Future for Wildcats still up in air
Kevin O'Neill was asked Thursday night how the Arizona Wildcats could rebound after a second straight first-round loss in the NCAA tournament.
His answer echoed the concerns of every UA fan from Nogales to the Foothills — he does not know who will be on the floor.
"We have a good recruiting class coming in," O'Neill said. "It depends who's going to be here, who's not going to be here. All those things are up in the air.
"Guys have to make decisions. The nucleus of a good team is in there."
How much of that nucleus will return will not be decided for weeks. Freshman guard Jerryd Bayless and sophomore forwards Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill potentially could leave for the NBA.
The same goes for O'Neill, should he decide not to return to his role as an assistant under Lute Olson.
Bayless — thought to be a lottery pick should he leave — was noncommittal after the 75-65 loss to West Virginia.
"I really don't have any thought about that yet," Jerryd Bayless said. "So I don't know."
Budinger said he didn't know, either. He wants to decompress before thinking about it.
"I'm not really sure about that right now," he said. "I'm gonna take about a week off, just to get away from basketball, and let my body rest. Just clear my mind."
Budinger said Olson's return "could" sway him one way or the other.
"I came here to play for coach Olson," he said.
Chase Budinger said the season-long coaching saga and untimely injuries felt like a roller coaster.
"I came in last year thinking we were playing one style," he said. "The next year, coming around and just totally flip-flopping, playing another style."
Hill sounded like he was leaning more toward returning.
"I just want to be ready," he said. "If I get drafted, whatever, I wanna be ready when I step on the court."
Is he ready?
"Right now, I don't think I am," he said. "I've still got little things I need to work on here and there."
Hill said people could read between the lines, "if you want to."
As usual, O'Neill deflected any question about his future.
"That's been the furthest thing from my mind for a long time," he said. "At this point, it's still the furthest thing from my mind. I haven't put any thought into that whatsoever."
It does not appear as if all the pending decisions are intertwined.
"I want everybody to stay," Hill said. "But if you look at the boards, if you're lottery, there's no question about it — you should go. We wish the best for them."
What must be tempting — both for fans and players alike — is the notion that returning players, combined with super-prospect point guard Brandon Jennings, could form a good team.
Outgoing senior Jawann McClellan, who declared himself the team's "biggest cheerleader" next season, said he would pick the Wildcats to win the NCAA tournament if Arizona's Big Three returned.
Then again, he knows that might be unrealistic.
McClellan praised O'Neill for trying to win with a team he said is atypical for Arizona, which he said usually has "eight, nine pros running up and down the court." The question is now — do the Wildcats have three?
"Every program has to rebuild at some point," he said. "It might be next year; it might be after that.
"They're going to have to leave sooner or later, if they keep playing like they did this year."
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