Arizona men’s basketball will play Houston for the Big 12 Tournament championship Saturday, a statement that few could have predicted a couple months ago.
The Wildcats got there by outlasting Texas Tech 86-80 Friday night in the conference tournament semifinals. The Red Raiders, despite being down two of their leading scorers, was determined to give Arizona
Arizona answered Texas Tech each time the Red Raiders were pulling within striking distance and never let the score get closer than two possessions down the stretch.
Will Arizona’s sudden burst of momentum translate to the title game?
“Listen, we will find out tomorrow,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “We could get our ass kicked tomorrow. I don’t know. So we gotta come out and play tomorrow. It’s great to come down and get two really good wins against two really good teams.”
Our recap of the game can be found here. Below is what Lloyd, Caleb Love and KJ Lewis had to say to the media.
Lloyd on beating a shorthanded Texas Tech team: “Texas Tech has had some delicate situations with injuries over the year, and obviously we didn’t know what was going to happen until we kind of showed up at the arena, but I knew it was going to be tough.
They beat Houston without Toppin at Houston. They didn’t have the two guys, Williams and Chance, you know, McMillian, when they played Houston at home and played them tough.
So I knew it was going to be a hard game. Our guys did a great job finding a way. It wasn’t easy. They were tough. They fought us every step of the way and they made those early threes and they did a really good job of putting foul pressure on us and getting to the free throw line, and then they were great on the offensive glass.
So all in all I’m proud of our guys for hanging with it and making enough winning plays to come out on top.”
On Arizona and Texas Tech going back and forth in the second half: “It was great. These guys made some big-time plays. I wouldn’t chalk it up to much coaching; I would chalk it up to having competitive guys.
They have a knack for hanging in games, Texas Tech does, and making a big three here and there, getting an offensive rebound put-back, and it’s just so timely.
Our guys did a great job for the most part all of answering those. I think they cut it to 4, down the stretch there, so it was late, but like we did a good job holding they off enough and giving ourselves enough cushion. If we made one or two more plays it was going to be tough for them to get over the top.”
On limiting Texas Tech from the three-point line: “Well, you know, we have to be attentive. They made some early. I think they made, what, five of their first seven when I looked at the scoreboard. If I’m good at math that’s two of their last — I don’t have my glasses, two of their last, whatever, 17 or 18. I can’t read it, guys. I can’t tell if it’s a 28 or a 25. My fault.
But our guys did a good job of being attentive. They probably missed a few they wish they would had but, but I thought our guys did a good job of being attentive and not overhelping in situations.
They’re a team — you’ve got to make those guards find a way to make two-point shots, and you’ve got to be comfortable giving them penetration downhill and making them finish over size, and our guys did a good job hanging with it.
Some of the fouls are regretful. I wish that free throw number was a little bit lower, but all in all, limiting them to nine threes when they want to make ten plus, we’ll take it.”
On the cost of playing deep in the conference tournament vs. going out early: “I mean, if we’re going to play a game we’re going to try to win. I’m not that smart. I’m not that smart to throw a game to think we’re going to play good next Thursday or Friday. If we have Arizona on our chest and we have the dudes we have, we’re playing to win.
That’s how we roll. We’re not overthinking that. I mean, hey, we’re going to try to win tomorrow. We know it’s going to be a heck of a challenge, but we’re going to try to win tomorrow and we’re not going to worry about the next week.”
On Arizona getting momentum heading into Saturday: “Listen, we will find out tomorrow. We could get our ass kicked tomorrow. I don’t know. So we gotta come out and play tomorrow. It’s great to come down and get two really good wins against two really good teams.
You beat Kansas in Kansas City, that says something. You beat Texas Tech that found a way to take second in the conference, that says something. Now we got the champ. We’re staring down the champ, and let’s see what we got.”
On Arizona specializing on offense while Houston specializes on defense (question cut off): “We’re not that bad on defense.”
On Houston being a good defensive team: “Houston specializes in winning basketball. They’re great on offense. They’re great on defensive. They’re great on the glass. I know if you want to drill it down and say defense that’s also fine, but they’re also great on offense, and that’s what makes them so hard to beat. And obviously they’re tough as nails.
It’s a great honor to compete against a guy like Kelvin, and I hope as I grow my coaching career and I hope I get a good stretch of competing against him, because I think it’s going to make me a better coach. I’ve got a lot of respect for him and his program.”
On his relationship with Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland: “Well, listen, at first I was like, hey, this is going to be a little bit awkward because he’s, you know, somebody that — he and I confided in each other when it comes to basketball things, and now we find ourselves in the same conference.
I don’t think over the course of our 20 plus-year friendship we would have ever thought this. So that’s different. We’re probably not talking as much as we once did, but we still catch up every week.
I thought this morning, you know, it’s really cool we’re playing for the third time. The only time you’re going to play for the third time is going to be in the postseason.
And for it to be deeper in the tournament says we’re both doing approximately. I’m proud of him. I’m proud to compete against him. I’m proud of our guys for finding a way to get us over the top tonight.”
Love and Lewis on Texas Tech not having Darrion Williams and Chance McMillan and whether that changed the flow of the offense:
Love: “Obviously it was different personnel but they’re really good players and their role players showed up. Overton had 20 points, so they stepped up. Our game plan didn’t change as far as, you know, who we was guarding and things like that. But we just adjusted, and, you know, we came out on top perform.”
Lewis: “I mean, they’re a tough group regardless of who is out and who is playing. Much respect to those guys and that coaching staff. Like Coach Lloyd said, they’re known for winning without players being in the lineup and they played us to the end of the game, so much respect to them.”
On whether they changed anything defensively of how to crash down on JT Toppin when he got the ball in the post:
Love: “He’s the Big 12 Player of the Year so obviously our attention was on him. And, you know, we’ve got to give him the respect that he deserves. Obviously he’s a monster on the boards. A monster in the post. So, you know, we had to come in and play as hard as we can to keep him off the glass and, un, make every shot tough for him.”
Lewis: “He said it to a tee.”
Love on what felt good about his shot in this game: “I think it was just the energy of the game. I started off hot, but I just wanted to give that spark to my team. I knew they were going to follow up with that.
I had it going, but as the game was flowing KJ chipped in, big numbers from Trey, and, you know, it went on from there.”
Lewis on playing with the wrap on his wrist: “I can’t even tell you. In the flow of the game try not to be distracted by whatever and do whatever I can do to help my team win and not be distracted by wrap on my wrist. I guess screw the tape.”
Love and Lewis on what it means for Arizona to be playing for a Big 12 championship:
Love: “It means a lot. We are playing for something bigger than ourselves, playing for players that played before us, and things like that. So we take pride in it. We going to come in and play as hard as we can, try to execute the game plan as best we can, and we will see what the outcome comes from that.”
Lewis: “I mean, definitely what Caleb said. We had a goal this year to get to this point, and we’re going to do our best and execute a game plan to try to go win tomorrow.”