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Kyle Bonagura
Multiple Authors
In San Jose, California, despite rumors suggesting he might be considered for the vacant North Carolina position, Arizona’s coach Tommy Lloyd affirmed his complete dedication remains with his current team as the top-ranked Wildcats get ready for their Sweet 16 matchup on Thursday against the fourth-seeded Arkansas.
“My current role is already among the nation’s premier coaching opportunities,” Lloyd stated. He continued, “A principle we constantly emphasize within our organization – and I believe I’ve improved at it, and our squad has excelled at it this season – is the capacity to maintain complete concentration and live fully in the present.”
Nevertheless, Lloyd refrained from explicitly ruling out his potential interest in the UNC role, which opened up on Tuesday after Hubert Davis was let go after the Tar Heels’ elimination in the NCAA tournament’s opening round.
He remarked, “I believe we possess the opportunity to progress through this competition game by game, but I’m not unrealistic.” Lloyd added, “I acknowledge the possibility of defeat tomorrow, yet this group warrants my complete attention. Therefore, absolutely nothing will divert me from my current trajectory. My entire concentration is on Arizona basketball and this organization, and I eagerly anticipate the tip-off tomorrow, then striving to devise a strategy for victory.”
During his fifth year leading Arizona, Lloyd has achieved a cumulative record of 146 wins against 35 losses, securing three regular-season conference championships and three conference tournament championships across the Wildcats’ tenure in both the Pac-12 and Big 12. He earned the Associated Press national coach of the year honor in 2022 and was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year for the current season.
