Arizona Wildcats' Allonzo Trier likely out at Oregon

EUGENE, — Arizona's Allonzo Trier will likely miss the Wildcats' game at Oregon on Saturday while his appeal to overturn a PED-related suspension extends into next week.

Trier did not qualify for a medical exception appeal — which involves drugs used because of a condition — and the NCAA's normal appeals process can take 48 hours even if expedited.

But section 8.3.3 of the NCAA's drug policy program protocol indicates there is time for Trier to get a ruling before the Wildcats face Stanford and Cal next week:

"If the student-athlete’s next competition is imminent and if the institution so requests, the NCAA competitive safeguards committee shall make a good-faith reasonable effort to hear the appeal before the student-athlete’s next contest or within 48 hours of the institution’s notice of intent to appeal."

Trier's attorney, Steve Thompson, declined to comment on where the appeal stood as of Friday but said he was hopeful the process will ultimately clear Trier.

"Allonzo Trier is not a drug cheat and never has been," Thompson told the Star. "The NCAA has found that to be true in the past, and the idea that the reappearance of this drug in his system is somehow creating a competitive advantage and requiring him to be suspended is absurd.

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"All the medical evidence suggests that that’s not the case, that he’s not gained any competitive advantage. And they ought to be reasonable about this and process this to allow him to play."

Two experts on agents such as Ostarine (which is on the NCAA's banned substance list) told the Star on Friday one of three things could be involved with Trier: He's either still taking the drug (perhaps inadvertently as part of another supplement), the NCAA test has an issue in detecting it, or the drug wedged in his system (possibly even in a cyst) and was released before the latest test.

Even without Trier, Oregon has a lot of other players to worry about Saturday, the way Payton Pritchard and Dana Altman described it.

The Ducks received a strong all-around effort in beating ASU on Thursday, with Kenny Wooten and Troy Brown making a big impact.