Was Arizona Head Coach Sean Miller Classless when Calling the Timeout?

With victory in hand, Arizona Basketball’s head coach Sean Miller called a timeout as time nearly expired. The act has drawn a lot of criticism.

If you weren’t paying attention, or maybe didn’t understand what was happening at the end of Arizona’s convincing win over rival UCLA, Sean Miller’s time out call is drawing criticism.

It is the also reason why Arizona is currently drawing a lot attention…

Loved it? Hated it? Regardless of what you felt, the controversial timeout was called. It was also more-than-likely a retaliation for UCLA calling a timeout in the waning moments of their 77-72 win in Tucson for the nationally televised GameDay. It was also senior night in McKale.

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To me, UCLA head coach Steve Alford and the Bruins seemed to show a lack of respect in that situation and on senior day nonetheless. It seemed Miller was just giving him a bit of his own medicine.

Some have been praising the move as savage, as it shows Miller backing up his players.

There are several theories in addition to the payback theory.

Adversely, there have been some calling it ‘petty’, ‘classless’, etc. That two wrongs don’t make it right, and Miller should have taken the “high road”.

Here were his comments after the game regarding the timeout.

So let me get this straight, up by five points, with about two seconds to go, you call a timeout to ensure your defense will be ready? Hmm, I’m calling BS!

From our partners at our sister FanSided website GoJoeBruin, here is what was said regarding the timeout:

"“If Miller wants to show that his Arizona Basketball team is the epitome of class, then he failed miserably. He basically set himself and his program back to grade school mentality”"

Here’s the thing, this is college basketball. It’s a super competitive sport where winning reign’s supreme, and at a premier school like Arizona or UCLA, your job depends on it. Even UCLA Football coach Jim Mora plays mind games with Arizona. Remember when he had his team run out at the same time as the Wildcats on GameDay a few years ago?

You don’t like the competitive nature? Don’t watch!

Plus, the players totally enjoyed celebrating in their huddle with their coach, hopefully Magic Johnson and NBA scouts in attendance will remember Arizona players instead of the highly talked about Bruins.

Sean Miller has been nothing but class in his tenure at Arizona while carrying on the tradition of the legendary Lute Olson. Let’s not forget that even the saintly Olson also had met adversity with monumental gestures. For instance, leaving in starters vs ASU in a blowout, or the infamous scoreboard point. To his credit, Sun Devil fans were chanting something about his late wife, Bobbi. Should he have taken the high road?

If there is anything that I couldn’t have been more proud of other than dismantling UCLA, it is the toughness that Sean has brought to Tucson that was on display Saturday.

Miller has shown he is a fiery competitor, and doesn’t take kindly to that kind of stuff. Let’s take you back a few years. Here is what Miller said following the Xavier/ Cincinnati basketball brawl in 2011. “If Cincinnati tries to do what they did (Saturday) they’re going to get a fight.”

GoJoeBruin continues:

"“Whether reason Alford had, Miller chose against being a bigger man for a chance to be petty, spiteful man. And it is unfortunate because it took attention away from the players that worked their butts off to defeat UCLA.”"

Miller didn’t take anything away from our boys, he made it loud and clear that “Hey, I’ve got your back!” Not only did he want to give Kadeem his moment, he took a page out of Alford’s book.

Here is what Miller said in part of what that timeout meant, and more specifically, what this win meant to senior Kadeem Allen.

To me, this incident is no different than a pitcher brushing, or hitting a batter with the ball. You don’t pull that kind of stunt to us, and not expect a retaliation.

Here is Miller postgame:

Appropriate or not, to the UCLA faithful, don’t call us and our coach petty and not representing the school with class, when your coach failed to do so just a couple weeks prior. Why suddenly so interested in playing the holier-than-thou card just because you don’t like the result?

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Personally, I loved the move. It delayed the handshake that still happened. No one was hurt other than maybe pride and ego. We celebrate the rivalry, and now the coaches are even and maybe it’s a brand new start. What are your thoughts? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!