The Saturday Seven
The Saturday Seven is a random collection of seven things I am thinking about, whether they are UofA related or not.
One. Former Player I Have Been Thinking About: Salim Stoudamire. Earlier this week it was National Lefthanders Day and my favorite lefty was Salim. A lot of people love to point out the game winner against UCLA or the Sweet 16 winner against Oklahoma State but to me there are two moments that sum up the “Left Hand of Doom.”
The first was in the 2003 road win against Kansas. The Cats erased a double-digit first half lead and were up in the second half. The team was milking the clock, working the ball around the perimeter, when the ball found its way into the hands of Stoudamire. Instead of holding onto the ball, he essentially performed a catch and shoot, draining the three pointer. He scored 31 that game, three days after having been benched against ASU.
As good as that dagger was, my favorite Stoudamire moment came in a pickup game. Back in the day the public and media were allowed to watch pick-up games at McKale, even if recruits were in town. Arizona was hosting Shaun Livingston and for some reason Stoudamire decided to make his visit an unpleasant one. Stoudamire torched the larger 5-star recruit. He probably scored 60 points over the course of an hour or so. He would launch from 10-feet beyond the arc, then take Livingston to the hole. He hit fadeaways and step-backs. It was an offensive clinic. Arizona did not land Livingston, but if Salim had anything to do with it, he might have done the Wildcats a favor. Livingston signed with Duke, but bypassed college to go into the NBA Draft where he was the No. 4 overall pick of the Clippers.
Two. Worry of the Week: As we get to the start of the season the one thing that worries me the most about the UA football team is O-Line Depth. I think the line is talented, but there is not a ton of depth. An injury or two could really derail the season.
Three. Saturday Surprise: Josh Robbins had a disappointing career at Arizona plagued with injuries and even a legal issue after he left the program. He wound up finishing his football career at Adams State and has really rebounded. Today he is the defensive coordinator at his alma mater, Canyon Del Oro. His father, former UA standout and NFL player Randy Robbins is the defensive coordinator at Casa Grande HS.
Four. Question I Have Been Pondering: I have seen a lot of people saying ASU is a team to watch because of the success of their first season under Herm Edwards. If Josh Pollack made his final kick would ASU be seen as a sleeper team coming off a 6-6 season? Would Arizona and Kevin Sumlin’s first season be seen as a success if they had gone 6-6 and gone to a bowl game?
Five. Strolling Down Memory Lane: Arizona opens the season with a road game against Hawaii. The last time Arizona visited Hawaii the Wildcats won 27-6. The lasting memory from that game was Chris McAlister's 100-yard return on the opening kickoff. That was a great start to a great season as the Wildcats went 12-1.
Six. Show I Have Been Binge watching: Mindhunter on Netflix. When the series was announced I was excited. It was a serial killer show and David Fincher was the producer. I plowed through the first three episodes the day it was released and then football season got in the way. My wife, however, watched season one without me. Now the second season is out, and I am playing catch-up. Can I finish it before football season starts?
Seven. Song of the Week:There have been a lot of great heavy metal and heavy rock albums released the past few weeks. The most surprising might be the new Slipknot record “We Are Not Your Kind”. I have always been lukewarm to the chaotic metal mavens from Iowa but their new one is a nice mix of melody and aggression and to my ears maybe their most consistent record. The song I can’t get out of my brain is “Critical Darling” with an incredibly catchy chorus.