Arizona

Kansas couldn't erase the memory of last spring, but the Jayhawks did the next best thing. They beat Arizona for a small measure of revenge. "I feel a lot better with this being Arizona. Last year, they ripped our hearts out. It was a devastating loss. We watched the tape just to scout Arizona and it was difficult," Raef LaFrentz said after carrying the second-ranked Jayhawks to a tense, 90-87 victory over No. 4 Arizona last night in the Great Eight in Chicago, which features the final eight teams from last season's NCAA Tournament.

Arizona was a unanimous choice as the nation's No. 1 college basketball team in the United Press International poll released yesterday and a near- unanimous choice in the Associated Press rankings. The Wildcats (24-3) collected all 41 first-place votes from the UPI board of coaches and 61 of 66 from the AP's panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. La Salle nearly broke into the polls for the first time this season. The Explorers finished 21st in the AP voting. They also received votes from the UPI board, but totals are not included in that poll.

No sooner had Alabama coach Wimp Sanderson praised the effort the Crimson Tide had set forth against Arizona in the NCAA West Regional and called it a "great win," - no sooner had he spoken those words - when someone asked what he planned to do to stop Loyola Marymont on Friday? Shaking his head in wonder at the 149 points Loyola had scored against defending NCAA champion Michigan - and the 260 points it had totaled in two tournament games over the weekend - Sanderson sighed and said, "I hear the guy who was punching the numbers on the scoreboard is soaking his fingers in ice. " Sanderson paused in thought and added: "They are awfully hard to defend.

Arizona got a scare, until Miles Simon came along. The junior guard scored nine points in a 22-4 run in the final 7 1/2 minutes as the No. 4 seeded Wildcats overcame a 10-point deficit and beat South Alabama, 65-57, last night in the first round of the Southeast Regional. Simon finished with 11 points. The rally allowed Arizona (20-9) to avoid losing in the first round for the fourth time in six years. "We knew that it was going be a war," Arizona coach Lute Olson said.

Arizona has the dubious distinction of being the No. 2 seed in the regional in which Nevada-Las Vegas is the No. 1 seed. That means the two teams might meet in the West Regional final next week in Seattle. But for now, Arizona, which will play 15th-seeded St. Francis (Pa.) tonight, is the top-seeded team for the first and second rounds being played here. Arizona and Seton Hall seem to be the best two teams at this site. Arizona (26-6) was sent here because the first two rounds in the top West bracket are at the Wildcats' home court in Tucson.

ANAHEIM - Lamont Jones spent last spring break staring at his dorm room walls in Tucson, fuming over Arizona's failure to make the NCAA Tournament after 25 straight trips. Kemba Walker had a few similarly sleepless nights in Storrs when Connecticut also missed the tournament. "It happens to all great programs from time to time, but I just decided I wouldn't go through that again," Walker said. So did Jones, Walker's friend since junior high school. Two dynamic guards from New York have played major roles in getting two perennial powers back to the brink of the Final Four just 1 year after they fell out of the field.

Matt Williams, the last of the original Diamondbacks and a five-time All-Star with 378 career home runs, has played his final game for Arizona. The Diamondbacks announced yesterday that the third baseman has been designated for assignment. The move follows the team's acquisition of third baseman Shea Hillenbrand from Boston for pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim. "With the trade for Hillenbrand, it became apparent there just wasn't going to be any meaningful playing time for Matty," general manager Joe Garagiola Jr. said.

The rabid New Mexico fans had been grumbling as new coach Fran Fraschilla got off to a slow start. A 70-68 victory at Arizona should quiet them for a while. "We were 5-5 in here and people were down on us, even in our own city," New Mexico's John Robinson said. "This will help us a great deal. " No kidding. The third-ranked Wildcats had won 37 in succession at home, the fourth-longest streak in major college basketball. "It's just a great win for what has also been a storied basketball program at New Mexico," Fraschilla said "It's a great win for our players because they've got a new coaching staff, and it's a great way to move into the next part of Lobo history.

ALLEN CRABBE scored 19 of his 31 points in the second half, Justin Cobbs hit a big shot in the closing seconds and visiting California held its composure down the stretch to knock off No. 7 Arizona, 77-69, Sunday night. Cal (14-9, 6-5 Pac-12) trailed 38-33 at the half but began the second half with a 17-2 run to take a 50-40 lead. The Wildcats clawed back on several occasions but never led. Crabbe and Cobbs combined for 36 of the Golden Bears' final 44 points. Arizona (20-3, 8-3)

Memo to Jim Harrick, Phil Martelli, and everyone else who thinks Arizona leads an unduly charmed college basketball life: The Wildcats are in the Sweet 16. Playing about two hours from home, the Wildcats fed off the energy of their fans - who made up more than half of the sellout crowd of about 14,000 at the University Activity Center yesterday - and blitzed Iowa, 87-73, in the second round of the NCAA West Regional. The Wildcats (25-6) advanced to the regional semifinal in Denver.

PHOENIX - Authorities say a package addressed to Sheriff Joe Arpaio discovered in a northern Arizona mailbox would have exploded if opened, leading to serious injuries or death. Maricopa County Chief Deputy Jerry Sheridan made the comment Friday at a news conference in Phoenix. He said investigators are trying to locate one person who may have been involved in mailing the package addressed to his boss. The package intercepted late Thursday was addressed to Arpaio at his downtown Phoenix office.

Chester's Rondae Jefferson scored nine points off the bench for the East all-stars Wednesday night as they fell to the West, 110-99, in the McDonald's All-American Game at the United Center in Chicago. The senior forward bound for Arizona was the first Clipper to be selected for the annual game. He added two rebounds and two assists and shot 4 for 10 from the field. Aaron Gordon, his future teammate at Arizona, earned MVP honors as he poured in 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the West.

TUCSON, Ariz. - A campaign promising free shotguns for people in Tucson's most troubled neighborhoods has divided some residents in a community still reeling from a shooting rampage in 2011 that killed six people, left a congresswoman and several others wounded, and made the city a symbol of gun violence in America. The nonprofit Armed Citizen Project is part of a national campaign to give shotguns to single women and homeowners in neighborhoods with high-crime rates. The effort comes amid a national debate on gun control after mass shootings in Arizona, Colorado, and Connecticut.

PHOENIX - An 86-year-old man who carried out a mercy killing by shooting his ailing wife and high school sweetheart in the head was sentenced Friday to probation after an emotional hearing where family members tearfully spoke on his behalf. George Sanders could have faced more than 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter. Judge John Ditsworth said his sentence of two years' probation was "individualized and tempers justice with mercy. " "It is very clear that he will never forget that his actions ended the life of his wife," Ditsworth said as Sanders stood, his hands clasped and shaking.

LOS ANGELES - LaQuinton Ross hit the tiebreaking three-pointer with 2 seconds to play, and Ohio State advanced to the brink of its second straight Final Four appearance with a 73-70 victory over Arizona on Thursday night in the West Regional semifinals. Ross, the Buckeyes' remarkable reserve, scored 14 of his 17 points in the second half for the second-seeded Buckeyes (29-7), who rallied from an early 11-point deficit and weathered the sixth-seeded Wildcats' late charge for their 11th consecutive victory since mid-February.

LOS ANGELES - LaQuinton Ross hit the tie-breaking three-pointer with 2 seconds to play, and Ohio State advanced to the brink of its second straight Final Four appearance with a 73-70 victory over Arizona on Thursday night in the West Regional semifinals. Ross, the Buckeyes' remarkable reserve, scored 14 of his 17 points in the second half for the second-seeded Buckeyes (29-7), who rallied from an early 11-point deficit and weathered the sixth-seeded Wildcats' late charge for their 11th consecutive victory since mid-February.

Gonzaga's gone. Cleanthony Early and Ron Baker each scored 16 points as Wichita State hit a season-high 14 three-pointers - including seven straight late - to knock the top-ranked and No. 1 seed Bulldogs out of the NCAA tournament. The Shockers advanced to the Round of 16 with a 76-70 win Saturday night in Salt Lake City, the first time they've gotten that far since 2006. Gonzaga, meanwhile, becomes the first top seed to be eliminated this year. Kelly Olynyk scored 26 points to lead Gonzaga.

The Arizona Cardinals released Kevin Kolb, ending the quarterback's two injury-filled seasons with the team. The team's move Friday came just ahead of the deadline for paying Kolb a $2 million roster bonus. The team paid Kolb some $20 million over two seasons after acquiring him in a trade that sent a second-round draft pick and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to the Eagles. The move reportedly saved $7 million in salary cap space. Later in the day, the Cardinals announced the signing of ex-Oakland defensive end Matt Shaughnessy to a 1-year deal.

ALLEN CRABBE scored 19 of his 31 points in the second half, Justin Cobbs hit a big shot in the closing seconds and visiting California held its composure down the stretch to knock off No. 7 Arizona, 77-69, Sunday night. Cal (14-9, 6-5 Pac-12) trailed 38-33 at the half but began the second half with a 17-2 run to take a 50-40 lead. The Wildcats clawed back on several occasions but never led. Crabbe and Cobbs combined for 36 of the Golden Bears' final 44 points. Arizona (20-3, 8-3)