In his first media appearance since being ejected Saturday in the Wildcats' 69-64 loss at UCLA, Arizona coach Sean Miller said he regretted the incident.
"It took almost 550 games for that to happen to me, but that's not going to help our basketball team," Miller said Tuesday during his weekly news conference, referring to his 548 games combined at Xavier and Arizona. "The fact that we spotted UCLA three points, and that they converted three of the four technical free throws, that's a detriment to winning. (It was) putting everybody in a tough position β our staff, players, etc., and I certainly regret it."
Miller was tossed for picking up two technical fouls, the last with 12:28 to go. Arizona wound up being outscored 12-4 at the end of the game and coughed up three turnovers in the final 99 seconds while Miller was not coaching them.
While Miller was vehemently arguing a no-call when he received his first technical foul in the first half β when UCLA's Cody Riley blocked Nico Mannion's shot β Miller was talking with considerably less animation to official Tony Padilla when he picked up his second technical.
Arizona head coach Sean Miller yells during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against UCLA in Los Angeles, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. UCLA won 69-64.
Asked what he said to Padilla, Miller responded:
"I don't know," Miller said. "I certainly rubbed them the wrong way. And that's really all my comment. I don't want to get suspended or fined and it's over with.
"Like I said, the thing that I regret the most is that I wasn't able to be there for the final 12 minutes. Our team deserves better. Everybody deserves better."
As for that first-half no-call, ESPN analysts Bill Walton and Richard Jefferson both said it was a clean block. Jefferson even said he wished he could wave at Miller and tell him it was not a foul, since they had seen different angles that Miller did not.
Told about their reaction, Miller said:
"Maybe I missed it,"Β Miller said. "I mean, from my perspective I thought Nico got fouled and if he didn't, I was wrong."
Josh Green practiced Monday and has been expected to play Thursday against Washington State, though Miller said he wouldn't know his status for sure until he goes through full-contact drills.
Basically, the way it's being described, Green is cleared to play but will only come back when he feels comfortable.
Here's how Miller described it:
"It's two parts," Miller said. "It's the best interest in the health of our individual players and we have the best doctors that college basketball offers and a trainer (Justin Kokoskie) that's been here for over 18 years.
"So as the head coach you rely on them first and foremost, and then once you you figure out, and you get their expert opinion on on the health and well being of the athlete, then it really falls on the athlete.'
"You know, each of these guys is different. They're all at a different age. Each injury represents different challenges. You know some guys like to fight through, other guys you know want to be closer to 100%, so the second is, we have to listen to the student athlete as well.
"And the reason that we didn't bring Josh to Los Angeles was just simply it was in his best interest of of improving health wise, to not get back at three in the morning like we did, not be on flights and in different hotels, but be here, and work on his rehab and and try to make a full recovery."
Although he already confirmed that Nico Mannion will be leaving after this season, Miller did not go quite that far when asked if he's received indications that Green and Zeke Nnaji will be leaving as they are widely expected to.
"We won't really address that until the end of the season and that's really the only fair way to do it," Miller said. "For us, it's to coach those guys, hold them accountable, allow them to be the best players that they can become and, in, enjoy the month of March in college basketball. That's the biggest month of them all.
"So that's our focus at that point. When it all ends, each of them will go their own way and whatever they need from us, we're going to give it to them. But yeah, it's tough to put that as part of the equation before the last game ends."
Miller did say the "Senior Day" branding could be changed, though it won't this season. As it is, Arizona will be losing no traditional four-year seniors, instead saying goodbye to three graduate students, one senior who had enough credits to graduate last May (but is now adding a minor) in Dylan Smith and (likely) the three freshmen.
That's seven guys, none of whom will have spent an entire college career at Arizona (though Smith did spend four years at UA after his freshman season at UNC Asheville).
Arizona guard Dylan Smith (3) fights his way into the lane looking for a bucket against Arizona State during last month's game in Tempe.
"You could make the case" to change the name, Miller said. "That could be in the future as well, but we are calling it Senior Day because the other part of it from the academic perspective, we have a really talented group."
Miller said UA will change its traditional postgame senior day ceremony from being held before the game, a tradition that began under Lute Olson when it was usually not a concern over whether the Wildcats would win (granted, the Pac-10 was usually less competitive in those days).
Miller said the 8 p.m. start against Washington on Saturday also played a role in the decision, since it would have kept fans up later.
"I think that there's a number of reasons to change it now," Miller said. "Coach Olson established a way of doing it after a game which I really, really loved for a long period of time and it's not about whether you win or lose the last game.
"It's more along the lines of everything's over and it's a good feeling to be able to celebrate with the families of those that have been here and have sacrificed and given your program a lot. I think last night on my radio show I counted that they'll be potentially 16 players and mangers who won't be a part of our program next year."
That includes walk-ons Kory Jones and Jake DesJardins, both of whom have additional eligibility after suffering injuries. But Miller said DesJardins is likely to graduate and play next season as a graduate transfer at a lower level.
Former Wildcat star Damon Stoudamire was named the WCC's Coach of the Year after guiding Pacific to 23 wins and a third-place finish in his fourth season, the first of which he had to deal with NCAA sanctions resulting from actions by the previous staff.
