Sean Miller made it clear he will not be participating in any war of words with Colorado coach Tad Boyle this week, after Boyle’s “hell, yes” comment reverberated around college basketball earlier this month.
After Colorado beat UA on Jan. 6, Boyle was asked if beating Arizona meant anything more because of what the Wildcats have been through in the offseason (meaning the FBI investigation). Boyle complemented 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 by the time word of Boyle's remark spread. But when he was asked about it during his weekly news conference Monday, Miller declined to engage and then pivoted.
“My focus is just on coaching our team,” Miller said. “That’s the thing that you learn being able to take a group from one game to the next. Even watching the Stanford game, as great as it that we won and it was a win that had a lot to do with will, there was a lot of things we have to improve on and learn from that game.
Miller continued, without further answering the question.
It’s “how do you go for teaching your guys the things we didn’t do well and at the same time balancing the credit of we had a hard fought road victory and moving on to Colorado and knowing the last time that we played them they played better than us. They played harder than us. and we have to be a better team this time around, more ready for the game than we were last time around and that’s my focus.”
Enfield has been a little more outspoken, in actions and words.
Four days after Boyle’s remark, Colorado was getting beaten 70-58 at USC when Enfield called a needless late timeout in what appeared to be a message (even though Enfield said only that “I just had some things to say to my team.”)
A day before the game, Enfield pulled out a statement in response to Boyle’s remarks.
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.”
When Miller was asked about Enfield’s remarks and whether it was difficult 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 directrion and that’s where my focus is. That’s where all of our focus is: just get ready for the next game.”
Miller said forward Rawle Alkins didn’t have any soreness in his right foot that he was aware of after playing 34 minutes at Stanford on Saturday, but indicated he would continue to treat him cautiously.
Alkins missed the first nine games of the season after breaking his right foot on Sept. 26, then played in nine straight before experiencing soreness 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.
“Wre probably still too far from the finish line to think only (of playing him in) games especially him because he’s missed so much time. 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.
“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.”
Deandre Ayton (but not Allonzo Trier) was named to the midseason watch list of the USBWA's Oscar Robinson player of the year award.
Utah's Justin Bibbins won the Pac-12 Player of the Week award after leading the Utes to a sweep of the Washington schools. Arizona nominated Allonzo Trier.
