Arizona basketball: Allonzo Trier will return for his sophomore season

The star freshman will not even test the NBA waters

With the new NBA Draft early entree rules, we thought that Arizona Wildcats freshman Allonzo Trier would at least test the NBA waters.

But he will not.

The school announced on Monday afternoon that Trier will return to Tucson for his sophomore season.

"After talking to Coach Miller and my family, I have decided to return to school for my sophomore season," Trier said in a statement released by the school. "I am really excited about the quest to become a more complete player. I am also excited to develop as a leader and to lock arms with my teammates while competing for championships. I love being at the University of Arizona and can't wait for next season to begin."

"I am ecstatic about Allonzo's decision to return to school for his sophomore year," head coach Sean Miller added. "I believe he will become one of college basketball's elite players next season. During our conversations, Allonzo shared his desire to be a leader on a championship team and to improve his overall game. By doing so, he puts himself in the best position possible for a very successful NBA future. I have not been around a player that works harder at the game or loves it more than he does. It's this passion to be great that has all of us excited about our future together."

Trier missed seven Pac-12 games this season due to a broken hand he suffered at USC in January. For a good chunk of the year, the freshman was the team's leading scorer, but by the end, his 14.8 points per game put him behind Ryan Anderson and Gabe York.

I believe that ever since it was announced that the Final Four would be played in Glendale in 2017, the school has always paid a little closer attention to that 2016-17 season, and this is a huge piece of what could happen, especially with some of the recruiting pieces that are still in play.

With another year under Miller, you would think that Trier has the ability to become a high-level defender, and combined with his offensive prowess that he has already shown, he has the potential to be one of the best players in the country next season.

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