Arizona Wildcats Insider Podcast: Tommy Lloyd

Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd has the program moving in the right direction despite what the critics say.

Mar 27, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils during an East Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Welcome to another addition of the “Arizona Wildcats Insider Podcast” featuring your host Troy Hutchison, who will be delivering a daily podcast discussing everything happening surrounding Arizona athletics giving you an inside look at all the programs on campus.

Hutchison has been covering Arizona for the last seven years with his coverage spanning all-across UA’s campus from football and men’s basketball to Title IX sports. Plus, with so many former Wildcats playing at the next level in their prospective sports there will be moments where he will take a deep dive into the Cats execling outside of Tucson.

To watch today's episode, view below.

Arizona basketball is one of the bigger brands in the country and has been that way since legendary coach Lute Olson took the program to its first Final Four in 1988 with stars Steve Kerr and Sean Elliott forever changing not only the UA, but Tucson as well.

Since then, Arizona has gone to three more Final Fours, two National Title games and won the 1997 championship, which is the only one in program history. The Wildcats were one of the team’s of the 90’s and has caused their fans base to have high expectations year in and year out.

Although Arizona is still a great brand, it isn’t what it once was and that decline started the last four years of the Sean Miller era with a black cloud around the program with the FBI investigation, wasting top-tier talent and NCAA failures.

However, for some reason, Arizona fans have been incredibly harsh on head coach Tommy Lloyd for one first round exit and three appearances in the NCAA Tournament. After a slow 4-5 start to the 2024-25 season, the fan base was outraged and were questioning if Lloyd was the right man for the job.

Well, after that slow start Arizona turned things around, finished third in the Big 12 conference and made it to the conference tournament title game. Then, the Wildcats gave Duke its best game of the season at that point in time falling 100-93 in a classic Sweet Sixteen game.

Now Arizona has the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation heading to Tucson with a handful of key players returning from the previous season.

The way players develop over time is the same thing for coaches as well. Lloyd has clearly shown development as a head coach and has the program moving in the right direction.

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