Arizona junior point guard Allonzo Trier is facing the second substance-induced suspension of his college career.
The university announced Thursday that Trier is indefinitely ineligible, effective immediately, per an NCAA mandate. The reason for his punishment predates the 2017-18 season. Arizona fans remember all too well that Trier sat for the first 19 games of the 2016-17 season after traces of a banned substance were found in his blood stream.
Trier became eligible last season once those traces of the undisclosed substance were no longer showing up. Oddly, according to Arizona, they have returned.
Here is Arizona's statement in full: "Earlier today, the University of Arizona was notified that the NCAA has declared Allonzo Trier ineligible. In late January 2018, Allonzo participated in an NCAA student-athlete drug screening. The results of that test, confirmed today, revealed the reappearance of a trace amount of a banned substance. The amount detected was minuscule by scientific standards and appears to be a remnant of a substance, which the NCAA agreed, Allonzo had unknowingly ingested in 2016. The University is appealing the decision and is hopeful that Allonzo will regain his eligibility soon."
The timeline on this is unknown, as are the details of how Trier wound up in this position again. If the substance that is in Trier's bloodstream is gone in a matter of days, he could be on the court immediately thereafter. Logically, it does not add up that Trier would have been cleared more than a year ago, never used the substance again, then have it prompt a positive test.
With March less than a week away, Arizona's seeding situation and its Final Four hopes could rest on the decision of an appeals committee at the NCAA level. The Wildcats are 21-6 and vying for a Pac-12 title. Trier is the team's key leader, a combo guard who averages 19.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and has made 43 percent of his 3-point attempts (64-of-149).
