Allonzo Trier has missed 19 games so far this season. According to reports, Trier will be available Saturday against UCLA.
Well, after 19 games, several “breaking news” reports, plenty of “no comment” statements, the Arizona Wildcats have added a GIANT piece back to their team. Allonzo Trier is back!
If https://t.co/sOBZfUGfI1 had metrics on Allonzo Trier's return, it would be 99.9 pct he'll be Arizona's first sub at Pauley on Saturday
— Greg Hansen (@ghansen711) January 21, 2017
Greg Hansen, with the Arizona Daily Star, broke the news earlier Friday night with a couple of tweets with hints. This has been quite the week for Greg Hansen. In case you forgot, Greg also broke the news of former AD Greg Byrne taking the job in Alabama.
Of course, there was doubt, even with a respected reporter as Greg. Arizona fans have seen several tweets this season “guaranteeing” Trier’s return. But any skepticism was soon put to rest once the University released a statement confirming the reports.
UA confirms Trier's return v. UCLA https://t.co/ehPRsXdaAP via @tucsonstar
— Greg Hansen (@ghansen711) January 21, 2017
“The NCAA notified us on Friday afternoon that Allonzo Trier’s most recent drug test was negative. Therefore, he is eligible to return to the court immediately and will be available for our game against UCLA.”
It's official !!!! pic.twitter.com/89CiBK36af
— ZonaZealotsFS (@ZonaZealots) January 21, 2017
The questions now are how long before Trier is subbed in, how much does he play and what effect will he have?
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Trier’s return is quite the game to make your first appearance. After coming off a very rough win against USC, playing the No. 1 offense in the nation, on their home floor. The stage has been set for his return, but we need to take a breath now.
As we know, Trier has been able to practice with the team this entire time. Coaches have been extremely pleased with his effort, big key tomorrow, and how he continued to prepare as if nothing was wrong. But I’d be surprised if there weren’t a good amount of first game jitters.
You can bet the fans in Pauley Pavillion, and all away fans moving forward, are going to have a field day with Trier. Allonzo will need to focus and block out the loud chants, insults and mocking that is for sure going to come his way.
Trier wound up missing 61.3 percent of #arizonawildcats regular season after testing positive for a PED.
— Bruce Pascoe (@BrucePascoe) January 21, 2017
The team has been playing well together as of late, and it will take some patience to get Trier on the same page. Yes, they practice with each other every day. But practice is entirely different from game time. I don’t doubt they will get comfortable with each other tomorrow, but we need to be patient.
Next: Arizona Football Announces 2017 Schedule
Saturday’s 2 p.m. MST showdown airing on CBS was already heralded as “game of the week” by many media outlets. The attention has now gone up 100% with the breaking news tonight. It has everything you need for a great story line: #1 offense vs. #1 defense in the Pac-12, lottery picks on both sides, and now the return of ZO! BEAR DOWN!