Tommy Lloyd Shares Takeaways Following Alabama Game
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Following Arizona’s road win over Alabama, Lloyd took time to credit the environment, the opponent, and the mentality that allowed the Wildcats to pull away in one of their most complete performances of the season.
Lloyd began by acknowledging the setting and the quality of competition, emphasizing that games like this are exactly what college basketball needs.
Lloyd's Thoughts
“A great environment. The University of Alabama and Birmingham you guys brought a great crowd and it was a ton of fun competing here,” Lloyd said. “Obviously you could say that after a win, but I would’ve said it after a loss too. It was fun coming down here and seeing everybody come out and watch two really strong programs go at it.”
Lloyd also expressed gratitude toward Alabama head coach Nate Oats, praising both his willingness to schedule the matchup and his reputation within the sport.
“I’m thankful for Nate for giving us the opportunity and scheduling the series with us,” Lloyd said. “Hopefully we can continue something like that in the future."
From a basketball standpoint, Lloyd made it clear that Arizona entered the game with a specific physical emphasis. Rebounding was a focal point, and the Wildcats delivered. This was something the Wildcats felt was greatly important for the outcome of the game.
“We really wanted to come out and put it to them on the glass,” Lloyd said. “We feel like we have an advantage there most nights.”
Against an Alabama team known for pace and relentless pressure, Lloyd said Arizona stressed urgency and stamina from the opening tip. Alabama has been known to control the pace and that has been where their offense thrives. This was a focal point of shutting down Alabama's momentum.
“Early energy, early...you have to start your possessions like that against Alabama,” Lloyd said. “You can’t ease into anything.”
“The word we really hammered in on was endurance. You have to have competitive endurance against this team because they just keep coming at you,” he said. “I thought our guys did that.”
After weathering an Alabama run and a relatively even first half, Lloyd kept his halftime message simple.
“We didn’t say anything crazy at halftime,” he said. “We said, ‘Let’s come out and land the first punch and see what happens.’”
What followed was a decisive second half, fueled by defense and timely shot-making, especially from freshman Brayden Burries who had a break out game and lit up the score sheet.
“I’m still telling him we don’t have to settle. It’s just a little bit of a mindset,” Lloyd said. “But Brayden got on a little bit of a heater, and I trust him when he’s doing that.”
“Some of those threes he makes in transition. That’s the stuff we saw when we were recruiting him,” Lloyd said.
As Arizona continues to stack high-profile wins, Lloyd’s postgame message reflected both pride and perspective: respect the opponent, trust the process, and rely on toughness, endurance, and belief when the moment demands it.
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Matthew is a recent graduate of Michigan State with a bachelor's degree in sports journalism and a minor in sports business management, with a love for all sports.
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