Lloyd's Thoughts on His Second Big 12 Tournament

Head coach Tommy Lloyd had plenty to say about the Wildcats' second time around in the Big 12 Tournament

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

The No. 1-seeded Arizona Wildcats, coming off their dominant victory over the 8-seeded UCF Knights in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament, are now set to take on the 5-seeded Iowa State Cyclones in a rematch of March 2's 73-54 blowout victory in McKale Center at ALKEME Arena.

That win clinched Arizona's outright Big 12 regular season title, the first for the Wildcats and third overall since Tommy Lloyd began head coaching the program, dating back to when it was still a part of the Pac-12.

Mar 2, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd cuts down the net after they defeat the Iowa State Cyclones at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

It is just the second year since the Wildcats have been a part of the Big 12 and there are plenty of differences from the tournaments. After Arizona's convincing win over the Knights, Lloyd spoke with the media about the many differences of playing in both tournaments, from the way fans travelled to the physicality of the league they now call home.

A long way from Las Vegas

Kansas City is a long way away from Tucson, AZ, and an even longer way from Las Vegas, where the Wildcats and other former teams of the Pac-12 used to play for their tournament after the regular season.

Nov 3, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Jaden Bradley (0) shoots against Florida Gators forward Alex Condon (21) in the second half of the Hall of Fame Series game at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

"Would I want this in Vegas? Yeah, 100% I would," Lloyd said. "I didn't ask to be in the Big 12. We got put in the Big 12. I didn't have any input on it. But I love being in the Big 12. So, if they tell me we're playing in Kansas City, we're loading up the plane and going to Kansas City. We're not going to sit there and overthink it... I just want to get on the floor and try to kick ass and play 40 minutes."

Arizona fans making the trip to Kansas City

Sinc becoming the head coach for Arizona, Lloyd has posted an impressive 8-2 record, which include both neutral site games and tournaments. Wildcat fans have travelled well when they play in the T-Mobile Arena, prompting Lloyd to call it "McKale North".

Mar 12, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; UCF Knights guard Themus Fulks (1) drives around Arizona Wildcats guard Jackson Francois (7) during the second half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

UCF jumped out to an early lead in the game, but Arizona quickly took control and held its lead the rest of the way. At times, the Wildcats appeared flat, which Lloyd pointed out that it could have been from a lack of energy generated by a neutral crowd.

"I think our fans all waited to buy tickets," Lloyd said. "They all assume we're going to San Diego and so they're making a lot of assumptions now and I think they saved all their money and go there because it just didn't feel like
we had a great presence in the arena today... We need
to internalize and band together and become a stronger unit and we need to create
energy for each other and draw energy off each other. I think it's a great lesson learned for our guys."

Playing in the Big 12

The Big 12 Conference is a much more physical one than the Pac-12. If there is any team built to impose its will, it is the Wildcats, and that has been evident all season. As far as Lloyd is concerned, he loves playing in Arizona's new home and is excited to continue proving that his team belongs.

 "...The Pac-12 tournament was in Las Vegas, so, it was McKale North," Lloyd said. We were Iowa State, we were Kansas. It obviously feels really different for us now. But listen, it's what we signed up for. So, there's no complaints. I'm not going to be bitter towards Iowa State fans or Kansas fans are coming and supporting their team. It's not an easy haul to get from Tucson to Kansas City. Looks like the tournament's going to be here for a while. So, I think we better figure out how to win in Kansas City."

It's a monster. We've been in it for two years. Every game's tough... There's no there there's no easy games and you know the other team always has a lot of talent and is well coached and we understand that. We understand that. We respect it and we enjoy the competition and love the opportunities."

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