The Star columnist outlines what the University of Arizona's next steps could be regarding Sean Miller's future in Tucson following the public release of the NCAA's Notice of Allegations. Plus, latest news and notes from the Southern Arizona sports scene.
Last March, after Kansas made public the NCAA’s Notice of Allegations against the Jayhawks basketball program and coach Bill Self, it aggressively responded with a 149-page rebuttal, accusing the NCAA of “novel” legal theories.
Then came a 77-page rebuttal from Self and his attorneys. Talk about playing defense.
Strange, but after all of that denial, Kansas has yet to rework Self’s contract. His deal expires next spring, as does that of Arizona coach Sean Miller.
The difference between Kansas and Arizona is that the UA isn’t as good in offering explanations. In what has been more than three years of silence and mystery, the investigation into Arizona’s basketball program has metastasized into a public debate:
Is there enough plausible deniability that Miller should stay? Or has the university’s integrity been breached to the extent that a change must be made?
It was somewhat ironic last week that the Maricopa County judge who ordered the release of the NCAA’s Notice of Allegations was Joseph Mikitish, a Palo Verde High School grad who earned his Juris Doctorate degree from the UA Law School, magna cum laude, 1988.
That was the year Arizona was ranked No. 1 and played in its first Final Four. That’s when this frenzy for UA hoops was born.
Judge Mikitish did his alma mater a favor by releasing the Notice of Allegations. Upon examining the documents, it becomes clear why UA president Robert C. Robbins chose to deal with new Independent Accountability Resolution Process rather than the NCAA Committee on Infractions.
The NCAA allegations are written in what I feel is an aggressive tenor. It wrote that UA athletic director Dave Heeke “demonstrated from the outset the lack of a commitment of cooperation and acceptance of responsibility.” While disturbing, it’s a bit over the top.
University of Arizona president Bobby Robbins, left, and athletic director Dave Heeke on the field prior to kick-off of the game against Northern Arizona at Arizona Stadium, Saturday, September 2, 2017, Tucson, Ariz.
It even got into the history of Arizona’s NCAA punishments as far back as 1961 and 1974. It talked about Arizona’s lack of respect for the “collegiate model.” It wrote that Arizona had committed 74 Level III violations since 2015.
A bit excessive, wouldn’t you say? The NCAA has been known to operate with a chip on its shoulder.
No wonder Robbins chose to go with Option B; the IARP might not take it as personally as the long-criticized NCAA enforcement process. Even though the IARP process cannot be appealed, why not roll the dice?
The most damning pieces of the NCAA allegations deal with academic fraud. It wrote that those alleged violations “were premeditated, deliberate or committed after substantial planning.”
It further said Miller “condoned, participated in or negligently disregarded the violations or related wrongful conduct.”
But because Miller is still employed, albeit on a short-term contract, it must be that Robbins and the Arizona Board of Regents believe those allegations are not true. Any participation in academic fraud would seem to require immediate termination, no matter how many basketball games a coach has won.
Now the ball is truly bouncing toward Robbins. He can take the lead by defending the institution and his coach. If not, the message is that the UA wants to believe Miller is innocent, but is hesitant to take the public relations hit that would come with extending his contract.
Or perhaps, absent an extension, Miller could simply step away and allow Arizona to start over.
At 52, he could reinvent himself in the NBA for a few years and, when the time is right, return to college basketball. His sideline demeanor often suggests that he could use a break.
In 1987, Arizona State fired track coach Clyde Duncan for recruiting violations and impermissible benefits. The NCAA used the term “UNETHICAL CONDUCT” in capital letters in its summary judgment.
Duncan was a big name in global track and field. He had been the coach of Olympic superstar Carl Lewis at Houston. Seven years after leaving ASU, Duncan was hired as the head coach at Texas Southern, whose staff bio on Duncan referred to him as “a world-respected athlete and coach.”
Moving on can be a good thing, too.
Aari McDonald joins a select UA crowd
Arizona Wildcats guard Aari McDonald (2) defends Washington Huskies center Quay Miller (0) in the second half during a game at McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz., on February 14, 2021. Arizona won 75-53.
Arizona senior point guard Aari McDonald last week was selected the Pac-12’s Player of the Year, which, next to being a consensus All-American, is the top honor available to a Wildcat athlete.
How rare is it? McDonald is only the second UA women’s basketball player so honored. Her coach, Adia Barnes, was the Pac-10 Player of the Year in 1998.
Since joining the Pac-10 in 1978, Arizona has had 76 POY selections. The most are from men’s cross country, 13, followed by men’s swimming, 10, and men’s track and field, 10.
The multiple POY winners are an impressive group:
6 POY Awards: Amy Skieresz, cross country and track and field, 1995-98.
5 POY Awards: Robert Cheseret, cross country and track and field, 2004-06.
4 POY awards: Ryk Neethling, swimming, 1997-2000.
3 POY awards: Martin Keino, cross country and track and field, 1991-94; Lawi Lalang, track and field and cross country, 2011-14.
2 POY awards: Sean Elliott, basketball, 1988-89; Lacey Nymeyer, swimming, 2007-08; Marc Davis, cross country, 1989-90; Alison McCutcheon, softball, 1997-98; Kevin Cordes, swimming, 2013-14; Nick Ross, track and field, 2012-14; Brigetta Barrett, track and field, 2011-13.
Hard to believe: Jennie Finch was never the Pac-10 softball Player of the Year.
First POY: Terry Francona, baseball, 1980.
One POY in their sport: Stacy Fowlkes, gymnastics, 1993; Mallory Miller, soccer, 2005; Vicky Maes, tennis, 1996; Dana Burkholder, volleyball, 2000.
No POY: Men’s tennis and beach volleyball are the only UA sports without a player of the year.
Husband and wife POYs: Swimming’s Whitney Myers, 2006; swimming’s Simon Burnett, 2006.
Arizona next POY: Softball shortstop Jessie Harper, 2021.
Former UA track coach James Li takes new job in Shanghai
University of Arizona distance runner Lawi Lalang gets some workout advice from coach James Li at Drachman Stadium, Tuesday, May 10, 2011. Photo by David Sanders / Arizona Daily Star
James Li, who was Arizona’s cross country coach for 18 years before retiring last fall, has returned to coaching. He accepted the head coaching position of E-House Marathon Club in Shanghai beginning immediately. Li, who coached 12 NCAA champions at Arizona, had to spend a 14-day quarantine upon arriving in Shanghai. He was born and lived in China before starting his American coaching career at Washington State in 1987. His most famous pupil, WSU’s Bernard Lagat, one of the world’s leading distance runners the last 25 years, just completed his first season as Li’s interim replacement on Arizona’s men’s and women’s cross country teams.
T.J. McConnell etches name in NBA history
Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) celebrates after the Pacers took the lead late in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans in Indianapolis, Friday, Feb. 5, 2021. The Pelicans defeated the Pacers 114-113. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Former Arizona point guard T.J. McConnell had the game of his life — college or pro — last week against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 28-year-old McConnell, a rotation player for the Indiana Pacers, not only had 10 steals and 13 assists, but he shot a perfect 8 for 8 from the field. To make those numbers more impressive, if possible, he broke the NBA record with nine steals in a half.
McConnell became just the sixth man in NBA history to have a points-assists-steals triple-double. One of the previous five was Pueblo High School grad Fat Lever, who had a 13-15-10 triple-double in 1985. Even though he averages just 25 minutes per game, McConnell leads the NBA with 63 steals. His UA high: eight in a 2015 game against Oregon State. McConnell’s contract, $3.5 million per year, expires this season. Expect him to be a highly-coveted free agent, and also expect that the day he retires from basketball an NBA team will move quickly to make him part of their coaching staff.
PR-savvy Jedd Fisch continues to generate buzz around UA football program
University of Arizona football coach Jedd Fisch following hole nine during a practice round leading up to the Cologuard Classic at the Omni Tucson National Resort, in Feb. 24, 2021.
Arizona football coach Jedd Fisch’s smart decision to make Rob Gronkowski and Tedy Bruschi “coaches” in the UA’s April 24 spring game is another step toward reestablishing relevance in Tucson. Fisch isn’t the first to think of using the spring game as a PR tool: In 2017, Ohio State made Nike’s Phil Knight and Hall of Fame coach Lou Holtz as its spring game coaches.
In 2018, LSU brought back 1959 Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon to coach its spring game, and South Carolina has made national championship women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley the Gamecocks’ spring game coach. Fisch further earned PR points Wednesday when he and many of his staff members stood outside McKale Center and applauded as Arizona’s women’s basketball team boarded buses for the Pac-12 tournament. It reminded me of 1988, when Dick Tomey flew on his own dime to Kansas City for Final Four weekend, sitting with UA fans in a nosebleed section, to help establish his presence at the school.
Late loss to ASU, VanDerveer's presence kept UA's Barnes from winning Pac-12 honor
Arizona Wildcats head coach Adia Barnes brings her team over in a timeout before the Wildcats even the score and head into overtime in the second half during a game at the Desert Financial Arena in Tempe, Ariz., on February 28, 2021. Arizona State won in overtime 66-64.
It was disappointing that Adia Barnes was not selected Pac-12 women’s basketball coach of the year. Her rebuilding job and rise into the top-10 rankings merited it. But two things happened to scuttle the vote: (1) the Wildcats lost their regular-season finale at ASU; had that game been played in January, it would’ve been forgotten. (2) the league coaches selected Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer for the 16th time.
The coaches have selected the non-championship coach as COY 12 times dating to 1987, and this would’ve been a good year to make it 13. VanDerveer won the award for finishing second in 2018. Arizona’s Joan Bonvicini, 1998, remains the only Wildcat women’s basketball coach honored as COY.
Hansen's 3 burning sports questions
Arizona guard James Akinjo (13) gets manhandled splitting the lane between Washington guard Marcus Tsohonis (0), left, and guard Quade Green (55) in the second half of their game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 27, 2021.
Three sports questions of the week: (1) What sane person would schedule Arizona, or anybody, to play a night game at Washington State on Nov. 19 this football season? Only in the Pac-12. (2) Would it be a first for Pac-12 coaches to select five point guards to its 10-man All-Conference team this week? It would. But I think Arizona’s James Akinjo, ASU’s revived Remy Martin, Colorado’s McKinley Wright, UCLA’s Tyger Campbell and OSU’s Ethan Thompson will be on the first team this week.
Player of the Year? No question, Oregon shooting guard Chris Duarte. Coach of the Year? In a mediocre league, I’d go with Oregon State’s Wayne Tinkle, who seemed headed for last place but has since turned OSU into mid-pack club, doing the most with the least.(3) Is this the year Catalina Foothills High School reaches the state boys basketball championship game? Coach Doug D’Amore’s club has been so close the last five years, going 105-19 overall. Foothills enters the playoffs Tuesday seeded No. 2 in Class 5A, 15-1 overall, which includes a victory over 16-2 Salpointe Catholic, the defending 4A state champ. Foothills hasn’t reached the state title game in its 25 years of existence.
My two cents: Walker, Wildcats make recruiting splash by landing Long Beach DB
On the day Arizona State beat Arizona 70-7 in the Territorial Cup, the Sun Devils offered three-star Southern California cornerback Tacario Davis a scholarship. It would be two weeks before Arizona would hire a head coach.
In early January, Arizona hired longtime NFL defensive backs coach DeWayne Walker to fill a similar role. Walker has coached in the NFL for the Patriots, Redskins, Giants, Jaguars and Browns, as well as coaching for UCLA, USC, BYU and Cal. Talk about a good résumé.
After getting settled at Arizona, becoming current on recruiting prospects, Walker offered Davis a scholarship 40 days after ASU did. Davis was intrigued. He made an unofficial visit to the UA campus. Last week he committed to play for the Wildcats.
Davis told reporters that part of his decision was influenced by the fact that Walker had coached NFL Pro Bowl cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey, now with the Rams, and Denzel Ward, now with the Browns.
Hiring Walker, who then came from behind to get a commitment from an ASU recruit in what seemed to be record time, is the first real recruiting coup at Arizona since, when, 2017?
Even if Davis never plays a down at Arizona, it is a tangible sign that the Wildcats are fighting back.
