Tommy Lloyd secured his 100th victory as ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥â€™s head coach Tuesday night, and the subject didn’t even come up during the postgame news conference in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
If it had, Lloyd undoubtedly would have deflected credit to his players and staff.
But Lloyd’s accomplishment — he reached 100 wins faster than all but 17 coaches in NCAA history — is worth commemorating.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ head coach Tommy Lloyd signals to his team following a 113-64 win against Point Loma at McKale Center, Oct. 28, 2024.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥â€™s 92-78 triumph over Oklahoma State improved Lloyd’s career record to 100-26. In a profound coincidence, Mark Few, Lloyd’s mentor at Gonzaga, had the exact same record through 126 games.
Lloyd’s winning percentage of .794 is the best for a UA coach in the modern era. Lute Olson had a .755 winning percentage from 1984-2007; Sean Miller posted a .735 mark from 2010-21.
As Lloyd embarks on the next 100 — the first opportunity comes Saturday afternoon vs. Colorado — let’s take a look back at the first 100. Below are 10 of Lloyd’s most meaningful wins in three-plus seasons with the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥.
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ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ guard Kerr Kriisa is defended by Northern ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ center Ezekiel Richards (23) and guard Mason Stark (11) in the first half during a game at McKale Center on Nov. 9, 2021.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ 81, NAU 52
When: Nov. 9, 2021
Where: McKale Center
Summary: You gotta start somewhere, right? The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ easily defeated the Lumberjacks in Lloyd’s UA debut. They shot only 40.6% from the floor but won the turnover battle 21-6 and notched assists on 25 of 28 made field goals. Kerr Kriisa had a game-high 17 points.
He said it: “I’ve been in a locker room celebrating before, but I was always a behind-the-scenes kind of guy. It caught me off-guard. It was a great moment. They’re a great group to be associated with.†— Lloyd
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ 80, No. 4 Michigan 62
When: Nov. 21, 2021
Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥â€™s Christian Koloko, left, eyes the basket while being defended by Michigan’s Terrance Williams II on Nov. 21, 2021. Koloko was named the MVP of the Main Event tournament in Las Vegas.
Summary: The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ dominated the fourth-ranked Wolverines to win the Roman Main Event, giving Lloyd his first victory over a ranked opponent and further establishing Vegas as “McKale North.†Christian Koloko scored a career-high 22 points to go along with seven rebounds and four blocked shots.
He said it: “We always talk about swag — our ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ swag is confidence, but it’s backed up with intelligence and effort, and they’re getting that. They’re showing the way they’re able to scheme and game-plan and start understanding game situations. That’s a ton of fun as a coach.†— Lloyd
No. 2 ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ 84, No. 13 UCLA 76
When: March 12, 2022
Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥â€™s Dalen Terry celebrates while cutting a piece of the net after defeating UCLA for the Pac-12 championship March 12, 2022, in Las Vegas.
Summary: The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ pulled off an epic second-half comeback to edge their rivals and win the Pac-12 Tournament championship in a battle between the tourney’s top two seeds. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ trailed by 12 points with 17:17 to play. The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ then went on a 22-5 run. Koloko and Oumar Ballo helped seal the win by blocking three shots in the final 38 seconds. They combined for 10 blocks in all.
He said it: “It’s surreal and, to be honest, I didn’t quite expect it. But when I got together with this group of misfits, I knew we had something special.†— Lloyd
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ 85, TCU 80 (OT)
When: March 20, 2022
Where: Viejas Arena, San Diego
Summary: The No. 1-seeded ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ outlasted the No. 9-seeded Horned Frogs in a wild game to advance to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. Bennedict Mathurin hit the tying 3-pointer with 12.6 seconds left in regulation and scored six more points in overtime as part of a 30-point night. Koloko had 28 points on 12-of-13 shooting, plus 12 rebounds and three blocks.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ center Oumar Ballo, center, holds the winning trophy after ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ defeated Creighton 81-79 in the Maui Invitational on Nov. 23, 2022, in Lahaina, Hawaii.
He said it: “Benn’s not afraid of the moment. He’s a special player who has an ability to rise it up another level when needed, and he has that clutch gene. I honestly felt really good when he had the ball in his hands.†— Lloyd
No. 14 ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ 81, No. 10 Creighton 79
When: Nov. 23, 2022
Where: Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Hawaii
Summary: The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ edged the Bluejays to complete a sweep in the Maui Invitational and win the tournament for the third time. Ballo controlled the paint, scoring a career-high 30 points on 14-of-17 shooting while securing 13 rebounds. Ballo, who followed Lloyd to ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ from Gonzaga, earned tournament MVP honors.
He said it: “I’m gonna give a lot of credit to the guards because they really found me. This is a team that I love playing for because no one is selfish. We share the ball, and we turn down a good shot to take a great shot. So I’m really proud of each of these guys in here.†— Ballo
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ players celebrate after defeating UCLA in the championship game of the Pac-12 Tournament on March 11, 2023, in Las Vegas.
No. 8 ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ 61, No. 2 UCLA 59
When: March 11, 2023
Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
Summary: The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ defeated the Bruins in another nail-biter to claim the Pac-12 Tournament crown. Lloyd improved to 9-0 in Vegas, 8-0 at T-Mobile Arena and 6-0 in the conference tourney. This game was much more of a slugfest than the previous year’s title tilt as both teams shot under 37%. Courtney Ramey’s second-chance 3-pointer with 16.7 seconds left provided the winning points.
He said it: “I believe in myself. I work very hard. Ever since (I was) a child my dad has always told me, ‘You gotta be ready to make the big play.’†— Ramey
No. 12 ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ 78, No. 2 Duke 73
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ guard KJ Lewis, right, chases a loose ball against Duke guard Jeremy Roach during the first half of the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥â€™ 78-73 win over the Blue Devils in Durham, North Carolina, on Nov. 10, 2023.
When: Nov. 10, 2023
Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, North Carolina
Summary: The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ upset the Blue Devils in one of the most difficult road environments in the sport to open a home-and-home series between the marquee programs. Duke led by two with 1:08 to play. Keshad Johnson’s three-point play put ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ ahead with 46 seconds left. Caleb Love — who transferred to the UA from North Carolina, Duke’s biggest rival — hit a 35-foot 3-pointer to end the first half, sank four free throws in the final seconds and made a steal to set up KJ Lewis for a game-ending dunk.
He said it: “To see KJ dunk the ball like he did was a great moment. It was very satisfying. It’s always gonna be tough coming in here, hostile environment ... great team.†— Love
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥â€™s Pelle Larsson, left, tries to get the shot off as Wisconsin’s Markus Ilver defends. Larsson had a career-high 21 points in the win at McKale Center.
No. 1 ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ 98, No. 23 Wisconsin 73
When: Dec. 9, 2023
Where: McKale Center
Summary: The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ thumped the Badgers, exacting a small measure of revenge on the program that ousted ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ from the Elite Eight in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. The UA played like the No. 1-ranked team in the country, racing to a 48-31 halftime lead and never relenting. Pelle Larsson led a balanced attack with 21 points on 6-of-6 shooting (4 of 4 from 3-point range).
He said it: “The Wisconsin game was bigger than us. You need to think about the past, present and future, especially playing against Wisconsin and knowing that story. We had to come out and do it for the city and ourselves.†— Ballo
No. 5 ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ 88, UCLA 65
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ forward Keshad Johnson walks on the court during the first half of the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥' win over UCLA in Los Angeles on March 7, 2024.
When: March 7, 2024
Where: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles
Summary: The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ routed their longtime rivals to clinch the Pac-12 regular-season title in the last conference meeting between the West Coast powers. UCLA had won five in a row over ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ at Pauley Pavilion. The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ led 44-27 at halftime and were never threatened after intermission. Lewis scored 18 points to pace five players in double figures.
He said it: “We know they lead in NCAA championships, so we know how big it is to come in here and win at Pauley Pavilion. You look up there, and you see all the jerseys from Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) and (Bill) Walton, and we just knew we had business to take care of.†— Johnson
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ 90, TCU 81
TCU guard Vasean Allette, left, and ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ guard Caleb Love vie for a loose ball in the second half during a game at McKale Center on Dec. 30, 2024. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ won 90-81.
When: Dec. 30, 2024
Where: McKale Center
Summary: A new era began last month at McKale — the Big 12 era — but the result was no different for the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥. They led by just three points with 10:56 to play before gaining separation via a Love 3-pointer and a Jaden Bradley layup. Love had a career game, scoring 33 points with seven rebounds, seven assists and zero turnovers. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ had 28 assists on 33 made baskets.
He said it: “That’s how we love to play. Assists is something we never talk about, but playing the right way is something we talk about. We want ball movement. We want player movement. We want guys to have high IQs. We want guys playing with great fundamentals.†— Lloyd
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ head coach Tommy Lloyd looks toward the court during the game against UCLA at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Dec. 14, 2024.
Contact sports reporter/columnist Michael Lev at mlev@tucson.com. On X (Twitter): @michaeljlev. On Bluesky: @michaeljlev.bsky.social
Michael Lev
Sports Reporter/Columnist
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