College Hoops

Arizona’s Lloyd pulling all the right strings in first year

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

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — 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.

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…

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