Criteria could determine if Tommy Lloyd is Big XII Coach of the Year candidate

Jon Wilner of the Mercury News was recently asked who would win the Big XII men's basketball Coach of the Year if the voting was held currently. Wilner stated the 2024-25 Big XII Men's Basketball Coach of the Year could depend on voters judging the entire season or only conference games.

Someone sent in a question to Wilner's mailbag stating that they expected Arizona's Tommy Lloyd and Grant McCasland of Texas Tech as the front runners for Big XII Coach of the Year. Wilner answered his mailbag on Sunday. Arizona lost at Kansas State on Tuesday to fall to 17-7 overall following the loss.

Arizona entered Big XII play 6-5 in their non-conference games and is 11-2 in the Big 12 in second place behind Houston. Texas Tech is 19-5 overall and 10-3 in the Big XII. The home team won both times Arizona and Texas Tech played this season. Arizona was picked fifth and Texas Tech seventh in the Big XII preseason poll.

Wilner brought up the point that Arizona has experienced two seasons in one. Arizona beginning the season 6-5 without any quality wins was one season, but their 10-1 start in the Big XII was another. The Wildcats began the season 0-5 versus quadrant one opponents, but are 7-2 since then.

Wilner theorized the season-ending injury to 7'2 center Motiejus Krivas freed up space in the Arizona rotation for Henri Veesaar. In Wilner's opinion, the presence of Veesaar has had a positive impact on the tempo and cohesiveness in the Arizona rotation. Veessar is averaging 8.6 points per game, 4.9 rebounds and leads Arizona with 27 blocks.

Wilner said Vessaar's impact reminded him of a lesser version of the impact Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita had for the Wildcats in 2023. Arizona began the 2023 season 3-3 and finished with seven consecutive wins. Wilner asked if Lloyd should get full credit for the Arizona transformation.

The flipside of the previous theory by Wilner was did Arizona underachieve early in the season because Lloyd uncharacteristically did not properly use his players incorrectly in the rotation. To Lloyd's credit, he inserted guard Anthony Dell'Orso into the starting lineup and Arizona is 13-2 since then.

Wilner pondered if Arizona would be the same team if Krivas had never been injured. Arizona lost 69-55 to Duke in the only game Krivas started during the 2024-25 season. Wilner closed by mentioning that he doesn't view it that Arizona would have remained mediocre if Krivas had stayed healthy.

Coaches can view things from a different perspective than the media, one that is often met with intra-conference politics and jealousies, per Wilner. The final point by Wilner is that it is reasonable to wonder how coaches would view the Krivas injury and the two seasons in one Arizona has had.