Arizona Basketball Press Conference – Tommy Lloyd

Arizona Basketball Press Conference – Tommy Lloyd

All right uh um great game I mean I got a ton of respect for Stanford I mean they they play really well against us and talented players well coached and uh I mean you know they they were deserving tonight and luckily in the second half you our guys played a little bit better

And we’re playing at home and we were able to kind of kind of write the ship a little bit but a ton of respect for them and how they play GL packs there early the way were you having any flashbacks there early the way they I mean I I mean

Listen I wasn’t trying to overthink it you know I mean I was just like hey are we warned our guys these guys will throw ahead and and shoot transition threes and and and they did and and they made a few of them and then we made a few of

Them and then they made a few more you know um you know not necessarily the start we we really loved but then our guys dug back in the game and and um you know it’s 3222 and then we got it to I think then we got 3232 and then we gave them a

100-0 run so yeah we just got to got to finish a little bit better there um in the end of the first half but but you know set us up to play well in the second half and our guys did when you look at Jaden’s um stop line he only had

Five points he was only one and five from the field but he was plus 17 what are the things he’s done that a lot this year well you know I mean I I think he does a good job you know of uh you know you know not taking shots away from

Other guys you know that that are scorers I mean sometimes that’s important I think he does a good job obviously defensively of making plays and he makes plays that seem to get us in transition a little bit you know and and obviously you know you you make a

Defensive play you know they don’t score and and you get a transition basket you score I mean that’s like a four-point turnaround those are those swings happen fast so he just does a really good job of impacting the game I I mean he had a great look about him tonight when he got

Out on the court I’m really happy that he played well and and um yeah I mean he mean the better JB plays overall the better we are and and he’s played pretty good for the most part all season I don’t think you’re I don’t think you’re

A raw raw guy but you’re down 10 in the first half down 10 and half time whatever it was do you get do you get on them do you R them what do you do I mean not today I mean I mean I’m just you know I’m just keep reminding myself that

I need to coach calm and confident you know I think that’s when we’re at our best and and I try to you know that’s sometimes a challenge with with my staff you know especially some of the Italian Guys on my staff but uh but um but but

You know he brings great spirit and great energy and he means well and his fire helps us as well so you know my job is to stay calm and confident I just told our guys hey you know I mean that that’s why over the course of a season

You need the experience against like UCLA and and overcome it which wasn’t easy to do down 19 then down 17 in the second half to overcome it I think it gives your guys a certain you know sense of belief that that we can do this and

Our guys came and and we got off to I think I mean for the most part I think we won every segment in the second half which was uh pretty impressive running him off the line in the second half contesting shots without fouling holding him to 26 points was that second half a

Picture of what you see I it would be I mean listen they’re they’re a hard team to prepare for I mean they they R they have you know you know packages of off offensive sets you know that have little counters to them and they you know they

They know how to call the counter for the right moment and they you they watch you do one thing on defense they’re going to run a counter to it right away and and you know and our guys were struggling with some of their defensive decision- making in the first half even

In the second half a little bit so I mean but but that goes to credit to Stanford that’s their system and their style and and I thought our guys just did a little bit better you know pressuring the ball I thought the crowd really impacted the game you know it

Gets back to the theme we’ve been talking about you know some people got followers we got fans I mean our fans participated in that game today which was pretty special what have you seen out of um KJ Lewis in the defensive effort he’s kind of put on the last

Couple games in the impr I I think he’s done it for the for the most part All Season you know KJ’s got amazing instincts defensively he’s got amazing you know physical tools and reaction time and and you know he’s not afraid to take a risk you know and and and I don’t

Want to you know tame him you know I’m good with that you know and you know he’s getting more repetitions now so he’s kind of you know maybe you know has more you know data in his database to understand okay maybe this isn’t the time to go for that steal and

Things like that but you know but but but he’s that’s coming from him learning it not from me trying to you know slow him down because he’s great I mean I thought he made a gr a great place today defensively and you know I mean I think

The guy that doesn’t always get the credit defensively is Pella I mean I think pella’s a he’s a really good Defender he gives you everything you got I mean you guys see him at the end of that game mean he’s beaten to a pulp I

Mean he puts his body on the line over and over and over again and and I I thought he did an incredible job defensively and obviously you know ke Shaw is a great defensive player JB is a good defensive player you know kylin can be a great defensive player so you know

And O and and Cale be we’re built to be a great defensive team now we just need to to do it all the time and for the most part we have all year I mean I mean guys our defense is you know it’s it’s maybe left us a few times and and it’s

You know pretty glaring but for the most part it’s been pretty good did his shoulder arm or something in the first half yeah he did you know but but I don’t think that anything anything to do with his minutes tonight you know I told key you know after the game you know he

For in a lot of ways he’s been our MVP this year I mean he’s just such a great guy great leader behind the scenes and you know just it was a game that you know the way they were defending I just didn’t think that it maybe fit some of

His strengths and we kind of put KJ out there and we started playing well and and Kad was the first say guys that’s awesome that’s basketball I’m so happy we won and you I’m so happy you guys bowled out you know what I mean he’s

He’s a he’s a he’s an absolute stud and um and so just you know we had to make a call there and and we made the call and luckily it worked out that kind of fits with what uh KJ and Jon have said before about that no one ever gets really upset

About someone else getting the glory that it it’s it doesn’t matter who it is as long as it’s the whole team yeah I mean we’re we’re we’re a team I mean we’re we’re a program and you know we talk about that stuff on a daily basis

And you know we’re never going to be a program that’s going to try to Showcase one player you know I mean you know we want our team to to represent Tucson and and Tucson’s um you know tough Blue Collar town and and that’s how we want

To play and you know we don’t no one needs to shine we just need to get the result and and that’s how we approach it kind of adjustments were made with car being called out um I no real adjustments I mean you know listen he’s

The kid’s a heck of a player you know what I mean and and maybe with him out there it’s a little harder to pressure because he’s got such a little burst off the dribble and and he’s had an incredible freshman year you know so uh you know and I think that’s the thing

People don’t realize about Stanford I mean I think somebody on our staff said this might have been only the fourth game or they’ve only three games at full strength all year and tonight obviously they weren’t at full strength so you know I mean so I think when you when you

Take that into consideration they’re really good yeah not tring to jinxer or anything there but you Colorado and that means you’re trying to jinx something you he was out tonight SC and Colorado both had two key guys and you haven’t had anybody out all year what like you

Know we we got to we do and you know honestly we I mean probably a little bit of it luck but we got a great trainer and we got a great strength coach and those guys do a great job making sure our guys are ready to play uh top the league mean anything

Right now I mean it’s where we want to be it’s where we feel like we belong you know we don’t take it for granted we know there’s a lot of games to play we know we got an incredibly tough road trip coming up here so you know let’s

Let’s you know take tomorrow off kind of heal up rest up a little bit and start prep prepping for Utah and and and let’s go let it rip and and see where we’re at but but it’s where we want to be and then of course you know being being in

The running for a regular season Conference Championship means a lot so I’m I’m proud that’s where we’re at but I know I know there’s a lot of a lot of work to be done back toback double doubles for Umar two of his best games of the Season anything noticable or

Different about his play the last two well it’s time you know it’s time I mean now like that’s what I keep telling him now like let’s go and and you know he’s you know he’s he’s rising to the moment and you know he’s battling you know he’s

He’s not 100% healthy either so for him to come out and play the way he did is you know pretty impressive and uh he had a great weekend and you know let’s let’s let’s I I like the trend we’re on let’s keep it going well so when you talk about the

Defense you got a couple there where uh the shot clock you got them on the shot CL twice was that was that getting used to those counters and being familiar with it after all that time or do you think it was just well I mean part part

May maybe maybe a little bit of it maybe you know just you know just we guarded a little better we didn’t get beat individually you know because they they do a good job when they it’s Sneaky they beat you individually and they kind of are able to make they have the space

Just right to make the next pass which leads to the next pass pass and you know and and they were I could tell from the jump today they they their coaches did a good job having their guys have a letter rip mentality I mean they weren’t

Hesitating on any of those shots so I mean yeah they’re hard to guard so yeah I think maybe just you know being a little better a little more aggressive and um you know maybe the crowd helping us a little bit too was there an emphasis um going into the second half

On increasing the foul pressure you only Drew one shooting foul in the first half I mean which I mean listen they do a really good job not fouling overall I mean they they do they they obviously coach to that and so when a team’s doing

That I mean you got to tell your guys guys we got to attack and and we know you know we know o could put a lot of foul pressure on you we know maybe if we can you know create a little bit of movement find a cut find a driving lane

You know take things to the basket and let’s not just settle and and you know we I mean that that’s we had prepared like that this week or the last couple days you know and maybe in the first half we didn’t see it but you know the

First half I don’t think we were expecting them to come out switching you know one through five on ball screen so you know I mean maybe I should have adjusted quicker our guys should have adjusted quicker but it kind of took the halftime to get it right KY had a

Turnover uh so out pretty shortly after seemed like you were talking to him something no I was just telling him kylin you know he knows this I mean a 3on one fouron one fast break we’re up seven puts us up nine that matters so so

I don’t care how it gets done we just need two points that’s it and so it’s nothing personal we work on that stuff in practice we haven’t I mean you know maybe you know I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag but for you guys

Think think that we’re a running team we haven’t been as efficient running as we should be this year so so we have been spending a lot of time working on that in practice you know and and so I just wanted to make sure that he knew it’s important you know kylin’s a developing

Player I mean he’s had some great games he’s had some rough games that’s part of it but he’s a super important part of this team and you know what he has the kind of character I know him that he will learn from that and that will not

Happen again all right thanks coach can I suest the USA Basketball while in or and how much time will that take what’s your thought W Bru worri that I’m taking away from Arizona yeah well I mean does it her or maybe it helps obviously it helps for her Bruce it’s an absolute

Honor to to to be the u8 national team coach I mean the USA Basketball guys are great guys it’s a great program I’m friends with a lot of them so you know I mean it’s it’s something that I probably you know five or 10 years ago I would

Have never dreamed possible so you know it’s it’s an opportunity I’m going to take advantage of I’ve been going and watching these FBA tournaments for almost 25 years so it’s going to be fun to participate in one and and you know what it it’s not going to hurt Arizona

I’ll give you my word I got a great staff it’ll happen at a time when you know we’re on summer break so so we’ll be all right two three three weeks committ yeah I mean I don’t have the exact days when when I get them I’m

Going to let you know exactly how many days I’m going to be gone you expect to do the u19s as that part usually I me for the most part they they yeah I mean yeah 100% they they’ve asked me to make a two-year commitment and I made a

Two-year commitment to them so I mean barring any crazy changes yeah I mean I’m fired up all right thanks guys

Tommy Lloyd talks about Arizona’s 82-71 win over Stanford to improve to 12-0 at home this season.

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