Jill Torrance / arizona daily star 2007

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UA's 3 of a kind beats Jacks Arizona Wildcats Basketball: UA beats NAU 74-57 NAU coach happy to take his lumps, play at McKale Cats catch break with mediocre schedule 4 games into season, Budinger displaying clear leadership skills Cats on brief break from hoops, but not mentally Arizona 69, Santa Clara 66 Loss is Santa Clara's fourth close one this year Judkins, in starting debut, blossoms as forward option Horne plays, sounds fine in Georgia

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Earlier this season, Arizona basketball players were discussing the sensitive issue of shoe styles when the talks suddenly broke down.

"Some people wanted to wear all black on the road," wing Chase Budinger said. "But white people don't look good in black shoes. We look slower."

So Budinger and Bret Brielmaier became the key reasons why Arizona wears white shoes for every game this season.

It was not because they were particularly powerful or otherwise managed to wrestle their wishes on everybody else. It was just because, under interim head coach Kevin O'Neill, everyone had to agree to something.

And white shoes, with red or blue accents to match the uniform, have become the Wildcats' default option. No longer can some players wear off colors or go with sparkles unless they all do it.

"It's everything or nothing," forward Fendi Onobun says.

It is a simple rule but a significant one to O'Neill, who also disallows his players from wearing headbands.

It is all about eradicating individualism.

"I'm just a real big believer in everybody being part of the team," O'Neill said. "I mean, why should one guy be wearing psychedelic shoes and two headbands? The best way to stand out on your team is to play well. I just think let's make it about basketball."

But what if a guy with little or no hair is concerned about sweat dripping into his eyes? UA point guard Mustafa Shakur routinely wore one last year, after all.

O'Neill does not buy that excuse, either.

"I just don't know why anybody would wear a headband," he said.

Although these two rules are firm, O'Neill insists he is not making the Wildcats' lives radically different than they were before.

"I've had very few rules," O'Neill said. "My rules are, like, be on time and don't be a jerk. Share the ball with your teammates and play hard on defense. Those are simple rules."

Even if they are subtle at times, Budinger says the rules do make a difference.

"I think that it makes basketball more business-like for us," Budinger said. "We do love playing the game of basketball, but it's also kind of our job, and we've got to go out every game and just make it our living."

There are a few other things, not really rules so much as a philosophical outlook, that O'Neill wants to see. He said he will get upset if a player adversely affects his academics or has a prima donna attitude, failing to properly respect the school or athletic department, noting that he has come to know the UA much better now than he did as an assistant coach in the 1980s.

"I mean, look at the things we're doing from tree-ring laboratories through the UA Mars space program," O'Neill said. "There are great students, great achievers, great athletes here.

"Look at the number of Olympic swimmers they've had in our swimming program. Look at the number of baseball players who go pro, the number of gymnasts who are All-American. Our guys should not underestimate the accomplishments of others in the athletic department."

On the court, most of the changes O'Neill has brought since he took over for Lute Olson on Nov. 4 are fairly well-documented: the frequent timeouts, the varying rotations, the increased offensive sets and the constant man-to-man defense.

There are more subtle differences, too. O'Neill will wear business suits during games, whereas Olson prefers the khaki pants-blazer look. While Olson glared his messages across, famously without swear words, O'Neill uses an intense combination of body and verbal language to make himself clear.

At the same time, O'Neill will frequently embrace his players.

"He'll yell or cuss, but he lets it go," Onobun said. "He's a very emotional coach, but he's very loving. He has your back."

Onobun should know. Nobody on the team has probably tested O'Neill more than Onobun this season because of a recent string of tardiness.

But once Onobun started showing up on time, all was fine. That was not always the case with players who ran into trouble before.

"There is no doghouse, no grudges held," O'Neill said. "Fendi came late five different times in two weeks. For me, I just threw him out. He's only hurting himself."

The rest of O'Neill's changes are mostly to increase focus. Never one to waste time in actions or words, O'Neill does not let his players do so, either: He shows scouting films during team meals, has keys to victory listed on placemats, and has hotel meeting rooms arranged with U-shaped "war room" seating for strategy meetings.

"I just think it helps your scouting," O'Neill says.

Aside from those few details, UA staffers say, the hands-on O'Neill does not ask for much from others.

Before games, he does not even have an elaborate or superstitious routine, either. He just hangs out, listens to the assistant scouting the opponent discuss final strategy tips to the players, and he is ready to go.

"He'll have a Diet Pepsi in his hand, and he's good," said Ryan Hennick, UA's basketball program coordinator. "That's about it. He's a low-maintenance guy."

On StarNet: Check during the game for updates at the half, and watch a slide show from the game at azstarnet.com