Tommy Lloyd has made an impact on the Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball program since taking over as head coach ahead of the 2021-22 season.
In three years, he led them to a Pac-12 regular season title twice and a Pac-12 tournament championship twice, while also taking home Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors in 2022.
There will be some challenges that come with Arizona moving to the Big 12 Conference, but with what Lloyd and his staff have built regarding the returning production and additions through the transfer portal, they have a chance to make some noise in their inaugural season.
But the one thing that is a blemish on the resume of Lloyd is his inability to land high-level recruiting classes so far during his tenure.
The highest they finished on the national scene was last year when their two four-star recruits of Carter Bryant and Emmanuel Stephen had the Wildcats sitting with the 16th-ranked class in the 2024 cycle per On3.
Lloyd is looking to make a splash this time around, hosting multiple high-end prospects that seem to be very interested in joining the program.
The player who would be their biggest get to date, Koa Peat, is coming off an official visit to Tucson this past weekend.
Ranked as the No. 6 overall player in the 2025 class by ESPN, the 6-foot-7 Gilbert, AZ native is someone who the Wildcats are prioritizing.
So where do they stand following his visit?
According to Jamie Shaw of On3, it sounds like Arizona is in the driver’s seat.
“In speaking with sources all around this recruitment, the school everyone talks about is Arizona. There is a local aspect with the Wildcats and also they have won at a high level … Arizona seems to be the program that everyone I have spoken with is watching,” he wrote.
That’s a great sign, but Peat has also maintained he’s not in a rush to make his decision.
He’s taken official visits to five other schools and has two more on the schedule, so this thing is far from being a done deal.
One thing that could hurt the Wildcats is the type of system they run.
“I am told though that Peat might have questions about the two-big system Arizona runs. Sources close to the recruitment tell me that Peat wants to have the ball in his hands along the perimeter,” Shaw added.
He mentioned Houston has done a good job in this recruitment and that Baylor could be a sleeper if he goes on the official visit he’s scheduled to take on Oct. 25. And with him scheduled to also take a trip to Duke on Oct. 18, the Blue Devils could also be a major player.
Still, like Shaw said, the feeling around the recruiting circles is that Arizona is leading this process.
If Lloyd is able to land Peat, that will undoubtedly be the biggest win on the recruiting trail since he was hired to become the head coach of this program four years ago.
