Arizona men’s basketball still working on 2022 nonconference schedule

When Tommy Lloyd was employed to teach Arizona final April, nearly all the schedule for his first season on the job was already locked in. Apart from swapping Gonzaga for Tennessee, the nonconference slate the Wildcats performed in 2021-22 was what Sean Miller and his workers had put collectively.

The non-league schedule for the upcoming season may have rather more of a Lloyd really feel to it, although it should most likely nonetheless be some time earlier than its finalized and made public.

“We’re engaged on numerous issues proper now, nothing particular,” Lloyd mentioned final week. “Tennessee’s coming right here subsequent 12 months, we’re in Maui. We’re making an attempt to determine the remainder of the schedule. I’m certain these issues will begin popping out right here shortly.”

Arizona will play 11 nonconference video games along with 20 Pac-12 contests, and 6 are already locked in. That features the three to-be-determined opponents within the Maui Invitational, the place the Wildcats will compete towards the likes of Arkansas, Cincinnati, Creighton, Louisville, Ohio State, San Diego State and Texas Tech.

The UA may have a minimum of one high-profile recreation at McKale Middle, that being the return go to from Tennessee after the Vols performed host final December. Arizona additionally has first-week house video games scheduled towards NAU and Southern, although Lloyd joked that the previous might get postponed indefinitely just like the Gonzaga recreation he inherited as a consequence of a private connection to that program.

Lloyd’s son, Liam, has transferring to NAU after spending two seasons at Grand Canyon.

“The defensive recreation plan could be to push that recreation again,” Lloyd mentioned. “We’ll see on that one.”

As for the opposite 5? Count on most, if not all, to be at McKale, with the bulk being of comparable caliber to the opponents Arizona confronted at house final season. Lloyd has up to now mentioned how a lot he likes enjoying big-time video games, together with ones at impartial websites, however that won’t find yourself taking place.

“These are all conversations we’re having, we’ll see the place it goes from there,” he mentioned. “Scheduling is one thing that everyone’s at all times gonna complain about. It’s not a straightforward factor to do. And I simply know this: this 12 months, with the schedule we had we inherited a few of it, we did a few of it on our personal. We ended up being a 1 seed. So perhaps the method wasn’t so dangerous.”