Arizona's Lloyd Reflects on Impressive Season Despite Sour Ending

The Arizona Wildcats had a phenomenal season that will certainly go down as one of the best in the program’s history, but it ended in bittersweet fashion in the Final Four.

Playing in their first Final Four in 25 years, the Wildcats were run off the floor by the Michigan Wolverines, losing 91-73 in a game that was never really close.

Arizona’s Resume

Arizona Wildcats guard Jaden Bradley (0) shoots the ball during practice ahead of a Final Four game on Friday, April 3, 2026, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Despite the disappointing ending, the season that Arizona had will still rank amongst the best they’ve ever had. The team’s .923 winning percentage is the best in program history for a full season, and their 36 wins are also the most in program history. The Wildcats were also consistently ranked in the top 5 across numerous metrics, including KenPom, NET, and the AP Poll.

Additionally, the Wildcats swept the Big 12 conference tournament and regular-season crowns in just their second season in the league since moving from the Pac-12. They also did it with a handful of standout freshmen, including Brayden Burries, Koa Peat, and Ivan Kharchenkov.

Michigan center Aday Mara (15) blocks Arizona forward Koa Peat (10) shot in the second half of their Final Four game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, April 4, 2026. | Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After falling in the Final Four, Lloyd reflected on the season the team enjoyed despite it ending in a disappointing fashion against the Wolverines.

Apr 3, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd looks on during a practice session ahead of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Lloyd’s Thoughts

“It will probably take a little time. I knew we could do this this year. And I thought we had a chance to win this four-team tournament. But obviously Michigan had other thoughts today,” Lloyd said. “So I'm sure we'll get back home and take a breath. But I know, myself, no loss at the end of the season feels great. But I also think that it can be a great learning tool."

"So we're going to take a breath, probably try to figure out what our roster looks like next year, and like I've always said, in this business, as a coach, you've got to be tough enough to take disappointment and show back up. And we're going to show back up. And we're going to try to do this again, but see if we can do it a little bit better.”

Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd reacts during the second half in a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Lloyd and the Wildcats will now focus their full attention on the offseason as they try to load up once again and make another deep run in next season’s NCAA Tournament. Lloyd recently signed a contract extension to remain in Tucson for the foreseeable future, and with him at the helm, the Wildcats will figure to be one of the top teams in the country year in and year out.