Yesterday was my first chance to catch the 06-07 Arizona Wildcats in action. It was my first chance to see the freshman sensation Chase Budinger, and my first chance to dawn my now dated “21″ jersey. Yesterday was also the first match-up between my Cats and their 2005 Elite 8 foe in Illinois. Yesterday though….the Cats had the last laugh….Lute had the last laugh….and I had the pure enjoyment of watching this years Cats team gain some confidence.

Facing a team in Illinois that just came of a devastating loss to #23 Maryland, the Fighting Illini were looking to get back in the swing of things. Our new Cats, wouldn’t let that happen.

The main difference between this years team, and last years team already is this…that they have come from behind, they have not given up when they are down. Besides their first loss of the season to Virginia, in which i ranted on Lute’s lack of game management skills, this Cats team has really bounced back. I am impressed so far.

What impressed me most, was that this years Cats, didn’t roll over and play dead. They drew fouls, created turnovers, tightened up the defense, shifting from Zone to Man-to-Man and in the end, played all 5 starters for over 33 minutes, all scoring at least 13 points.

This years Cats…they have come to play. The duo of Marcus Williams and Chase Budinger, combined with the healthy version of Jawann McClellan, and not to mention the two seniors in Ivan Radenovic and the Mufasa (Shakur), has given this years team a lot of promise….but lets not jump to conclusions yet…

The next big test on the schedule is on December 20th against #14 Memphis. In between they play Louisville in NYC at the Jimmy V Classic, travel to San Diego St., and take on Houston at home. If the Cats win these next three games, look for an especially hyped game against Memphis on the 20th. I better keep my tickets and you better keep your eyes peeled on that TV.

-Matt Blake, mblake@azsportshub.com

Join the discussion at The Fanster Forums. Arizona Sports 24/7.