The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

A tumultuous week that featured the Arizona men's basketball programme in the headlines for all the wrong reasons saw a complete turnaround this weekend as the team claimed the conference title and DeAndre Ayton was named to the shortlist for college basketball's most prestigious award.

The No.19 Wildcats claimed the PAC 12 title with a 66-54 win over the California Golden Bears at the McKale Center in Tuscon, Arizona, on Saturday night.

The Bears used a slowed-down game to their advantage, keeping Arizona within reach until the Wildcats pieced together a 6-0 run to go up 61-53 with 2:30 left to play.

Arizona closed the game with a 13-1 run, finishing off its fifth Pac-12 title in six seasons in the final home game for seniors Dusan Ristic, Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Keanu Pinder.

Pinder is the son of Bahamian basketball icon Kendal "Tiny" Pinder who starred at North Carolina State University before he was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks. He also played professionally in Israel, Finland and Australia.

The programme has been embattled recently with several issues leading to punishment handed down either to members of the coaching staff or to players themselves.

Last week ESPN issued a report detailing the results of an FBI probe which revealed violations by several elite Division I programmes, including the Wildcats.

The report said Wildcats head coach Sean Miller was heard on an FBI wiretap discussing a $100,000 payment with Christian Dawkins to ensure Ayton would sign with Arizona. Dawkins is a runner working for ASM Sports agent Andy Miller.

In addition to the issues surrounding Ayton and Miller, the Wildcats were appealing the ruling of Allonzo Trier, after he tested positive for a banned substance.

Despite the recent troubles, Miller said he wanted to focus to be on Ayton's performance on the court.

"What I don't want to get lost in the shuffle is that you saw a player scored 26 points and grab 20 rebounds in a low possession game. You can watch games in McKale for the next ten years and not see that happen. DeAndre didn't need an exclamation point, but he certainly put one on his freshman year from a regular season standpoint," he said.

"The big picture is that we clinched an outright regular season championship. Winning one in a conference like the Pac 12 is very rewarding. It's been remarkable. A lot lesser programmes, teams, universities would have crumbled and we didn't and I think it says something about us and our future. We were just trying to soak it all in, I think the one lesson we learned is what you have today can be take very easily and you can't take anything for granted, especially a moment like this."

Ayton, the freshman phenom forward, was also named to the 15-player Wooden Award ballot of finalists, and was also made the 10-player semi-final list of the Naismith Award.

On the season he averaged 19.9 points, 11.4 rebounds and shot 62 per cent from the field.

"I don't need to campaign for him, who he is speaks for itself. He's a tremendous player, he does it on offence, he does it on defence, he's physically built like Superman, but he's also very skilled," Miller said.

"A guy like him physically gifted with the skill level and intelligence, he's going to go down as one of the great ones to play our game, that's how I see it. He's a once in a generation player and I doubt I'll ever coach a player like him ever again."

Arizona has a first-round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas and will play on Thursday.

Miller added that Ayton along with sophmores Trier and Rawle Alkins had played their last game in the McKale center and will pursue professional careers following the season.

Ayton family attorney, Lynden B Rose, issued a statement on behalf of the family expressing their "outrage and disgust" at the allegations connected to DeAndre.

In a statement, Rose said the family believes the reports "have falsely implied that their son or his family have any involvement in illegal or prohibited activities regarding his decision to matriculate at the University of Arizona."

Rose said Ayton told the FBI last year "that he never discussed or solicited payments from the University of Arizona, or any other university, or any shoe company or anyone on behalf of either -- period. This includes basketball and anything else."

He also said Ayton's decision to commit to the Wildcats was based on "family ties to Phoenix" as well as his familiarity with the programme and the area, he previously played at Hillcrest Prep Academy in Phoenix.

"Although the FBI does not routinely do so (although exceptions have been made), DeAndre's family certainly believes it is appropriate for that law enforcement agency, as well as NCAA and University of Arizona, to make public statements which unquestionably clears DeAndre's good name," the statement said.