Missing out on recruits is not a sign trouble

Tommy Lloyd can't recruit American players.

At least, so was the fear until he started landing some of the best the country had to offer, including Caleb Holt , Cameron Holmes , Koa Peat , Brayden Burries and Carter Bryant .

Tommy Lloyd can't pull elite talent from the transfer portal.

Pelle Larsson and Oumar Ballo would like a word, as would Caleb Love , Keshad Johnson , Jaden Bradley , Tobe Awaka and Anthony Dell'Orso . Derek Dixon and JJ Mandaquit , too.

Tommy Lloyd can't get Arizona to the Final Four.

At least, that was the concern until he did exactly that.

Ever since Lloyd was hired as Arizona's head coach in April 2021 there have been doubters. Understanding that there are fewer now than there were five years ago, the coach is not immune to criticism, critique or worry.

The latest chatter surrounded he and Arizona's "missing" of recruits Darius Wabbington and Kamsi Awaka . A pair of bigs from the 2027 class, the former chose Indiana over the top school in his home state and the latter decided on Florida rather than the coach and school who propelled his older brother to the NBA.

No doubt seeing them commit elsewhere stung. Lloyd and the Wildcats wanted each of them for a reason, and to lose out on both in consecutive days was jarring to many who cheer for Arizona. To some, it was a sign that Lloyd's style of recruiting was an issue and that the program could be in some trouble.

It's a good thing the transfer portal exists.

Now, it's true this previous offseason wasn't as flashy as many of us thought it would be following a trip to the Final Four. It was assumed recent success would lead to a recruiting windfall, with players falling over themselves to play their home games at the McKale Center. That hasn't exactly been the case, and to some missing out on recruiting targets gives the appearance of a program that may not have what it takes to continue to compete at the highest level.

Then again, that Arizona is coming off a Final Four and currently finds itself at or near the top of various rankings, be it Big 12 power , KenPom , EvanMiya or most everywhere else. The Cats were just recently picked to win the Big 12 , while three players — Mo Krivas, Ivan Kharchenkov and Holt were named to one of the preseason all-conference teams. Krivas was also named Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year.

Arizona was really good last season. Arizona is expected to be really good this season.

Under Lloyd Arizona has been one of the best teams in the country every season, with the Cats earning two No. 1 seeds, two No. 2 seeds and a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Conference titles have also been part of the journey, along with numerous ranked victories.

So tell me again why people are down on Arizona because it didn't get commitments from a couple of high school kids that have nothing to do with the season that still hasn't officially started?

Perhaps that's just an Arizona fan's natural state, being nervous when life is going well and going into a full-blown panic when something doesn't go according to plan.

The Arizona Basketball brand is in a good place these days. The Final Four drought is in the past, and with it is the pressure that had to be felt, at least a little, by Lloyd. It was certainly a weight on Sean Miller's shoulders.

Fans felt it, too. Evidently many still feel it, insomuch as they are constantly waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under them or for that other shoe to drop.

Tommy Lloyd has proven himself to be one of the best coaches in the country. You can quibble with any part of his process, though he would probably tell you there is still plenty he can get better at.

Maybe he should allocate whatever financial resources he has differently. Offering more players scholarships rather than focusing on a select handful of players could be an option, too.

But whatever issues you may have with Lloyd the recruiter, or even Lloyd the coach, there are few schools in the country who wouldn't love to have him lead their program. Arizona landed a gem in the wake of Miller's dismissal, finding a coach who was able to not just rebuild the program in the aftermath of its off-court issues but make it even stronger than before. There's a reason North Carolina so heavily pursued Lloyd, and a reason why we all breathed a sigh of relief when he chose to remain in Tucson and will always worry, at least a little, that a different blue blood might be more successful in convincing him to leave.

Until such a time comes, though, Arizona has one of the best coaches in the country. And while he's not infallible or perfect, Lloyd has provided every reason to believe that when the 2027 Wildcats take the floor talent will not be an issue.