Unusually cool and rainy Southern California weather — plus a looming date with UCLA the next afternoon — threatened to make the Arizona Wildcats’ Jan. 20 bus ride back from practice a dreary experience.
Then, Allonzo Trier was told he could play again.
Trier said he cried. His teammates felt a rush of emotion, too.
“It was as you would picture it,” UA coach Sean Miller said. “You have tremendous relief on his end and great joy among this teammates. They have (been through) this with him. His teammates recognize how hard it’s been on him and we have a very unselfish group.”
Trier said Thursday night that his 19-game wait, the result of a positive PED test, “felt like an eternity.”
Trier spent his first interview since Sept. 29 thanking his teammates for their support and for their play without him. He offered few details about the injury and circumstances that led to the failed test.
“I’m not getting into that,” Trier said.
Trier did explain what it was like staring out of NCAA prison without any clear release date.
Trier was conditionally cleared to play in November, pending a clean drug test, but he kept testing positive for the unspecified drug until the NCAA notified him on Jan. 20 that he was finally OK.
Trier was allowed to practice all season, and the NCAA cleared him to travel with the Wildcats starting in December, but of course it wasn’t the same.
“It was tough but I was in basketball shape,” Trier said. “I stayed around the game as much as I could. I was always in the gym, and I practiced with my teammates every day and I tried to make an impact any way I could. … I tried to do my part, practicing hard and helping these guys get prepared for the games.”
Trier worked in with the regulars in practice, not just mimicking opponents on the scout team. He showed up several hours early before some games to get in his own workout, then dressed in sweats during games and turned into a fan.
Miller consistently praised Trier’s attitude and effort, even as he stayed quiet on the reasons for Trier’s suspension.
But again, it wasn’t the same. Not even close.
“Each practice was my game,” Trier said. “I decided to do that and be there for my teammates, and my teammates were there for me, too. It was a tough time for me. I’m thankful for them and they played really well during my time of being out.”
After two games back, it appears Trier’s game did not suffer from the absence. In fact, he appears even more broadly skilled than the aggressive freshman who averaged 14.8 points last season, then considered leaving for the NBA draft before deciding to return for his sophomore season.
Trier had seven assists with just one turnover in Thursday’s 79-62 win over Washington State, and now has 11 in two games. He had just 31 assists all of last season, against 52 turnovers.
“He’s a much better player,” Miller said. “You see that he adds a dimension to our team we’re grateful to have. But everybody else has to learn their role, he has to learn his and as it moves forward it’ll even out, as it always does.”
That’s the issue. The Wildcats are 19-2 and undefeated in Pac-12 play, but as they showed Thursday, their rotation needs some time to adjust to Trier’s impactful play.
Does Trier start? Who loses the most minutes? The most shots? Does Trier play with freshman wings Kobi Simmons and Rawle Alkins or just one of them?
The questions are many.
No doubt it’s a good problem for Arizona to have, blending in a potential future pro, but there are issues to deal with nonetheless. Miller said part of the reason for the Wildcats’ unevenness against WSU, when they blew a 10-point first-half lead and fell into a second-half tie, had to do with those new adjustments.
“Every game that goes by in the next couple of weeks, he’ll eventually settle in,” Miller said. “If you look at the start of the season, it usually takes a couple of exhibition games, which he didn’t even have, a few regular season games, a game on the road, and all of a sudden you see that everyone settles in. And that’s where we’re at right now — we’re in that settling-in process. But he played a very good game.”
There are no real statistical signs of rust. Over his two games so far this season, at UCLA and against WSU, Trier has made 10 of 22 shots, hit 3 of 10 three-pointers, made 6 of 8 free throws, collected nine rebounds and dished 11 assists.
Yet, inside, Trier says he doesn’t know yet when he’ll be totally back to normal.
“It’s a feel thing,” Trier said. “I’m two games in. Whenever it gets back, it’ll get back.
“I’m still really far behind. This is my second game in 10 months. Everybody’s a lot farther ahead of me. I’m still not in a lot of rhythm, but as I continue to play more, I’ll find my way and get back to myself. My teammates have been great, telling me to just play through the kind of funny feeling.”
Trier said they were also great playing without him for those 19 games, when the UA went 17-2 and Miller leaned heavily on his three freshmen — Simmons, Alkins and power forward Lauri Markkanen.
“I think the transition the guys made having to take on bigger roles and be ready early on was great,” Trier said. “That’s what makes coach Miller such a great coach. I think he really solidified himself as coach of the year this year and he’s done a great job with our group.
“We’re still working some things out. Implementing me to the team is going to make this team feel funny. We’re still a ways from reaching our ceiling.”
