Arizona's Tommy Lloyd Staying Focused Ahead Of Final Four
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When the final buzzer went off in San Jose, the No. 1 -seeded (West Region) Arizona Wildcats had accomplished something the program hadn't done in 25 years, and that is making it to the Final Four.
Arizona beat the 2-seeded Purdue Boilermakers by a score of 79-64 to reach the semifinal game for the first time since 2001, when the legendary Lute Olson was still at the helm. When Tommy Lloyd let it all sink in at the end of the game, he felt compelled to give the longtime Arizona head coach a mention.
“I know this -- There’s a good-looking guy with white hair looking down on us right now that’s happy!”
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 29, 2026
Tommy Lloyd pays his respects to the legendary Lute Olson. pic.twitter.com/lkWbzpOPhu
Now that the celebration has ended, the Wildcats will be gearing up to take on the No. 1 (Midwest Region) Michigan Wolverines in a game that has all the makings of a potential barn burner. That game is fast approaching, as it will take place this Saturday at 5 p.m. (MST), and Arizona is laser-focused on the task at hand.
Lloyd will be competing in his first Final Four game as a head coach, and he will make sure his team is more than prepared for the moment.
Lloyd Making Sure His Team Stays Focused
The Wildcats team has a healthy mix of both experienced veterans and freshmen who have shown that they are ready to compete on the NCAA's grandest stage. While players such as Jaden Bradley and Tobe Awaka have been to the tournament, others, such as Koa Peat and Brayden Burries, have not.
Despite all the outside noise and the notoriety that comes with reaching the Final Four, Lloyd is making sure his team stays in the moment and stays fixated on advancing.
"I think the messaging is really important that there's two experiences at the Final Four," Lloyd said. "There's the fan experience and then there's the player team experience. We're in the player team experience. We need to go there understanding that this isn't a field trip, this is a business trip and we need to treat it as such."
"We've worked really hard at talking about and in understanding what it is to be in the moment. We're just going to double down on what we've done. I'm not guaranteeing it'll work by any stretch, because, the competition's formidable, but to me, I think that's the best formula is to stick with what got you there and double down on your strengths, and that's what we're going to try to do."
Arizona Treating Everyday Like Normal
Arizona has three days until it meets Michigan on the court in Lucas Oil Stadium, a huge venue that can hold around 67,000 fans. Neither team has played in an event of that magnitude before. Despite that, Lloyd is keeping his team composed and treating the fays like a regular practice week.
"My message to our guys was pretty simple, 'The final four is an event, but it's an event for the fans and we're the participants,'" Lloyd said. "Our experience is going to be a little different, and if you want to experience the Final Four as a fan, either you play for a team that didn't make it there, or you can go when you're older in the future."
"We're going to go in with a business-like approach, and obviously the goal would be to win another four-team tournament, and the only way you win a four-team tournament is you try to find a way to win your first game, and we know that's going to be an incredible challenge."
Nathaniel Martinez and a set of shoulder pads at 7 years old. He later graduated from Pima Community College in 2023, where he began writing for the Pima Post. He is working to achieve a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and Media Studies.