Arizona’s Lloyd brushes off UNC speculation ahead of Sweet 16

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Amid speculation he might be a candidate for the emptiness at North Carolina, Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd insisted all his consideration is along with his program because the top-seeded Wildcats put together for Thursday’s Sweet 16 sport in opposition to No. 4 seed Arkansas.

“I already have one of the best jobs in the country,” Lloyd stated. “And one thing we talk about in our program all the time — and I think I’ve gotten better at it, and I think our team’s been crushing it this year — is just the ability to have full focus and be present in the moment.”

Lloyd, nonetheless, stopped brief of denying any curiosity within the UNC job, which grew to become obtainable Tuesday when Hubert Davis was fired following the Tar Heels’ first-round NCAA event exit.

“I think we have a chance to advance in this tournament game by game, but I’m not delusional,” Lloyd stated. “I know we could lose tomorrow, but this team deserves my full focus. So, there’s not one thing that is going to knock me off my path. I’m 100% focused on Arizona basketball and this program, and I can’t wait until the ball gets thrown up tomorrow and then can’t wait to try to figure out a way to come out on top.”

In his fifth season at Arizona, Lloyd has compiled a document of 146-35 with three convention regular-season titles and three convention event titles, spanning the Wildcats’ time within the Pac-12 and Big 12. He was the AP nationwide coach of the 12 months in 2022 and the Big 12 Coach of the Year this season.