"Desperate Program"- Arizona Wildcats?

By Bruin Basketball Report

The PAC-10 has suffered a number of non-conference set-back losses this year in basketball. Two programs which were expected to challenge for the PAC-10 title along with UCLA - Stanford and Arizona, have fallen on hard times.

Stanford had embarrassing early losses to Montana, UC Irvine, and UC Davis (chant goes: just like football).

But perhaps the biggest thud can be heard over at the Tucson campus of Arizona with a story about senior star guard, Hassan Adams who was charged over the weekend by police for disorderly conduct while partying at an apartment party.

Despite the conduct and arrest, Arizona head coach Lute Olson announced yesterday that Adams would indeed play in the Wildcat's next game.

Is this a sign of desperate times at Arizona?

The Arizona Wildcats have already lost three games this season and were left off one top 25 poll this week and are on the cusp of coming off the other. A Wildcat loss or unconvincing win this weekend against Utah would most certainly drop Arizona completely from the rankings. Additionally earlier this week, Arizona announced that sophomore Jesus Verdejo was transferring out of the program to University of Miami.

Indeed, tough times in Tucson. Below are links to articles around the Hassan Adams story:

The Arizona basketball team's problems veered off-court last weekend, when star forward Hassan Adams was charged with disorderly conduct. Adams was charged during a party in the parking lot of his apartment complex at 2800 W. Broadway just after midnight Saturday when he did not follow an officer's instructions to leave, police said. Arizona Daily Star

Hassan Adams, Arizona's leading scorer, may not play when the University of Utah men's basketball team hosts the No. 24 Wildcats on Saturday. Adams, 21, was arrested Sunday after an incident outside his apartment in Tucson, according to a police report. There were roughly 200 people in the parking lot at 2 a.m. when the party apparently turned into a fight. Salt Lake Tribune

Arizona senior Hassan Adams will be in the starting lineup against Utah on Saturday, UA basketball coach Lute Olson said yesterday. USA Today

(updated 12:24PM) And of course, BruinsNation has their own take on this Arizona issue.

(updated 10:00PM) Bruin Hoop Scoop has also taken notice of Lute Olson's convenient oversight of his player's behavior and arrest.

(BruinBasketballReport.com)