Tommy Lloyd's Thoughts on a Recent Victory

While the final score suggested control, Lloyd’s postgame press conference painted a more nuanced picture of a game that required patience, adaptability, and effort to put away.

“We just had to find a rhythm in our flow a little bit,” Lloyd said afterward. “San Diego State I give them a lot of credit. They came out with a game plan where they were really forcing us to play outside.” From the opening tip, the Aztecs packed the paint, went under ball screens, and clogged driving lanes, daring Arizona to beat them from the perimeter. For a Wildcats team accustomed to attacking downhill and playing with pace, the adjustment took time.

Lloyd explained that San Diego State’s defensive approach was something Arizona hadn’t seen with much consistency this season. “They were really heavy in that first gap. They were going under a lot of our ball screens, so we really haven’t faced that much conviction with that defense,” he said. As a result, Arizona’s offense looked out of sync early, reflected by a narrow 28–27 halftime lead and uncharacteristic struggles from three-point range.

Mar 26, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd talks to the media at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Rather than forcing shots, Lloyd emphasized the importance of recognizing what a game is giving you. “Sometimes you gotta make a decision, maybe today is not the day we shoot it as good as we hope,” he said. “There’s lots of ways to win, and when you can win in the effort areas, which we did today, that’ll go a long way.”

Those “effort areas” defined the game. Arizona dominated the glass, winning the rebounding battle 52–28, and used its physicality and depth to grind San Diego State down in the second half. The Wildcats’ defense held the Aztecs to just 18 points after halftime, turning a tight contest into a runaway with a decisive 21–5 run that delivered what Lloyd called a “knockout punch.”

Another subtle factor Lloyd addressed was the unfamiliar playing conditions. “Playing with a different ball can be difficult,” he noted. “You have a couple days to prepare. This has a different feel.” Still, Lloyd refused to frame it as an excuse, pointing out that both teams dealt with the same challenge.

Dec 13, 2025; Birmingham, Alabama, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd reacts during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Legacy Arena at BJCC. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images | David Leong-Imagn Images

The shooting numbers told the story of the night. San Diego State finished 1-for-14 from three-point range, a stark contrast to the 41 percent the Aztecs had been shooting as a team coming into the game.

“The plan wasn’t gonna let San Diego State shoot open threes,” Lloyd said, while also acknowledging that shooting in a large NBA arena can be unpredictable. “They’re gonna miss in an NBA arena, it just happens sometimes.”

Ultimately, Lloyd took pride in his team’s resilience. “I’m just proud of the way our guys hung with it,” he said. “That can be a little bit frustrating when teams are heavy in the gaps, and you’re missing a few shots you wanna make, but we hit the ones at the right time.”

Arizona may not have been at its offensive best, but Lloyd’s comments underscored a team growing in maturity, one capable of adjusting, defending, and winning decisively even when the shots aren’t falling.

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