Arizona Wildcats basketball recruiting logo new 2018

On his radio show Monday, UA coach Sean Miller said there’s “zero chance” he won’t bring in another recruit this spring and that he “more realistically” will be looking to add two.

Doesn't take very difficult math to figure that means he’s expecting some early spring departures.

As of now, even with Emmanuel Akot’s departure, the Wildcats have the maximum of 13 players already lined up for scholarships next season — and that’s if you count Jake DesJardins going back to walk-on status after he was given a ride this season.

Here’s how the count looks at this point:

POTENTIAL RETURNERS

1. Dylan Smith, redshirt junior. Cannot transfer unless he graduates.

2. Brandon Randolph, sophomore. Dropped out of ESPN’s Top 100 NBA prospects, but was No. 81 as of earlier this month and might be able to attract a two-way contract.

3. Chase Jeter, redshirt junior. Already graduated, so he can transfer and become immediately eligible elsewhere or turn pro, possibly attracting a two-way or overseas offer.

4. Ira Lee, sophomore.

5. Devonaire Doutrive, freshman.

6. Brandon Williams, freshman.

7. Alex Barcello, sophomore.

ON CAMPUS

8. Stone Gettings, graduate

SIGNED LETTER-OF-INTENT (all bound to UA barring waiver)

9. Nico Mannion

10. Josh Green

11. Terry Armstrong

12. Christian Koloko

COMMITTED

13. Zeke Nnaji. Has not signed a binding LOI, so he is technically still a free agent.


Miller indicated he's looking all over the place for players now, while also staying alert for the inevitable spring tsunami of transfer players who will become available.

"Right now really all that we can do is evaluate the player that are available who are high school seniors, junior college sophomores and in some cases an international player here," Miller said. "In a few months when the season ends for respective programs and players decide  on their own that they're going to transfer, then that’s a whole new beginning for everybody. You have to take a hard look at those who would fit what we do and what we do moving forward. But we’re hard at it. We’re well aware.

"There’s zero chance that we won’t bring another player to the table. I think more realistically I’ll be (trying to add) more than one but I love the group that we have and being able to add the right player, person, expectation, to that group, I think would really be important to the success of next year."


Mannion reaffirmed his intention to play for Arizona next season in an interview with Cronkite News. He said the information he and his family has received is that "everything's fine down there," though he'll miss suspended assistant coach Mark Phelps, whom UA has moved to fire.

“He’s a great coach and a great person,” Mannion said. “One mistake shouldn’t ruin someone’s career.”


After suffering a stroke last weekend, former UA coach Lute Olson received support from the Twitterverse, including from Miller and the UA women's basketball team:

Others offering best wishes included ETSU coach Steve Forbes, ASU broadcaster and former player Kyle Dodd and Yahoo's Pete Thamel.


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Contact sports reporter Bruce Pascoe at 573-4146 or bpascoe@tucson.com. On Twitter @brucepascoe