TOMMY LLOYD

NCAA TCU Arizona Basketball Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd calls to his team during the first half of a second-round NCAA college basketball tournament game against TCU, Sunday, March 20, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) (Denis Poroy)Tommy Lloyd spent 22 years as Mark Few's right-hand man turning Gonzaga into a national powerhouse. Lloyd was named The Associated Press men's college basketball coach of the year on Friday after leading the Wildcats to the Sweet 16 in his first season. Lloyd joins Indiana State's Bill Hodges in 1979 and Drake's Keno Davis in 2008 in earning AP coach of the year in their first season as a head coach. The Wildcats swept the Pac-12 season and tournament titles to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018.

Arizona's Tommy Lloyd has been named The Associated Press men's basketball coach of the year after leading the Wildcats to the Sweet 16 in his first season.

APTOPIX NCAA Houston Arizona Basketball Houston guard Jamal Shead celebrates after scoring as Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd looks on during the second half of a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday, March 24, 2022, in San Antonio. Edwards, the Texas Tech transfer who played in the 2019 national championship game for the Red Raiders, had 19 points with five 3-pointers. After quick consecutive layups by Dalen Terry got Arizona within 64-58 with just over two minutes left, Edwards settled things for Houston with a 3 from the right wing. They shot 33% (18 of 54) and had 14 turnovers that Houston turned into 24 points. The two teams have played twice in the NCAA Tournament — Houston won in 1983 and Villanova won in the 1981 tourney.

Jamal Shead scored a career-high 21 points and Houston led throughout in a 72-60 victory over top-seeded Arizona.

Bennedict Mathurin made a 3-pointer to force overtime and scored six more points in the extra session, and top-seeded Arizona outlasted ninth-seeded TCU 85-80 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Loyola-Chicago plays Ohio State in one of the top matchups on the second full day of the NCAA Tournament.

2s and the defending champion, Baylor, is the other top seed and a force to be reckoned with again, too. This year, the women's tournament is being branded as "March Madness," just like the men's. Also, Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe, one of dozens who switched schools via the amped-up transfer portal that is displaying a penchant for reshaping college hoops — and college sports — in the blink of an eye. “It’s all about staying in the moment and having more fun than anybody in the tournament,” said Tshiebwe's coach, John Calipari. 2 seed is terrific.”___More AP coverage of March Madness: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25Copyright 2022 The Associated Press.

College basketball fans hungering for a return to normal this March should feel happy.

Ken Pomeroy's site puts the following teams in the top 10: Gonzaga, Arizona, Kentucky, Houston, Baylor, Kansas, Tennessee, UCLA, Texas Tech and Auburn. First round winners: Gonzaga, Memphis, Connecticut, Arkansas, Alabama, Texas Tech, Davidson, Duke. Second round winners: Gonzaga, Connecticut, Texas Tech, Duke. First round winners: Arizona, Seton Hall, Houston, Illinois, Michigan, Tennessee, Ohio State, Villanova. Second round winners: Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio State.

Last season’s NCAA Tournament ultimately unfolded in familiar fashion.

We finally have a March featuring NCAA Tournament games with no crowd restrictions at sites across the country.

Bennedict Mathurin scored 27 points and No. 2 Arizona used a massive second-half run to beat No. 13 UCLA 84-76, winning the Pac-12 Tournament in coach Tommy Lloyd’s first season.

2 Arizona held off Stanford 84-80 on Thursday in the Pac-12 quarterfinals. Ninth-seeded Stanford (16-16) beat Arizona State on a buzzer-beater to open the show in Las Vegas on Wednesday and hit Arizona with a flurry of 3-pointers in the encore. The Cardinal went 11 for 20 behind the arc and Spencer Jones hit shots from everywhere while scoring 28 points. Stanford shot 54% against the Pac-12's best defensive team in an atmosphere that felt like McKale Center north. Jones opened with a pair of 3s and the Cardinal hit six of their seven shots, three of those 3s.

Christian Koloko scored 24 points, Bennedict Mathurin added 20 and No. 2 Arizona held off Stanford 84-80 in the Pac-12 quarterfinals.

Needed to fill a bigger role as a sophomore, Arizona's bouncy guard proved to be one of the nation's best players. Mathurin was named Pac-12 player of the year Tuesday by a panel of media who cover the conference after becoming the go-to player on the nation's No. Mathurin averaged 10.8 points and 4.8 rebounds as a freshman last season. Mathurin became the player the Wildcats turned to when they need a big basket and at least a couple times a game he wows the crowd with thunderous dunks. Coach of the year: Tommy Lloyd, Arizona.

Arizona's Bennedict Mathurin has been named The Associated Press Pac-12 player of the year after a dominating sophomore season.

Gonzaga Saint Marys Basketball Gonzaga forward Anton Watson (22) shoots against Saint Mary's guard Logan Johnson (0) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Moraga, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) (Jeff Chiu)Gonzaga, Arizona and reigning national champion Baylor remained atop The Associated Press men's college basketball poll Monday while Tennessee cracked the top 10 for the first time this year and North Carolina returned to the Top 25 for the first time since November. 1 ranking for the fourth straight week and eighth time this season going back to the preseason poll. Auburn and Kentucky rounded out the top five, followed by Kansas, Duke, Villanova, Purdue and Tennessee. ___Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at https://twitter.com/aaronbeardap___More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25Copyright 2022 The Associated Press.

Gonzaga, Arizona and reigning national champion Baylor remained atop The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll.

Gonzaga, Arizona and reigning national champion Baylor remained atop The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll Monday while Tennessee cracked the top 10 for the first time this year and North Carolina returned to the Top 25 for the first time since November. Mark Few’s Bulldogs claimed 52 of 61 first-place votes to hold the No. 1 ranking for the fourth straight week and eighth time this season going back to the preseason poll. The Wildcats stayed at No. 2 for the third straight week under first-year coach Tommy Lloyd and claimed six first-place votes, while Scott Drew’s Bears – who held the top spot for five weeks earlier this season – took the other three.

A return to regular-season Pac-12 Conference glory for No. 2 Arizona was not an occasion for wild celebrations, loud roars or proud proclamations. A convincing 91-71 victory over No. 16 Southern California was more of an arm-around-your-shoulder moment as the Wildcats won their first regular-season conference title in four seasons. Arizona used a business-like approach to knock of the second-place Trojans with the help of a little perspective.

Santa Clara Gonzaga Basketball Spectators in the Gonzaga student section hold signs while watching the second half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Santa Clara, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, in Spokane, Wash. Gonzaga won 81-69. 1 in the latest Associated Press men's basketball poll. The Zags aren't likely to budge the way they're dominating the West Coast Conference. Gonzaga (23-2, 12-0 WCC) has followed up last year's run to the national championship game with another dominating regular season. The Pac-12 and Big East each had three and the West Coast Conference two with the addition of Saint Mary's.

Gonzaga is the unanimous No. 1 in the latest Associated Press men’s basketball poll.

Gonzaga is the unanimous No. 1 in the latest Associated Press men's basketball poll. The Zags aren't likely to budge the way they're dominating the West Coast Conference. Gonzaga remained at No. 1 for the second straight week, receiving all 61 votes from a media panel in the poll released Monday.

Kerr Kriisa scored 16 points and hit a big 3-pointer, Dalen Terry flirted with a triple-double and No. 7 Arizona grinded out a 76-66 win over No. 3 UCLA.

Bennedict Mathurin and Oumar Ballo scored 14 points each, and No. 3 Arizona turned up the defensive pressure in the second half to beat rival Arizona State 67-56.

Baylor remained No. 1 for the third straight week in The Associated Press men's college basketball poll, receiving all 61 first-place votes from a national media panel.

Beginning this week, the Wildcats have an opportunity to prove just how good they are. One of the toughest two-week runs in college basketball this season begins Wednesday night, when the Wildcats head to Knoxville to face No. 19 Tennessee in one of this week's marquee nonconference matchups. “Game to game, regardless of what's going to happen, our mindset has to be we'll be better for it,” Lloyd said. We want to win every game, but we know that's not realistic.

Sixth-ranked Arizona begins one of the toughest two-week runs in college basketball on Wednesday night, when the Wildcats head to Knoxville to face No. 19 Tennessee in one of this week’s marquee nonconference matchups.

Defending national champion Baylor has maintained its top spot in The Associated Press men's college basketball poll, though not without ceding a No. 1 vote to Arizona, while the six remaining unbeatens continued their rise.

Defending national champion Baylor maintained its top spot in The Associated Press men's college basketball poll, though not without ceding a No. 1 vote to Arizona, while the six remaining unbeatens continued their rise on Monday. The Bears ended a four-week streak of turnover atop the poll by taking care of Oregon last week, receiving 60 of 61 first-place votes from a national panel that regular covers college basketball. The Bears (10-0) reached the top spot last week after dominating then-No. 6 Villanova, something they never accomplished during their title-winning season.

Gonzaga and UCLA continue their hold on the top two spots in The Associated Press Top 25 college basketball poll, setting the stage for their highly anticipated showdown this week.

Gonzaga is the preseason No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 men's college basketball poll.