March Madness: Three reactions from Arizona’s shocking upset loss to Buffalo

Arizona’s future is in doubt

It feels weird saying this because you never can tell the future, but this might have been the best chance the Wildcats have had at getting to a Final Four under Sean Miller.

DeAndre Ayton is likely the top pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Allonzo Trier was a 20 ppg scorer, and Rawle Alkins and Parker Jackson-Cartwright were solid role players for a contending team. But all will be gone, with currently no one committed for 2018 recruiting class (due to the ongoing FBI Investigation, those players left to go elsewhere).

Miller has utilized the transfer market recently, but those guys haven’t turned out to be the kind of guys lead to Arizona to contention. They’ll certainly be out in the market for an impact grad transfer, but those this season has wielding 50-50 results.

The big story, of course, is the ongoing Investigation, which already has cost the program an assistant coach. The problem for Arizona is that there’s no timetable for a conclusion to this, which will scare off many talented players with other viable options.

It also doesn’t help that the Pac-12 at large is in a very weak state, with no teams currently left after just halfway through round one. That means that even if Miller could field a competitive roster, Arizona’s resume might not be good enough to warrant a bid. That could very well be a nail for Miller if more things come to light.