LOS ANGELES – Allonzo Trier has a drug testing schedule of every 7-10 days and won’t be tested again until next week, according to the Pac-12 Networks’ Lewis Johnson, suggesting he’ll be out again on Saturday when the Wildcats play at UCLA.
Johnson revealed the testing schedule during Thursday’s UA-USC broadcast.
However, when I asked UA coach Sean Miller after Thursday's game if he knew of a testing schedule now that Johnson had mentioned one, Miller said "we don't."
Miller went on to say that he can’t comment further as per the UA statement quoting Trier saying he has asked UA not to say anything further.
The statement did not say what drug Trier took, what the injury was he sustained that prompted him to take it, how and by whom it was administered and how often he is being tested.
Kevin O'Neill is among those wondering about what has been in Trier's system so long.
The Wildcats won their 11th straight game and improved to 17-2 on Thursday, yet exited their Galen Center locker room in a manner that suggested they lost. Dusan Ristic said they had an extended conversation after the game about letting down in the second half.
Miller offered a version of the same talk with the media afterward, having seen his defense give up 50 percent or more shooting in the second half for the third straight game.
Texas A&M, Colorado, ASU and now USC have all outscored the Wildcats in the second half while preventing UA from running away from those games.
“This isn’t the first time a team went on a 30-11 run,” Miller said. “I think it’s about the sixth time. We’ve hung on like this a number of times and it’s really a bad sign because as thrilled as we are to win -- they’re a quality team -- if you just continue to see guys go on a 40-10, 30-8, 20-0, 16-2 run you have to address it as a coach and what I’m gonna start doing is sitting a couple of guys and then everybody’s going to know he’s not giving effort, he’s not playing hard enough.
“Because the one thing you can control as a team is your effort level. We gave up on our effort level too many times in the second half … we should be like 10-9 (with this problem). We’re 17-2 and we give up these runs. So we don’t have time to talk a lot about it because we’re playing UCLA at 1 o’clock, but if we do that against UCLA they will beat us by 30 points. That’s one thing I do know.”
You know something’s really bugging Miller when he fields a question about something completely different and transitions into the topic that he's not happy about.
Here’s how he responded to a question about whether it was a focus to get Lauri Markkanen the ball in crucial moments:
“You have to really be a bad coach to not give him the ball in critical moments just because he’s a great free throw shooter, a really good 3-point shooter, and from a decision-making standpoint, he rarely turns it over, and he’s physical,” Miller said. "He can score from two. It’s smart to put him in position to have the ball.
“There are some other guys who can certainly deliver. I really wasn’t worried about our offense. Our offense was better in the second half than in the first. We got the ball inside more than we got to the foul line more. We attacked their zone with much more confidence. But while we were doing that, they went on the run they did in large part because if you don't defend them with your heart and soul being connected together they’re too good of a team.
“They’re too well coached, they have too many good players and they’re gonna make a run. And, again, if I’m only talking about one team, it’s not going to be a problem. I can name seven teams, eight, maybe nine, where we might have been up 20, 10. When you’re on the road up 21, a lot of good things are happening. To make that come down to a one-possession game for about the seventh or eighth time is beyond concerning and we have to address it.
“When we have a big lead, we pull off the accelerator. We don’t have 11 guys who are playing right now so we’re kind of at the mercy of a guy saying, `Hey, look you have to finish, you have to be the same guy you were in the first half.' Tonight we had a hard time again and we did the exact same thing against Arizona State. We gotta move on to UCLA but UCLA may be the team to really teach us a lesson abut how important it is to be in the game for 40 minute because they’re so good on offense.”
Rawle Alkins hit 3 of 6 3-pointers and added a block and a steal, but still had moments of frustration Thursday. He shot 3 for 11 from the field, with four rebounds and three turnovers to his two assists.
“I think he got a little down because he had some layups and finishes that he missed and he’s missed a couple here in the last couple of games,” Miller said. “I think sometimes when you’re a young player like that you can let it bother you, and I’m telling him we wouldn’t be 17-2 without him.
“Then there are some things he can learn from. (As with) Kobi (Simmons) and Lauri, I know it’s well documented, but they mean a lot to our team, sometimes it’s actually not fair. They’re almost not allowed to be freshman. You have to treat them as a senior. Because the role they have on our team is that. That’s part of what I’m talking about.”
Hard to say Markkanen’s 23 point on 8-for-12 shooting had anything to do with his new hairstyle, which featured a buzz cut on the sides with short curls on top.
After all, Markkanen had 30 on 12-for-18 shooting against ASU.
What it was about: The old look "was getting out of hand,” Markkanen said.
Isaac Hamilton made nine 3-pointers to help UCLA rout ASU 102-88.
Oregon's Dillon Brooks missed the entire second half of the Ducks' win over Cal, and Oregon wouldn't say if he might have reinjured his foot.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will be honored at the UA-UCLA game for receiving a Presidential Medal of Freedom
