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Inside The Wildcats

Arizona's Lloyd's All-Time NCAA Tournament Record and Best Finishes

Top-Seeded Arizona Looks to Break Through in March.
Caleb Meadows|
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Arizona Wildcats

Arizona will be in the NCAA Tournament, which has been a common theme since head coach Tommy Lloyd came to the program. The Wildcats had a 32-2 record this season and won the Big 12 Tournament. This success earned them the No. 1 seed in the West Region.

Given the success Lloyd has achieved with the program, one might think he has been a head coach for decades, but that is not the case. He has only been a head coach since 2021. Lloyd set the NCAA record for most wins (140) by a head coach in their first five seasons, passing Brad Stevens.

Lloyd has had nothing but success since arriving in Tucson, and that has continued once again this season. The one knock on Lloyd has been his postseason success. So with that being said, let’s take a look at Lloyd’s March Madness history.

Lloyd has an overall record in the NCAA Tournament of 64. His best finishes include three Sweet 16 appearances, but nothing further than that.

2021-22

You cannot ask for a better first season as a head coach than Lloyd's. He led the Wildcats to a 33-4 record and a Pac-12 championship. Lloyd also secured personal glory, as he won Pac-12 Coach of the Year and Consensus National Coach of the Year.

The Wildcats earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in Lloyd’s debut season. Wright State faced off against the Wildcats in the Round of 64. The Raiders stood no match, as the Wildcats won 87-70.

Then they went on to face TCU in the Round of 32, and it was a close one. The Wildcats walked away with the win, but it was not an easy one. The final score was 85-80 in the Wildcats’ favor.

Lloyd’s historic first season came to a screeching halt when his squad faced off against Houston in the Sweet 16. The Cougars ended the Wildcats’ season when they defeated them 72-60.

2022-23

Lloyd’s second year as the Wildcats’ head coach saw a similar path as the first season. They had a slightly worse record at 28-7, but won the Pac-12 Tournament for the second consecutive season.

This earned the Wildcats a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Wildcats expected to make it to the Sweet 16 at a minimum. Lloyd and company were set to face Princeton in the opening round.

As a second seed, the Wildcats would naturally be massive favorites. The Tigers had different plans, as they pulled off the upset 59-55. This shocked Lloyd and Wildcat fans nationwide.

2023-24

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Once again, Lloyd had another terrific regular season, as the Wildcats went 27-9 and finished on top of the Pac-12 at the end of the season.

A two-seed was in the sights of the Wildcats for the second straight season. They blew out Long Beach State by 20 points in the opening round. The Wildcats followed that up with a 78-68 win over Dayton.

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Then the haunting Sweet 16 arrived and got the best of Lloyd once again. The Clemson Tigers sent the Wildcats packing with a close 77-72 win.

2024-25

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Last season was the first year Arizona joined the Big 12, and for that reason, they had the worst regular-season record under Lloyd. The Big 12 is arguably the best conference in college basketball, and it showed. The Wildcats finished 24-13 in their first season in the Big 12.

The Wildcats got a four seed in the tournament that season, which is the worst seed Lloyd has received as the Wildcats’ head coach. The Sweet 16 struck Lloyd once again this season.

They beat Akron in the first round, barely got past Oregon in the second round, and then ran up against Duke. In a high-scoring affair, the Blue Devils knocked off the Wildcats 100-93.

2025-26

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Now we are in the present day, and this is the best season Lloyd has had so far in Arizona. With a record of 32-2 and the Big 12 title, it is hard not to argue that the Wildcats are the best team in the nation.

This is Lloyd’s biggest NCAA Tournament run of his head coaching career. He has proved he can do it in the regular season, but the goal is to win a national championship, and he has yet to sniff one despite having great regular seasons.

The Wildcats will go up against Long Island University on Friday in the opening round.

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Caleb Meadows
CALEB MEADOWS

Caleb Meadows is a contributor to the UNC Tar Heels. He previously covered Louisville sports and WWE for FanSided. Meadows also covered local sports in Oklahoma while attending Oklahoma State, where he earned a degree in sports communications. Follow him on X, at @CalebMeadows25."