At this point, it鈥檚 nearly a rite of passage for 蜜柚直播 basketball players to deal with shoulder injuries. But at least Josh Green has already pushed his out of the way.
The highly regarded Australian freshman wing was fully cleared this month after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder. The news came just in time for the Wildcats鈥 first practice Thursday following a two-week break.
Green had surgery on his right shoulder in 2018, then dislocated his left shoulder during the April 12 Hoop Summit game and underwent surgery later that month. Until this week, Green had worked out only in limited form since arriving at UA.
鈥淗e shot almost all summer and he was able to do noncontact鈥 work, UA coach Sean Miller said. 鈥淏ut when we were in five-on-five he wasn鈥檛, as much for precautionary reasons as much as making sure he was 100% , which he is right now.鈥
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Two of Green鈥檚 UA teammates, forwards Ira Lee and Jake DesJardins, have had shoulder surgeries before. Graduate assistant Justin Coleman dislocated his shoulder just before Pac-12 play started last season, when he was the Wildcats鈥 starting point guard. Former UA forward Ryan Anderson spent his redshirt season of 2014-15 recovering from shoulder surgery that he underwent while playing at Boston College.
Green is optimistic the issue will be permanently behind him now after being limited for two summers in a row.
Josh Green
The right shoulder injury kept Green out of the July 2018 recruiting showcases. He said on Twitter last April that his left labrum had been torn for a while before it was dislocated in the Hoop Summit game, forcing him to undergo surgery on that side.
鈥淢y doc has been great and I鈥檓 glad that both shoulders have been fully fixed now, so I can come back stronger and more motivated than ever,鈥 Green tweeted on April 25.
蜜柚直播 guard Brandon Williams鈥 recovery from knee surgery is 鈥渁 long journey,鈥 coach Sean Miller says. He will miss the 2019-2020 season.
Williams on to 鈥榥ext phase鈥 after surgery
Things are much less clear with guard Brandon Williams, who underwent a second surgery in July to work on a congenital issue above his right knee. The injury will keep him out all season and could be career threatening, though Williams has dedicated himself toward rehabilitating so he can play in the 2020-21 season.
鈥淭here鈥檚 really nothing that I can say to fill in the blanks on that, other than he鈥檚 had surgery,鈥 Miller said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a long journey. I鈥檓 sure we鈥檒l all know more as we approach next spring.鈥
Williams had surgery on the knee in January 2017 and stayed out of basketball for 10 months before finishing off his senior season in high school and arriving at UA. He played most of last season but missed six games in Pac-12 play when the knee flared up again.
Miller said UA鈥檚 doctors re-evaluated Williams after the season and found surgery was the 鈥渘ext step鈥 needed. Williams is remaining in school throughout the rehabilitation process.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to all rally together with Brandon to get him back on his feet and get him to be as healthy as he can be, with the hope that he can return,鈥 Miller said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a long process. But he鈥檚 off crutches; a lot of the worst part is behind him. The surgery is over and I think just to be weight bearing and walking, that鈥檚 a good deal, because it allows him to begin the next phase, which is getting stronger.鈥
Nico Mannion now weighs 190 pounds, 15 more than he did while starring at Phoenix鈥檚 Pinnacle High School. He is one of nine Wildcats to gain weight this offseason.
Freshmen Mannion, Koloko bulk up
Nine Wildcats have gained at least 5 pounds since the start of the summer, with 6-3 freshman guard Nico Mannion jumping from 175 to 190, as he is now listed on the UA鈥檚 updated roster.
Seven others made 5-pound jumps: Jemarl Baker (to 200), DesJardins (to 225), Devonaire Doutrive (to 180), Chase Jeter (to 240), Zeke Nnaji (to 240), Dylan Smith (to 185) and Matt Weyand (to 200).
Freshman 7-footer Christian Koloko gained 17 pounds during the offseason, and is now listed at 215.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a good sign,鈥 Miller said. 鈥淚 think what you鈥檒l find is that he鈥檒l put a lot of weight on a good way over the next year.鈥
Miller says he鈥檚 鈥榥ot able to comment鈥
Miller told the Star and Blue Ribbon Yearbook this week that he was 鈥渘ot able to comment鈥 on additional allegations raised in this spring鈥檚 federal trial.
Miller, conducting interviews for the first time since March, said the UA has advised him not to comment at this point. The school has confirmed that an NCAA investigation is ongoing.
Staff shuffle
UA鈥檚 2019-20 roster is not just full of new players: Since last season, Miller has hired former NAU head coach Jack Murphy as an associate head coach, former manager David Miller as director of on-campus recruiting and basketball analytics, former graduate manager Anthony Richards as director of student-athlete development and Coleman as a graduate manager.
Miller said Murphy鈥檚 wide-ranging role will include coaching practices when he isn鈥檛 present and keeping a focus on UA鈥檚 defense, while Miller and Richards will each take some of the duties held by former assistant basketball operations director Austin Carroll, who is expected to join Rhode Island鈥檚 coaching staff this season.
Miller said David Miller (no relation), who spent the past two seasons as UC Santa Barbara鈥檚 director of basketball operations, won鈥檛 be able to recruit off campus or call prospects. But he鈥檚 expected to organize the staff鈥檚 recruiting and help in overall quality control in the same sort of role many college football staffs have.
鈥淏asketball is really moving toward that,鈥 Sean Miller said.
Miller said Richards will also take some responsibilities from Ryan Reynolds, the UA鈥檚 director of basketball operations.
鈥淗e鈥檚 really about student-athlete development, academics, community service, life skills,鈥 Miller said of Richards.
鈥淗aving somebody full time on our campus to help in those areas, from the time they walk in the door to time they leave, will be really helpful.鈥
Four-star guard Miller visiting campus
Four-star guard Adam Miller of Chicago began an official visit to 蜜柚直播 on Wednesday, according to a tweet from his club team, MacIrvin Fire.
Miller is also scheduled to visit ASU later this week. He told the Star last month that he wanted to visit both programs to see where he might fit in.
鈥淲ith Coach Miller, they鈥檙e always a playoff team,鈥 Adam Miller said of UA. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e always got some good guards that come out of there. It鈥檚 a guard school. 蜜柚直播 State, it鈥檚 fun out there with coach (Bobby) Hurley. It鈥檚 a really good environment. So I like both schools.鈥
Miller is also considering Illinois, Louisville and Kansas.
