Tad Boyle's comments may have spiced up Arizona-Colorado rivalry

While at their respective schools for the longest active period of any Pac-12 basketball coaches, Colorado’s Tad Boyle and Arizona’s Sean Miller have displayed a cordial relationship.

The two coaches share similarly straightforward personalities, remarkably similar defensive philosophies and they frequently compliment each other — even as their teams’ rivalry has flared up during several past seasons.

Boyle’s Buffs haven’t beaten the Wildcats yet at McKale Center, where they will visit Thursday, but they beat them in the finals of the 2012 Pac-12 Tournament and three times in Boulder — including an 80-77 win on Jan. 6.

But things may have changed after Jan. 6, and not because Colorado won the game. Afterward, Boyle was asked if it meant more to beat Arizona because of what it went through in the offseason — meaning the FBI investigation that resulted in the arrest of and UA’s move to fire assistant coach Book Richardson.

Boyle answered by complementing Miller and USC coach Andy Enfield, whose program was also named in the probe, and then said, “To answer your question, hell yes.”

Miller had already finished speaking to media at Colorado on Jan. 6 by the time word of Boyle’s remark spread. But when he was asked what he though of it during his weekly news conference Monday, Miller didn’t really answer.

“My focus is just on coaching our team,” Miller said, in a comment consistent with nearly everything he’s said this season about the FBI and UA-initiated investigations.

Miller immediately pivoted into talking about transitioning the Wildcats from their win at Stanford to being ready for Thursday’s game with Colorado. And when he was asked if his relationship with Boyle has changed, Miller answered similarly.

“Like I said, my focus is on getting ready for this week,” Miller said, then spoke immediately about how Utah, the Wildcats’ opponent on Saturday, is “equally dangerous.”

Enfield didn’t have quite the same approach. Three days after Boyle’s remarks – and a day before his Trojans hosted the Buffaloes — he pulled out a prepared statement to read when asked about them.

“We are disappointed in Tad Boyle’s comments and what they imply,” Enfield said, according to the Orange County Register. “Not only is it unfair for someone to comment who doesn’t have all the facts, but those comments are unfair to those of us involved in the USC men’s basketball program, most importantly to our student-athletes and their families. They’re outstanding young men who chose USC to receive a world-class education and compete for championships.”

The next day, when USC was polishing off its 70-58 win over Colorado, Enfield called a needless late time- out in an apparent effort to send a message. Enfield said later that “I just had some things to say to my team.”

Boyle had been outspoken since the federal investigation was made public on Sept. 26. At Pac-12 media day in October, he expressed hope that “we can purge the system of what needs to be purged” and said he’s often suspected rule-breaking on the recruiting trail.

“Look, you’re in the trenches recruiting all the time. So you know,” Boyle said then. “There are programs and coaches that do things right, and there are programs and coaches that don’t. You have a sense of that. You don’t always know for sure. So obviously some light has been shown on some programs that weren’t.”

On Monday, when Miller was asked about the remarks and whether it was difficult for him to stay quiet, he said:

“No, that’s the job here and there’s always a lot going on with our team on and off the court,” Miller said. It’s “just making sure everybody moving in the right direction and that’s where my focus is. That’s where all of our focus is: Just get ready for the next game.”

Alkins easing back

Miller said he was not aware of any soreness Rawle Alkins experienced after playing 34 minutes at Stanford on Saturday, but indicated he would continue to treat the sophomore forward cautiously.

Alkins missed the first nine games of the season after breaking his right foot on Sept. 26, then played in nine straight before feeling pain early last week. He was held out of UA’s game at Cal last Wednesday as a result.

“It’s tricky when somebody goes through the surgery that he has, because you really rely more on him than anything else,” Miller said. “The X-rays are negative. We’re gonna be incredibly smart with him in terms of an extra day here or there.”

Miller indicated he might hold Alkins out of selected practices but was balancing that with a need to keep him in the flow because of the time he’s missed.

“It’s just listening to him, making sure we understand what his pain is, because we want him healthy for the long haul and healthy for his future as well,” Miller said. “Anything can happen to any of our players, but the things we can control we want to do the right way.

“That’s why we shut him down for the Cal game. It had nothing to do with who we played or anything else. It was the right thing for him and if we have to do that again every once in a while we’ll do that. I know it’s not the perfect world for him and our team but big picture it is.”

Bibbins wins Pac-12 honor

Utah guard Justin Bibbins picked up the Pac-12 Player of the Week award on Monday, meaning the Wildcats will be facing the reigning winner for a second straight week after Stanford’s Daejon Davis won it on Jan. 15.

Bibbins averaged 16.5 points and 8.5 assists in Utah’s home wins over Washington and Washington State to beat out Arizona’s Allonzo Trier and others for the award.

Bibbins had 20 points and 10 rebounds against Washington, and at 5-foot-8 was the shortest conference player in the past 20 years to record 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in one game.

Arizona nominated Trier after he averaged 18 points and 50 percent shooting in the Wildcats’ wins at Cal and Stanford. Trier made 10 of 12 free throws for the week, hitting 3 of 4 in the final 18 seconds to seal UA’s win over Stanford.

“You can’t take for granted his ability to make clutch free throws at the end of games,” Miller said. “He’s the best I’ve seen at getting there, wanting the ball, going to the line and delivering, ad his efficiency (is impressive) shooting the ball from 3 especially when he gets good looks.”

Rim shots

• Deandre Ayton was named to the midseason watch list of the USBWA’s Oscar Robinson player of the year award. ASU’s Tra Holder was the only other Pac-12 player on the list.

• Arizona moved from No. 14 to No. 11 in The Associated Press Top 25 poll. ASU (21) remains the only other Pac-12 team in the poll.

• The Wildcats’ RPI sits at 16 and they were projected as a No. 4 NCAA Tournament seed by both ESPN and CBS on Monday.