Can Sean Miller Stabilize Arizona?

Sean Miller views what's left of his inherited roster at the University of Arizona and realizes he will be his seniors' fourth coach in four years. He is preceded by Kevin O'Neill, Russ Pennell and of course Lute Olson, who retired because of health reasons. Pennell led the Wildcats to the Sweet 16 in March but was told there was no chance he would retain the job.

So Miller takes over after a successful tenure at Xavier, but with only residue of a team in Tucson. Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill declared for the NBA draft and have hired agents while point guard Nic Wise is still pondering his draft options. Miller seeks to bring the tradition back to Arizona but the process will take time, especially considering the recent coaching upheaval.

"[The] transition, it's really nobody's fault," he said this week as he prepares for his first season in the Pac-10. "I think whoever the next coach would be and that person is me, is going to inherit a unique situation early on, maybe not as much depth. Maybe even not as much experience or talent of previous Arizona teams, but nonetheless, doing things the right way, getting to know our current players, recruiting the right way, that's really where our focus is right now."

Miller's responsibility is to bring stability to an Arizona program that just five years ago was the model program on the West Coast. But UCLA's emergence, Olson's declining health, a slew of players bolting early for the NBA and poisonous team chemistry have battered the program.

Miller wasn't athletic director Jim Livengood's first choice. USC's Tim Floyd was meticulously close to accepting the job but returned to the Trojans, which may have been a blessing for Livengood. While Floyd's reputation is taking a beating, Miller's has been impeccable. He took Xavier to Top 25 status with wildly athletic teams who played staunch defense. And the Musketeers were a few minutes of execution from beating Pitt in the Sweet 16 last March.

The initial years in Tucson could serve as a challenge, especially convincing potential recruits that chaos and uncertainty is indeed over. Miller sounds as if he plans to stay for a while.

To me stabilizing is more about our current players," he said. "Some guys, I could be their fourth coach in four years and that's not healthy for anybody. Some of our young players have never been accustomed to stability where they really know that the coach is going to be the same for the long term. To me building relationships with them and trust with them and their families, that doesn't happen in a month or two. That happens over a long period of time and that too is going to be a battle."



The Wildcats are waiting on a decision from Wise, whose return for his senior year could turn the Wildcats into a potential tournament team. Wise is projected as a late second-round pick, if not undrafted, but if he returns, he could be the conference's top point guard. Miller also was able to add three blue-chip recruits in Ukranian center Kyryl Natyazhko, and swingmen Solomon Hill (who recommitted to Arizona after decommitting from USC) and Kevin Parron. Add that base to returnees Jamelle Horne and Kyle Fogg, and the transition may not be a bumpy as Miller anticipated.

"We have a great product," he said. "We also [may struggle] because of some tough circumstances that may hinder us early on, but there's also a silver lining because we can offer great opportunity, especially at certain positions and because the best prospects in today's day and age, they want opportunity to be able to come in and play a lot as freshman. So we're trying to build on what we accomplished in 2009 and the three players we signed and be a program of consistent recruiting classes. We are adding to our talent pool and eventually becoming a program with great depth."

But returning to prominence will take time. Miller said it will take at least a year to put his imprint on the program and establish accord. And he will not rush the process.

"So many times when you take over a program, especially a program of stature you can be tempted to make some form of a splash," he said. "That is, Sean Miller has been able to sign seven or eight players in five weeks. if this program is of the level that I believe it is, in April of somebody's senior year, there aren't seven or eight players in the nation that are good enough to help Arizona do what we want to do. So I think being selective, it's getting the right player instead of adding depth all at one point."