Folks, it looks like the Arizona Wildcats are back–and in very quick fashion. After recently parting ways with former head coach Sean Miller, the Wildcats wasted no time in finding a long term replacement in Tommy Lloyd.
Stadium analyst Jeff Goodman broke Arizona's newest hire in a tweet:
BREAKING: Arizona is set to hire Gonzaga Coach-in-Waiting Tommy Lloyd, sources told @stadium.
HUGE upside. Terrific recruiter, has had major coaching responsibilities with Mark Few, and helped build the Zags program into what it is.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 14, 2021
After regularly representing the PAC-12 conference in NCAA Tournament play throughout the 2010s, Arizona came under fire in 2017 as one of a number of schools under investigation for recruiting violations. Since then, the Wildcats have only made the big dance once, most recently because of a self-imposed ban due to the ongoing investigation.
According to report from AZ Central, University of Arizona Athletic Director Dave Heeke felt that the team was in need of a fresh start due to recent performance and the allegations. With that in mind, this is definitely a solid start for the team.
Tommy Lloyd, as noted by Goodman, made a name for himself in NCAA circles as a longtime assistant and associate head coach at Gonzaga University, who you may recall was this year's runner-up for the National Championship to Baylor University.
Under Lloyd and head coach Mark Few, the Zags made the NCAA Tournament for an eye-popping 20 straight seasons and only failed to win 25 games once over that span.
Lloyd in particular was highlighted as a gifted recruiter, and for very good reason. Until him, Gonzaga had not boasted any lottery prospects, and he has recruited and developed five under his tenure. That soon will grow to six, as guard Jalen Suggs is projected to be a top five pick in this year's NBA draft.
The Wildcats just possibly made their best recruiting splash of the year. Welcome back, Arizona. We've missed you.
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