Happy Thursday! We are ALMOST TO FRIDAY! I hope your week is going well.

I’ll get to the Wildcats below, but first, Suns fans got some welcome good news yesterday, as Devin Booker signed a two-year, $145 million extension, which is the highest annual salary extension in NBA history. Our Gerald and Stephen hosted an emergency pod last night with all the details and instant reaction, but it’s great to see Book locked up for the next few years, as well.

The team has shown it’s committed to him financially, now let’s see how they handle building a winner around him.

On to the show!

Big 12 Media Days: What You Missed, Wildcats Edition

Wildcats coach Brent Brennan is ready to roll out his new-look coaching staff.

Last season ended much differently than anyone had envisioned; Arizona entered 2024 with Big 12 title aspirations and hoped to build upon a 10-3 season in 2023 that included a 38-24 Alamo Bowl win over the mighty Oklahoma Sooners.

It was not meant to be.

The Wildcats dropped seven of their final eight games to finish 4-8, capping a disappointing first year as a member of the Big 12. Brennan is kicking off his second season at the helm, and has overhauled his coaching staff.

Offensive coordinator Dino Babers is out, and defensive coordinator Duane Akina was reassigned as an assistant coach, in charge of the secondary. Former special teams coordinator/linebackers coach Danny Gonzales was elevated to the defensive coordinator role, while Seth Doege will take over as O.C.

Finally, Craig Naivar was brought in to fill the special teams coordinator position, which was vacated upon Gonzales’ promotion.

All of those changes could add up to more success in Tucson.

New-Look Wildcats Staff Set To Lead The Charge

The Wildcats aren’t starting from scratch on the roster given the return of quarterback Noah Fifita, who was underwhelming after an outstanding 2023 campaign.

Brennan, though, didn’t shy away from accountability, and he surely wasn’t pinning any of last year’s struggles on the student-athletes.

“Last fall was unacceptable for our staff, our program and our university, and we’re busy fixing that ever since,” he said. “We’ve had a crazy time in the portal. Spring ball went really well, we put together a really good recruiting class, made some tough decisions on our coaching staff, and I love the direction we’re headed.”

Brennan indicated the new staff is far better positioned to help the Wildcats get back to making a little noise on the national stage, led by Fifita.

“The step back for Noah Fifita is my fault, not his,” Brennan said. “We didn’t do a good enough job running the football and we didn’t do a good enough job protecting him, right? … We’ve made some moves in the direction of making that better right now.

“I think when we get to December, everybody in the conference, and maybe everybody in America, is going to be talking about Noah Fifita.”

Brennan said Doege’s style of offense brings an “aggressive, explosive” style that is better suited for Fifita’s skillset.

“This is a perfect fit for him,” Brennan said. “It’s his time to shine.”

Fifita will have to have a bounce-back season despite the departure of star receiver Tetairoa “T-Mac” McMillan, who was drafted eighth overall by the Carolina Panthers in April.

Brennan and his staff have navigated a turbulent time quite gracefully, all things considered. He said Fifita, along with defensive back Genesis Smith, were heavily pursued by other schools, but decided instead to remain in Tucson.

“We want guys that want to be at the University of Arizona that are tough and believe in this program and really, truly want to be here,” Brennan said. “The idea that we’re going to chase guys in and out of the portal every year, we’re going to be doing all that stuff, I just don’t think that gives you a chance to build the kind of connected, committed football team we want to build at U of A.”

That connection has the Wildcats much better positioned heading into the upcoming season — at least according to Brennan.

“I think the consistency of our coaching staff, our leadership and the team knowing what my expectations are and how we’re going to do things going forward, I think it’s a lot cleaner right now than it was a year ago,” Brennan said. “I’m optimistic about how this season’s going to go.”

Just a little more than a month to go until the season opener against Hawai’i!

Take a Deeper Dive: You can find comple coverage of Wildcats media day on our social media and YouTube channels! Our main show is below, but you can also check out all of our coverage from day one, as well!

Natty or Bust?: Will anything other than a national championship be considered a disappointment for ASU football this season? Erik and Anthony discuss just that during their incredible coverage from the second day of Big 12 Media Days.

Nice Win: The D-backs bounced back with an 8-2 win over San Diego last night, led by Gerald Perdomo’s fifth inning grand slam. Brandon Pfaadt was incredibly strong as well, allowing two runs on four hits over eight innings. Arizona has a chance to claim the four-game set against the Padres in tonight’s series finale (6:40 pm).

Book It: Booker’s record-setting contract extension was the welcome news we were all waiting for, and Gerald and Stephen had instant reaction last night. Also, make sure to catch Erik, Espo and Shane in Vegas as they cover the NBA Summer League, because there will be plenty more to come on this, as well.

So Long, James: Former general manager James Jones, who stepped back into a lesser position following the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, is leaving the organization to become the league’s Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations. Thanks for all of your contributions, James. That NBA Finals run ended bitterly, but was a fun ride while it lasted.

You Ott-a Know: Gerald wrote an incredible piece looking at the connection between head coach Jordan Ott and assistant coach DeMarre Carroll, and it’s a fascinating read. Check it out!

The Missing Lynx: Another game, another impressive win for the Mercury, who topped the 17-3 Minnesota Lynx 79-71 yesterday despite missing stars Satou Sabally and Kahleah Cooper. Alyssa Thomas led all scorers with 29 points while chipping in eight rebounds, and DeWanna Bonner contributed seven points off the bench in her first game with Phoenix since 2016.

Tip Of The Hat By Branded Bills

Find someone who looks at you the way Wilbur looks at Brent Brennan.