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Links: Former Wildcat landing at NAU, Arenas reveals gun story

By Kevin Zimmerman

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Jack Murphy is the dude behind Josh Pastner. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Jack Murphy is the dude behind Josh Pastner. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
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  • Jeff Goodman of CBS tweets that Memphis assistant Jack Murphy might land the head coaching job at Northern Arizona while Bruce Pascoe and Paola Boivin have also confirmed the news on Twitter. Murphy is a 2002 Arizona alumn and did everything from team manager, to video coordinator, to director of operations while in Tucson under Lute Olson. Murphy, who worked with the Denver Nuggets and followed former Wildcat Josh Pastner to Memphis, is also the son-in-law of former UA athletic director and current UNLV AD Jim Livengood, which set up a weird meeting when UNLV, Memphis and Arizona were in Tulsa for last year's NCAA Tournament.
  • Former Arizona Wildcats guard Gilbert Arenas told USA Today the back story that led to his gun charges as a member of the Washington Wizards. Apparently, he'd like to forget the days of Agent Zero in return for some peace as he charges into his 11th game with the Memphis Grizzlies.
  • Here's the Basketball Prospectus' analysis of Kaleb Tarczewski's game at the Nike Hoops Summit. Briefly, this is to say he has a longer way to go than most Wildcat fans anticipate. While his No. 5 overall ranking is good and all, he'll need to do a lot to avoid being the next Kyryl Natyazhko. I say that not as a prediction, but only as a reminder not to freak out if he's riding the bench early next season.
  • In case you missed the links in the story, here's ESPN and Scout.com's team ratings that both have a top three of Kentucky, Arizona and UCLA, in that order.
  • An amazing feature on Arizona linebacker Dame Ndiaye's Blind Side-like journey to college football. The story begins in Senegal, then goes to New York, then to San Diego's Hoover High School, where Ndiaye played ball with Arizona hoopster Angelo Chol.
  • Will Shabazz's decision keep Ben Howland around? Bruins Nation discusses how the embattled head coach can use this season to his advantage (or not).
  • Again, here's Sebastian Pruiti's rookie rankings, which discuss that Derrick Williams is struggling in transition opportunities. Maybe that's because, well, he's a hybrid four-man, not a wing. But who am I to tell people that?
  • Our boy Tra'Mayne Bondurant is back at it, this time playing the spur position for RichRod's 3-3-5 defense.
  • Adam Kramer of Kegs and Eggs fame -- a very entertaining college football blog -- writes this piece for the website that shall go unnamed on how well the Wildcats and Sun Devils will do this season based upon how Rich Rodriguez and Todd Graham threw out the first pitch for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Not journalism, and not to be taken seriously, but funny nonetheless.

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