Toward the end of Seth Davis' feature this week for The Athletic on new UA coach Tommy Lloyd, there's a nugget that hasn't been publicly disclosed before: That Lloyd reached out to his predecessor ... and Sean Miller responded by inviting Lloyd over to his house.
“It was just a show of respect for a human being," Lloyd told The Athletic. "The guy has been through a lot and did a really good job here. We had a great meeting. I’d like to do it again.”
The article then sums up UA's pending infractions case, with Lloyd noting how he's already felt the impact on his efforts to bring in new players.
“Recruiting has been a little bit hard,” Lloyd told The Athletic. “Let’s face it, I’m a first-year head coach, and the NCAA stuff hangs over your head. Hopefully soon the dust will settle and we’ll be able to move through it.”
Miller has kept a low profile while remaining in Arizona since leaving UA in April.
A member of USA Basketball's Junior National Team Committee, Miller was not on hand for USA Basketball's U19 trials in June and earlier that month told The Athletic (in a story predominantly about Deandre Ayton's rise with the Suns) that he was "trying to take advantage of just not having the responsibility" while he figured out what's next. (Our efforts to reach him have been unsuccessful).
Kim Aiken Jr., the forward from Eastern Washington who reportedly committed to the Wildcats the day before Miller was fired, has now decommitted from Washington State. That gives him a month or so to find another home.
A 6-foot-7, 215-pound senior with two seasons remaining to play, Aiken was the Big Sky defensive player of the year and a first-team all-Big Sky pick last season, averaging 11.3 points and 8.4 rebounds for the Eagles. In Arizona's 70-67 win over EWU on Dec. 5 at McKale Center last season, Aiken scored six points on 1-for-8 shooting (1 for 7 from 3-point range) and collected five rebounds.
Collin Chandler, Milos Uzan and Jaden Bradley are among the UA targets playing in the NBPA Top 100 camp this weekend in Florida. The event is the only one this weekend open to college coaches, and Lloyd has been expected to attend.
