Tommy Lloyd pushes back against the stereotype questioning Arizona's toughness

Tommy Lloyd pushed back against the narrative that Arizona is tougher this season during his postgame press conference after the win over Iowa State on Monday. Arizona clinched the regular-season Big XII title with the win over Iowa State.

Rebounding is often the biggest measure of toughness. Arizona averages 43.2 rebounds per game and allows 31.4. Arizona is fourth nationally with a 57.9 rebounding rate and with a 38.7 offensive rebounding rate and ranks 18th with a 76.2 defensive rebounding rate.

Tobe Awaka leads Arizona and is 17th nationally averaging 9.63 rebounds per game. Awaka leads Arizona in all three rebounding categories, despite being seventh on the Wildcats averaging 21.6 minutes per game. Awaka is in at least the 94th percentile nationally in all four rebounding categories.

In addition to rebounding, Arizona is eighth nationally holding opponents to 38.8 percent from the field, third with a 43.3 percent defensively on two-point attempts and 43rd with 31.1 percent on three-point attempts against them.

"The narrative that we were soft is lazy...Look at our stats. Look at our analytics. We've always been a great rebounding team. We've always pounded the paint...If you want to just be lazy and not pay attention and say we're soft because we're on the West Coast, be lazy. And I'd love to play against you because we know we got dudes and we love this game and I'm okay (with) this style of game. I have no problem with how it played out...If you want to compete at the highest level of college basketball, you better be able to go toe-to-toe with somebody....that's how we're built...We've always been built that way."

Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd

Dominating opponents

Arizona has outrebounded every opponent this season except Houston. Houston had a 39-37 rebounding advantage over Arizona in a 73-66 loss on February 21. Every Arizona opponent has shot under 50.0 percent during the 2025-26 season and all but four were below 40.0 percent on three-point attempts.

Only six 2025-26 Arizona opponents have an eFG percentage over 50.0. The toughness analytics extend to past seasons under Lloyd and his predecessor, Sean Miller. Arizona outrebounded opponents 39.7 to 32.5 and had a 41.9 field goal percentage against during the 2024-25 season.

Going back further, Arizona out-rebounded opponents 42.6 to 32.6 while holding teams to 42.1 percent from the field in 2023-24. In 2022-23, Arizona had a 39.3 to 33.2 rebounding edge per game and a 40.8 field goal percentage against.

In their first season under Lloyd in 2021-22, Arizona out-rebounded opponents 41.4 to 33.8 and held teams to 38.7 percent from the field. Arizona has been among the national leaders in rebounding and field goal percentage defense in its five seasons with Lloyd as the head coach.

Most of the Arizona teams under Lloyd have thrived, led by big men. This season, Arizona has thrived on balance. Seven Arizona players are averaging in double figures through the first 30 games of the 2025-26 season. Three of the seven are guards, three are fowards and one is a center.

Arizona is tough throughout its primarily eight-man rotation. For two weeks, Arizona played a mostly six-man rotation with Dwayne Aristode and Koa Peat out. Arizona has shown its toughness in multiple ways under Lloyd. The win over Iowa State gave Arizona its third regular-season conference title in five seasons under Lloyd.