Arizona coach Lute Olson is engaged.

The 74-year-old Wildcats coach, who recently went through a bitter divorce, is engaged to 47-year-old Kelly Pugnea.

Olson made the announcement at a benefit dinner on Wednesday night. He said there is no wedding date set, but that it will probably take place next summer.

Olson's first wife of 47 years, Bobbi, died in 2001. He was married to Christine Olson for nearly five years and finalized a divorce in the past year.

Abdul Gaddy is re-committed to Arizona.

The Bellarmine Prep (Wash.) point guard, who had decided to re-open his recruitment in the wake of the staff changes at Arizona this past offseason, has decided to stick with Arizona, according to GOAZCats.com.

"He just gave his verbal commitment and we're really excited about it," Abdul Gaddy, Sr. told the web site. "It was made this afternoon in the last hour. He came back from his official visit yesterday and he told me, 'dad, I really think Arizona is the right place for me.'

Gaddy was pursued by just about everyone after re-opening his recruitment, but ultimately chose Arizona over Pac-10 rival UCLA following this past weekend’s official visit to Tucson.

Gaddy's pledge wasn't the only news for the Arizona program on Monday as the program may have committed a violation after a letter was sent to the Rebounders Club board of directors from Lute Olson's office in an effort to get them to donate to a local AAU tournament called the Cactus Classic.

"A 'personal and confidential' letter was sent to Rebounders Club board of directors over the electronic signature of Lute Olson, requesting that they provide financial assistance to Jim Storey's Cactus Classic AAU Tournament," Livengood said in a July 2 letter to Ron Barker, Pac-10 associate commissioner in charge of governance and enforcement. "The letter expressed how important this tournament is to the Arizona basketball program's recruiting. The letter also stated (correctly) that 'The athletics department can't assist in any way.' Which would include requesting that donors make financial contributions."

Olson denied knowledge of the letter.

"Others inside and outside of the department stated that they thought that he had requested that the letter be sent," Livengood told the conference.

With the news that Arizona coach Lute Olson plans to return to the sidelines next season, don’t count on the fact that interim coach Kevin O’Neill will return as Olson’s top aide.

O’Neill told FOXSports.com that he would assess the situation after the season – as he does every year.

However, numerous sources close to the program maintain that Olson and O'Neill would have difficulty co-existing.

O’Neill has a verbal agreement from Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood that he will be Olson’s eventual successor, but Olson has told people close to him that he intends to fulfill his contract – who runs through 2011.

It’s highly unlikely O’Neill will stick around with the uncertainty of how long he’d have to wait around to become the permanent guy.

According to sources close to Olson, the 73-year-old Hall of Famer hasn’t been enamored with how things have run in his absence.

PREMIERE MATCHUPS

Now that the conference tournaments have been set up, take a look at four of the most intriguing first-round matchups that have NCAA tourney implications:

- Ohio State vs. Michigan State – Friday afternoon could decide the Buckeyes fate. Thad Matta’s club could sorely use this one.

Villanova vs. Syracuse – The two teams will play Wednesday afternoon with a berth likely on the line.

- Maryland vs. Boston College – The Terps need some help and must win against Boston College on Thursday night.

- Alabama vs. Florida – The Gators have to win this one to have a chance to get into the field.

Just a couple weeks ago, the rumors began to swirl that Sean Sutton was on the hot seat and that filthy rich Oklahoma State booster Boone Pickens wanted to bring in a big-name coach.

Sutton won 22 games a year ago. He did it despite getting rid of Torre Johnson, Roderick Fleming and Jamal Brown for disciplinary reasons. Oklahoma State was 11-0 before an injury to guard Obi Muonelo left them too thin to compete.

After the season, he watched JamesOn Curry made a terrible decision and leave early for the NBA – where he’s basically been shuttled to and from the NBDL this season. Then Kenneth Cooper, the team’s lone experienced big man, transferred a couple days before school started.

The Cowboys were 10-11 overall and 1-6 in Big 12 play when the chatter about Sutton’s future began to gain some steam. Since, they have won five straight games and put themselves in a tie with Texas A&M and Oklahoma for fifth place in the Big 12.

"I’ve been hearing things, that Coach Sean is out at the end of the season, and I don’t want that to happen,” Oklahoma State junior point guard Byron Eaton told The Oklahoman after last month’s upset against Kansas.

It’s tough to judge someone on their first two years.

Jim Calhoun was 29-33. Billy Donovan was 27-32.

I’m not saying Sutton is Calhoun or Donovan, but any head coach should get four years to prove what they can do. It’s only fair.

ARIZONA HOPING TO GET WISE

Arizona interim coach Kevin O’Neill said that starting point guard Nic Wise went through a full practice on Tuesday. O’Neill is hopeful Wise, who had knee surgery on Feb. 6, will be able to play Thursday at Oregon State.

"I would think he’s got a good chance to play Thursday,” O’Neill said. “But I won’t know for sure until tonight.”

O’Neill said he’s also optimistic Bret Brielmaier (shoulder) will also return for the road trip to the Oregon schools.

Arizona has lost six of its last eight and needs, at the very least, to split at Oregon.

CARTER’S INJURY HELPS SEAHAWKS

A year ago, UNC Wilmington first-year head coach Benny Moss wouldn’t have believed it if you had told him that T.J. Carter’s season-ending sports hernia injury would be a blessing down the road.

The Seahawks went 7-22 overall and won just four CAA games in his rookie campaign.

However, Carter has come back in his senior campaign and is pain-free for the first time in three years. He leads the team in scoring (16.2) and assists (4.2) as UNC Wilmington finished 19-12 overall and earned the No. 2 seed in this week’s conference tournament.

"It really was a blessing in disguise,” Moss said. “We were able to throw other guys into bigger roles.”

Now Carter has a supporting cast that features Todd Hendley, Daniel Fountain and Vladimir Kuljanin all averaging nearly 13 points per game. Freshman Chad Tomko has also stepped up in big games.

But Carter has been the difference-maker.

"He’s a great mid-range player,” Moss said. “He may not be a great shooter, but he makes shots when the game’s on the line.”

RANDOM NOTES: Kansas State guard Clent Stewart had a memorable Senior Day last night, proposing to his girlfriend, Stephanie Harwell, just prior to the win against Colorado. Stewart’s mother died of cancer last month. … Texas picked up a commitment from one of Scout.com’s elite sophomores – 6-foot-8 Canadian power forward Tristan Thompson – who is playing at St. Benedict’s in New Jersey.

CHICAGO – It’ll be difficult to match the atmosphere in the Dean Dome last night for Duke’s win against North Carolina, but there should be plenty of intensity tonight when Eric Gordon makes his first – and probably only - appearance in Champaign.

The Tar Heels fans booed Gerald Henderson Jr., when he stepped onto the court at 7:38 p.m. for pre-game warmups and throughout much of the game, but my guess is it’ll be nothing compared to the reaction Gordon, Indiana head coach Kelvin Sampson and even Gordon’s father receive tonight.

Remember, the Illini would be near the top of the Big Ten right now if Sampson hadn’t lured him to Bloomington despite being committed to Illinois.

Roy Williams made the correct move in holding out his point guard, Ty Lawson, due to a sprained ankle. There’s no chance that the Tar Heels can go anywhere in the postseason without their jet-quick floor leader and that was clear last night.

I’m not sure much would have changed from a defensive standpoint if Lawson had been on the floor, anyway. Sure, he’s quick – but he rarely shows any interest in trying to lock anyone up. Duke does a nice job spreading the floor and the Tar Heels haven’t shown they can defend on the perimeter this season.
 
Wayne Ellington was more affected by the absence of Lawson than anyone else. Ellington benefits by Lawson’s ability to penetrate and kick. Last night, Ellington was forced to have to create off the dribble – which isn’t his strength.

COOLEST SIGHT: Roy Williams throwing T-shirts into the crowd just prior to the start of the game. You just don’t see that often – especially from a future Hall of Famer.

WORST SIGHT: Seeing Tar Heels reserve guard Bobby Frasor in a shirt and tie. He’s one of the most underrated players in America and has had tough luck the last two years with foot injuries last year and a torn ACL in December.

STRANGEST SIGHT: Danny Green’s dance on the sidelines before the opening tip. I’m not sure there’s a name for it, but it’s downright entertaining.
  
 ARIZONA’S DEPTH TAKES HIT

You wouldn’t think the loss of Nic Wise be a crushing blow to Arizona, but Wildcats coach Kevin O’Neill has no frontcourt depth whatsoever and now he has none in the backcourt, either.

Wise will miss 4-6 weeks after yesterday’s surgery on his left knee. Now the Wildcats will be forced to move Jerryd Bayless to the point and move someone into the lineup who just isn’t good enough to be a Pac-10 starter.

If there was ever a three-man team, it’s Arizona.

Bayless, Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill.

The Wildcats are 5-4 in league play, which is tied for third place. However, Arizona is also just one game from being in eighth place.

RANDOM NOTES: Franklin Street, the place to go after North Carolina games, was a virtual ghost town after the Tar Heels loss. … I haven’t seen it yet, but one coach told me Pat Knight looked downright giddy in the post-game news conference despite losing his first game at the helm. ``He looked like a college kid,” the coach said. ``It was embarrassing.” … Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel isn’t ruling out the return of Longar Longar, who broke a bone in his lower leg Saturday against Texas A&M. Longar has had a stress fracture since the loss to Kansas and it will depend on how much pain he’s experiencing whether he can come back later this season. ... Here’s how unpredictable and balanced the ACC is these days: All four road teams won last night, including Maryland’s victory at Boston College that gave Gary Williams his 600th career win. … St. Joe’s was without star forward Ahmad Nivins in the loss to Duquesne because of a sprained ankle.

After catching four more ranked teams in addition to one that was ranked in the preseason over the last three days, here are a few observations:

1) I find it hard to believe that there’s a team out there with better chemistry than the second-ranked Memphis Tigers. They play extremely unselfish together and go everywhere as a group – and we’re not just talking about a few of them. They go to the mall, out for meals and just about everywhere in a group of 13.

2) This is no disrespect to Hall of Famer Lute Olson, but this Arizona team plays harder than the Wildcats have played in recent years. Interim coach Kevin O’Neill, the future successor once Olson retires, will be scary once he adds some depth in the next couple of years. Right now Arizona has virtually nothing up front besides Jordan Hill.

3) Butler’s senior backcourt of A.J. Graves and Mike Green is among the nation’s best. Graves is an unconscious shooter with unlimited range and Green is a guy who powers his way to the basket and can also distribute the ball. They’ll be a tough out come tournament time because of their guard play and the toughness in the paint from freshman Matt Howard.

4) Southern Illinois just isn’t the same team this year. Don’t expect them to just roll through the Missouri Valley, either. The Salukis lack the overall toughness they had a year ago now than guards Jamaal Tatum and Tony Young are gone.

5) The worst call that I’ve seen this entire season came when Arizona big man Kirk Walters was hit with an intentional foul late in the game against Memphis. It was a clear block and there was nothing blatant about it.

6) If I were the AD at Ole Miss, I’d try and lock up Andy Kennedy for a long, long time. He’s one of the best up-and-coming coaches in the business. He can coach, is a proven recruiter and has a way about him with the players.

7) I got a chance to watch Illinois 2009 commitment D.J. Richardson, a long wing out of Peoria High. Illini coach Bruce Weber’s new approach of trying to offer a few of the state’s top young players has worked thus far – and Richardson has the potential to become a big-time player. He scored 28 points and was 5-for-10 from long distance against a team that had three D-1 players.

TEXAS GETTING JOHNSON BACK

I’ve seen Texas freshman Gary Johnson play at least 30 games while at Aldine High and throughout the spring and summers.

He’ll make a difference, but he’s certainly no savior.

Johnson, who will make his regular-season debut this week against TCU, will give Rick Barnes’ team energy, a rebounder and a player who can score in the low post, but the Longhorns will still need more consistency out of Connor Atchley and Justin Mason.

RANDOM NOTES: Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy said he will play his former boss, Bob Huggins, in a home-and-home series with West Virginia beginning next season. Huggins is going to Ole Miss next season. ``Would have rather lose to someone you like or someone you don’t like?” Kennedy said. … One of the more overlooked additions at the break was that of South Florida wing Aaron Holmes, who left Florida State a year ago after just a few games. Holmes scored 20 points in 19 minutes and was 5-of-8 from long range in a win over Winston Salem State – his third game with the Bulls. … Ohio State freshman Jon Diebler just needed a little time to relax. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard struggled early and was just 7-of-45 from long range, but he’s 14-of-23 from long distance in the last four games. … Speaking of guys who like to let it fly from deep, UAB’s Robert Vaden has averaged more than 13 attempts from 3-point land in the last four games. He’s 23-of-53 in that span.

On the day in which he was named as Lute Olson’s successor at Arizona, Kevin O’Neill also said that he wouldn’t trade Jerryd Bayless for any freshman in the country.

"He’s big-time and I’m not surprised at all at how well he’s played lately," O’Neill said of Bayless. "He’s make some real strides."

Bayless leads the team in scoring at 20 points per game and is also averaging 4.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game.

"He’s a tough, hard-nosed competitor, a great guy to coach and a great worker. I wouldn’t trade him for any of those other freshmen that people are talking about."

O’Neill also said that sophomore big man Jordan Hill, who has also come on lately, may not play tomorrow night against UNLV due to a hip injury.

"I think he will, but he hasn’t practiced the last two days," O’Neill said. "I’ve seen a lot of improvement from Jordan in the last few games. He’s staying focused and just playing harder."

One of the most underrated players on the team has been Jawann McClellan, the former McDonald’s All-American who hasn’t quite lived up to expectations due to injuries, academics and personal problems.

McClellan is only averaging 8.9 points per game, but O’Neill praised the wing for his defense and leadership.

"He’s really been the glue guy for our team," McClellan said. "As a leader, he’s been fantastic."

UCLA TO REDSHIRT KEEFE

UCLA coach Ben Howland said he intends to redshirt forward James Keefe, who missed all of the preseason and the early part of the year with a shoulder injury.

RANDOM NOTES: Gonzaga freshman shooting guard Steven Gray, arguably the team’s top perimeter threat, returned and scored 12 points in the ‘Zags win over Northern Colorado on Monday night. Gray broke his wrist in an exhibition game and missed the first 10 games. He was 2-of-4 from long distance. ... Oregon State coach Jay John said that Kansas transfer C.J. Giles is still out of shape and that's the primary reason the big man has fouled out of his first two games in limited minutes. "His timing and rhythm are off right now."