Tommy Lloyd had a perfect reaction towards his Arizona Wildcats squad getting to the Final Four after beating the Purdue Boilermakers in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Saturday night.

Lloyd is going through the fifth season of his head coaching career with the Wildcats. He has elevated the program into serious title contention, looking to get them to the mountaintop.

This win was significant as Arizona returns to the Final Four for the first time since 2001. It presents a major opportunity for the program to compete for the national championship this year, being one of the last four teams standing in March Madness. Lloyd reflected on the win after the game on the TBS broadcast, thanking the Arizona fans for their immense support.

“I feel good. What I'm most happy for is these Arizona fans. You guys deserve this…I know this. There's a good looking guy with white hair looking down at us right now that's happy. Thank you,” Lloyd said.

How Tommy Lloyd, Arizona performed against Purdue

The Arizona Wildcats celebrate with the West Regional Championship trophy after an Elite Eight game against the Purdue Boilermakers of the West Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center.
Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Tommy Lloyd has the Arizona Wildcats two wins away from reaching the mountaintop. After beating Purdue, they end a long drought and shine with his best squad to date.

Purdue initially had the upper hand as the squad led 38-31 at halftime. Despite this, the Wildcats exploded with a 48-26 showing in the last 20 minutes of regulation to pull away with the victory.

Four players scored in double-digits for Arizona in the win. Koa Peat led the team with 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Ivan Kharchenkov came next with 18 points and eight rebounds, Brayden Burries had 14 points and six rebounds, while Jaden Bradley provided 14 points and six assists.

Arizona improved to a 36-2 overall record on the season, having gone 16-2 in its Big 12 matchups. They won the conference championship to automatically qualify for March Madness.

The Wildcats will look forward to their journey in the Final Four in Indianapolis, Indiana. They take on the winner between Michigan and Tennessee as the game will commence on April 4.