Sean Miller’s pursuit of SoCal point guard Brandon Williams was so purposeful that Miller flew to California four times in 44 days to watch Williams play: March 6, March 21, April 9 and April 18.
That’s the prescribed routine in basketball recruiting: Make your presence felt.
But this time Miller was dealing with an unprecedented variable: fallout from an FBI investigation into illegal recruiting. His once-dazzling Class of 2018 was blown to smithereens, leaving him to chase a grad transfer from Samford, of all places, and for lesser known players who probably wouldn’t have been given any attention by Arizona before the FBI intervened.
But Miller’s persistence was the right formula with Williams, who on Saturday, for the second time, said he will play for the Wildcats in 2018-19.
Why did he choose Arizona? I think it’s as simple as believing more shots and more minutes will be available in Tucson than at Oregon or Gonzaga.
This isn’t an absolute fix for Arizona basketball. Remember Josiah Turner? Mustafa Shakur? A team that has performed three consecutive pratfalls in the NCAA Tournament needs more than a four-star freshman point guard to return to the high standards of 1988-2015.
Many times, uncelebrated recruits like Steve Kerr and T.J. McConnell become the real difference-makers.
But getting Brandon Williams stops Arizona’s agonizing eight-month losing streak in off-field events, and it’s sure better than watching him suit up for the Oregon Ducks next season.