Arizona had their lowest overall winning percentage since 2019 during their first season in the Big XII in 2024-25. The Wildcats had a lot of criticism this season in a year full of adversity. Arizona began the season 4-5. won 13 of its next 14 before losing five of its last eight games in the regular season.
Tommy Lloyd helped Arizona gain momentum with wins over Kansas and Texas Tech in the Big XII Tournament before losing to Houston in the Championship Game. Lloyd has faced a lot of criticism from fans which has often been directly towards the game rotations he uses.
At the beginning of the season Lloyd stated he expected center Motiejus Krivas to be Arizona's best player this year. Krivas was lost for the season with an ankle injury after eight games. Lloyd adjusted his rotation and Henri Veesaar has emerged to give Arizona more size on the front line.
Anthony Dell'Orso, Caleb Love and Trey Townsend have been the other targets of criticism this season. Love's shooting percentages and the playing time for Dell'Orso and Townsend have frequently been critiqued. Dell'Orso played five minutes and Townsend eight in the Big XII Tournament loss to Houston.
"I've really become disciplined and learned how to do that...All these things, if you don't acknowledge them, this chatter...it's just stuff that's floating out there and it doesn't stick to you. I think it allows you to be maybe the most authentic version of yourself.Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd
We've talked about that with our guys...I'm not putting limits on their phone, they have to have the discipline to do that themselves...I think it's important to just hunker in on your deal, pour yourself into your teammates. You worked all season for this and come out and try to give it your best effort because we know you can play good tomorrow and lose, so there is not much room for error."
Love's efficiency was significantly improved in the Big XII Tournament. In the three games in Kansas City, Love averaged 19.0 points per game shot 48.8 percent from the field, 38.1 percent on three-point attempts, had a 58.1 e-field goal percentage with 4.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists.
Arizona needs Love to continue to play at the level he played at in the Big XII Tournament. The comments by Lloyd are critical for the players to listen to with fans of every program who will find reasons to be upset with certain players or the coaches no matter what happens.
Arizona will begin its NCAA Tournament in Seattle at 4:30 PM Mountain Standard Time on Friday versus Akron. For some teams, getting away from home allows them to focus on themselves and their teammates. Often getting away from home allows teams to focus on each other and not the constant chatter as Lloyd stated.
I think we can put to rest the idea that Tommy Lloyd is not intense. He has shown all year what type of competitor he is in games and during post-game press conferences. Steve writes about Lloyd in this piece. https://t.co/Kzc7RG8XzD
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) March 18, 2025
In the modern era of social media and texting, that has become far more difficult. As Lloyd stated, the players have to be disciplined to limit their own phone time. Focusing on playing Akron on Friday night should be the focus for Arizona as they embark on their 2025 NCAA Tournament journey.
Ultimately how a team performs is primarily about them. Being disciplined during the week and throughout the game is critical. Arizona needs to be focused and at its best while eliminating any unforced errors. The teams who best eliminate the chatter and focus on the task ahead are often the ones who make deep NCAA Tournament runs.
Arizona will have an advantage in fans on Friday. If they advance with a win over Akron, Arizona will play the winner of Liberty and Oregon on Sunday. Oregon could have a advantage in the amount of fans on Sunday if they win. Lloyd and his staff would likely try and use that to their advantage. The comments are courtesy of WildcatAuthority.