In the middle of its hectic spring recruiting season, Arizona’s coaching staff has added some temporary help.
David Miller, who has served as UA basketball manager and staffer in various forms during the majority of the Sean Miller era, will act as an assistant coach until the Wildcats can hire a permanent replacement for Justin Gainey, the school confirmed Wednesday. Gainey left to become Marquette’s associate head coach earlier this month.
Although workouts and in-person contact are forbidden under current coronavirus-related rules, the move means David Miller can more actively communicate and assist in recruiting. Miller, no relation to Sean Miller, was hired last season as director of on-campus recruiting and basketball analytics.
The son of a former coach and Los Angeles-based broadcaster of the same name, David Miller served as a UA student and graduate manager from 2010-15, then spent two seasons at Alabama, the first as assistant video coordinator and the second as director of player development.
In 2017, David Miller became UC Santa Barbara’s director of basketball operations under new head coach Joe Pasternack, who had been UA’s associate head coach. Miller then spent two seasons with the Gauchos before returning to UA last summer.
The UA is considering a hiring freeze through the end of June, meaning Arizona may not be able to add a permanent assistant until then. However, the university says exceptions will be considered through a waiver process that will be reviewed by UA senior leadership.
Even though UA staffers can’t travel to see or invite recruiting targets on campus, they have been aggressively working to fill what are still four remaining spots for next season.
Miller’s temporary promotion is not unique.
The Wildcats promoted operations staffer Austin Carroll to acting assistant coach both in October 2017, after Book Richardson was suspended and again in February 2019, when Mark Phelps was removed from the UA staff.
Carroll is now an assistant coach at Rhode Island.
UA announces signings
Arizona officially welcomed Montreal freshman wing Benn Mathurin and Seattle University grad transfer guard Terrell Brown via Twitter, signaling that the school has received their paperwork.
Mathurin had been expected to sign a letter of intent while Brown, as a transfer, was instead to sign nonbinding scholarship papers. The UA must receive paperwork from recruits in order to announce their additions.
Ben Mathurin signed with the Arizona Wildcats on Wednesday.
Mathurin, who committed to the Wildcats over Baylor in January, had been playing for the NBA Academy Latin America in Mexico City. He went home to Montreal last month because of the coronavirus outbreak.
An all-WAC pick last season, Brown committed to the Wildcats on April 6, after announcing four days earlier he would consider a transfer from Seattle U. Brown said he is hoping to finish up his degree by June and arrive at Arizona after that.
Hillcrest Prep’s Dalen Terry, center, rests between drills during a practice. Terry signed with the Arizona Wildcats on Wednesday.
Arizona now has a total of four players officially added for next season. It has already enrolled Georgetown midseason transfer James Akinjo, who sat out the spring semester and will be eligible to play at the end of the fall semester. During the fall signing period, the Wildcats received a letter-of-intent from wing Dalen Terry of Phoenix Hillcrest Prep.
Sean Miller has yet to comment on Brown or Mathurin, and typically is not made available to media from the end of the season until late spring, when he holds a news conference to discuss all his additions.
Cats ‘visit’ with targets
While still busy scoring for 2020 talent, the Wildcats kept expanding their 2021 efforts on Wednesday.
The UA conducted separate virtual campus tours with Seattle-area prospects Paolo Banchero and Nolan Hickman.
The 6-9 Banchero is a five-star prospect in the class of 2010 from Seattle’s O’Dea High School, while Hickman is a four-star 6-1 guard from Eastside Catholic in Sammamish, east of Seattle.
Arizona’s push for Seattle-area 2021 talent and its landing of Terrell Brown, a Seattle product, has generated speculation the Wildcats might be considering an assistant coach with Seattle roots.
Arizona extends offer to 2021 guard Mashack
Arizona offered a scholarship to four-star 2021 Jahmai Mashack, according to Rivals.com’s Corey Evans.
Mashack, a 6-4 guard from Etiwanda, California, is the brother of former UA defensive back Kwesi Mashack, who played for the Wildcats from 2014-17.
Gainey commits to Pima
While Justin Gainey is off to Milwaukee, his son Jordan announced he will stay in Tucson and play for Pima College next season.
Jordan Gainey helped lead Salpointe Catholic to the Class 4A state title in February, after averaging 12.6 points and 5.2 rebounds last season.
“Extremely excited to say that I will be playing at Pima Community College next year,” Gainey posted on Twitter. “Thank you to my parents, coaches, and family and friends for everything. Also thank you to coach (Brian) Peabody for making this possible.”
