Arizona's Tommy Lloyd pulling all the right strings in first year

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Tommy Lloyd has an unpretentious manner forged during formational years in rural southern Washington, professional years in Spokane.

Thoughts, words and decisions are measured, the emotional tides of more mercurial coaches a waste of energy to him. Credit is deflected, attention for someone else.

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This outwardly easygoing nature masks an undercurrent of confidence, determination and an attention to detail that has fueled No. 2 Arizona's accelerated ascension under its first-year coach.

"He knew what he wanted to do and came in with a plan," Arizona associate head coach Jack Murphy said. "Every step of the way, when any of us — myself or anyone on the staff — wanted to kind of speed things up or jump steps, he was always the voice of reason and was sticking to his plan."

The scoffing could be heard from Tucson outward when Lloyd was hired last year.

Arizona needed the right person to steer the program back into prominence after Sean Miller was fired amid FBI and NCAA investigations into questionable recruiting practices.

Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd cuts down the net after defeating UCLA in an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Pac-12 tournament Saturday, March 12, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Lloyd had proven himself as a recruiter and top assistant, helping Mark Few create a national powerhouse in 22 years at Gonzaga. He had just never been a head coach.

Those who know basketball and Lloyd saw him as the perfect fit — and they were right.

Lloyd brought with him many of the same principles and systems that had been so successful at Gonzaga, added a few