By and large, the Arizona Wildcats are having a successful season. They just won the Pac-12 regular season title after taking down the struggling California Golden Bears in Tucson on Saturday, and are virtual locks to have a spot in the upcoming NCAA National Tournament.
A recruitment controversy brought to light by an FBI investigation, however, has cast a big shadow on Arizona’s basketball program with Wildcats head coach Sean Miller being alleged to have had discussions of paying recruits, including Wildcats big man and NBA prospect DeAndre Ayton, to convince them of playing for Arizona. Miller is vehemently denying these reports, but in any case, Arizona will not have Ayton next year.

According to Sean Miller himself, the Wildcats will not have Ayton along with two other players on their current roster next season, via Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.
Sean Miller told reporters that Deandre Ayton, Allonzo Trier, and Rawle Alkins will all not return to Arizona next season. They're headed to the NBA.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 4, 2018
If that’s the case, then DeAndre Ayton just had his last game at McKale Center as a Wildcat. He made sure it was a memorable one, as he scored 26 points on 9-for-12 shooting from the field and grabbed 20 rebounds in a clearly dominant performance. Trier, meanwhile, had a salty night, going 1-for-10 for only two points. Alkins had 15 points.
Ayton finished Pac-12 play as the conference’s top scorer and rebounder with 19.7 points and 11.1 boards per game. Trier is third in the league with 19.5 points per outing.
Ayton is expected to be drafted high in this year’s NBA Draft with many projecting him as the top overall pick. For now, though, the man-child Ayton will focus on helping the No. 19 Wildcats win the Pac-12 Tournament and top the Big Dance.