Countdown to Tipoff: 43 Days
While often going unnoticed, the role of walk-ons in a college basketball program cannot be overstated enough. They provide bodies to practice against, motivate their teammates to work hard on and off the court, and are often the first guys on their feet when the team needs a boost. Head coach Josh Pastner knows first hand how important the role of the walk ons is, given that he was one himself at Arizona. That may have been one of the motivating factors for Pastner awarding Rand Rowland, who wants to be a college coach himself, a scholarship last year for his final semester.