Arizona's collapse raises questions about Tommy Lloyd's strategy
- The Arizona Wildcats basketball team has started the season with a 3-4 record, facing consecutive losses early in the campaign.
- Under coach Tommy Lloyd, who previously led the program to significant success, the team is currently lacking in offensive efficiency and strong performance from their big men.
- The Wildcats have time to turn their season around as they prepare for upcoming challenges, but must address their current performance issues.
In the early part of the 2024 college basketball season, Arizona, under the leadership of head coach Tommy Lloyd, has encountered significant struggles, resulting in a disappointing record of 3-4. This marks the first time in Lloyd's four seasons that the Wildcats have lost consecutive games early in the season, indicating a troubling trend for the program. Their recent performances included back-to-back losses at the Battle 4 Atlantis. These setbacks have led to Arizona's absence from the AP Top 25 rankings for the first time since the 2021-22 season, raising concerns about the team's trajectory. Tommy Lloyd, who previously achieved great success in his early years with the Wildcats, emphasized the need for self-reflection and improvement. Lloyd had previously guided Arizona to the NCAA Tournament in his inaugural year, which included an impressive 33 wins and a Sweet 16 appearance. Nevertheless, the current team has not lived up to those high expectations. The current season's offense, typically characterized by effective ball movement and high assist totals, has not been consistently exhibited, with the Wildcats now ranked tied for 122nd in Division I, averaging 15.0 assists per game. Another area of concern for Arizona has been the performance of its big men. Lloyd's previous teams benefitted from athletic big players who contributed to both inside and outside offensive schemes. In contrast, the current roster has not seen its big men establish the same level of dominance. Motiejus Krivas, a key player who has been hindered by injury earlier in the season, has been coming off the bench despite demonstrating potential as an efficient offensive contributor. With the season still in its early stages and more challenges ahead, including the first Big 12 season, there is hope that the Wildcats can regroup and find their rhythm. The coaching staff, led by Lloyd, is tasked with drawing insight from their current struggles to instill the necessary changes for improvement moving forward.