Tommy Lloyd Credits Arizona's Past for Current Success
The 2025-26 Arizona Wildcats are adding to the school's basketball lore, heading to its first Final Four since 2001 after a 79-64 victory over No. 2 seed Purdue to win the West Region of the NCAA Tournament.
It's a historic moment for the team and the program as it returns to the glory days, and current head coach Tommy Lloyd wants to make sure that those who came before him get their credit for helping build the program into what it has become and allowing him to usher in the next era of success.
"Without Lute [Olson] and without Sean [Miller] and what he did in the 12 years he was here, we wouldn't be able to do what we did today," Lloyd told the media after the win. "I fully understand that. This is for them, too, and I have no problem sharing the success of this team with the coaches that came before me."
Wildcats Make History
With all the achievements and glory of past Arizona basketball teams, it's hard to fathom that it would take this long to get back to a Final Four. That 2001 team finished as the national runner-up and was loaded with pro talent, but other versions of the Wildcat teams have also had extremely talented players.
The 2005 team got the closest to reaching this point since then, dropping an Elite Eight game in overtime against eventual runner-up Illinois after squandering a 15-point second-half lead.
On this day in 2005, Illinois comes back from a 15-point deficit with four minutes remaining to force overtime and ultimately beat Arizona in the Elite Eight.
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) March 26, 2022
Deron Williams led the Illini with 22 points and 10 assists. pic.twitter.com/ltvzQnIMPW
Yet, something about this year's team was different from the start. Its makeup was unique, with a certain amount of returning experienced players from last season's Sweet 16 team, but a heavier number of returning players from last season's Sweet 16 team, but a heavier reliance on the supremely talented freshmen on the team, after falling victim to a freshman super-team a year ago.
And it worked. The Wildcats started the season 23-0, their best in program history, and even better than that 2001 team and the 1997 National Championship team.
Arizona's Basketball Elites
Still, the aura of the program and its history have had a profound impact on its current state. Throughout its history, Arizona has produced over 70 NBA players and more than 20 first-round picks, catapulting it to the upper echelon of college basketball, even during brief times of apparent "struggle."
Notable former Wildcats include Gilbert Arenas, Richard Jefferson, Steve Kerr, Benedict Mathurin, Channing Frye, Mike Bibby, Jason Terry, Damon Stoudamire, Andre Iguodala, Lauri Markkanen, and Aaron Gordon, among others. Many of those figures still come around the program, and the team even hosted an anniversary commemoration for the 2001 team earlier this season.
"I love those guys," Lloyd added. "They've given me a better life because they helped build this program into what it is now. The legacy is so strong, and those guys have been so cool and welcoming to me. "
Other Stakeholders
However, it's not just the current team and the program's history that are on the line as Arizona progresses through the NCAA Tournament. Wildcat fans are a proud and appreciative bunch, and they're hungry for this team to succeed as it has in the past.
"The people of Tucson are basketball historians," Lloyd said. "The number of stories I've heard consistently about things that happened 10, 20, 30 years ago is impressive. They really hold onto the things this program accomplishes, and they hold onto our struggles as well."
The Wildcats now have a chance to give that fan base another moment to hold on to, but will it be another happy one like Sunday?
"My main mentality factor has been our community and our fans," Lloyd added. "... You take the 15 minutes of collective joy of each individual that loves this program, that's happy right now. How powerful is that? How cool is that? Talk about getting the compound effect. ... It's going to be awesome to share this with them."
_(1)-718df543ba5564ea141c31c2d86089eb.jpg "Travis Tyler")
Travis Tyler joined On SI as a writer in January 2026. He has experience contributing to FanSided’s NFL, college football, and college basketball coverage, in addition to freelance work throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth area, including high school, college, and professional sports for the Dallas Express and contributions to the College Football Dawgs, Last Word on Sports/Hockey, and The Dallas Morning News. In addition to his writing, Travis contributes video and podcasting content to Fanatics View and regularly appears as a guest analyst. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and SMU and is an avid Detroit sports fan with a deep knowledge and appreciation of sports history. Follow Travis Tyler on Twitter at @TTyler_Sports.