SAN DIEGO – If the adage is true, if a team takes on the personality of a coach, then what kind of personality is Arizona’s?
Hmmm.
“I don’t even know where to start,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “Hopefully steady, with enthusiasm and loves challenges. Realistically optimistic.”
That’s a good self-assessment, given that’s what many inside and outside the program said about this year’s team.
“He’s even keel and doesn’t get too high or too low,” said Jack Murphy, UA’s associate head coach . “He handles situations as they come along and he’s always prepared.”
Always.
Former UA guard turned basketball analyst Matt Muehlebach said Lloyd is:
- Incredibly organized.
- Connected
- Talented
- Tough
- Confident.
“Which provides great chemistry and does things the right way,” Muehlebach said.
It’s all that and more so there’s no surprise the team is the sum of its parts and is one of the favorites to win this year’s NCAA title. Whether it happens or not we will see, but this season has been a refreshing one. And it started at the top with Lloyd, who has those traits that have rubbed off on his Wildcats.
“When you watch them play, you can see how connected they are on defense,” Muehlebach said. “And you can see how selfless they are on offense. And look to the people around him, the assistant coaches, the equipment guy, the strength and conditioning eye to the trainer, you can see bits of the chemistry and culture everywhere.”
All that is very obvious.
At the very least it’s been steady behind, well, everyone, including its senior leader Jaden Bradley. But more on that later.
“I’ve always said this: if I want my team to play with poise then I’ve gotta have poise,” Lloyd said. “If I want my team to be solution oriented, I have to be willing to find solutions with an open mind. That’s just the way I approach it.
“You can push and prod guys all you want but at the end of the day I think your actions and body language says a lot to the guys.”
One who has benefitted – if he didn’t already have it – has been Bradley, the stable force behind UA. Need someone to lead, he’s the guy. Need someone to score? He’s the guy. Need a big shot? Again, he’s there.
How many times this season have you fretted when Arizona was down and didn’t think it would come back? Exactly, few if any.
“I don’t know if we are total similarities but as competitors we are,” Lloyd said of the similarities. “He’s the guy you want with the ball – 100 percent. He deserves that right. Burries is the same way.”
Murphy said Bradley and Lloyd fit perfectly. Bradley has help the team in his “calming way but not only this year but the last three years. And Tommy has affected Jaden the same way. They’ve grown together the last three years.”
So how is it playing for Lloyd?
“He’s an amazing person on and off the court,” Bradley said. “He’s very genuine and when you play for him you get an open court feel. We have sets but most of the time when we go down and run our offense there is some structure to it.
“And he’s a willing learner. He always wants to get better as a coach. I just listen to him”
So, do they have similar personalities?
“For sure,” Bradley said. “You see your coach in big moments. So, it’s natural to look at him (on the sidelines) and he’s calm. I get a good feeling being in a game in a tough situation. He’s always calm and it bleeds into the team.”
What Burries likes is “he gets the best out of you. The thing I liked about him – when he recruited me – everything he said was true. That he wasn’t going to sugar coat anything and he was going to give me the opportunity to make plays and that I could potentially start but that I’d have to work for it and earn it. Most importantly he holds me accountable. And he keeps me grounded. He gets on me and I appreciate him for that.”
AllsportsTucson.com wants to thank Crest Insurance for helping support Steve Rivera’s journey in covering Arizona basketball in the postseason. They’ve been longtime partners and longtime friends. Thank you Cody Ritchie & Crest Insurance.
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