Yes, Arizona men’s basketball is having its biggest moment in 25 years, but that does not stop spring ball from rolling on for Arizona football. A couple of coaches did take the time and made the trip to watch the basketball team win its Elite Eight game.
However, with the head coach and coordinators gone to San Jose, who was running the Wildcats’ practices? The veterans were running them, and we’re not talking about coaches.
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Guys like Tre Smith and Kedrick Reescano are both the “uncs” of their respective position groups. That’s why it’s easy for the coaches to go support the basketball team and leave the practices to the seasoned veterans.
Smith returning from injury
It was not long ago when Smith came off the field against Oklahoma State with an injury and his season ending right then and there. Now, with an extra year of eligibility granted, he is looking to make the most of his final opportunity at Arizona.
“You know, I’ve been through an achilles before, so it’s not exactly the same, but it’s just monotonous, like you got to do it every day, and you don’t feel like necessarily doing it all the time, but it’s either I do that or I don’t get to play and chase my dream,” said Smith.
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In his first year in Tucson, he had 53 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. With an extra year with defensive lineman coach Joe Salave’a it could perhaps be a breakout year for Smith.
“It’s the best thing that could have happened for me, I’m grateful,” said Smith on his extra year with Salave’a. “The minute details of every little thing, whether it be run, whether it be pass rush, first step, you know, fully executing a move, just details.”
Vocal leadership key for young running back room
After going through offseason surgeries, both Reescano and Quincy Craig are taking the spring to continue their rehab and recovery. This has not stopped them from being as involved as they can be in practices.
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“We each have our ups and downs, and I think this is something where we can be of value for the team through our own injury, or through our own circumstances right now,” said Craig on being vocal leaders during practices.
New running backs coach Lyle Moevao knows that last year’s production from both of his veterans laid the foundation for what should be expected going into this season. It’s a higher standard for the young running backs of the room.
“The number one goal as a position coach, you’re always trying to create leaders within your position group that can lead the charge, rather than always being the spokesperson, always trying to reinforce things,” said Moevao
Ismail Mahdi may be out of eligibility, but both Reescano and Craig have stepped into the veteran role for the running backs.
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“When you’ve got guys that are experienced, that are veterans, guys that have played a lot of college football, it’s like having two assistant coaches in the room already, and so the expectation is not just from me but also from the guys in the room,” said Moevao.
The key to being the vocal leader that Moevao wants from his veterans is not about how much you speak. It’s about the timing and knowing what you are talking about.
“It’s just finding when to speak, because when you speak from the heart and you’ve already earned the respect of your teammates, they’ll get behind you,” said Reescano.
