The Arizona Wildcats fell short in their bid for a Big 12 Tournament championship, losing 72-64 to Houston on Saturday night. While the loss stings, head coach Tommy Lloyd knows his team must quickly shift its focus to the NCAA Tournament.
“Obviously, they’ve had a great season and they’ve had a couple of great seasons,” Lloyd said of Houston. “Coach Sampson deserves a ton of credit. They got us twice this year, and they won the conference by four or five games and then they win the conference tournament. At this moment, they’re the king of the Big 12. Nothing but respect for them.”
Arizona fought hard, holding a lead with under four minutes left, but failed to close out the game. The Wildcats missed their final five shots from the field—all three-pointers—and committed three turnovers in the last five minutes. Houston capitalized, outscoring Arizona 11-2 in the closing stretch.
“We gave ourselves a chance. We just didn’t get it done,” Lloyd said. “Hopefully, we will learn from it. Obviously, we’re at the time of the year where there’s no margin for error, and we’re excited to take the next step into the NCAA Tournament.”
Tommy Lloyd and Arizona look to the NCAA Tournament after Big 12 Championship loss
Houston has served as a measuring stick for Arizona since their Sweet 16 matchup in 2022, and Saturday’s loss confirmed that the Wildcats are still chasing the Cougars. Lloyd acknowledged that Houston was missing a key player in J’Wan Roberts but refused to make excuses.
“We’re right there, but it doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter if you close the gap or not. You gotta get it done,” he said. “We’re Arizona basketball. We’re used to winning championships, too, and we know that’s where we belong and that’s where we want to get. Right now, Houston is above us, and we’re going to do what we can to close that gap.”
One of the biggest differences in the game was Houston’s ability to target Arizona’s weaker defenders. Lloyd was frustrated that his players were unable to rise to the challenge.
“They’re literally isolating you and targeting you, and it’s obvious they’re doing it. Step up and get it done,” he said. “That was disappointing to me in the second half. We got isolated and targeted a little bit, and we didn’t get stops.”
Despite the loss, Lloyd emphasized that Arizona can’t dwell on it. With the NCAA Tournament looming, the focus must shift to preparation.
“The moment we shower and leave this locker room, it’s on to the next thing,” Lloyd said. “We’re excited to be participating in the NCAA Tournament. It’s an honor. It’s something you should never take for granted. It’s really hard to do.” Arizona was projected as a No. 4 seed before the game, and while their seeding could be impacted, Lloyd isn’t concerned.
“I don’t live in hypotheticals. I have no idea,” he said. “Put us in as a 13-seed, we’ll be fine. We can’t wait till Thursday. … I will let you speculate on that. Whatever they give us, I’m ready.”
Arizona now awaits its official NCAA Tournament seed and opponent, which will be revealed on Selection Sunday. While Houston exposed some of the Wildcats’ flaws, Lloyd remains confident in his team’s ability to make a deep tournament run.
“We’re proud we were able to compete for a conference championship today,” he said. “We just want to get it done. We’ll move forward, and I can’t wait to see who’s on our line tomorrow. We will be excited to meet them next Thursday or Friday.”
The post Tommy Lloyd’s challenge for Arizona after losing Big 12 title to Houston appeared first on ClutchPoints.
