For 11 weeks and 19 games you didn't hear much talk about Arizona.

Allonzo Trier was absent without a reason being stated and, while the remaining Wildcats were pretty good -- even excellent, at times -- they dropped neutral-site games to Butler and Gonzaga. As a result, there were always three or four other elite teams, ones with even fewer losses, to focus on before the conversation got around to Sean Miller's group.

Then came the 20th game. Trier is back, and he and his teammates went into Pauley Pavilion on Saturday and beat No. 3-ranked UCLA 96-85.

It's time to talk about Arizona.

The Wildcats were already really, really good without Trier

Now the truth can be told. The whole air of uncertainty surrounding Trier's absence obscured the fact that Arizona had opened Pac-12 play by putting up numbers that wouldn't be at all out of place from a Final Four contender.

More specifically, Lauri Markkanen had already emerged as one of the best and certainly most versatile freshmen in the country. Markkanen hasn't drawn the same level of praise as other Pac-12 freshmen such as Lonzo Ball, Markelle Fultz or TJ Leaf, but, incredibly, he might have the best stats of any of them. (In a related development, the competition for Pac-12 freshman of the year honors will be notably robust this season.) Perhaps best thought of as a wing trapped in a 7-footer's body, Markkanen has hit exactly half of his 3s despite the fact that he's shooting them at a relatively high volume (nearly five attempts per game).

With a shooter like that who can also grab offensive boards (Markkanen pulled down four against UCLA) and use his length to good effect on defense, Miller gets all the benefits of a 3-point specialist's level of accuracy plus makes inside the arc, rebounds and defense. It's one potent combination.

Never mind the stereotypes, this Arizona team will outscore you

During his tenure in Tucson, Miller has earned a well-deserved reputation for defense. That reputation lives on this season, and certainly this latest group of Wildcats is indeed very good on that side of the ball (particularly on the glass).

Nevertheless, it's an open question in 2017 whether this team's offense might actually be better than its defense. That's a nice problem for Miller to have, surely, for it makes Arizona as one of the most balanced teams on both sides of the ball in the Pac-12.

In conference play, the strength of this Arizona offense, surprisingly, has been its 3-point accuracy. This has been a decidedly interior-oriented offense this season to date, but that might be changing before our eyes. Miller has almost certainly noticed that his team is connecting on 43 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc in Pac-12 play, and over the last three games Arizona has tried as many 3s as a "normal" offense.

With Markkanen, Rawle Alkins, Kobi Simmons and Kadeem Allen, the Wildcats have four players who all possess perimeter range yet can also generate offense inside the arc. Now that Trier is again available, this part of Arizona's offense will become even more pronounced.

Trier will give the Arizona offense even more versatility

In his season debut, Trier scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds while dishing four assists. Not a bad first outing, but Trier's freshman season suggests that there's much more to come.

The 6-foot-5 sophomore promises to give Arizona a high-usage slasher who can finish and, most particularly, get to the line. As a freshman, Trier drew nearly six fouls per 40 minutes. His ability to generate offense at the free throw line will be one more advantage for a Wildcats rotation that so far has recorded one of the lowest foul rates of any team in Pac-12 play.

Trier will also blend in seamlessly with a group that has shown it can generate shot attempts at a high rate. Arizona's carrying its lowest turnover rate in three years in Pac-12 play, giving the ball away on less than 16 percent of its possessions thus far. Moreover, the Wildcats have managed to combine that meticulous turnover-avoidance with a decent showing on the offensive glass, pulling down 32 percent of their missed shots.

The result is an offense that generates a high number of shot attempts. As a featured scorer who carried a relatively low turnover rate as a freshman, Trier will fit right in. Not to mention Miller was playing effectively a seven-man rotation before the sophomore became eligible. This eighth piece of the puzzle will give his coach an added, and crucial, measure of comfort.

When Arizona opened Pac-12 play 6-0 and won its games by an average margin of 14 points, it was said that the Wildcats hadn't played "anybody" yet. But now that they have a win at Pauley Pavilion under their belts, we can speak with some degree of confidence about this team.

Oregon's also undefeated in Pac-12 play, of course, and the two teams will get together for their only regular-season meeting in a couple of weeks in Eugene. The way the schedule falls out, it's probable that Arizona will enter that game 21-2 overall and 10-0 in conference play.

So much for speculation on the near future. Right now, the Wildcats are at full strength for the first time this season, and riding a 12-game winning streak. You'll be hearing much more talk about Arizona from here on out, and rightly so.