Search result for Jamie Cochran

‘This is who we are’: GCU men’s and women’s basketball hope to emerge as national threats in pivotal season

PHOENIX – GCU men’s and women’s basketball have had quick journeys to national prominence. Now they hope to use their recent momentum to reach new heights in their respective 2023-24 seasons.

GCU men's and women's basketball players on the court.

2-year anniversary: Growth of sports gambling blows Arizona’s doors wide open

PHOENIX – The legalization of sports gambling in Arizona has reshaped the landscape of sports entertainment, attracting younger individuals who are investing their sports knowledge into gambling. With over $5 billion in total sports wagering handle, Arizona has emerged as a top player in the sports betting market.

Arizona's sports betting market has exceeded expectations, with over $11 billion in wagers placed since the law's enactment in 2021. Sports enthusiasts gather at local sportsbooks like FanDuel and Caesars to enjoy in-person sports betting experiences. (File photo by Susan Wong/Cronkite News)

‘Absolutely maddening’: NCAA faces backlash from Jake Smith’s mother, Arizona Legislature over eligibility decision

PHOENIX – The NCAA denied the eligibility of ASU wide receiver Jake Smith due to new regulations regarding two-time transfers. Smith’s mother and the Arizona state legislature are both speaking out in his defense.

NCAA Flag

Glendale breaks ground on first complex to use state affordable housing tax credit

GLENDALE – Centerline on Glendale will be the first housing complex in Arizona funded in part by the state affordable housing tax credit. The complex will have 368 new affordable apartments for Glendale residents by 2024.

Officials attend the groundbreaking ceremony for Centerline on Glendale, a 368-unit complex designed for mixed-income housing and funded in part by a state low-income housing tax credit. Photo taken on March 24, 2023. (Photo by Izabella Hernandez/Cronkite News)

Attorneys say Resolution Copper Mine would ‘destroy’ worship at Oak Flat

WASHINGTON - Attorneys for Apache Stronghold told a federal appeals court Tuesday that the proposed Resolution Copper Mine would lead to the "complete physical destruction" of sacred lands at Oak Flat, a clear violation of religious liberty laws.


‘I’m just heartbroken’: Last second bucket from TCU’s Coles ends ASU’s NCAA tournament run

DENVER – DJ Horne and Warren Washington led the way in points for Arizona State, but crucial turnovers down the stretch set TCU up for a last-second shot that allowed the Horned Frogs to advance in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.


25 years later: Behind Bryce Drew’s 1998 buzzer beater were the unknowns of March Madness, which lend hope to GCU

PHOENIX — Though far removed from the feeling of taking a low-enrollment Lutheran university to its first Sweet 16 appearance and only one since, Bryce Drew is now the coach for a Grand Canyon program that’s approaching its second NCAA Tournament in his third season. And the situation seems even more similar since GCU is No. 14 and as much or more of an underdog against No. 3 Gonzaga than Valpo was on March 13, 1998, when the efforts of Drew and his father, Homer, combined with many others to culminate in an improbable memory made plausible.

Homer Drew, right, coached his son Bryce at Valparaiso. He said the play involving Bryce’s famous buzzer beater shot in the 1998 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament was never executed that well in practice. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Building the future: Trade occupations encouraged as demand for skilled labor grows

PHOENIX – Trade labor jobs are in high demand across the U.S., with many companies desperate for skilled laborers. TradeUp! and West-MEC are handing middle and high school students hard hats and teaching them such crucial skills as electricians, welders and mechanics.

Electrical trade students at West-MEC in Buckey practice wiring light switches in class on Sept. 16, 2022. (Photo by Emily Mai/Cronkite News)

Colonias residents fight long, and often lonely, fight for basic services

EL PASO COUNTY, Tex. - More than 134,000 residents to colonias - unincorporated rural communities along the U.S.-Mexico border - live withough basic services like roads, water or sewer, and the fight to change that is long and lonely, often left to residents and private nonprofits.


Increasing police transparency is ‘messy,’ but efforts come from many directions

ARLINGTON, Texas – The call to increase transparency has become a standard rallying cry in police reform, but efforts have met with resistance. Some states, cities and police departments have made progress to open records. And sometimes, outside forces have stepped in when they don’t.


In a pickle: Pickleball takes off, but search for courts worries tennis players

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Pickleball is experiencing growing pains as courts are becoming harder to find. Cities are responding by building more courts and converting tennis courts, but not everyone is on board with those efforts.


Remembering Lute: Two years after his death, Olson remains important figure to former players

TUCSON – Two years after his death, Lute Olson’s legacy remains far-reaching. He let his players be a part of his family, both on and off the court. That family atmosphere inspired former players to seek out coaching positions, collegiately and in the NBA.