Lloyd's Not-So-Secret to Success in Recruiting

When Tommy Lloyd took the job as Arizona's next head coach of the Arizona Wildcats five years ago, making a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, although very possible, was not on a lot of fans' bingo cards.

Now, Arizona will be competing in its first Final Four appearance since 2001 as the No. 1 seed in the West Region against the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region, the Michigan Wolverines. It was as if the basketball gods drew up this encounter themselves, as both teams play a similar style of basketball and finished the regular season at the top of their conferences.

The stage is set pic.twitter.com/RmQKKJ37wk
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) April 2, 2026

The Wildcats hadn't missed a beat since Lloyd took the reins as the head coach in place of Sean Miller, who was loved by fans all across Tucson. Lloyd has seen a ton of success with Arizona, from leading the team to the most wins in its first two seasons (61) to winning three regular-season titles and conference championship games.

Lloyd Mastered His Recruiting Craft a Long Time Ago

Mar 7, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd reacts in the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Lloyd has become renowned as one of the best international recruiters in the NCAA, and it began when he was an assistant coach under Mark Few at Gonzaga for 22 seasons.

Since then, Lloyd has been instrumental in bringing over many international players who were successful in both the college and professional levels. Players like Domantas Sabonis, Rui Hachimura, Kelly Olynyk, and others are just a few who Lloyd has convinced to choose Gonzaga as the right fit for them.

He brought that same recruiting prowess from the Pacific Northwest to the desert of Tucson. Incredible players such as Pelle Larsson (Sweden), Oumar Ballo (Mali, followed by Lloyd from Gonzaga), and Henri Veesaar (Estonia) have been recruited by Lloyd.

Today, Arizona has five players not born in the United States. Sidi Gueye (Senegal), Motiejus Krivas (Lithuania), Sven Djopmo (France), and Ivan Kharchenkov (Germany) have all made strong contributions to the team this year.

Mar 28, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) defends against Arizona Wildcats forward Ivan Kharchenkov (8) in the first half during an Elite Eight game of the West Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Lloyd also found other talented players from other countries, though they had experience in the USA. Dwayne Aristode (Netherlands, New Hampshire), Anthony Dell'Orso (Australia, North Carolina), Mabil Mawut (Sudan, New York), and Jackson Cook (England, Florida) were all lofty pickups by Lloyd.

NIL Changing Things for International Recruiting

Navigating the confusing new NIL era of college sports can be tricky when recruiting players to join the team. The more money a team is willing to throw at an incoming freshman or transfer means they are more likely to become a part of it.

In international recruiting, Lloyd feels that it has actually opened up more doors for players in different continents to compete on American soil, as it is not just European League teams that are willing to pay young athletes.

Mo Kriva — Mar 26, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats center Motiejus Krivas (13) rebounds the ball against Arkansas Razorbacks forward Trevon Brazile (7) in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the West Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

"One of the detriments to international recruiting back in the day was, if a kid wanted to get paid, the European clubs could pay them legally and obviously we couldn't," Lloyd said. "Now that that hurdle's been taken away, you're seeing more and more good players from Europe that are willing to come over. I think it's going to settle down here in a little bit."

"With everyone trying to figure out this convoluted notion of who's eligible, who's not eligible, kids coming over at 21, I think that'll settle down. Like all our international guys, all came over at 18/19... I think we'll see in the next year or two we'll get back to that deal and I hope it stays part of the game."

Mar 26, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd claps his hands against the Arkansas Razorbacks in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the West Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

"It's a global game and there's a lot of good players over there and I think it'll help make the the college basketball product stronger than ever."

Feb 7, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys center Benjamin Ahmed (23) and Arizona Wildcats forward Sidi Gueye (15) both reach to catch the ball during the second half of the game at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Lloyd has clearly become a master at international recruiting, and should he continue to coach Arizona in the future, the Wildcats will continue to be a haven for overseas players.