DETROIT – It looks like Arizona finally found its man.
After initially rejecting the Arizona job over the weekend, Xavier coach Sean Miller has reportedly agreed to a seven-year deal worth more than $2 million annually. He will be introduced at a Tuesday press conference.
The story was first reported by Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports Monday morning.
The move is sure to have an impact on Xavier’s recruiting class, including Kevin Parrom of South Kent (Conn.). The 6-foot-5 Parrom had no comment for the time being.
If Miller takes assistant coach Book Richardson with him, it’s possible Parrom could elect to follow.
Miller, 40, has been at Xavier for five seasons, making the NCAA Tournament four times, including a Sweet 16 loss to Pittsburgh this year in Boston. A year ago, the Musketeers made the Elite 8.
Miller reportedly made $800,000 a year at Xavier.
The program will look to associate head coach Chris Mack, a 39-year-old Xavier graduate, and Siena’s Fran McCaffrey, Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.com reported.
Arizona struck out publicly on USC coach Tim Floyd and on behind-the-scenes attempts at Mark Few (Gonzaga), John Calipari (Kentucky), Jay Wright (Villanova) and Jamie Dixon (Pitt.)
Arizona AD Jim Livengood made it clear earlier that he would not bring back interim head coach Russ Pennell.
The program will likely lose juniors Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill to the NBA. Arizona has lost a slew of recruits since former coach Lute Olson stepped down due to health concerns, meaning Miller faces a major rebuilding effort.
CAROLINA COURTING WALL
North Carolina coach Roy Williams took time out of his Final Four weekend to call John Wall on Thursday night.
“It wasn’t anything major,” Wall, a 6-4 point guard considered the top recruit in the Class of 2009 according to Rivals, told the Charlotte Observer. “He just called to check in, see how I was doing, what was going on. It’s nothing big.
“North Carolina is not recruiting me right now.”‘
Yet the possibility remains open that Williams could make a hard push on Wall after tonight’s national championship game. Carolina point guard Ty Lawson will likely leave for the NBA and Wall could slide in to replace him.
“That’s something we’d just have to wait and see,” he told the Observer.
Wall initially said Memphis was his leader, and told me last week he was considering following former Memphis coach John Calipari to Kentucky, but also lists Baylor, Duke, Kansas, N.C. State, Memphis and Miami. He plans to visit Miami April 24.
“I think I’m going to narrow my list down at the Jordan Game [April 18],” he told me last week. “I’m going to have to rethink it all over and cut my list.”
PORTSMOUTH INVITE ROSTERS
Numerous Big East and other area players have been invited to the Portsmouth Invitational April 8-11: Jeff Adrien and AJ Price of UConn; Levance Fields and Sam Young of Pitt; Dominic James and Wes Matthews of Marquette; Kyle McAlarney of Notre Dame; Geoff McDermott and Weyinmi Efejuku of Providence; and Alex Ruoff of West Virginia. Former St. Anthony standout Ahmad Nivins of St. Joe’s was also invited.
