The Front Row: Is O’Neill NBA bound?

COMFORT ZONE: It appears as if the Kevin O’Neill era is nearing its official closure.

Yesterday’s edition of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported that the Memphis Grizzlies are set to hire O’Neill as an assistant to head coach Marc Iavaroni.

Some coaches are better suited for the NBA’s style of play, and I believe O’Neill is one of them.

He always seemed a little out of his element at Arizona.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like his job, because I don’t believe that’s true at all. It’s just that the man is such a die-hard basketball guy that he doesn’t really have a high tolerance for a lot of the outside distractions attached to the college game.

In one press conference a few months ago, O’Neill made it a point to let reporters know that he doesn’t watch much college basketball during his free time. If his television is tuned to basketball, he will be watching the NBA.

He will likely serve as Memphis’ defensive guru, hoping to improve on one of the NBA’s weakest defensive units.

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GEARY RETURNS: News of O’Neill’s potential re-entry to the NBA came just hours after the Wildcats brought back Reggie Geary to fill out the rest of UA’s coaching staff.

He will join Mike Dunlap and Russ Pennell on the sidelines as Lute Olson’s support system.

Geary will fill Miles Simon’s role as the former UA standout who serves as a reminder of how great this program once was and could be once again.

While Geary doesn’t have Simon’s championship credibility, he does have a reputation as one of the best defensive players in Wildcat history and did help lead the Wildcats to the 1994 Final Four.

Geary, 34, served as Arizona’s recruiting and basketball operations coordinator during the 2005-06 campaign and has spent the past two years as the head coach of the Anaheim Arsenal in the NBA’s Development League.

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DOWN GOES WEBB: Apparently, here is what it takes for a team to beat the red-hot Brandon Webb right now:

You need a career-best start from one of your fringe starters — in this case, Ricky Nolasco.

You need one of the National League’s most potent offenses to go ice cold. Only Stephen Drew is allowed to have a good game.

You need a manager crazy enough to run a successful squeeze play with a 40-year-old baserunner standing on third.

Anything less, and Webb will come away with the victory.

Oh well, I guess Webb couldn’t go 35-0 this year. Maybe next season.

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