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Men’s Basketball Signs Nation’s Top-Ranked Class

by arizonawildcats.com
Nov 13, 2014

TUCSON, Ariz. – Head coach Sean Miller and the Arizona men’s basketball staff saw their continued efforts to build a successful future for A Player’s Program come to fruition once again over the last week, signing the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class.

“This is an important class for us, as we’re bracing for and expect a number of underclassmen on this year’s team to pursue professional careers,” Miller said. “With the combination of seniors and underclassmen we will lose after this season, this class is significant in many ways. Two qualities we love about this class are that each member is a high-character individual and the fact that their qualities on the court complement each other very well.”

The quartet of Chance Comanche, Justin Simon, Ray Smith and Allonzo Trier comprise a class ranked No. 1 nationally by ESPN, Rivals, Scout and 247Sports. UA is one of two programs nationally that has ranked in the top 10 of ESPN’s recruiting class rankings in each of the last four seasons, and will look to make it five in a row when the final rankings are released in the spring.

Arizona’s 2014 Signing Class
Chance Comanche – C // 6-10 // 205 // Beverly Hills, Calif. // Beverly Hills
Justin Simon – G // 6-5 // 185 // Temecula, Calif. // Brewster Academy
Ray Smith – F // 6-8 // 180 // Las Vegas, Nev. // Las Vegas
Allonzo Trier – G // 6-5 // 190 // Seattle, Wash. // Findlay Prep

Chance Comanche
A highly-skilled post player, Comanche averaged 19.5 points, 13.0 rebounds and 4.3 blocks per game as a high school junior. The LA City Section Division V Player of the Year has elite timing and feel for the game, making him a gifted passer and shot blocker.

“Chance has a bright future,” Miller said. “He loves the game and he plays hard. As he gets bigger and stronger, the sky is the limit because he already has a great feel and skill level. As somebody who can make shots, score around the basket and run the court, we love where he’s going to be in his future.”

  • A four-star recruit ranked as the No. 97 overall recruit and the No. 16 center in the class of 2015 by ESPN
  • Rated as the No. 31 overall prospect and the No. 7 center in his class by Rivals
  • Tabbed as the No. 44 overall recruit and the No. 12 center in the class of 2015 by Scout
  • Averaged 19.5 points, 13.0 rebounds and 4.3 blocks per game as a junior at View Park High School in Los Angeles
  • Earned first-team Division V all-state honors from MaxPreps as a junior in 2013-14
  • An all-state underclass first team honoree by Cal-Hi Sports in 2013-14
  • Named Los Angeles City Section Division V Player of the Year and first-team All-LA City Section by the CIF following his junior season
  • Posted averages of 12.7 points, 14.3 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game as a sophomore at View Park to earn inclusion on the Cal-Hi Sports sophomore all-state team
  • Garnered second-team Division V all-state accolades from both Cal-Hi Sports and MaxPreps in 2012-13

Justin Simon
Regarded as one of the best passers in the entire 2015 recruiting class, Simon averaged 17.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game as a junior at Temecula Valley High School before transferring to Brewster Academy over the summer. The honorable mention MaxPreps Junior All-American has ideal size and basketball IQ to play multiple positions, combining energy and assertiveness with his versatile skill set.

“Justin is the ultimate versatile player in that he can play, and defend, as many as three positions,” Miller said. “He has great size as a guard. His disposition and length give him a chance to be very special defensive player. Regardless of what position he plays, he’s an exceptional passer who really has a great feel for making his teammates better. He really fits our style of play in a number of different areas.”

  • A four-star recruit ranked as the No. 27 overall recruit, the No. 16 point guard and the No. 2 prospect from California in the class of 2015 by ESPN
  • Rated as a five-star prospect and the No. 21 overall recruit in his class by Rivals
  • Tabbed as the No. 17 overall recruit and the No. 2 point guard in the class of 2015 by Scout
  • Invited to the 2014 Men’s U18 National Team training camp
  • Led the 2014 adidas Nations camp with an average of 31.8 minutes played and ranked ninth in the camp in scoring with an average of 14.0 points per game
  • Averaged 17.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game as a junior at Temecula Valley High School
  • Named an honorable mention Junior All-American by MaxPreps following his junior season
  • An all-state underclass first team and first-team Division II all-state honoree by Cal-Hi Sports in 2013-14
  • A first-team All-CIF honoree and Southwestern League MVP as a junior

Ray Smith
An active, athletic wing who excels in transition, Smith averaged 24.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game as a junior en route to honorable mention MaxPreps Junior All-America honors. Smith is a high riser who attacks the rim and can guard multiple positions on the defensive end.

“Ray was hit with a setback this summer when he tore his ACL in July,” Miller said. “If there’s a gift to that happening, it’s when it happened. He has a great chance to make a full recovery and be 100 percent by the time school begins for him as a freshman at Arizona. Ray is a terrific athlete who can really get up and down the floor. He has the size you want as a small forward, and he can really pass, shoot and dribble. He’s a very skilled basketball player with great size.”

  • A four-star recruit ranked as the No. 24 overall recruit and the No. 5 small forward in the class of 2015 by ESPN
  • Rated as a five-star prospect and the No. 11 overall recruit in his class by Rivals
  • Tabbed as the No. 12 overall recruit and the No. 3 small forward in the class of 2015 by Scout
  • Averaged 24.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game as a junior to earn honorable mention All-America honors from MaxPreps
  • Garnered first-team all-state honors from the Las Vegas Review-Journal following his junior season
  • Shared Northeast League MVP honors as a junior in 2013-14
  • Named the Rising Star of the Nevada Northeast Division and earned a spot on the Northeast Division first team

Allonzo Trier
Trier teamed with Miller and current UA freshman Stanley Johnson to help lead Team USA to a gold medal at the 2014 FIBA Americas U18 Championship in Colorado Springs. Able to score in a variety of ways and from all areas, Trier averaged 25.5 points and 4.0 rebounds as a junior at Montrose Christian.

“I know Allonzo well, having been one of his coaches last summer with USA Basketball,” Miller said. “He has a natural way of scoring that’s really striking as a coach. He gets to the foul line as well as anyone I’ve seen at his age, and he has a physicality to his game that makes him incredibly efficient. He’s also a very good passer and can play more than one position, which makes him even better.”

  • A five-star recruit ranked as the No. 17 overall recruit and the No. 3 shooting guard in the class of 2015 by ESPN
  • Rated as a five-star prospect and the No. 12 overall recruit in his class by Rivals
  • Tabbed as the No. 13 overall recruit and the No. 2 shooting guard in the class of 2015 by Scout
  • Teamed with UA head coach Sean Miller and current Arizona freshman Stanley Johnson to lead the U.S. Men’s U18 National Team to the FIBA Americas U18 Championship gold medal in the summer of 2014
  • Started all five games in the tournament for the U.S., averaging 12.6 points, shooting 62.1 percent from the floor and leading Team USA with an average of 6.4 free throw attempts per game
  • An Under Armour Elite 24 Game selection in 2014
  • Led the EYBL in scoring in 2014 with an average of 29.4 points per contest
  • Averaged 25.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game as a junior at Montrose Christian High School to earn Gatorade Maryland Player of the Year honors
  • Shot 94.0 percent from the free throw line as a junior
  • Earned fourth-team Junior All-America honors from MaxPreps, as well as Washington Post All-Met first team honors, in 2013-14
  • Played his first two high school seasons in the Northeast Oklahoma Association of Homeschools, averaging 29.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game over two years
  • Garnered first-team all-state honors from the Tulsa World as a sophomore in 2012-13

For the latest updates on Arizona men’s basketball and an inside look at the program, follow @APlayersProgram on Twitter and @uaplayersprogram on Instagram.

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