Tommy Lloyd doesn't want to hold back Arizona 5-star freshman Caleb Holt

After an impressive exhibition performance, Arizona's prized freshman is earning praise from his head coach

Mar 31, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Caleb Holt (3). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Caleb Holt has some big shoes to fill for Tommy Lloyd and the Arizona Wildcats.

The 6'5 guard is the latest 5-star talent to arrive in Tucson, with potential not just to go one-and-done, but to get selected among the first three picks in the 2027 NBA draft.

After struggling offensively during Arizona's foreign tour this summer and having an inefficient night at the Red-Blue Showcase in late September, Holt seemed to find his groove in Arizona's 93-69 exhibition win over San Francisco on Tuesday night.

Caleb Holt is finding his role in Arizona's offense

Mar 31, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Caleb Holt (3) during the McDonalds All American Boys Game at Desert Diamond Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Joining a Final Four team as a 5-star freshman is not easy, especially when that team lost a huge chunk of talent in the offseason.

The pressure to immediately take over can be overwhelming, but Arizona doesn't need Holt to be the alpha right away. The offense will run through center Mo Krivas and forward Ivan Kharchenkov, and now that Holt is starting to settle into a more complementary role, things are opening up for the Alabama native.

“Caleb’s really motivated to be a great all-around player and to really understand the nuances of the game, and so he’s shouldered a heavy burden on his own of trying to learn," coach Lloyd said after the game. "You’re talking about a guy that has just kind of risen through the ranks at the highest levels of kind of high school basketball and international basketball just with his effort and his kind of raw instincts and so now he’s trying to kind of refine himself a little bit."

Tommy Lloyd wants Caleb Holt to trust his instincts

Holt finished Tuesday's game with 17 points on 6-10 shooting, including 4-4 from the free throw line, while adding five rebounds, a pair of assists, and perhaps most crucially, zero turnovers.

He picked his moments to attack off the dribble, but otherwise seamlessly fit into Arizona's offense - while taking on a huge assignment defensively at the point of attack, recording three of the Wildcats' 12 steals on the night.

Apr 3, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd speaks during a press conference ahead of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Lloyd was encouraged by Holt's willingness to play within the system, but also stressed the importance of the 6'5 guard still playing his game - rather than turning into a formulaic player.

"I’m just excited to kind of help him on the journey, but I definitely don’t want to put the shackles on this guy or make him a robot, because I think he’s a guy that has to kind of be turned loose a little bit," Lloyd continued. "Yeah, there’s probably going to be a few head scratching plays, but there might also be some head scratching plays in a positive direction as well.”

Holt's ability to impact the game on both sides of the ball gives him a very high floor for Arizona, and once he strikes that balance of fitting into the system and taking what is given to him - while also going out and getting a bucket when needed - he could be one of the best players in the country, giving the Wildcats a real shot at advancing to another Final Four, and potentially beyond.

The next look at Holt and Arizona will be Friday, Oct. 16, at 7:00 PM MST against San Diego State in another home exhibition battle. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.