After Arizona’s 2015-16 season ended, Allonzo Trier took over two weeks to gather information and think before he decided to stay for his sophomore season.
He and Rawle Alkins appear to be going through the same sort of process this spring, which is probably a good sign for the Arizona coaching staff.
If both of them can gather enough feedback to make a decision one way or another without formally testing the draft – and thus keeping everyone hanging as long as May 24, the deadline for testing players to return to school – UA will be better able to go ahead with spring recruiting.
In particular, wing Brian Bowen has made it clear his decision centers around next season’s rosters at Arizona, Creighton and Michigan State – so he may not want to choose Arizona if Trier and Alkins are staying or are still uncertain while testing the draft.
While Chance Comanche is testing the draft, that may not have as much of an impact on recruiting in the frontcourt. Comanche's decision is interesting, however, since he faces the likely possibility that he won't be starting again next season if he returns.
So overall with Arizona’s early departure decisions, that’s three down (sort of) and two to go, with Lauri Markkanen and Kobi Simmons gone for good, and Comanche reportedly to test the draft (though that hasn’t been announced).
Here’s the current roll call for 2017-18 (the maximum scholarship count is still 13):
RETURNING (at least we think…)
1. Parker Jackson-Cartwright, senior guard.
2. Dusan Ristic, senior center
3. Keanu Pinder, senior forward
4. Talbott Denny, senior forward
5. Dylan Smith, sophomore guard
ARRIVING
6. DeAndre Ayton, freshman forward
7. Brandon Randolph, freshman wing
8. Alex Barcello, freshman guard
9. Ira Lee, freshman forward
UNCERTAIN
10. Allonzo Trier, junior wing
11. Rawle Alkins, sophomore forward
12. Chance Comanche, junior center
SPRING TARGETS
1. Brian Bowen, 2017 wing
2. Trevon Duval, 2017 guard
3. Brandon McCoy, 2017 center
4. Jemarl Baker, 2017 guard
5. Chase Jeter, Duke junior
Other transfers/high school players are likely to pop up as the spring moves on, of course.
Bottom line: There’s room for at least one newcomer even if Trier, Alkins and Comanche all return (though there’s still only one ball...)
Still haven't heard yet either from Oregon's Dillon Brooks and Tyler Dorsey but there's already a lot of other "draft testing" around the Pac-12 that could also shape up how the race plays out next season.
Among those who have declared for the draft without signing with an agent:
-- Oregon State's Drew Eubanks and Stephen Thompson, Jr.
-- UCLA's Ike Anigbogu
-- USC's Shaqquan Aaron and Bennie Boatwright
-- Utah's Kyle Kuzma
Of the transfers around the league:
-- Cal's Kameron Rooks is heading out of Berkeley via the grad transfer route
-- Shot-blocker Jethro Tshisumpa is leaving ASU
-- Devon Daniels and JoJo Zamora are the latest Utah transfers.
-- Malcolm Duvivier is grad-transferring from OSU
-- Noah Dickerson and Matthew Atewe are bolting the flattened Washington program.
