Despite being one of the most storied programs in college basketball that includes 35 All-American selections and 75 NBA Draft picks, the Arizona Wildcats’ culture has always been about we, not me, under head coach Tommy Lloyd. For Lloyd, that’s his style. He never makes the moment about him, seeks out attention, or tries to make headlines with flashy comments and one-liners. So when he elected to bring in four freshmen, including three five-star prospects, Lloyd knew that cultural fit and playing within the system would be paramount to the Wildcats’ success this season.
“I work on this simple continuum all the time. Talent versus dysfunction. I don’t want to be in charge of a program where I’m just trying to accrue as much talent as I can to overcome the dysfunction that comes with the talent,” said Lloyd in San Diego.
One of those talented freshmen, Ivan Kharchenkov, says the culture and feel in the Arizona locker room is unlike anything he’s ever experienced before. The 19-year-old Kharchenkov has been playing basketball professionally since he was 12 years old, but thinks this is one of the closest knit teams he’s ever been a part of, crediting how much time he spends with his Wildcat teammates on and off the court.
“It’s really incomparable, because we never spent that much time back in Europe because every guy already has their own family, their own kids, and lives on their own. And there are certain rules, like we’re not allowed to be in a gym. And here you don’t have any rules. We have a meeting almost every day, we have practice almost every day. We also go to school and class together, so we just spend more time together, and I think that’s the biggest difference between what I had in Europe and here.”
But as Tommy mentioned, Arizona can’t just rely on an influx of talent to overcome a dysfunctional locker room. Kharchenkov, along with likely one-and-done players Brayden Burries and Koa Peat, have been excellent fits in the locker room, largely in part due to the example set by veteran leaders Jaden Bradley, Tobe Awaka, and Anthony Dell’Orso.
“Jaden transferred, Tobe transferred, Delly transferred, and those are just great guys,” said Lloyd on Arizona’s veterans, who have been role-models and examples in the Wildcats’ locker room all season long.
“They’re just great guys. They wanted to be part of something bigger than themselves. And then the freshmen, the freshmen are obviously really talented, and they’re going to have great futures. But they’re also great teammates. It was just a good blend of guys that were about the right things and we were able to kind of put them together.”
The vets in the locker room would agree. After starting 28 games for the Wildcats last season, Dell’Orso elected to come off the bench this year, a decision that has helped guide Arizona to a 33-2 record this year. The result? Delly and the Wildcats are playing their most fun basketball since they were kids.
“Yes, it’s great, and obviously super connected. I think you can see that way we play. I don’t know how much off the court stuff is out there on us, but I think people see that it’s the same, like there’s no lack of on the court to off the court, and that’s the best thing. It almost feels like you’re playing with the under 12s team, when everyone just loves the sport and doesn’t care about the box score and just plays to have fun, and you play multiple games. That’s how it feels, and that’s when you have the best moments in basketball.”
As the Arizona Wildcats continue embarking on their quest for a Final Four and National Championship, Tommy Lloyd knows they’ll continue to fight to build and develop their culture and that sense of togetherness and camaraderie every day.
“We have never claimed to be perfect, by any stretch. But this is a group, we work hard on our culture, and it’s a daily thing you gotta fight for. And you’re going to have little ups and downs with it because we’re all human beings. But if you can work hard to get people on the same page and get them to care for each other, I think that goes a long way to creating a healthy environment.”