Fifty never looked so good. Well, maybe 53 looked a little better given the score, 94-41, but it all added up to Tommy Lloyd celebrating his half-century birthday in grand fashion.
“It was good,” Lloyd said, of his birthday. “It’s a crazy number to say but I’m glad to celebrate in Tucson and glad to celebrate with a win.”
Arizona moved to 6-5 overall as it takes a nine-day break before it enters the rugged Big 12 Conference.
Saturday, was a heck of a way to get ready, although Central Michigan (5-6) is no member of the Big 12. Arizona had its way with CMU, in every way.
In fact, Arizona’s offense hadn’t looked this good all year in its biggest win (by margin) all season.
Arizona did it by looking a lot like it has over the past few years where the offense – one where the ball finds the open man – is the key.
“It feels like it’s coming on,” Lloyd said. “There’s no secret our offense is predicated on ball movement, player movement, and that’s not always easy to get. But there has to be a willingness to do it. I think our guys are getting there, and they’re fighting for it. So I was really happy with that.”
Saturday, all the pieces fit. Caleb Love had his best game of the season, finishing with 24 points. KJ Lewis added 13 points and Tobe Awaka added 10. Only three players scored in double figures, but 11 players scored at least two points. It shot 54 percent from the floor and had 28 assists on 36 makes.
clean up on aisle 1⃣ pic.twitter.com/GqUzHMgEib
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) December 21, 2024
And – hell, make that all caps AND – it came against a zone defense, something Arizona has struggled a bit with. Lloyd clarified it was a matchup zone but still.
“It takes some time to get used to, but after our first run we kind of settled in,” Lloyd said. “Our guys got a little comfortable with how they could move against it.”
KJ with AUTHORITYpic.twitter.com/sG8JLhUv53
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) December 21, 2024
The last two games have been the perfect remedy for what has ailed Arizona – again temper it by knowing it was Samford and CMU that it faced. But, it beats the alternative heading into conference play.
“We are at where we are at,” Lloyd said. “The last two games I believe there is a lot of positive momentum. (But) I think there has been positive momentum all month.”
He said the team is still a little disappointed in losing the 13-point lead to UCLA last week in the loss and “it stings, and we haven’t forgot about it,” … but “ultimately I like where we are at. I feel I know where we are going. Ultimately, we are going to be judged how we do in the Big 12 so let’s go.”
But first, celebrate the victory – in as much as there haven’t been as many as you would have projected to this point.
Again, like Saturday – Arizona is at its best when everyone contributes. And so many did in their own way.
❝trusting in coach's plan and trusting in each other❞
postgame with @caleb2love! pic.twitter.com/5YCJ1Rhmls
— Arizona Athletics (@AZATHLETICS) December 22, 2024
“We’re not a one-man show and we never have been, and no one’s professed that we are,” Lloyd said, “but we just have to have that vibe that, like, where we want to make each other better, and there’s a willingness to do that. There’s an eagerness to do that. And I think we’re taking steps in that direction.”
It also helps when Love does what he does – and he did it for the second consecutive game. He had more than 20 points, being more efficient on Saturday than he was on Wednesday when he had 23 points. He hit 9 of 15 shots and 3 of 8 3-pointers.
Love told UA’s media after the game he’s “just hooping and not thinking about anything just get my teammates going … it feels good seeing the ball go through the hoop.”
Lewis said that when Love plays like that – and hits shots like that – it opens up lanes and things for the others to shine in. Love helps others find opportunities.
“The trendy term in basketball is gravity,” Lloyd said. “He has gravity. There’s a lot of eyes on him, a lot of bodies, a lot of things go towards him, so he can create space for others.”
Thus, the team’s offense looked more fluid on Saturday.
“The week of practice, we emphasize getting back to (being) Arizona, the standard of moving the ball, making the right plays for our teammates and being connected on the offensive side,” Lewis said. “And then (they) also ran a lot of zone, so we knew if we moved the ball and cut we could get anything we want.”
And they did – and Lloyd was able to have a nice 50th.
