With a win over last-place Cal on Saturday, the Arizona Wildcats are free to snip nets celebrating another Pac-12 regular-season title and say goodbye to their seniors — and NBA draft entries — while soaking up some more McKale Center love.
But as the UA’s home finale approached Friday, a day after coach Sean Miller vehemently denied an ESPN report that he discussed paying a player, it was clear the Wildcats’ challenges won’t go away soon.
The last member of what was initially projected to be a Top 5 Arizona recruiting class of 2018, Los Angeles point guard Brandon Williams, said on Twitter he was reopening his recruitment because of the “current climate” with the UA program.
Meanwhile, Arizona Board of Regents chairman Bill Ridenour said he doesn’t know what will happen as the federal investigation continues to unfold. Despite that, the board decided to back UA President Robert C. Robbins’ decision to keep Miller as Arizona’s coach.
Ridenour said Robbins faced a difficult decision after ESPN reported that Miller allegedly discussed paying Deandre Ayton $100,000, citing sources familiar with government evidence. ESPN has corrected the timeline of the reported conversation three times but says it stands behind the story.
“I think what we had, or what Dr. Robbins faced, was an ESPN story that was pretty much third-hand hearsay,” Ridenour said. “Allegedly, someone heard a tape of Coach Miller talking with (agent Christian) Dawkins, and they talked to somebody and that person talked to somebody and eventually it got to ESPN. …
“We’re not allowed to listen to the tapes. There are no transcripts of the tapes. So what you have is hearsay at this point. So what do you do if you’re President Robbins? Do you fire somebody based on hearsay? That would have probably been the easier thing to do.”
Instead, Ridenour said, Robbins and Arizona athletic director Dave Heeke spent three days getting legal advice and “talking with everyone on this.”
Robbins and Heeke issued a statement saying they asked Miller “direct and pointed questions” before deciding the coach should stay. The UA president and athletic director then discussed the decision with the regents and legal counsel.
“When all was said and done, we found at the present time we were very comfortable supporting President Robbins,” Ridenour said. “You were forced to deal with it and go into great detail and try to figure out what happened rather than throw up your hands and say, ‘Let’s just start afresh.’ My personal option is that that wouldn’t have been the right thing to do. We don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Robbins told the regents that there are continuing discussions on Miller’s contract, Ridenour said, but officials won’t necessarily change the language about firing for cause. That section states Miller is owed only his base salary but does not specify whether it is through the length of the contract (2021-22) or to the date of termination, a difference of about $10 million.
Ridenour said it is “very clear” that the UA would have to pay only to the date of termination in a for-cause situation, but he added there could be mitigation clauses in contracts such as Miller’s that would offset any buyout by the amount the employee earns in a new job. The board championed mitigation clauses in contracts that were eventually awarded to UA football coach Kevin Sumlin and ASU football coach Herm Edwards.
Ridenour said the terms of for-cause firing might also be more clearly defined.
Miller’s current contract says for-cause termination can include, but is not limited to, demonstrated dishonesty, substantial neglect of duties, substantial inability to perform duties, felony conviction or conviction of a misdemeanor “involving moral turpitude.”
Ridenour said that the University of Arizona’s reputation is “paramount on our thoughts.” While Oregon students waved $100,000 checks and ridiculed the Wildcats in front of ESPN’s far-reaching cameras last Saturday, Ridenour said the enthusiastic response of McKale Center fans on Thursday showed another side of public opinion.
Spring scramble
Williams’ decommitment means Miller will likely have to replace his entire starting lineup plus at least two reserves with high school players and transfers.
Of the starters, Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Dusan Ristic are seniors, freshman Deandre Ayton has said he’ll leave for the NBA and Allonzo Trier and Rawle Alkins are both expected to leave after considering doing so last spring.
Arizona will also lose reserve senior forwards Keanu Pinder and Talbott Denny.
Williams said on his Twitter post that he is “NOT closing the door on Wildcat basketball” and wished nothing but the best for Miller and the program moving forward.
“These past few days have been difficult for me,” Williams said. “I have to take a step back and reevaluate my commitment. Playing for the University of Arizona has already been a childhood dream of mine. With the current climate surrounding U of A and by signing (nonbinding) scholarship papers, I have the opportunity to explore other options.”
Williams’ father, Chris Wright, said his son is “behind Miller 100 percent,” and is not decommitting over a sense that Miller will not return next season.
“Miller assured me he is not going anywhere,” Wright said.
Williams and Los Angeles forward Shareef O’Neal both signed scholarship papers in November. O’Neal decommitted Saturday, one day after ESPN’s report. He committed to UCLA on Tuesday.
Another player once committed to Arizona’s 2018 class, five-star point guard Jahvon Quinerly, decommitted from the UA after he was implicated in the federal complaint alleging that then-UA assistant coach Book Richardson took $20,000 from agents with the intention of using it to help secure top recruits.
The UA was also among the leaders for several other 2018 five-star prospects, including Canadian forward Simi Shittu and Findlay Prep center Bol Bol, but they dropped the UA last fall. Shittu has signed with Vanderbilt and Bol is headed to Oregon.
Lee questionable
Reserve forward Ira Lee could return Saturday, March 3, against California after missing the Wildcats’ last three games.
Miller said Thursday that Lee could be cleared to practice Friday. It’s unclear if that happened: UA players and coaches were unavailable for comment.
“With the concussion tests, you have a number of symptoms,” Miller said Thursday. “His symptoms have maybe dissolved into a single symptom so that’s a good sign.”
Lee suffered the concussion during a Feb. 20 practice.
