Arizona coach Lute Olson will not return to the team this season

[misterx91578]

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk

[zekes]

Already on leave of absence, Arizona's Olson getting divorced

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Associated Press

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Divorce papers have been filed seeking to end the marriage of Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson, a court spokesman said Friday.



Court spokesman Dave Ricker confirmed that a divorce petition was filed on Thursday in Pima County Superior Court, the same day the 73-year-old Olson -- already on an indefinite leave of absence -- said he would extend his leave through the end of the season.


It's not clear whether Olson or wife Christine filed for divorce.


Ricker said he has not seen the petition, and legal records supervisor Ray Rivas in the clerk's office says court rules bar public scrutiny of divorce petitions until the filer's spouse has been served or 45 days have passed.


The filing was first reported online by the Tucson Citizen and the Arizona Daily Star.


Olson has cited unspecified personal reasons for taking a leave of absence.


In a statement released by the university late Thursday announcing Olson's leave extension, the Hall of Famer said he plans to return to coach the Wildcats for the 2008-09 season.


"There are personal issues within my family that need to be addressed and I must devote my full energy to that," Olson said in the statement.


Olson's divorce lawyer, Leonard Karp, was not in his office at midday Friday and his assistant did not immediately return a call.


Gordon James, a Phoenix public relations executive who has represented the Olsons, said he could offer no immediate comment.

"Mrs. Olson is en route from New York and will be issuing a statement," he said.


James said her flight was expected to arrive Friday evening.


Athletic director Jim Livengood, who was in Chicago with the team, said: "There's no comment from me. It's a personal family matter and should be addressed appropriately."

The Wildcats (No. 24 ESPN/USA Today, No. 22 AP) play Illinois in Chicago on Saturday.


http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=3145718&type=story

[Vinny Del Negro]

Getting divorced, better take a year off work. At least her ovaries are ok.

[JMarkJohns]

There's so much more to this than will ever be known. Wish him all the best and pray for a return next season. O'Neill is doing a very good job, taking Kansas into overtime at Phog and defeating a top-10 ranked Texas A&M squad at McKale, but Olson needs to coach next year's team. Every knew it was going to be his last recruiting class and with possibly the #1 player in the class coming to Tucson (Jennings), along two two top-40 frontcourt players, if Bayless, Chase and Hill can all stay, they'd finally have a team talented enough, deep enough and experienced enough to make a run at a Title.

[ClingingMars]

As bad as I feel for him, UVa's win @ Arizona is still just as sweet.

-Mars

[JMarkJohns]

It was a big win. Any road win vs. any major conference opponant is big. UA was outplayed that day. Wish they could play again now that this team is committed to O'Neill and understanding of what it takes to win under him.

Still, it was a good win for Virginia.

[ClingingMars]

It was a big win. Any road win vs. any major conference opponant is big. UA was outplayed that day. Wish they could play again now that this team is committed to O'Neill and understanding of what it takes to win under him.

Still, it was a good win for Virginia.

but an RPI killer for ya'll, due to idiot losses by us to Seton Hall and Syracuse

-Mars

[JMarkJohns]

It was big at the time. I wouldn't worry too much about RPI with games vs. UNLV and Memphis coming up, not to mention the gauntlet that is the Pac-10. UCLA, Washington State and Oregon are all going to be a bitch to defeat and USC, Stanford and Cal have pretty good talent, assuming health.

With another 20-win season, I expect a top-25 RPI and a top-5 SOS.

[JMarkJohns]

There's so much more to this than will ever be known. Wish him all the best and pray for a return next season. O'Neill is doing a very good job, taking Kansas into overtime at Phog and defeating a top-10 ranked Texas A&M squad at McKale, but Olson needs to coach next year's team. Every knew it was going to be his last recruiting class and with possibly the #1 player in the class coming to Tucson (Jennings), along two two top-40 frontcourt players, if Bayless, Chase and Hill can all stay, they'd finally have a team talented enough, deep enough and experienced enough to make a run at a Title.

Well, one of those top-40 frontcourt players, Emmanuel Negedu (6-6, 235) has asked for his release from his letter of intent following the departure of assistant coach Josh Pastner to Memphis. Pastner will not allow Negedu to follow him to Memphis, so his recruitment is pretty much wide open. Tennessee is his likeliest destination, but nothing is certain at this point, including the foregone conclusion that Negedu even gets his LOI release.

Brandon Jennings and Jeff Withey are still on board, so it's still a great class, but losing Negedu really hurts. This means 2007 top-30 prospect, Jamelle Horne, will have to really step up his game.

It's also looking more and more likely that Chase will stay in the draft.

Wise's transfer situation is still up in the air as well.

As of now, Olson, who left a very talented team last year, is likely to coach a team of...

PG: Jennings... Brendon Lavender
SG: Unnamed 2008 recruit... Zane Johnson
SF: Horne... Johnson
PF: Lawrence Hill... Fendi Onobun
C: Withey... Alex Jacobson

If Wise and Chase return then this team has some pretty good talent, but without, they will be incredibly young at every position besides starting PF with Hill. PG, SG and C will all be manned by freshman and starting SF and backup PG, SG, SF and C will be manned by redshirt freshman or barely-played sophomores. With Chase and Wise they very capable starters and added depth. Without? A whole lot of question marks beyond Jennings and Hill.

[misterx91578]

Kyle Fogg committed today but yea the team is a mess right now

[JMarkJohns]

Kyle Fogg committed today but yea the team is a mess right now


I knew of Fogg's commit when I posted, but was not sure I should post such since it wasn't public knowledge. He's a great pick up. He's got quality athleticism, shooting ability and range. Several people think he was the sleeper of the the unsigned prospects, and that was even before Arizona started showing interest.

[JMarkJohns]

Rivals.com on Fogg...

Prep school or college? That's the decision the 6-foot-3 guard is mulling over right now. Either way, he is in a good situation. Fogg is a smooth guard with a textbook jumper. He is good off the dribble and showed his experience at the Real Deal.

If he goes the prep school route, he should see his recruitment take on the high-majors. If he goes to college, he could be one of the top steals late in the game. Fogg has good options either way. His play in Arkansas probably opened some more doors for himself, too.

[JMarkJohns]

Negedu is back on the market after being granted a bullshit full and unconditional release from Arizona. Why? Because Negedu was having second thoughts after knowingly signing early with a team in flux. He knew, but signed, then thought...

So, the moral of the story is, so long as you don't think or evaluate before you sign, but do so afterwards, you're plight is understandable, even though little has changed from the time you signed to the time you were released.

Effin BS!

[misterx91578]

Meh good riddance

[misterx91578]

In some of the best news that Arizona has received in months, sources say that Chase Budinger will be returning to the UA for his junior season.

[misterx91578]

Lawyer says Arizona signee Jennings heading for Europe
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
(Archive)
Updated: July 9, 2008, 12:39 AM ET
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Arizona signee Brandon Jennings has decided to make an unprecedented move to forgo playing in college and instead pursue a professional career in Europe next season before likely entering the 2009 NBA draft, Jenning's attorney, Jeff Valle, told ESPN.com on Tuesday night.



"Over the course of the last two months I have consulted a number of people in basketball before coming to this decision," Jennings said in a statement released through Valle. "I would like to thank the University of Arizona for their interest and support through this process."



Jennings, a Los Angeles native who played his final two high school seasons at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., was rated as the nation's top point guard in the class of 2008, according to ESPN.com.



Valle said Jennings will not even wait for his third standardized test result to see if he got a qualifying score after his second test was questioned by the NCAA. The results from the third test are due later this week.



"That's a moot point now," Valle said. "He's not going to the University of Arizona. Brandon plans on going to Europe."



Valle said a number of European teams have expressed an interest in signing Jennings for next season. Valle declined to say which teams and in which countries.



Valle said that the family will consult with Sonny Vaccaro and likely sign with an agent to help facilitate a contract with a European professional team. Vaccaro is considered the godfather of grassroots basketball, having worked for all three major sneaker companies -- Nike, adidas and Reebok -- who sponsor high school summer basketball events.



Jennings was expected to be the starting point guard for Arizona after Jerryd Bayless left for the NBA draft. The Wildcats also return Chase Budinger after he withdrew from the draft as well as Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson after he took a leave of absence last season.



"We're disappointed in terms of Brandon's decision, but we want to wish him the best of luck," Olson said in a statement. "We hope that things turn out well for him in the future."



Under an NBA draft rule put in place two years ago, Jennings has to be out of high school at least one calendar year and be 19 years old before being eligible for the NBA draft

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3479195

[misterx91578]

Olson won't pursue 'one-and-done' players at Arizona, report says
ESPN.com news services

Updated: July 11, 2008, 4:39 PM ET
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Former Arizona signee Brandon Jennings' decision to play in Europe may have sparked a fundamental change of heart in coach Lute Olson.

Jennings, who wasn't certain to play for Olson, announced his intent to begin a professional career in Europe on Tuesday.

Two days later, the 73-year-old Hall of Fame coach all but turned off his program's radar for top-tier NBA prospects.


Rick Scuteri/US Presswire

Lute Olson would like to see NBA rules governing young players' entry into the draft rewritten.
"It's a situation now that if someone's a 'one-and-done,' we're not going to pursue them anymore, no way," Olson told the Los Angeles Times on Thursday.

Jennings was expected to be the starting point guard for the Wildcats after Jerryd Bayless left for the NBA draft. Bayless, the 11th overall pick who landed with the Portland Trail Blazers in a draft-night trade with the Indiana Pacers, played one season at Arizona, averaging 19.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and four assists.

But Jennings' eligibility had come into question when the results of his second SAT exam were flagged by the NCAA. The scores from a third SAT were due this week.

According to the report, Olson would like to see the NBA rules that govern young players' entry into the draft rewritten. The rules, which expire after the 2010-11 season, make players eligible for the draft after they're 19 and one season removed from their senior year in high school.

"Jerryd said all along he wanted to stay here two years," Olson told the Times. "But then you get the agents working on the kids and parents all year. You might have the kid in your controlled environment for some time, but when [outsiders are] on the parents, you have no idea what's going on."


Olson, who led Arizona to a national championship in 1997 and took the 2007-08 season off as he was amid divorce proceedings, called the situation with one-year players a "farce." He told the Times he planned to use his position as a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches to seek reform.

"We said at the time it'd be a disaster, that agents would be swarming all over -- not only over these kids, but their parents -- telling them the kid needed to score a ton of points in the one year and get out," Olson said of the time after the 2005 season when the NBA and the players' union agreed to implement the rules. "I'm not saying that's the case in every situation, but you've already seen the danger. What we predicted is happening. This is agent-driven, and it's a horrible rule."




Are you crazy?
-- Jim Boeheim, in reply to the Los Angeles Times when asked if he would follow
Lute Olson's mantra
Olson said players should be able to declare for the NBA draft immediately after high school or be subject to a two- or three-year commitment to college.

Several coaches agreed to the principle of Olson's claims, but none could foresee denying a star player a freshman season because he was assumed to be of the "one-and-done" variety.

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, who is also a member of the coaches' association, told the Times, "We can't do anything about this rule. . . . We're stuck with it."

"Are you crazy?" Boeheim replied when asked by the paper if he would follow Olson's mantra.

"We don't know who's going to go," Boeheim said. "You try to get the best 11 players you can. Guys will leave . . . it's a fact of life . . . But you still have 10 guys. When we recruit, we try to get the best one we can and hope he's good enough to win you a national championship, like Carmelo Anthony. But you have to be prepared for guys leaving, like Carmelo did."

Minnesota coach Tubby Smith, who sits on the association's board of directors and led Kentucky to the 1998 NCAA title, said he expected some kind of change, but wouldn't ignore supposed one-and-dones.

"Everybody wants the opportunity to coach a great player," Smith said, according to the Times.

"Even if it is for one year, they can do a lot for you."

[Brutalis]

Who cares he needs to retire already.

[jdaveah]

Fuck Jennings....the '09 class is looking good, but so did the '08 once upon a time.

[JMarkJohns]

Olson knew Jennings was a huge risk when he accepted the commit/LOI. Jennings was both a threat to decommit and/or fail to qualify. Looks like both happened. Arizona didn't lose Jennings to Europe, they lost Jennings to academics. Europe was just a way to salvage his potential, and the timing of the decision a way to save face and appear in control of his own future.

While it is likely true that had the NBA's rule not been in place, allowing Jennings to turn pro now, that Olson would have likely taken/accepted Larry Drew's commit, there's no guarantee Drew would be coming after Olson's leave of absense. See Negedu's decision...

2009 looks great and will only continue to look better. 2008 isn't lost, and if a few of Olson's sleeper recruits pan out and Budinger, Hill, 2007 SF recuit Horne and 2008 C recruit Withey live up to their potential, there's still some basketball to be played.

Olson may need to retire, but he needed to save the program first. True, much of what needed saving was needed because of Olson's own doing, but it's good to see a capable staff assembled and successful so fast after the last staffs destruction. If a successor can be groomed from it, then the two or three added years with Lute will be crucial and successful.

I wish Jennings nothing but the best. He isn't a student. He found a way to playe ball, not be a student, and get payed. All credit to him.

[misterx91578]

don't forgot about Wise to go with Hill and Budinger

[JMarkJohns]

Wise is a KEY to next season, for sure, but all I want from him is 10 ppg, 6 apg, with quality 40% or better from range. I want Budinger to be the man with the ball in his hands most often in the halfcourt, followed by Horne. Those two as the starting SG/SFs will determine the season for Arizona. Hill and Withey need to be fed as well, but Wise, Johnson and the two of the three incoming wing recruits of PG/SG Lavender and SG Fogg need to fill the perimeter needs of stretching the floor and making easy work for the bangers and the slashers, of which I've heard new recruit SG/PG Judkins is tremendously skilled.

Arizona needs Budinger to average 20 ppg, on 45% or better from the field, 38% or better from range and a minimum of 7 FT attempts per game. They need Hill to be around 15-17 ppg, with 7-8 rpg and 2 bpg and Horne and Withey to follow suit with 10-14 ppg, 5-6, 1+ bpg each.

If Arizona can get that with consistent perimeter shooting from the others mentioned, and tighten up their defense (which is likely with Hill and Withey down low, and Horne, Judkins, Lavender and Wise on the perimeter), then they'll be a shoe in for 20+ wins, top-3 in the Pac-10 and a shot at the Sweet-16.

Budinger fails to lead, the others fail to shoot at a high clip or the defense slips, then they'll struggle for a .500 record and will likely miss the NCAA's.