Bruce Pearl put something out there yesterday that didn’t get talked about enough, and it is worth repeating. On TNT’s college basketball broadcast, he said, “Tommy Lloyd right now is the best coach in America that gets the least amount of talk.”
Let’s just set the table. Arizona is 22‑0 right now. Unbeaten. Not scraping by in close games every night. Arizona has taken over this season, and they have done it with a level of consistency most teams only dream about. People call it giving respect, but when you’re talking about a team that is undefeated this deep into a major conference schedule, you should just call it pure dominance.
Pearl’s point isn’t some contrived talking point. It’s actually rooted in reality. Coaches like John Calipari, Mark Few, Kelvin Sampson, and Bill Self get tons of attention because of the programs they’ve built and the names that walk through their doors, but Tommy Lloyd has quietly put together something that is absolutely extraordinary. Pearl mentioned that the only thing he’s missing is a big post-season run, and this squad has what it takes to put Lloyd’s name into that upper echelon of legendary coaches.
If this team finishes the season undefeated and locks in the top overall seed in March, people will talk about it much more. They’ll start handing out national coach of the year awards and talking about legacy and all the rest, but the conversation is already there for anyone who wants to see it.
Tommy Lloyd might not get the headlines every day, but right now, he has the best team in the country playing the best basketball in the country. That earns respect whether the national chatter catches up or not.
