Cat, Dog or Duck? Point guard recruit Brandon Williams will pick Saturday

Arizona 'wouldn't be a bad move'

Los Angeles point guard Brandon Williams, who decommitted from the Wildcats on March 2, is scheduled to announce his choice from new finalists Arizona, Gonzaga and Oregon on Saturday afternoon at the Ballislife All-Star Game in California.

Williams’ stepfather, Chris Wright, said Friday that “everything is status quo” this week after Williams took a final visit to Gonzaga last weekend, and that the family planned to have a final discussion on Friday night.

A point guard who could have a chance to start for the Wildcats next season — and possibly improve their chances of landing five-star Northern California forward Jordan Brown — Williams has largely kept his decision-making process close to the vest.

During interviews this week at Ballislife practices, Williams told Rivals that going back with Arizona “wouldn’t be a bad move” because of coach Sean Miller and the promise of players such as Brandon Randolph, Ira Lee and Chase Jeter.

Williams said Oregon recruit Bol Bol — once a former UA target — and other Ducks are calling him more than Oregon coaches, while Williams also raved about Oregon’s connection to Nike and founder Phil Knight.

“It’s Nike, it’s Oregon. You can’t go wrong there,” Williams told Rivals’ Goazcats. “There’s always life after basketball. They’ll help you on the court and off the court.”

In an interview with Fansided’s Zona Zealots, Williams spoke highly of Gonzaga players and coaches while complimenting the Zags’ consistent winning.

"It was wild," Williams told Zona Zealots. "Coach (Mark) Few's office is cluttered with trophies. Nowhere to sit."

Wherever Williams goes, it will put an end to a re-opened process that drew considerably more attention than before he committed to the Wildcats in June 2017, as a five-star prospect with question marks over a congenital bone issue around his knee that kept him off the court for a year. Williams had surgery in January 2017 to correct the issue and played last season as a senior at Crespi High School in Encino, California.

Williams was the last of UA’s three original 2018 recruits to decommit in the wake of Arizona’s offcourt issues, doing so a day after Miller denied an ESPN report saying he discussed paying a recruit to come to Arizona. 

UA has since rebounded by adding four recruits this spring: Southern California shooting guard Devonaire Doutrive, Belgian small forward Omar Thielemans, Pitt grad transfer power forward Ryan Luther and Samford grad transfer point guard Justin Coleman.

The Wildcats have 10 players lined up for next season and three open scholarship spots. Brown is among their top remaining targets. Brown canceled a scheduled official visit to Nevada on Friday, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Allonzo Trier’s re-test was pricey

Arizona spent a total of $2,435 in airfare and hotel costs to get Allonzo Trier to a drug test in Utah during the Wildcats' road swing in Oregon, according to UA records obtained by the Star via a public records request.

Trier left the Wildcats on Feb. 23, between games at Oregon State and Oregon, so he could be re-tested for the performance-enhancing drug Ostarine. Trier's attorney said that only labs in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City were equipped to give an immediate test result for the drug.

Trier was suspended for 19 games in 2016-17 because he tested positive for Ostarine, and a January 2018 test showed the substance reappeared in a trace amount, according to UA, resulting in Trier’s suspension before the Oregon trip.

The side trip to Utah paid off for Arizona when Trier tested negative, helping him win an appeals case. He was reinstated in time for UA’s March 1 game against Stanford.

Trier was accompanied by UA senior associate athletic director Mike Ketcham on the trip to Utah. Each flew on Delta Airlines tickets priced at $1,094 for the round trip trip between Eugene and Salt Lake City, then stayed overnight in separate Utah hotel rooms that cost $123 each including taxes.

Trier, Alkins sign with agents

Trier signed with agent James Dunleavy, his mother said Friday, while The Athletic said Alkins signed with agents Dan Frank and Jarinn Akana.

Dunleavy is a former USC walk-on who is the son of former NBA coach Mike Dunleavy and brother of former NBA player Mike Dunleavy, Jr. According to Hoops Hype, he also represents Memphis’ Chandler Parsons and the Knicks’ Courtney Lee, while RealGM.Com said he also is taking on ASU’s Tra Holder this spring.

Akana represents New Orleans’ DeMarcus Cousins along with several other NBA and European players.