finals will have an incredible display of the Arizona Basketball Tradition. #APlayersProgram pic.twitter.com/XTOkPP2mNr
— Joe Pasternack (@Joe_Pasternack) June 1, 2016
In case you were wondering …
The 8 players/coaches/front office Arizona products between #Cavs and #Warriors is most ever from 1 school in #NBAFinals. @APlayersProgram
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 31, 2016
Another noteworthy achievement for Kerr (six-time NBA champ as a player and coach) is within reach …
Steve Kerr can become 2nd coach in NBA history to win titles in first 2 seasons, joining John Kindle (1948 and 1949 with Minneapolis Lakers)
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) June 2, 2016
More Kerr data …
Warriors are now 15-2 from Game 4 and beyond in a series in the Steve Kerr era and 7-0 from Game 5 on.
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) May 31, 2016
Kadeem Allen and Chance Comanche will take a trip to Melbourne, Australia, next month to play for the Pac-12 All-Star team. They will play for a coach who was a longtime respected rival of Olson’s when it was the Pac-10. …
Great for Kadeem Allen & Chance Comanche they will be coached by legendary Mike Montgomery during Pac12 All-Stars tour of Australia in July.
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) June 1, 2016
In case you missed it, Jason Terry now has his own show on the Sirius/XM NBA radio channel called the “Runway” (because of his nickname, “JET”). His show debuted Wednesday and Terry did not hold back from being frank on his show about the Oklahoma City Thunder “choking” away the Western Conference Finals after leading Golden State 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.
Jason Terry comes out firing in @SiriusXMNBA debut – on Westbrook & Durant in G6: "Those are my guys, but yeah, they choked." #Thunder
— Noah Coslov (@NoahCoslov) June 1, 2016
"It's hard not to say choking" – Jason Terry on the #Thunder blowing a 3-1 lead in the WCF
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) June 1, 2016
BASEBALL
The Arizona baseball team is in Lafayette, La., for the start of the regionals there Friday. The Wildcats will play Sam Houston State in the opening round on Friday morning. It is the first time the Wildcats are in the postseason since winning the national title in 2012.
Here is a breakdown of the four teams that will be participating in the Lafayette Regional this weekend. https://t.co/0iV4oN6cOf #BearDown
— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) May 31, 2016
Getting our work in before a bus ride to Lafayette. #BearDown #MLBTrainingGround pic.twitter.com/zrONQuXBEE
— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) June 1, 2016
You could say Greg Byrne’s hire of Jay Johnson as head coach has worked in flying colors so far, exceeding expectations.
#TransformationTuesday 👀 pic.twitter.com/GYnzZjEO0y
— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) May 31, 2016
FOOTBALL
If you have been following our Arizona football season countdown at this site, you would know we are entering Day No. 93 until kickoff against BYU in the opener. Now we know the exact time of the start of the Sept. 3 opener against the Cougars — 7:30 p.m. — at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.
Also announced: The kickoff times for the two home games after the BYU game against Grambling and Hawaii and the Territorial Cup game in November against ASU at Arizona Stadium. All are night games.
Game times/TV announced by Pac-12:
BYU – 7:30 pm (FS1)
Grambling – 7:45 pm (P12N)
Hawaii – 7:45 pm (P12N)
ASU – 7:30 pm (ESPN)#OurHouse— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) June 1, 2016
ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon.
