"Tell them … tell the team to bear down"

FROM DENVERITE: I am curious how the NCAA academic eligibility works for non-U.S. collegiate players in general and (UA recruit) Kyryl Natyazhko specifically. What are the NCAA academic requirements for such athletes? In Kyryl’s case, he attended IMG for 1 year. Did he get a high school diploma there? Or did he graduate from high school in Ukraine and his academic standing is translated into U.S. credits? Are the academic eligibility requirements different for a U.S.-originating student athlete versus an international student?
ANSWER: Denverite, the minimum requirements are actually quite similar to an athlete from the U.S. in regards to the SAT or ACT and at least a 2.00 grade-point average (GPA). The NCAA sets minimum academic requirements in relation to a foreign student’s education in their home country. In Natyazhko’s case, in addition to his grades at IMG Academy since last summer, he must submit to the NCAA Clearinghouse his transcript from when he attended high school in Ukraine. Natyazhko indicated to me that he will receive his diploma from IMG, and he is in good academic standing. All international players must pass the SAT or ACT to become eligible, which is no different than what Americans must achieve. The NCAA does not accept the foreign equivalency of the SAT or ACT. The NCAA sets GPA requirements for students from more than 145 countries, including Ukraine. That country uses a number system for grades as opposed to America’s letter-grade system. A 5 is the U.S. equivalent of an A, a 4 is equal to a B, etc. The NCAA Clearinghouse translates those grades for their assessment. The GPA must be at least 2.00 for the foreign student to qualify.

FROM RB: Any way to find out if the UA will maintain its strict closed practice policy under Sean Miller? I was an avid practice viewer both in my days as a student, and after that up until they closed them in 2001 or so. It would be nice if they at least opened them for pre-season practices. The weekend scrimmages are nice, but I enjoyed much of the drill work, as well.
ANSWER: Now that the UA practices in the Richard Jefferson Practice Facility the general public can not view the Cats’ workouts. A suggestion: Pop in to McKale Center from time to time in the afternoon and you might find UA players shooting or playing a pickup game, if the Jefferson facility is being utilized. I understand where you are coming from. When I attended the UA 20 years ago, I would make it a routine to study or eat a snack in McKale Center while the Wildcats practiced. I also enjoyed attending those Dick Tomey brown-bag lunch gatherings when he showed game film to fans and answered questions. Sorry for getting sidetracked but I was going down memory lane.

FROM UNKNOWN: Arizona still has one game to fill in the non-conference portion of their 2009-2010 schedule. So, is it possible that Coach Miller will schedule a one-for-one with a Big East team near the NYC area this season? Say, a Seton Hall, St. John’s or Rutgers? In your interview with Parrom, Kevin mentioned it would be nice to play a game back East.
ANSWER: UA administrator Ryan Hansen, who puts together the UA’s non-conference schedule, has mentioned that scheduling teams in that region is a possibility if it works for both sides. That will not happen this year because the opponent the UA will play is a “money-game” opponent — a low mid-major (similar to Loyola Marymount this season). I know in the past, Lute Olson tried to accomodate players he recruited in different regions by scheduling home-and-home games in that area, i.e. A.J. Bramlett playing at New Mexico, and all the guys from Houston (Joe Blair, Juwaan McClellan, Nic Wise) playing in that city.

FROM UNKNOWN: I was wondering if you have any info on whether Miller might go after Latavius Williams, now that he has decided to open things back up a little more. He is listed as a top power forward and we could use more depth at that position.
ANSWER: Williams is not in Arizona’s plans. He is to decide between Memphis, Georgetown, Florida International and Kansas State. Here’s hoping Josh Pastner gets him because Pastner deserves good news after all the player defections.

FROM BILL:Who do you think is the highest rated prospect in the 2010 class that is going to realistically be a Wildcat? My money is on Daniel Alexander.
ANSWER: Alexander would be a great get. But he was more of an Olson recruit than a Miller recruit now. Miller is still pursuing because of Alexander’s high rating among talent scouts (No. 29 overall in the Class of 2010 by Rivals.com). Alexander is also listed as a 6-8 power forward, one of the UA’s greatest needs heading into the 2010-2011 season. Rivals.com is reporting that Oklahoma offered him a scholarship last week. Texas A&M has also offered. Alexander is also a Wildcat fan, from what I understand, and his AAU coach is a good friend of Olson and Russ Pennell. It’s in Miller’s court. I think if he wants Alexander, he gets him. Don’t count out 6-9 small forward Dominique Ferguson of Indianapolis as the highest rated prospect to sign with the UA. He is rated No. 6 overall by Rivals.com. He has talked about how he likes Arizona’s program and the fact that Jason Gardner had a good career with the Wildcats after moving to Tucson from Indianapolis. Rivals.com lists Arizona as one of the schools that has offered a scholarship to Ferguson. Kentucky and Tennessee are the others.

FROM JAMES: Do you know if Miller is trying to schedule some late summer exhibition games in another country? We did this in Australia in 1997, then again in Canada a few years back. I think it would be fantastic if this team had a few games under their belt heading into the first game in November.
ANSWER: NCAA rules permit teams to travel internationally every four years for exhibition games. The UA played in Canada in September 2006 after a trip to Europe in May was canceled. So the UA can take a trip next year, and I’d expect that to happen, especially at the same time as the Cats played in 2006 so the freshmen can travel as well.

FROM UNKNOWN: As of right now, the Cats have three signed recruits for 2009, Kevin Parrom, Solomon Hill, and Natyazhko. Of the three, who do you see contributing the most in the upcoming season? And do you foresee the potential success of the these three recruits leading to transfers of current players?
ANSWER: You will likely see the most minutes come from Hill because he can play at three different areas — ball-handler, shooting guard and wing — and he is a strong inside defender. Parrom and Natyazhko will play important minutes as well. Parrom is versatile as a lock-down defender on the wing and he is improving his perimeter game. Natyazhko gives the UA added depth in the frontcourt that is sorely needed. A lot will be asked from the Ukrainian freshman and he has the work ethic to have good results. I don’t believe you will see the returners at those positions transfer (Kyle Fogg and Alex Jacobson). Fogg will get his share of minutes and Jacobson is working hard this off-season to trim down a little to get some more foot speed. He can be a good defender inside.

That’s it for this week. If you get your questions in on time by Wednesday, I will try to the best of my ability to get an answer by the following Monday or Tuesday. You can pose your questions via the “Contact Us” page. Thank you for your questions and contribution to this site.

BEAR DOWN

While Sean Miller was sinking putts at the Arizona Biltmore Country Club on Friday, his recruit Kevin Parrom was letting the atmosphere of McKale Center sink in during his official visit.

Miller tended to his obligations as the new UA basketball coach by attending and playing in the UA Phoenix Alumni Scholarship Golf Classic. He immediately returned to Tucson afterward to check on the status of Parrom’s visit. Also in town Friday was Class of 2009 signee Kyryl Natyazhko, a 6-10 post player from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

Parrom, a 6-6 combo guard-forward from South Kent (Conn.) Prep by way of Bronx, New York, and Natyazhko are visiting Tucson for the first time.

Fellow recruit Solomon Hill, a 6-6 wing player from Fairfax (Calif.) High School, confirmed last night that he will be in Tucson on Saturday to hang out with his future teammates, including among them Parrom, he hopes.

One of the more respected McKale Center staffers, Ryan Hansen, gave us a brief breakdown of what a recruit such as Parrom will do in his 48 hours on and around the UA campus. This is it in a nutshell:

• Meetings with the coaches, an academic counselor, strength and conditioning coach, and other McKale staffers.
• Tour of the campus, McKale Center & Richard Jefferson Gymnasium.
• Meals with the coaching staff.
• Pick-up games with the current team.
• Off-court time with the team.

“It ends up being a pretty quick trip before it is all said and done,” said Hansen, who is in his ninth year as a UA athletic administrator, the first eight of them as the coordinator of basketball operations. He currently is the athletic department’s business development manager.

Just an aside … Hansen also doubles as the UA’s radio color commentator teaming with play-by-play man Brian Jeffries. If you want more insight on UA basketball than anywhere else, listen to a UA game with Hansen doing the color. Turn down the volume on Dan Belluomoni and listen to somebody who has done his homework.

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you … The part about the pickup games with current players is the most intriguing aspect of the visit, in my opinion. That can give Parrom a feel for how he could fit into the UA’s talent pool. He also talked recently about how important it is to him what the relationships are within a team.

He wants to make sure the program he decides is like family before making the final decision, which will come down to Pitt and Arizona, potentially by Tuesday.

Getting Fogg out of the fog. It was suggested here that Parrom could start ahead of sophomore-to-be Kyle Fogg and a number of bloggers voiced their strong opinion that Fogg will not relinquish the starting off-guard role easily. Parrom’s inclusion would not only be the best thing for the Wildcats, but also for Fogg.

Hopefully Fogg realizes that competition will improve his skills. By the end of this season, it appeared that Fogg hit a plateau (by mid-February) because, frankly, he knew his spot on the roster was secure without a threat. He looked like a lock for the Pac-10′s all-freshman team in late January, but he wound up as only an honorable mention selection.

After scoring 73 points in the UA’s seven-game winning streak between January and February, Fogg disappeared, scoring in double figures only twice. He failed to score in a couple of games. You can argue that Pac-10 coaches solved Fogg’s contribution in the second half of the conference season, but the lack of being pushed by the coaching staff and his teammates also had something to do with it.

Imagine how he could have improved had he faced stiff competition every day in practice, like he will starting next season, especially if Parrom signs with the UA.

Fogg, who was not heavily recruited out of high school, will hopefully continue his strong work ethic and not give in to the belief that if he sticks around, he will get lost behind Miller’s recruits. That will be a cop out.

One last thought: If Parrom’s major concern is playing far away from home, what will he do if he is good enough to play at the next level? Players can’t choose where they will play in the NBA. Many of them are forced to play professionally overseas to earn a paycheck. What better time to mature away from home, in what could be the start of a long basketball career in the NBA or elsewhere, than when you attend college?

Ironic isn’t it that three of Arizona’s first four recruiting challenges this spring have included new Wildcat coach Sean Miller going against his alma mater Pittsburgh?

Kevin Parrom became the most recent recruit to be courted by the Wildcats and Panthers, among others, when he told Rivals.com Friday that he has narrowed his choices to four schools: Arizona, Pitt, Virginia Tech and Xavier.
The other recruits:

• Kyryl Natyazhko, a 6-10 center from Bradenton (Fla.) by way of the Ukraine. Result: Natyazhko signed with Arizona.
• Jarrid Famous, 6-9 center from Westchester (N.Y.) Community College. Result: Famous signed with South Florida.

It seems ever since Miller was paired against Pitt — his hometown school which he attended with his wife — in the Sweet 16, he has been bucking heads with Jamie Dixon ever since.

Parrom is an aggressive 6-6 wing player from South Kent (Conn.) Prep who has the athleticism to go strong to the basket. He also has a long-range shooting touch. How does he fit into the plans of the Final Four that he listed to Rivals.com? Let’s take a look:

PLAYING TIME?

• Arizona: He would join a guard-oriented unit with five returners in the backcourt, including Nic Wise if the senior-to-be returns instead of playing professionally overseas or in the NBA. But other than Wise, Kyle Fogg and Zane Johnson, playing time was sparse or non-existent for Brendon Lavender and Garland Judkins. Top-flight recruit Solomon Hill, also at 6-6, should share time at guard and on the wing. Anlaysis: Parrom can fit right into the rotation. His aggressive style of play will earn him plenty of minutes and push all the returning players to play better in practice. Miller became known at Xavier for having a roster full of 6-4 to 6-6 combo players. Xavier’s roster this season had six like that, including senior B.J. Raymond who has similar height but is a little bigger than Parrom at 6-6 and 226.
• Pitt: The Panthers have four guards returning who averaged at least 10 minutes a game, including three (Jermaine Dixon, Gilbert Brown and Brad Wanamaker) who tallied more than 19 a game. Other than Wise, the UA had only two other guards with significant minutes returning in Fogg (24.1) and Johnson (19.1). Pitt has already signed 6-5 Lamar Patterson, rated the No. 124 prospect by Rivals.com. Analysis: The competition for playing time for Parrom will be a bit more at Pitt than Arizona. Parrom indicated to Rivals.com that he will visit Pitt on Sunday.
• Virginia Tech: The Hokies have a couple of players at Parrom’s position returning in Dorenzo Hudson (20.6 minutes) and Terrell Bell (12.4), but their minutes do not compare to the amount of time played by Fogg and Johnson this season. In terms of immediate playing time, Virginia Tech could be the best fit for Parrom. Analysis: Parrom can come into the Hokies’ program and average more than 20 minutes a game, but what will those minutes amount to? Virginia Tech traditionally underachieves under Seth Greenberg whereas Miller has an Elite Eight and Sweet 16 appearance on his resume. Parrom has not indicated that he will officially visit Virginia Tech.
• Xavier: Parrom has already backed out of his letter of intent with the Musketeers so it is difficult to believe he will re-sign with them. The main reason why he signed with Xavier initially was the presence of his former AAU coach Emanuel “Book” Richardson, who is now an assistant at Arizona. He has left Xavier on his list out of respect for Xavier coach Chris Mack. Parrom reportedly has indicated to Mack that Xavier is still an option; he just wants to see what else is out there.

In the end: The recruitment of Parrom should boil down to Arizona and Pitt. Richardson was successful in recruiting Parrom to Xavier; chances are he will have the same success at Arizona with a more renowned program than the Musketeers. Arizona at times next season could have its three freshmen on the court at the same time — Hill, Natyazhko and Parrom — for extended minutes and they can be the nucleus for the future.

The fresh direction of the program under a new coach and the youngest staff in the Pac-10 can only be exciting for Parrom. How about this lineup at times?: Wise at point guard, Parrom at the off-guard, Hill at wing forward, Horne at power forward and Natyazhko at the post. That’s an athletic lineup that can run and play defense. Add to it the hustle of Fogg, shooting of Johnson and likely improvement from Judkins, Lavender and Jacobson, and it has the makings of a decent team in Miller’s first year. It just might be good enough to entice Wise to return instead of going to Europe.

UCLA recruit reportedly interested in UA. As has been discussed on this blog, Coast2Coast Recruiting is reporting a rumor that Tyler Lamb is reconsidering his verbal commitment to UCLA and might be interested in Arizona.

As with any rumor, you have to be careful about its validity. Lamb, a 6-3 shooting guard rated by Rivals.com as the No. 99 player of the Class of 2010, was offered a scholarship by Lute Olson and his staff before the start of this season. He committed to UCLA last September.

The Bruins did not recruit a shooting guard for the Class of 2009, so if Lamb is reconsidering his verbal commitment, it has nothing to do with the Bruins and his potential playing time. It would only be because other Mater Dei (Calif.) prospects have thrived at Arizona and the Wildcats now have an accomplished young coach in Miller.

But a rumor is a rumor until proven otherwise.

The official commitment of Los Angeles (Calif.) Fairfax High School forward Solomon Hill on Tuesday impacts Sean Miller’s program in so many ways.

In terms of talent, Hill’s eventual signing means the UA’s defense will be improved, and his versatility on the wing can break down defenses and help a point guard such as Nic Wise penetrate more and have Miller’s motion offense operating at full potential. Don’t think for a second that Hill’s commitment will not impact Wise’s decision to return. Hill’s addition can add an assist or two to his per-game average.

In terms of stature, Miller’s recruiting class this spring, which is not complete yet, will undoubtedly be ranked among the top 25 with Hill and Ukrainian import Kyryl Natyazhko committed. Natyazhko, a 6-10, 250, center, is a four-star recruit on a five-star scale, according to Rivals.com. Hill is also rated with four stars.

Consider: In five years at Xavier, Miller recruited four four-star prospects. In less than two weeks in Tucson, he will sign half of that amount.

Other ramifications: Hill helps Arizona in its Pac-10 pursuits while affecting USC, a turnabout from when Trojans coach Tim Floyd spurned the UA with the nation watching. In about 12 days since Floyd announced that he will chase his own tradition in Los Angeles, the Wildcats have emerged from embarrassment in the Pac-10 to empowerment again.

Coaches such as UCLA’s Ben Howland and Washington’s Lorenzo Romar realize that they will have it just as difficult in terms of recruiting as they had it against Lute Olson. And those trips to McKale Center will not be met with declining attendance post-Olson, but with a newfound fanaticism that will rival the atmosphere when the Cats won 71 straight home games.

Players of Hill’s ability — he is rated by Rivals.com as one of the top three at his position — make that happen.

By next week, Miller and staff could have the consensus No. 1 junior college player in the nation in post player Jarrid Famous. A starting lineup that includes Wise at the point guard position, Kyle Fogg at off guard, Hill on the wing, and Jamelle Horne, Natyazhko and Famous rotating at the other frontcourt positions means Miller has options.

The 2009-2010 season can’t start soon enough.

PROJECTED 2009-2010 ARIZONA LINEUP

The UA lineup next season could look this way if Kevin Parrom signs with the Wildcats. *Wise is testing his NBA draft status without hiring an agent. **Shumpert is a walk-on who received a scholarship last year.

POSITION	STARTER	ROTATION PLAYER
Point guard	*Nic Wise, senior	Garland Judkins, sophomore; Brendon Lavender, sophomore
Shooting guard	Kevin Parrom, freshman	Hill; Kyle Fogg, sophomore
Center	Kyryl Natyazhko, freshman	Alex Jacobson, sophomore
Power forward	Jamelle Horne, junior	Natyazhko
Small forward	Solomon Hill, freshman	Parrom; **D.J. Shumpert, sophomore

On the same evening, new UA coach Sean Miller received two verbal commitments from the type of recruits Arizona fans are accustomed to joining the program.

In fact, one of them, Solomon Hill, a highly-touted swingman from Los Angeles Fairfax, is a player Arizona has welcomed before and the new coaching staff will certainly welcome again.

According to Rivals.com, Hill re-committed to the Wildcats just hours Saturday night after Bradenton (Fla.) IMG frontcourt player Kyryl Natyazhko gave a strong verbal commitment to Miller and new UA assistant James Whitford.

Natyazhko, 6-10, 250, chose the Wildcats over ASU and Pittsburgh. Hill, who backed away from his commitment to Arizona last October when Lute Olson retired, has decided to withdraw his commitment to USC and join Miller’s first recruiting class, according to Rivals.com (which rates Hill with four stars on a five-star scale).

Kentucky’s John Calipari also made a late push for Hill, but it appears Hill has gone with his first intinct and will play for the Wildcats of Arizona. Former UA standout Chris Mills, who enjoyed a long NBA career, also hails from Fairfax and watched a few of Hill’s games this year.

“The way things look, I’m headed to Arizona,” Hill told Rivals.com. “I like Coach Miller and the new situation. There is a stable base at Arizona, and it’s looking good there.”

Rivals.com’s scouting report on Hill: Besides being a physical defender and rebounder, Hill also a steady ball handler. Along with creating plays with his ball handling in the open court, Hill also has an intriguing ability to attack the basket with a quick first step and then find the open man on the perimeter with a kick-out pass. As a scorer his three-point shot is improving, but he is best when headed towards the basket. In the end, what makes him so valuable is Hill’s ability to play any position from point guard to power forward depending on the match up.

NCAA 2009 RECRUITING CALENDAR

DATES	STATUS	NOTES
April 1-July 5	Quiet period	Exceptions listed for dates within this period
April 9-April 13	Contact period	Coaches can contact recruits directly
April 13-15	Dead period	April 15 is the start of the spring signing period, which runs to May 20
April 16-22	Contact period	Last chance for final official visits
May 21-30	Dead period	Exception built in for evaluations tied to pre-NBA draft camp
July 6-15	Summer evaluation period	Coaches can evaluate players at summer camps
July 16-21	Dead period	Coaches are allowed contact during this time with recruits who have either signed a national letter of intent or are attending summer classes
July 22-31	Summer evaluation period	Coaches can evaluate players at summer camps

Ukrainian post player Kyryl Natyazhko could not wait another week to make the inevitable happen, so he cut to the chase and let it be known Saturday that he will be Sean Miller’s first recruit at Arizona.

Natyazhko, 6-10, 250, made the announcement after he scored eight points and had four rebounds in the Kentucky Derby Festival at Louisville. The news comes as expected because Natyazhko and Miller’s staff, namely James Whitford, developed a good relationship after Natyazhko attended Xavier’s elite summer camp last year.

Whitford is now on Miller’s staff at Arizona. Neither he or Miller can comment about Natyazhko until after the recruit signs a national letter of intent. The spring signing period starts April 15.

Jeff Goodman of Foxsports.com quoted Natyazhko as saying Saturday night: “I’ve known Coach Miller and Whitford longer than any other coaches. The decision I made was based on the relationship between me and the coaches. I believe they will help me get better.”

Natyazhko, most noteworthy because of his offensive skills, is rated by Rivals.com as the No. 75 prospect in this Class of 2009 Top 150 list. The recruiting service also rates him the ninth-best center in this class. ESPN rates Natyazhko higher as the 39th overall prospect and sixth-best center.

He committed to the UA without visiting the Tucson campus. He visited ASU on March 25, and he was at Pitt on March 7, when the Panthers defeated UConn at the Peterson Events Center.

THE SCOUTING REPORT ON NATYAZHKO

Strengths:

• Versatile post player, capable around the basket and on the perimeter 15 feet from the basket and beyond (he occasionally knocks down a three-pointer, believe it or not).
• Effective ball handler around the basket with good footwork
• Able to create his own offense off the dribble
• Has good vision and passes very well
• Runs the floor well for somebody his size

Areas of Improvement:

• Overall defense
• Shot-blocking skills
• Consistent rebounding, although he does not mind throwing his body around the basket

Recruiting guru Dave Telep, of Scout.com, had this to say about Natyazhko: “He is a bull inside. Lots to like in terms of overall skill and his down-to-earth approach to the game is refreshing.”

A Wise move by Miller. The Arizona Daily Star’s reported visit of Miller with Nic Wise’s parents in Houston on Saturday was an interesting move for at least three reasons:

1. It shows that Miller is genuinely concerned that Wise, a senior-to-be point guard, is considering a jump to the NBA, although most pre-NBA draft projections do not list him in the first round or second round.
2. Miller visited Wise’s parents in a brief window when he could be visiting and talking with recruits for the Class of 2009 instead.
3. Miller wants to assure Wise’s parents that although he is their son’s fourth coach in four years at Arizona, he will take care of him and make sure his skills are showcased through his style of offense.

Wise’s parents will likely be consulted by their son when he makes his final decision after pre-NBA draft evaluations. They will tell him how impressed they are by the new UA coach. Wise also came away impressed after visiting with Miller. If Miller did not attempt to personally meet with Wise’s parents, what message would that have sent to the Wise family?

Yes, Jim Livengood hired a very intelligent and sincere coach. Miller wants very much for Wise to return and he won’t let him go without a fight.

Parting shot. Isn’t it ironic that three of USC’s best players (Daniel Hackett, DeMar DeRozan, and Taj Gibson) will likely bail on the Trojans for the NBA draft shortly after convincing their coach Tim Floyd to stay in Los Angeles?

The potential exodus of these players will put the Trojans back in the middle of the Pac-10, although Floyd has amassed a quality recruiting class. That class could include Solomon Hill, who de-committed from the UA when Olson retired in October but purposely did not sign with USC in November in order to wait and see who would be the next coach in Tucson.

It is our belief that Hill, a 6-6 swingman from Los Angeles (Calif.) Fairfax, will revert back to the Wildcats by Wednesday, the first day of the spring signing period.

The major concerns at USC: The Trojans are now being investigated by the NCAA for a lack of institutional control regarding the agent-dealings of O.J. Mayo and Reggie Bush . The investigation can result in infractions including a reduction of scholarships and/or a postseason ban.

And who knows how long Floyd would be Hill’s coach at USC if Hill becomes a Trojan? Floyd seriously considered an offer by Pac-10 rival Arizona this month. Last year, he was rumored as a candidate at LSU. Count on him to be rumored to go somewhere else next season. If you hang around the well long enough, you’re gonna fall in.

NCAA 2009 RECRUITING CALENDAR

DATES	STATUS	NOTES
April 1-July 5	Quiet period	Exceptions listed for dates within this period
April 9-April 13	Contact period	Coaches can contact recruits directly
April 13-15	Dead period	April 15 is the start of the spring signing period, which runs to May 20
April 16-22	Contact period	Last chance for final official visits
May 21-30	Dead period	Exception built in for evaluations tied to pre-NBA draft camp
July 6-15	Summer evaluation period	Coaches can evaluate players at summer camps
July 16-21	Dead period	Coaches are allowed contact during this time with recruits who have either signed a national letter of intent or are attending summer classes
July 22-31	Summer evaluation period	Coaches can evaluate players at summer camps