Miller steps away as scandal grows
Sean Miller did not coach the Arizona men’s basketball team against Oregon on Saturday night, a day after ESPN published a report, citing anonymous sources, that he was heard on an FBI wiretap discussing a $100,000 payment to current Wildcats freshman Deandre Ayton.
The school said Ayton would be eligible to play in the Pac-12 game against the Ducks (18-10, 8-7) and associate head coach Lorenzo Romar would lead the No. 14 Wildcats (22-6, 12-3). Arizona also was without preseason All-American guard Allonzo Trier, who tested positive for the same banned substance that cost him 19 games last season.
Ayton and Trier are Arizona’s top two scorers this season, with each having averaged 19.6 points per game.
“I believe it is in the best interest of our team that I not coach the game tonight,” Miller said in a released statement. “I continue to fully support the University’s efforts to fully investigate this matter and am confident that I will be vindicated. For now, my thoughts are with our team. They are a great group of young men that will support each other and continue their pursuit of winning a Pac-12 championship.”
The school did not specify why Miller wouldn’t coach against Oregon or if he will sit out any other games.
ESPN reported Friday night, citing sources familiar with government evidence, that Miller was heard on a wiretap discussing a $100,000 payment to Ayton to sign with the school. ESPN did not say its reporter heard the audio directly.
Arizona was caught up in the first round of the men’s college basketball corruption scandal when news of it broke in September.
Assistant coach Emanuel Richardson was among 10 people arrested as part of a federal probe alleging bribes and kickbacks were being used to influence star players’ choices of schools, shoe sponsors, agents and other services such as tailors and financial managers. Payments of up to $150,000, supplied by Adidas, were promised to at least three top high school recruits to attend two schools sponsored by the shoe company, according to federal prosecutors.
Richardson was arrested along with assistant coaches from Auburn, Oklahoma State and Southern California.
Shaquille O’Neal’s son Shareef announced Saturday on Twitter that he is opening up his recruitment, citing the problems at Arizona. He is one of the nation’s top high school recruits and was previously committed to Miller’s Wildcats.
“I would like to thank all the coaches for recruiting me,” he tweeted. “At the time my family and I think it’s in my best interest to look at other options to assure my play in the NCAA next year.”
Trier was declared ineligible this past week after a trace amount of a banned substance was discovered during a drug test late last month. The school said it believes Trier unknowingly ingested the substance a year ago, and it also said the NCAA agreed. Trier did not play in Arizona’s 75-65 win over Oregon State on Thursday.