The Tommy Lloyd era at Arizona has brought consistent success and tournament appearances. His Wildcats made the tournament as a top-two seed in each of his first three seasons. But Arizona hasn’t found a way over the hump, stalling out in the Sweet 16 last season and in 2023.
Arizona hasn’t played as well this season as they have in xthe past, finishing with their lowest win total (20-11) in Lloyd’s tenure. They should still appear in the Big Dance; ESPN Bracketology currently has them as a five seed. Let’s discuss three keys for Arizona’s hopes to make a deep tournament run
Arizona must find offensive consistency
Despite their overall offensive success, the Wildcats haven’t fielded a consistent offensive product throughout the season. On some nights Arizona’s offense is a buzzsaw, exemplified by their 113-100 win over Arizona State on March 4. On others, like their losses to Texas Tech and Houston, they look like an incompetent unit.
The Wildcats will likely face a few fantastic defensive teams if they make a deep tournament run. They’ll need their perimeter creators to step up and score efficiently. Teams that can force Arizona out of the paint could slow them down, as their three top perimeter options (Caleb Love, Jaden Bradley and KJ Lewis) are all inefficient scorers.
However, we’ve seen Caleb Love dominate the tournament before. As volatile as he is, Love has proven himself capable of enormous scoring games during his North Carolina tenure. The Wildcats will need to see the best version of Love if they want to make it beyond the second weekend.
Henri Veesaar is an X-factor
An early season injury to center Motiejus Krivas opened the way for junior big Henri Veesaar to play big minutes for the Wildcats. He’s taken this opportunity and ran with it, playing like his team’s most consistently impactful player throughout the season. Veesaar averages under 10 points per game, but his impact goes well beyond the box score.
Veesaar anchors Arizona’s defense, leading the team in block rate (6.8%). His mobility stands out for a seven-footer, as Veesaar has the footspeed to move in space and defend beyond the hoop. This versatility helps him excel in a number of different matchups against different offensive styles.
He’s not a high volume scorer but Veesaar is Arizona’s most efficient scorer (66% true shooting). Veesaar’s versatility stands out again here; he’s a dominant interior scorer (78.2% on close 2-pointers) and can knock down open threes. Though he won’t lead his team in scoring, Veesaar’s two-way impact will be imperative if Arizona hopes to win in March.
Offensive rebounding and size will be critical
Arizona’s offense isn’t consistently able to generate easy shots, but they still managed to rank as a top 15 offense this season according to Bart Torvik. Much of that success stems from their fantastic offensive rebounding. The Wildcats rank 14th in the country in offensive rebounding rate (36.5%), gobbling up rebounds and creating second chance opportunities.
Even if the Wildcats aren’t a particularly efficient team — they place 97th in effective field goal percentage (52.6%) in the country — they’re bound to score eventually with two or three chances per possession. Big men like Veesaar, Carter Bryant and Tobe Awaka all swallow up offensive boards.
Awaka deserves specific recognition here, leading the Wildcats in offensive rebounding rate (17.4%). He ranks third in the nation in offensive rebounding rate, dominating on the glass with his strength and physicality. Arizona could prove a challenging matchup for smaller teams who can’t keep the Wildcats off of the glass.
