Arizona Wildcats Basketball

BR Video

Bleacher Report is your one-stop source for March Madness. From the first round to the final buzzer, Bleacher Report has you covered with the latest news and analysis, plus every highlight you can't miss.

Few programs in college basketball are as consistent as the Arizona Wildcats, and they proved so yet again Saturday by clinching their fourth Sweet 16 berth in five years with a 69-60 victory over the Saint Mary's Gaels.

The Wildcats are the No. 2 seed in the West Region and hail from the Pac-12, but the No. 7 seed Gaels from the less-respected West Coast Conference challenged them throughout the contest before Arizona finally pulled away near the end.

The talent of Lauri Markkanen, Allonzo Trier, Dusan Ristic and Kadeem Allen ultimately broke through despite the fact the Wildcats fell behind by double digits:

Arizona wasn't the only team with impact players on the floor. The formidable pairing of Jock Landale and Calvin Hermanson had the Gaels in position to pull an upset until late in the second half. Landale finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Hermanson added 14 points.

Saint Mary's also caught the attention of Martin Rickman of Uproxx Sports for its fashion:

Had the Gaels shot better than 5-of-21 (23.8 percent) from three-point range against Arizona's stingy perimeter defense, they would have been the ones advancing to the Sweet 16.

The poor outside shooting was even more of an issue when juxtaposed against Saint Mary's start. It opened by consistently going into the paint and establishing the initial lead. Landale made his first five shots and was not intimidated, as Christopher Deak of the Daily Wildcat pointed out:

Landale and the Gaels dominated every facet of the game out of the gates and built a double-digit advantage. Saint Mary's was slashing into the lane and scoring on the blocks with ease while stifling Arizona's offense, as Jason McIntyre of the Big Lead described:

The Wildcats allayed their fans' worries when Rawle Alkins returned from injury, and they finished the half on a 15-6 run to pull within 30-29. That Saint Mary's couldn't get to the locker room with more than a one-point lead despite shooting 50 percent from the field compared to Arizona's 34.5 percent proved critical in the final outcome.

Had head coach Sean Miller known the Wildcats were going to rally back, his shirt would have been better off, as Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports noted:

Arizona seized its first lead of the contest when Ristic scored on the opening possession of the second half, which set the stage for a string of lead changes. Wildcats senior Allen wasn't ready for his career to end in such a close contest and bolstered the energy level in the open court:

BR Video

Trier built on the momentum from Allen's play and scored seven straight points to give Arizona the slightest of breathing room for the first time all game.

Even though the Wildcats had the momentum for the majority of the second half after Trier's spurt, Saint Mary's didn't go away thanks to that combination of Landale and Calvin Hermanson. The duo had no issue scoring at will for extended stretches even against the Wildcats' length.

However, Markkanen responded by moving to the perimeter and drilling a three to put Arizona up six. He then swatted Landale on the other end.

Campus Insiders responded to the critical stretch:

Saint Mary's cut it to five in the last two minutes with a Hermanson three, but it never got closer than that.

Arizona will face the No. 11 seed Xavier Musketeers in the Sweet 16. While the Musketeers are a double-digit seed, they spent time in the Associated Press Top 25 during the season and destroyed the No. 3 seed Florida State Seminoles by 25 points Saturday.

What's more, Miller coached the Musketeers from 2004-09 before coming to the Wildcats, so he knows not to overlook his next opponent.

Postgame Reaction

Landale discussed the difference between the start and finish, per Lynn Worthy of the Salt Lake Tribune:

I think they started front me in the post a lot more, making it tough for me to catch. I was catching it out a lot farther, which is my fault. I have to do a better job of getting a deep catch. But, I mean, our guys were getting wide-open shots. I felt like we were moving the ball pretty well in the first half. It was nothing out of the ordinary. We're used to that stuff, but we just didn't hit shots at the clip we usually do.

Miller praised Trier's outburst in the second half after the win, per Ben White of WildcatAuthority.com: "I almost feel like the difference in the game was his offensive outburst maybe midway through the second half. He regained his confidence. And when he’s confident offensively our team is a lot better."

Alkins talked about his team's showing, per Zack Rosenblatt of the Arizona Daily Star: "We have tremendous confidence. I don't think we ever lost confidence in this game, and I felt like we were warriors."

BR Video

Arizona guard Kadeem Allen sank a crowd-riling slam during Saturday's second-round NCAA tournament win over Saint Mary's.

Allen's effort gave the Wildcats a 44-44 tie midway through the second half before they gained separation in a 69-60 win.

No. 2 seed Arizona will face 11th-seeded Xavier on Thursday in San Jose, California.

The No. 2 Arizona Wildcats had no time for Cinderella tales Thursday against the 15th-seeded North Dakota Fighting Hawks.

Arizona cruised to a commanding 100-82 victory and sent a message to the rest of the West Region. It was just the first round, but this team has Final Four-caliber talent and an offense that can go off at any given moment.

Anthony Gimino of Tucson News Now noted that offense is clicking at just the right time:

Teams don't crack the century mark without a balanced attack. Lauri Markkanen, Allonzo Trier and the rest of the Wildcats starters all scored in double figures:

As a whole, Arizona shot a blistering 58.1 percent from the field and ensured there would be no late drama by connecting on 24 of 28 free throws. The offense did more than enough to win comfortably, but the defense had trouble with North Dakota at times, as evidenced by Quinton Hooker's 25 points and Drick Bernstine's 20.

The Wildcats played cat-and-mouse with the Fighting Hawks for the opening few minutes and found themselves behind 12-11. That apparently woke them up, because they responded with a 13-1 run and went on an offensive tear for the rest of the game.

Arizona's superior athleticism was on full display, and it consistently knifed through North Dakota's defense to find easy looks. The result was 53 first-half points and a 16-point advantage at intermission.

The disparity wasn't much of a surprise considering Ken Pomeroy's pace-adjusted numbers ranked Arizona's offense 21st in the nation and North Dakota's defense 139th following the contest.

The Fighting Hawks had no answer for the 7'0" Markkanen when the outcome was still hanging in the balance. The Finland native poured in 16 first-half points, and the team's Twitter account provided a quick recap of the action:

Arizona's leading scorer, Trier, wasn't about to let his teammate have all the fun, as CBS Sports highlighted:

That type of offense meant the Wildcats were still largely in control early in the second half, but Hooker, Corey Baldwin and Bernstine made them sweat by cutting the deficit to seven with a 13-5 run.

Gimino was not impressed with Arizona's defensive effort:

Just when it looked like North Dakota actually had some hope, Arizona locked in on the defensive side.

The momentum swings followed a similar pattern to the first half, as Christopher Deak of the Daily Wildcat foreshadowed:

Arizona was seemingly playing with an on-and-off switch for much of the game, fully aware of the power it possessed. Whenever the Fighting Hawks followed their namesake and put up a fight, the Pac-12 representative unleashed its talent and size advantage to create some breathing room.

Said breathing room meant Wildcats head coach Sean Miller's shirt had a chance of remaining dry, as Zack Rosenblatt of the Arizona Daily Star pointed out:

The Wildcats' increased intensity for the remainder of the game meant the only thing in doubt down the stretch was whether they would reach 100 points. They did when Rawle Alkins scored in the lane with less than two minutes remaining.

At least North Dakota's fans stuck it out, as Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo Sports noticed:

Next up for Arizona is a Saturday showdown against No. 7 seed Saint Mary's in the round of 32. The Gaels handled VCU 85-77 on Thursday and are an impressive 29-4 on the season. What's more, three of those losses came to the same Gonzaga team that also beat Arizona.

Saint Mary's figures to provide a much stiffer test for the Wildcats than North Dakota did Thursday.

Postgame Reaction

Kadeem Allen said Miller told the Wildcats, "If you want to go out like that, so be it" when North Dakota went on its run, per Rosenblatt. Allen then scored seven of his team's next 10 points.

Alkins said of the performance, per Rosenblatt: "We just wanted to play hard and show we belong here."

NCAA March Madness shared the postgame press conferences on its YouTube page.

Miller said in his conference, "We wish we felt better about our defensive effort … but I credit North Dakota on the way they played."

North Dakota head coach Brian Jones discussed the spurt that cut the deficit in his conference: "That was a big run for us, it took a lot of energy out of us … but that's what this team's been about … I feel they play the game the right way, they have no quit in them."

The Arizona Wildcats have struck gold with their 2018 recruiting class by landing prized small forward Emmanuel Akot. 

Akot announced his decision to play for the Wildcats on Twitter:

Akot is one of the best players in the 2018 recruiting class and is dazzling scouts at Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah. 

He is a 5-star prospect who is ranked as the No. 1 small forward recruit from Utah, No. 3 small forward recruit in the country and No. 15 overall player in the 2018 class, per Scout.com. 

"Akot is an extremely athletic and versatile forward who is improving at a quick rate," Scout.com wrote. "He's got the size, length, toughness and lateral quickness to guard multiple positions on defense. On offense, he's a quickly improving shooter who can hit jumpers from midrange and three."

In choosing Arizona, Akot told Evan Daniels and Josh Gershon of Scout.com that head coach Sean Miller was instrumental in his decision. 

"He's very serious guy when it comes to basketball," Akot said. "He likes to win and I like to win. I talk to him all the time. My parents really like him. He has big plans for me."

Akot becomes Arizona's first commitment for the 2018 cycle. Miller and the Wildcats coaching staff have turned this program into a national power currently ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press Top 25 and just three wins away from its third 30-win season in the last four years. 

The Pac-12 has been one of the best conferences in the nation this year with Arizona, UCLA and Oregon all ranked in the top 10 for most of the season. Arizona is ensuring it will continue to stay at that level for years to come by adding a dynamic star like Akot to the mix. 

The Arizona Wildcats men's basketball program and head coach Sean Miller agreed to a contract extension on Thursday that will run through the 2022 season, according to the Arizona Daily Star.  

Miller will also be receiving a raise "that will eventually pay him nearly $3 million per year."

His current contract was originally set to expire at the end of the 2017-18 season, per Bruce Pascoe of the Arizona Daily Star. 

It's obvious that the program is pleased with its current situation as the five-year restructured deal for Miller is the maximum possible length of a contract according to ABOR rules, via the Arizona Daily Star.

At 48 years old, Miller has been at the helm of Arizona since the 2009-10 season and has made the NCAA Tournament in five of his first seven years. 

It included two straight trips to the Elite Eight in 2014 and 2015 in which the team combined to win 67 games during that span. That's the most wins in a two-year stretch in program history. 

During his tenure, Miller has compiled a 208-63 record along with two Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors. Those 208 wins already ranks third in program history behind Lute Olson's 587 and Fred Enke's 509.

However, Olson coached for 24 years while Enke patrolled the sidelines for 36.

During this 2016-17 season, the Wildcats are off to another solid start under Miller as they are ranked fifth in the country with a 20-2 entering a Thursday night matchup against Oregon State. 

Stats courtesy of Sports-Reference.com.

TUCSON, Arizona — It took about 45 seconds for Allonzo Trier to take his first shot after making his 2016-17 home debut at McKale Center on Jan. 26, a three-pointer that barely touched the rim as it went through. That basket led to a standing ovation from the 14,000-plus fans, the second in less than a minute, the other coming after the sophomore guard was introduced as a sub off the bench.

Among those standing up to cheer was Ray Smith, a redshirt freshman forward who was expected to play a huge role for the Wildcats this season before suffering a third major knee injury in the preseason. And also likely applauding, albeit from halfway across the world, was Terrance Ferguson, a shooting guard who had signed with Arizona but ended up passing up college for a pro contract in Australia.

Fifth-ranked Arizona is 20-2 overall and 9-0 in the Pac-12, alone in first place ahead of this weekend's huge showdown at No. 13 Oregon. It has won 14 in a row, the third-longest streak in the nation, and Trier's return from a 19-game suspension for failing a drug test has the Wildcats looking like a strong contender to make the Final Four for the first time since 2001.

As good as they've looked this season—and regardless of how much better they've become with Trier's return—it's hard not to wonder how strong Arizona could have been had coach Sean Miller been able to use every club he was supposed to have in his golf bag.

In a season where so-called superteams like Duke and Kentucky garnered a boatload of hype because of their overabundance of talent (yet in January alone they've combined to lose five times), Arizona moved along with little fanfare until Trier returned a little more than a week ago. Without him, the Wildcats went 17-2 with single-digit neutral-court losses to Butler and top-ranked Gonzaga, dipping down to just seven available scholarship players at one point.

The team Arizona has put on the court for most of this season is far from what it was supposed to be able to sport. Its five-man recruiting class rivaled Duke and Kentucky's with the addition of Ferguson as well as 5-star guard Rawle Alkins and 4-star guard Kobi Simmons, both of whom Scout ranked among the top 10 players of their class at their positions. There was also 5-star 7'0" Finnish forward Lauri Markkanen, who averaged nearly 25 points per game for his country at the FIBA U20 European Championship during the summer.

But not long after Markkanen went for 33 points against Spain, the Wildcats were dealt the first in a series of roster-thinning blows. Ferguson, less than three months after pledging to come to Tucson, instead announced he was heading Down Under (via The Players' Tribune):

"You probably know that that wasn’t the original plan. This fall, I was supposed to be playing for the University of Arizona. But when life gives you an opportunity like this, you can’t pass it up!"

It was the first in a series of events that thinned-out Arizona's wealth of talent that risked turning a promising season into a major disappointment.

The Wildcats also lost two players to season-ending knee injuries during the preseason.

Smith, a 6'8" forward who was the No. 16 player in the 2015 recruiting class and who had already missed 2015-16 (as well as his senior year of high school) because of similar ailments, retired from basketball after his third ACL tear in 27 months. 

And then there was the Trier saga, which began in mid-October when the Wildcats' top returning scorer was abruptly pulled from appearing at Pac-12 media day in San Francisco and ended with his return less than two weeks ago, with nary a mention of him from the school or team in between.

How quiet was Arizona on the subject? The majority of Miller's press conferences between late October and mid-January began with school spokesman Matt Ensor making a blanket statement that no one would be commenting on Trier's status.

Trier's absence—and the lack of an explanation for it, let alone an idea of when or if it would end—began to take on a life of its own. From media day on, there was a near-daily "Trier Watch" to see if he was going to play. Interpretations and speculations were made based on his involvement in pregame shootarounds, his choice of warm-up clothing and even the type of shoes he wore. Someone even created a Twitter account dedicated to the sweat pants Trier regularly wore on game days.

As a result, Arizona began the regular season with eight scholarship players (and briefly dipped to seven when junior Parker Jackson-Cartwright missed time with a high ankle sprain) when it entered the summer thinking it would have at least that many key contributors.

Trier certainly would have retained his starting position from his freshman year when he averaged 14.8 points per game, while Ferguson and Smith were strong candidates to start. Ferguson, who hit a record seven three-pointers at the Nike Hoop Summit in April, was expected to give the Wildcats a much-needed perimeter sharpshooter, while Smith had been tabbed as the wing defender they sorely missed a season ago. Markkanen would have been the starting center and either Cartwright or senior Kadeem Allen would have filled out the other guard spot.

But it wasn't just the starting five that would have made Arizona such a formidable force at full strength, so would its ability to mix and match for different scenarios. Markkanen's amazing versatility—he leads in scoring (16.8), rebounding (7.6) and three-pointers (54)—is best used by having him able to work from the outside in, and with Smith able to play the 4 and 7'0" junior Dusan Ristic a more traditional back-to-the-basket 5, the Wildcats would have been one of the longest teams in the country.

Miller could have also gone small with any of those bigs being the sole frontcourt guy, while a quartet of guards with varying skill sets would have forced opponents to either match their size or risk being too slow to keep up.

UCLA occasionally goes to a four-guard lineup of Bryce Alford, Lonzo Ball, Isaac Hamilton and Aaron Holiday, referred to as "Guards Against Humanity," that few teams have been able to deal with, but the Wildcats could have countered with its own cadre of ball-handlers. Arizona's Alkins, Allen, Ferguson and Trier could have been a four-guard lineup.

That's the theory, at least. Sometimes there can be problems with having too much talent available, as Arizona saw the previous two seasons when better depth caused players to transfer from the program. Freshman forward Craig Victor left midway through 2014-15, while freshman guard Justin Simon departed after the 2015-16 campaign ended.

With everyone available, a scenario exists where Alkins or Simmons, who each average about 30 minutes per game, would have played less and might not be as far along in their development. The same goes for Allen, who has morphed into a lockdown defender, who on Sunday helped hold potential No. 1 NBA draft pick Markelle Fultz of Washington to 8-of-23 shooting.

Smith's presence could have also affected how Arizona used its big men, potentially scrapping the twin-tower lineup of Markkanen and Ristic that's been so effective. Ristic's breakout season in which he scored 16 or more in the first five Pac-12 games may have never happened.

But that's also assuming Miller wouldn't have been able to work the magic that saw him get Arizona to three Elite Eights since 2011. For much of this season, he's had to represent a flush when he's really held two pair. Who's to say he couldn't feign weakness when having a much better hand? Regarded by many as the best coach in the country not to have made a Final Four, Miller could have had his best shot yet with this team.

And he still does. Since returning on Jan. 21 (with 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists off the bench in a 96-85 win at then-No. 3 UCLA), Trier is averaging 13.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists since his return, shooting 43.3 percent overall and 28.6 percent from three-point range. There's still rust to be shaken off, but it's clear how much better he makes the Wildcats, and it's a big reason they went from being listed as a 33-1 shot to win the NCAA title to 12-1, per OddsShark.

"The transition that guys made to have to take on bigger roles and be ready was great," Trier said, adding that Miller "really solidified himself as the Coach of the Year."

Had Trier been there the whole time, the odds might have been even better right now, and if Ferguson had decided to stay on this side of the planet and Smith had landed normally on that layup, it might be Arizona sitting at No. 1 with a perfect record instead of Gonzaga.

Duke and Kentucky have similar "what if" scenarios, the former's related to if all of its heralded freshmen had been at full strength from the outset, while the latter is once again dealing with overinflated expectations that come with thinking an all-star team of prep phenoms can play together as one. But as they begin to slide and questions revolve around whether either can turn it around, Arizona is moving in the opposite direction and doing its best not to look back.

"It's almost like we have a new life," Miller said. "We have to [use] that to our advantage."

All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.com, unless otherwise noted. All recruiting information courtesy of Scout.com, unless otherwise noted.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.

For 19 games spanning more than two months, every Arizona Wildcats basketball game began with questions regarding whether Allonzo Trier would get to play and ended with curiosity about what the team would be like if and when he returned.

Much loftier speculation has replaced those queries: Now that Trier is back, is Arizona the team to beat?

The sophomore guard made his long-awaited season debut Saturday, coming off the bench to score 12 points. He added seven rebounds, four assists and a steal in 27 minutes in No. 14 Arizona's 96-85 win at third-ranked UCLA. It was his first action since the NCAA cleared him Friday following a failed offseason drug test.

The 6'5" Trier was 4-of-10 from the field and made only one of four three-pointers, looking rusty on some of his jumpers and not as quick off the dribble as he was last season, when he averaged 14.8 points per game. But he looked much better than someone whose last real competition came in March, when Wichita State bounced Arizona in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

But what Trier did Saturday should end up paling in comparison to his impact on the remainder of the season. A team that, less than a month ago, was down to seven available scholarship players—which forced head coach Sean Miller to rush back junior point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright from a high ankle sprain—now becomes one of the deeper squads in the country.

"The fact that he's back I think means the world to our future," Miller said of Trier on Sportsradio 1290 prior to Saturday's game (via Anthony Gimino of AllSportsTucson.com).

It wasn't like Arizona (18-2, 7-0 Pac-12) was struggling without Trier. Its only losses were by four against No. 13 Butler in Las Vegas and by seven to unbeaten Gonzaga in Los Angeles. The Wildcats had won their four true road games by an average of 17.5 points and came into Saturday's clash allowing 61.8 points per contest, which was the best in the conference and 13th in the country.

Now, with another versatile player available, the Wildcats deserve to be considered at least a Final Four contender and a certainty to be in the mix for their first national title since 1997.

Trier released a statement Wednesday, admitting he had "tested positive for a trace amount of a banned performance-enhancing drug" that was unknowingly given to him by a "well-intentioned but misguided person." The statement said he appealed what would have been a one-season suspension. He got his eligibility restored, but he noted he wouldn't be able to play until the substance had completely left his body.

That came Friday, when the NCAA informed the school that Trier's most recent drug test was negative. He'd been practicing with the team all season and had made most road trips. Thus, he was with the Wildcats for their Los Angeles swing, allowing him to play right away.

He will return to the starting lineup at some point, possibly as soon as Arizona's next game on Thursday against Washington State, which means someone has to go to the bench. The most likely option is freshman guard Kobi Simmons, though he had a career outing against UCLA with 20 points, six rebounds and five assists.

ESPN's Jeff Goodman liked what he saw from Simmons:

A move to the bench for the freshman just means Arizona's second unit will become even more formidable, with Miller able to mix and match five guards. He also has four frontcourt players—three of whom are 6'11" or taller—with each showing his ability Saturday to hit outside jumpers.

That's been a known quantity for 7-foot freshman Lauri Markkanen, who was 3-of-4 from deep against UCLA and is shooting 50 percent (48-of-96) from beyond the arc, but junior Dusan Ristic and sophomore Chance Comanche—who had a combined 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting—each hit long twos in addition to scoring inside.

Arizona's offensive rating ranked 34th in the country entering Saturday, and the Wildcats proceeded to shoot 50 percent overall and 45 percent from three. They also turned it over just seven times, avoiding empty possessions that could've been dangerous against UCLA's uptempo attack. And by holding the Bruins to just eight fast-break points, they forced UCLA to shoot 45.1 percent overall and 32.3 percent from three.

UCLA (19-2, 6-2) came in shooting 53.6 and 44.1 percent, respectively, both tops in the country.

Recent games have shown Arizona's defensive intensity wanes in the second half, possibly because of fatigue. On Thursday, it nearly blew a 23-point lead at USC after holding the Trojans to 19 first-half points. That prompted Miller to say "our ability to endure ... all the way to the finish line is nonexistent," per the Daily Wildcat (h/t Ryan Kelapire of Arizona Desert Swarm).

That wasn't the case against UCLA, though the Bruins did rally from a 14-point hole to cut the deficit to 67-65 with 11:31 left. After that, Arizona regrouped and, possibly thanks to Trier's giving it another body to work with, never led by fewer than four points in the final nine minutes.

One game doesn't ensure anything—both for Trier and the Wildcats—though their first win in 15 tries at Pauley Pavilion against a Top 10 UCLA team made for a strong foundation. How Arizona continues to assimilate Trier into the rotation and redefine everyone's offensive and defensive roles while adding the equivalent a 5-star prospect midway through the season will dictate how long its campaign lasts.

All statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise noted. All recruiting information courtesy of Scout.com unless otherwise noted.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.

The Arizona Wildcats have not detailed why Allonzo Trier has yet to play this season, but on Wednesday, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com cited multiple sources who said it's because the guard tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug during the preseason.

Rob Dauster of College Basketball Talk confirmed the report through sources.

Trier released a comment on the report, per Zack Rosenblatt of the Arizona Daily Star:

Michael Lev of the Arizona Daily Star reported Trier will play Saturday against UCLA.

Goodman noted Trier failed a random NCAA drug test in September, and the school was made aware of it in October.

This comes after Wildcats head coach Sean Miller discussed the situation Monday on the College Hoops Podcast (h/t Bruce Pascoe of the Arizona Daily Star).

"Allonzo's situation is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime situation," Miller said. "I can't even say that I'm optimistic. I'm just kind of neutral. It's a very, very unique situation. We have our fingers crossed that at some point maybe he gets the green light, but at this point, I can't say when or even if it's going to happen."

Trier's absence hasn't slowed the Wildcats this season. They are 16-2 overall and 5-0 in the Pac-12. They lead the early conference standings and check in at No. 14 in the Associated Press Top 25.

They have wins over Michigan State, Missouri and Texas A&M to go along with those conference victories, and single-digit losses to Butler and Gonzaga won't hurt their resume much come Selection Sunday.

Still, Trier averaged 14.8 points per game in 2015-16 behind 36.4 percent shooting from three-point range. He would give Arizona more offensive firepower and provide additional depth for a team that Goodman said has been "decimated by injuries."

Ray Smith suffered a torn ACL in the preseason, Talbott Denny is out for the season with a knee injury and Parker Jackson-Cartwright missed six games with an ankle issue.

Arizona is a Pac-12 title contender with or without Trier, but his presence would make the Wildcats a legitimate Final Four threat.