It was a long year for the basketball program as the winds of change blew into Tucson for the first time in a generation. Like most seasons, my opinion of the team changed several times during the course of the year, but this one was unique.

In May, Lute hired Kevin O'Neal (former coach of the Raptors, Marquette, Tennessee, and Northwestern) to be the defensive guru, bringing intensity to a team that was porous, and soft. I thought this infusion would allow the team to really utilize the size and quickness of the team on defense. His role, however, changed significantly when Lute took a leave of absence for the year.

The quasi-Physics professor meets potty-mouth general drew a lot of criticism from fans for his deliberate pro-style offense, and lack of bench development (Not that this is new. I've never seen Lute use more than 7 guys consistently.) The offense centered around set plays for Bayless and Budinger in order to take advantage of mismatches. This style fits the NBA, but the college game thrives on keeping the opponent off balance - just ask Pitino whose Louisville team does just that, yet couldn't make it happen with the Celtics. The offense this year was inconsistent, there were too many mistakes, and the players just weren't polished enough.

What is in store for the future? Enter the Silver Fox, rested and ready for another run. His first matter of business was to visit with the families of Budinger and Bayless to re-recruit them. Each is projected to be first round picks in the draft if they choose to leave. Incoming All-American freshman Brandon Jennings heads a class that includes another San Diego product in big man Jeff Withey.