Tommy Lloyd likes Arizona extended schedule breaks

Speaking to reporters after the Arizona win over Old Dominion on Saturday head coach Tommy Lloyd stated he likes the breaks in the schedule this year. Arizona is off until they play at Wisconsin on Friday. Arizona will have another seven days off after Wisconsin before hosting Duke on November 22.

Arizona has seven, eight and nine-day breaks this season. Arizona has a big test over Thanksgiving weekend when they will play three games in three days at the Battle 4 Atlantis. Arizona opens at the bottom half of the Battle 4 Atlantis Bracket versus Davidson with either Providence or Oklahoma next.

Indiana versus Louisville and Gonzaga against West Virginia are the teams in the top half of the bracket. Arizona has eight days off after they are finished with the Battle 4 Atlantis when they host Southern Utah on December 7. Arizona has another week in between games before playing UCLA in Phoenix on December 14.

Arizona has a nine-day break in-between hosting Central Michigan on December 21 and playing its inaugural Big XII on December 30 versus TCU. The longest break for Arizona during the Big XII schedule is five days. Lloyd elaborated on the Ariona schedule on Saturday.

"I just, think you know how scheduling kind of breaks sometimes...It just to me it seems like there's a lot of...gaps this year in our schedule which could be a good thing. Could allow us to rest a little bit practice, continue to build...Sometimes when you play those three games in three days and you're really only allowed...11 non-conference games...so if you play three of them in three days over...a two-month period...There's some gaps in there. So it just kind of how it worked out...I'm good where we're at."

- Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd

Arizona plays a more difficult non-conference schedule in November than in December. Duke, Wisconsin and the Battle 4 Atlantis opponents will challenge. UCLA will be the only power non-conference opponent Arizona plays in December before beginning Big XII plays.

Those breaks will be important for the transfers and younger players. Lloyd also spoke about the development of Henri Veesaar after a redshirt season in 2023-24. Those gaps will allow Arizona to work on development and teaching the players their system as Lloyd also discussed on Saturday.

Arizona has played 15 players in each of its first two games. Lloyd will have the opportunity the shorten the rotation during gaps in the schedule when players are more rested. Lloyd has been starting a smaller lineup with 6'8 Tobe Awaka and 6'6 Trey Townsend upfront and guards Jaden Bradley, K.J. Lewis and Caleb Love.

Arizona can bring in size off the bench with Veesar at 7'1 and Motiejus Krivas at 7'2. Krivas missed the two exhibition games and played limited minutes versus Canisius and Old Dominion. The time off also gives Lloyd a chance to mix lineups in practice. We will learn a lot about Arizona in the next five games.