Tommy Lloyd: “Arizona Basketball can be nice guys and still kick a**”

We’re three games into the 2021-22 Arizona Basketball season, and already the Wildcats are off to a dominating start, winning by an average of 45 points. 

It is Arizona Basketball season in Tucson, and already we are three games into the 2021-22 season, as well as three games into the Tommy Lloyd era.

Coming into the year, many felt Arizona could be a good team, but we were also a bit of a mystery as the Wildcats had a first-year head coach in Lloyd, and still needed more consistent scoring options outside of Azuolas Tubelis and Ben Mathurin.

Well, so far the Wildcats are off to an incredible start as they have won all three of their games convincingly, outscoring their opponents 282-147, and winning by an average of 45 points.

Now granted, the competition has not been good, so it is hard to look too much into the results, however, the way the Wildcats have been playing thus far is extremely promising, and a lot of credit goes to Lloyd.

Head coach Tommy Lloyd is instilling his culture with Arizona Basketball and so far it is making a huge impact on how the Wildcats play.

In their first three games, Arizona is playing a free-flowing style of offense, they are sharing the ball well, and the defense has been stellar as they have suffocated their opponents.

And following the Wildcats’ dominant win over North Dakota State last night, coach Lloyd had the best quote that seems to embody this team well.

“This is how we play and we play with unselfishness, great energy, great toughness,” he said. “I told them, you can be nice guys and still kick ass. That’s the message and that’s what we want to do.”

And kick-ass is right! In their first three-game, Arizona has been dominant, even if it is against weaker competition. And as the competition continues to get tougher, the focus needs to continue to be there. Either way, you got to love the way the mentality that coach Lloyd is instilling in his team.