ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ coach Sean Miller did not rejoin the Wildcats for practice Monday as his status remained unclear and news continued to swirl around his embattled program.
The latest developments:
- Associate head coach Lorenzo Romar coached the team in practice Monday at McKale Center, as he did Saturday in the Wildcats’ loss at Oregon, and said upon leaving for the court that Miller “is not with us.†ESPN reported Monday that Miller allegedly discussed a $100,000 payment to ensure star forward Deandre Ayton enrolled at UA.
However, Romar said he didn’t know if his or Miller’s status had changed.
- UA guard Allonzo Trier worked out with the team but his status also remains up in the air after he missed both of the Wildcats’ games in Oregon last week because of a positive PED test. NCAA drug testing policy is to grant an appeal within 48 hours of a request in the event there is an upcoming competition, and UA was expected to file an appeal in time to receive an answer before Thursday’s game.
- A University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ spokesman clarified that, if Miller were dismissed, he would not receive any base compensation for work beyond the date of his termination. Because of unclear wording in Miller’s contract, several reports have said Miller would actually stand to earn more if he were fired for cause (breaking NCAA rules) than he would if fired without cause.
- Ayton practiced Monday, with UA having already determined that he was eligible and playing him Saturday at Oregon. An outside attorney hired by ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Boston-based Paul Kelly, said Ayton has consistently told UA, the FBI and the NCAA that neither he nor any of his representatives nor family received a payment that influenced his decision to attend UA.
- Reported timelines of the alleged conversation between Miller and agent Christian Dawkins might call into question whether it could have been about securing a commitment specifically from Ayton. ESPN said Monday it was in sometime in 2016, not 2017 as it originally reported. However, 24/7 Sports reported that Dawkins and Miller had their calls intercepted between June 19-Sept. 25 of 2017, via a wiretap on Dawkins’ phone, long after Ayton committed to the Wildcats in September 2016.
- UA’s lone remaining recruit, guard Brandon Williams of Los Angeles, remained committed to the Wildcats while watching all the news unfold. UA’s other 2018 commit, Shareef O’Neal, decommitted on Saturday.
People are also reading…
“Same boat,†said Chris Wright, Williams’ father. “Everybody’s asking but we’ve got nothing to say right now. We’re on top of it.â€
The most imminent situation hit home at McKale Center on Monday, when the Wildcats held their first practice since the loss at Oregon without their leader of the past nine seasons, just as their final homestand approaches.
UA will face Stanford on Thursday and Cal on Saturday, in what will be a Senior Night for Parker Jackson-Cartwright, Dusan Ristic, Keanu Pinder and Talbott Denny.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ did not hold its normal weekly news conference Monday, which typically features Miller and one player, and Miller did not host his weekly Monday night radio show. But the Wildcats went through their usual routine of weightlifting at Richard Jefferson Gym, watching film and practicing in mid-afternoon.
It remained unknown where Miller was or what university officials were discussing, but among the issues that could be in play are the nature of ESPN’s report and the wording of Miller’s contract.
Unlike the federal complaint that was released on Sept. 26, 2017, which laid out charges that led to the arrest of UA assistant coach Book Richardson and three other coaches, the ESPN report quoted “sources familiar with the government’s evidence.†Any transcript of the wiretapped conversation likely remains sealed, and it is possible Miller may be disputing it behind the scenes.
Miller did not deny having a conversation with Dawkins in his statement Saturday, but said he was “confident that I will be vindicated,†and said he believed it was in the best interests of the team if he didn’t coach on Saturday.
If Miller was found to have broken NCAA rules and UA decided to fire him, that could set up a messy dispute.
Language in Miller’s contract says that if he is terminated with cause, “the University’s sole obligation to Coach shall be the payment of his Base Salary as provided†— but it doesn’t specify if that payment includes base salary he’s due to earn over the length of his contract or just to the date of termination.
However, UA spokesman Chris Sigurdson indicated that in such a case, future contracted salary would not be included.
“We recognize there may be some ambiguity in the language of the contract,†Sigurdson said via email, “but ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ courts look to the intent of the parties, and the intent of the parties in this case is clear. Base salary and any additional compensation are payable only to the date of termination.â€
Kelly, the attorney UA hired to assess any potential NCAA issues, did not return a message for comment. Steve Thompson, the attorney for Trier, also was unavailable for comment.
Rim shots
- Former UA forward Michael Wright will be the school’s inductee this year into the Pac-12’s Hall of Honor. Wright was a three-time all-conference honoree who played for the Wildcats between 1998-2001, then went on to a successful overseas career. He was murdered in November 2015 in Brooklyn, N.Y.
- ³§³Ù²¹²Ô´Ú´Ç°ù»å’s Reid Travis received the Pac-12 Player of the Week award after leading the Cardinal to a home sweep of Washington and Washington State by averaging 26.5 points and 10.0 rebounds.
- ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ dropped from No. 14 to No. 19 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
