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Arizona’s 2013-14 non-conference schedule will be the most difficult of the Sean Miller era, especially if the Wildcats manage to face Duke in the NIT Tip-Off Classic in New York in late November.

The Wildcats can play the Blue Devils at Madison Square Garden if they win two preliminary round games — most likely at McKale Center — and get matched with Mike Krzyzewski’s team either in the semifinals, finals or consolation game in New York City.

Arizona has two of the most difficult true road games it has played in the non-conference slate, dating back to 2008-09 when interim coach Russ Pennell had to coach on the road against Texas A&M and UNLV. The Wildcats play at formidable San Diego State, which has three starters returning, on Nov. 14, and at Michigan, which lost in the national championship game to Louisville, on Dec. 14.

With the addition of New Mexico State to the schedule yesterday, Arizona will face at least four teams (UNLV, San Diego State, and Michigan the others) that qualified for the NCAA tournament in March. If the Wildcats play Duke the number will be five.

Two other programs — Long Beach State (NIT) and Cal Poly (CollegeInsider.com) — played in the postseason. Alabama, a potential opponent in the NIT Tip-Off Classic, also participated in the postseason NIT in March.

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TRANSFERS IN LUTE OLSON’S FIRST FOUR YEARS Yrs at UA Player Destination 2009-11 Lamont Jones Iona 2010-11 Daniel Bejarano Colorado State 2011-12 Sidiki Johnson Providence 2011-12 Josiah Turner SMU* 2011-13 Angelo Chol Unknown TRANSFERS IN SEAN MILLER’S FIRST FOUR YEARS Yrs at UA Player Destination 1983-84 Van Beard Nevada 1983-84 Michael Tait Clemson 1984-86 Rolf Jacobs Long Beach State 1985-86 Eric Cooper Texas-San Antonio 1985-86 Bruce Wheatley Texas-San Antonio *Turner played professionally in Hungary and Canada instead of transferring to SMU

Angelo Chol announced Wednesday he will transfer from Arizona Major college basketball is a big business and Arizona is one of the most valued programs in the country. Sean Miller is scheduled to earn $2.6 million in total compensation by the 2016-17 season, including a base salary of $1.5 million. Victories, championships, berths into the NCAA tournament are a result of making the right decisions to get the best return on an investment. Arizona has invested its trust in Miller to continue administering the significant money-making operation Lute Olson created. Miller and his staff must invest their valuable time into coaching the right players they believe give them the best chance to win and continue to fill seats in McKale. That means difficult personnel decisions must be made. Players will be advised to find better playing opportunities elsewhere because they may not have a spot in the rotation. That’s nothing new. Olson had five transfers in his first four seasons at Arizona, which equals Miller’s total (see graphic with this blog) with the announcement Wednesday that Angelo Chol has played his last game as a Wildcat.

Addition-by-subtraction moves like this will be made as long as a basketball bounces.

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Michigan fans are fuming over some calls or non-calls in the Wolverines’ 82-76 loss to Louisville in the NCAA title game Monday night, but none of the Pac-12 officials were at fault.

That should be a relief for embattled Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott, whose league did not have a referee in the title game and only one — Randy McCall — who worked in the Final Four.

McCall, who splits his work between the Pac-12 and Mountain West, was one of the referees who took part in the controversial call at the end of regulation in the Arizona-Colorado game Jan. 3 at McKale Center. He and fellow Pac-12 ref Verne Harris and Big 12/Big East ref James Breeding watched video of Colorado guard Sabatino Chen’s last-second shot for five minutes and determined that Chen released the potential game-winning jumper a fraction of a second too late.

Arizona eventually won 92-83 in overtime. That call was significant in a season in which the Pac-12′s officiating operation made national news. The latest is the conference announcing that it is commissioning an independent review of the officiating program following the recent controversy involving former coordinator of officiating Ed Rush.

Scott announced the independent review of the officiating program today.

“Nothing is more important to the Pac-12, or to me personally, than maintaining confidence in our integrity,” Scott said in a statement.

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