Arizona fans are not completely confident after Tommy Lloyd coached what many regard as a subpar game against Utah State.
The Arizona Wildcats are the No. 2 team in the United States and a No. 1 seed in a West Region they are fully expected to win. Arizona comes to the Sweet 16 this week in San Jose as the clear favorite to beat Arkansas, advance to the Elite Eight, and then move to the Final Four. This does not mean, however, that Arizona fans are fully confident about their team, and more specifically, about their head coach, Tommy Lloyd.
Arizona struggled to break Utah State's press on Sunday. Creating set plays for the Wildcats' post players was also an issue. Utah State played well and showed a lot of spunk, but USU was the only Mountain West team in the NCAA Tournament this season. Arizona figured to be far better than the Aggies but got roped into what was a relatively close game. With under seven minutes left, Arizona led Utah State by only four points before pulling away late. The game was still up for grabs with around four minutes remaining in regulation.
This was not the dominant, confident, relaxed Arizona team which had been in evidence for most of the season. Arizona did not play anywhere close to the level it displayed in the Big 12 Tournament, where it beat Iowa State in a classic on a buzzer-beating shot at the end of regulation, and then handled Houston in the final one day later. Iowa State and Houston are both No. 2 seeds in this NCAA Tournament and legitimate Final Four contenders. Arizona beating those teams by small margins was hugely impressive. Beating Utah State in a close game represents a real drop-off for this Arizona team, and fans have noticed.
Tommy Lloyd has built a strong program and assembled a very good, balanced roster, but while Lloyd is great at finding high-quality groceries, his ability to cook a gourmet meal in March remains in question. Lloyd has not gotten past the Sweet 16 in March Madness, a barrier he will try to finally break against Arkansas this coming Thursday night in Silicon Valley. Lurking behind the uncertainty, however, is the possibility that if Arizona loses, Lloyd's overall coaching chops will be questioned with a level of intensity we have not seen before.
Arizona is the favorite, but the thing that's easy to forget or dismiss about the NCAA Tournament is that favorites often play with the burden of not having achieved their goals. They don't always play with the freedom and confidence of a top seed. Arizona played like a burdened team against Utah State. Arkansas hopes that continues this Thursday in San Jose.