Tommy Lloyd Coaching Fallout

[arxpert]

As far as I can tell so far we have some players transferring and I would not be surprised to see 2 or 3 more to bolt. This is going to come down to $$$ and playing time, but mostly $$$

Portal:
Paulius
Borovician
(I suspect more to come)

Maybe one or both return, but I don't see why they would. They don't get any minutes. Adama Alpha Bal had to leave to get an opportunity. These guys just sit there and watch others stink it up. As competitors, it must burn them up inside. I mean, Paulius hit 14 out of 27 3pt shots this season. No one can tell me that having a guy to bring in and be a spark plug is a bad thing. We saw a couple years ago Adama Bal (before he became Alpha) came in vs UCLA in the Pac12 Tournament title game, swished a couple 3's and for doing that he got sentenced back to the gulag (the bench). I'm sure Paulius coming in vs Clemson for a couple of possessions to take a 3 wouldn't have been any worse than watching everyone else stink it up from 3. This is a Tommy issue. He is not willing to adapt. In fact, more often than not when he sees that a player has figured out something that is working, he yanks them back to the bench.

My opinion on this is I feel it is sad. I really think Tommy promises these kids things and he doesn't deliver on those promises. There is always going to be a way to turn a negative into a positive, but I think it is sad for these players to go half way around the world to the hot, sweaty arm pit of America right by the border to play basketball and realistically Tommy just never gives these kids chances. I am guessing we may lose up to 3 more players. Tommy probably should consider filling spots with some older guys from D-Block like Houston did. Dudes who would be TBT Legends if they weren't in Year 6+ of College right now. Do it now because the whole extra year of eligibility nonsense is going to wind down pretty soon and it will be back to 4 and 5 year players. Not 5-7 year players who had medical redshirts, extra years etc.

For months anyone with even 1 working eye could see that Boswell was not a starter. There were so many opportunities to create different lineups and use these players for what they can do. If that means hang around the perimeter and spot shoot off of Bradley/KJ/Pelle/Love drive and Dish then so be it. Opportunities wasted.

We had a glaring problem at being able to close out on the perimeter all season defensively and Tommy never even tried to deploy either of these 2 in a way that could resemble 3 and D in our system. The NBA is chalk full of long 6'8" / 6'9" skinny guys who can shoot the ball and close out on D. I'm not saying these players would have put the clamps on anyone Man to Man, but being able to use multiple defenses is part of all winning systems. We should have plenty of Zones. Tommy is habitually known to not utilize the talent he recruits.

[KansasCityCats]

Lloyd doesn't "promise" anything to the players.  He discusses their potential roles/ceilings within the program and pushes them to work hard towards their goals.  Some freshmen (KJ Lewis & Mo Krivas) were ready to contribute immediately; some needed work.

Murauskas is ridiculously talented but a majority of his made 3's came in garbage time against backup defenders.  When he entered the game during regular season matchups, he threw up a lot of airballs and allowed opponents to blow by him.  With improvement to his defensive game, he'll be a great contributor elsewhere.

Same situation with Borovicanin.  Great shooter that needed time on defense and help with penetrating the lane.  He has the skills to make it in the league, similar to Bal (who is NOT going to be a lottery pick this year...and still needs another year before becoming a contributor at a high level). 

For reference, Adama's stats against mid-major competition: 31 MIN, 14.4 PPG, 43.3% FG, 35.4% 3PT, 3.2 REB, 3.1 AST, 0.9 STL and 2.3 TO.

I know you aren't impressed with Boswell, so here's his comp: 27 MIN, 9.6 PPG, 39.6% FG, 37.9% 3PT, 2.3 REB, 3.6 AST, 1.4 STL and 1.7 TO.

In less minutes, against better competition and at 5" shorter, Lloyd got similar production out of a player that is 18  months younger than Bal.  If I looked "blindly" at those stats side-by-side, I'd keep Boswell on my roster over Bal.

We will likely lose one of our big men (between Dylan and Henri).  Our frontcourt is deep and I'd love to keep everybody but four 7-footers just won't get sufficient minutes.  Looking forward to seeing how this pans out because our roster is extremely talented in 2024-25.

[arxpert]

Lloyd doesn't "promise" anything to the players.  He discusses their potential roles/ceilings within the program and pushes them to work hard towards their goals.  Some freshmen (KJ Lewis & Mo Krivas) were ready to contribute immediately; some needed work.

Murauskas is ridiculously talented but a majority of his made 3's came in garbage time against backup defenders.  When he entered the game during regular season matchups, he threw up a lot of airballs and allowed opponents to blow by him.  With improvement to his defensive game, he'll be a great contributor elsewhere.

Same situation with Borovicanin.  Great shooter that needed time on defense and help with penetrating the lane.  He has the skills to make it in the league, similar to Bal (who is NOT going to be a lottery pick this year...and still needs another year before becoming a contributor at a high level). 

For reference, Adama's stats against mid-major competition: 31 MIN, 14.4 PPG, 43.3% FG, 35.4% 3PT, 3.2 REB, 3.1 AST, 0.9 STL and 2.3 TO.

I know you aren't impressed with Boswell, so here's his comp: 27 MIN, 9.6 PPG, 39.6% FG, 37.9% 3PT, 2.3 REB, 3.6 AST, 1.4 STL and 1.7 TO.

In less minutes, against better competition and at 5" shorter, Lloyd got similar production out of a player that is 18  months younger than Bal.  If I looked "blindly" at those stats side-by-side, I'd keep Boswell on my roster over Bal.

We will likely lose one of our big men (between Dylan and Henri).  Our frontcourt is deep and I'd love to keep everybody but four 7-footers just won't get sufficient minutes.  Looking forward to seeing how this pans out because our roster is extremely talented in 2024-25.

I see you shifting your tune overall. Tune-Shifter. "I'd keep Boswell on my roster instead of Bal"... I'm sure even about 10 days ago your comment would have been "Boswell is an elite starter". Now he is simply just someone you would keep on the roster.

Sure. I would keep Boswell on the roster too. I would promise him 0 minutes. I would use him as a 3rd or 4th string guard. That is what he truly is on this team now (per next year's roster). Boswell doesn't sound like a dude who can care less. He seems like he got his money and is coasting. If he wants to play significant minutes then maybe he should transfer.

Yet as usual, you miss the bigger point. Tommy does not play Depth. He is a 6 to 7 player deep coach. Giving Krivas a 4-6 minute window to contribute to give Ballo a breather doesn't mean Tommy plays 8 guys. Tommy needs to evolve as a coach and have On-Court sets, plays, or all around Meaning for the players he puts out there.

It's a Tommy problem more than a talent problem.

PS - It is also of my opinion, that Bal is playing harder competition than the Pac12. Gonzaga and Saint Mary's would be Top 1-2 teams in the Pac12. He also got hurt too at one point. Your entire premise is just wrong there to me however I encourage Boswell to show up to Pepperdine, Santa Clara, San Francisco or whoever else is in that conference not named Gonzaga not St Mary's and prove how great he really is.

[KansasCityCats]

Arizona is ranked 49th in SOS and 13th non-con SOS. Santa Clara is 95 and 94 respectively. I respect your opinion because the WAC has good teams at the top but the NET says otherwise.

Krivas is a legitimate 8th man with 12 MPG. His minutes started strong but his lack of defense slowly gave time back to Ballo (and pushed Lloyd into playing a smaller lineup). If Henri were healthy, he would have contributed as a 9th man.

I've never considered Boswell "elite" but I think he was our best option at PG and possesses the physical ability to play in the league. He's STILL 18 years old and led our team in steals. The staff encouraged him to start attacking the paint and although it wasn't consistent, he started to get to the hoop more often.

I'm still consistent about my thoughts on Bal. He should be an NBA player...but not yet. If he's a lottery pick this season, as he was "projected" in late 2023, I'd be baffled.

[arxpert]

Krivas is a legitimate 8th man with 12 MPG. His minutes started strong but his lack of defense slowly gave time back to Ballo (and pushed Lloyd into playing a smaller lineup). If Henri were healthy, he would have contributed as a 9th man.

See this is the point ---> No. Henri wouldn't have contributed as a 9th man. Krivas would not have played at all and Henri would have played instead. We probably would have been a better team overall too.

But Tommy and Depth are antonyms at this point.

[KansasCityCats]

Depth doesn't necessarily mean that bench players contribute. Lloyd built a roster that could have accommodated injuries.

When Dickinson went down at KU, Bill Self's team fell apart because they didn't have another capable big man.

If Ballo went down, Dylan's redshirt could have come off, Henri could have returned from injury or Krivas could have learned on the fly.

Not many teams had contingency plans like Lloyd, regardless of whether he prematurely threw young players into action.

[|ᴘ|ʀ|ʏ|ᴍ|ᴇ|]

Krivas is a legitimate 8th man with 12 MPG. His minutes started strong but his lack of defense slowly gave time back to Ballo (and pushed Lloyd into playing a smaller lineup). If Henri were healthy, he would have contributed as a 9th man.

See this is the point ---> No. Henri wouldn't have contributed as a 9th man. Krivas would not have played at all and Henri would have played instead. We probably would have been a better team overall too.

But Tommy and Depth are antonyms at this point.

One thing we can all agree on: Lanky Hank dicking around on a golf cart doomed the season before it even started. Unforgivable.

[arxpert]

Depth doesn't necessarily mean that bench players contribute. Lloyd built a roster that could have accommodated injuries.

When Dickinson went down at KU, Bill Self's team fell apart because they didn't have another capable big man.

If Ballo went down, Dylan's redshirt could have come off, Henri could have returned from injury or Krivas could have learned on the fly.

Not many teams had contingency plans like Lloyd, regardless of whether he prematurely threw young players into action.

How could Bill Self have back up Bigs if Tommy hoardes them all?

In all seriousness Kansas only fell apart because they lost their best player McCuller. Dickenson was fine and got to the Sweet 16 without issue. They played Gonzaga well for about 60% of the game and then they ran out of gas. It happens. Just making the s16 with the amount of problems they had is actually another feather in "Cheating Bill's" cap.

Depth is not just for injuries.

What good would have Paulius and Krivas done as full time players if Ballo and Keshad Johnson went down late in the season? Tommy had the depth each time Kerr blew out his ankle and he refused to use it. He just sent out a hobbled Kerr. But with a lack of playing time vs Starters (as you seem to think matters), and a lack of actual plays designed for these bench players, the depth is meaningless.

So I will say it again. Tommy and Depth are Antonyms right now.

A NBA style, run and gun type of team would mix and match throughout the early to mid conference slate and find the best combinations and find specific plays that work that opponents need to game plan for just in case we decide to deploy weapons. These can be well executed plays or they can be decoys.

In the landscape of NIL, depth is only as good as if it is willing to be utilized. A NBA Style Run and Gun system that scores around 90ppg has no excuse to be relying so heavily on just 6-7 players + 1 big to give a token Ballo a breather.

Yes Tommy got the wins, but he also has no answers when the losses come or when Boswell needed to be benched about 4 separate occasions this year for his behavior alone on top of his struggles on the court.

[Zona Nation]

Depth doesn't necessarily mean that bench players contribute. Lloyd built a roster that could have accommodated injuries.

When Dickinson went down at KU, Bill Self's team fell apart because they didn't have another capable big man.

If Ballo went down, Dylan's redshirt could have come off, Henri could have returned from injury or Krivas could have learned on the fly.

Not many teams had contingency plans like Lloyd, regardless of whether he prematurely threw young players into action.

How could Bill Self have back up Bigs if Tommy hoardes them all?

In all seriousness Kansas only fell apart because they lost their best player McCuller. Dickenson was fine and got to the Sweet 16 without issue. They played Gonzaga well for about 60% of the game and then they ran out of gas. It happens. Just making the s16 with the amount of problems they had is actually another feather in "Cheating Bill's" cap.

Depth is not just for injuries.

What good would have Paulius and Krivas done as full time players if Ballo and Keshad Johnson went down late in the season? Tommy had the depth each time Kerr blew out his ankle and he refused to use it. He just sent out a hobbled Kerr. But with a lack of playing time vs Starters (as you seem to think matters), and a lack of actual plays designed for these bench players, the depth is meaningless.

So I will say it again. Tommy and Depth are Antonyms right now.

A NBA style, run and gun type of team would mix and match throughout the early to mid conference slate and find the best combinations and find specific plays that work that opponents need to game plan for just in case we decide to deploy weapons. These can be well executed plays or they can be decoys.

In the landscape of NIL, depth is only as good as if it is willing to be utilized. A NBA Style Run and Gun system that scores around 90ppg has no excuse to be relying so heavily on just 6-7 players + 1 big to give a token Ballo a breather.

Yes Tommy got the wins, but he also has no answers when the losses come or when Boswell needed to be benched about 4 separate occasions this year for his behavior alone on top of his struggles on the court.

Depth doesn't necessarily mean that bench players contribute. Lloyd built a roster that could have accommodated injuries.

When Dickinson went down at KU, Bill Self's team fell apart because they didn't have another capable big man.

If Ballo went down, Dylan's redshirt could have come off, Henri could have returned from injury or Krivas could have learned on the fly.

Not many teams had contingency plans like Lloyd, regardless of whether he prematurely threw young players into action.

How could Bill Self have back up Bigs if Tommy hoardes them all?

In all seriousness Kansas only fell apart because they lost their best player McCuller. Dickenson was fine and got to the Sweet 16 without issue. They played Gonzaga well for about 60% of the game and then they ran out of gas. It happens. Just making the s16 with the amount of problems they had is actually another feather in "Cheating Bill's" cap.

Depth is not just for injuries.

What good would have Paulius and Krivas done as full time players if Ballo and Keshad Johnson went down late in the season? Tommy had the depth each time Kerr blew out his ankle and he refused to use it. He just sent out a hobbled Kerr. But with a lack of playing time vs Starters (as you seem to think matters), and a lack of actual plays designed for these bench players, the depth is meaningless.

So I will say it again. Tommy and Depth are Antonyms right now.

A NBA style, run and gun type of team would mix and match throughout the early to mid conference slate and find the best combinations and find specific plays that work that opponents need to game plan for just in case we decide to deploy weapons. These can be well executed plays or they can be decoys.

In the landscape of NIL, depth is only as good as if it is willing to be utilized. A NBA Style Run and Gun system that scores around 90ppg has no excuse to be relying so heavily on just 6-7 players + 1 big to give a token Ballo a breather.

Yes Tommy got the wins, but he also has no answers when the losses come or when Boswell needed to be benched about 4 separate occasions this year for his behavior alone on top of his struggles on the court.

Depth doesn't necessarily mean that bench players contribute. Lloyd built a roster that could have accommodated injuries.

When Dickinson went down at KU, Bill Self's team fell apart because they didn't have another capable big man.

If Ballo went down, Dylan's redshirt could have come off, Henri could have returned from injury or Krivas could have learned on the fly.

Not many teams had contingency plans like Lloyd, regardless of whether he prematurely threw young players into action.

How could Bill Self have back up Bigs if Tommy hoardes them all?

In all seriousness Kansas only fell apart because they lost their best player McCuller. Dickenson was fine and got to the Sweet 16 without issue. They played Gonzaga well for about 60% of the game and then they ran out of gas. It happens. Just making the s16 with the amount of problems they had is actually another feather in "Cheating Bill's" cap.

Depth is not just for injuries.

What good would have Paulius and Krivas done as full time players if Ballo and Keshad Johnson went down late in the season? Tommy had the depth each time Kerr blew out his ankle and he refused to use it. He just sent out a hobbled Kerr. But with a lack of playing time vs Starters (as you seem to think matters), and a lack of actual plays designed for these bench players, the depth is meaningless.

So I will say it again. Tommy and Depth are Antonyms right now.

A NBA style, run and gun type of team would mix and match throughout the early to mid conference slate and find the best combinations and find specific plays that work that opponents need to game plan for just in case we decide to deploy weapons. These can be well executed plays or they can be decoys.

In the landscape of NIL, depth is only as good as if it is willing to be utilized. A NBA Style Run and Gun system that scores around 90ppg has no excuse to be relying so heavily on just 6-7 players + 1 big to give a token Ballo a breather.

Yes Tommy got the wins, but he also has no answers when the losses come or when Boswell needed to be benched about 4 separate occasions this year for his behavior alone on top of his struggles on the court.

Kansas Lost to Gonzaga in the round of 32. They did not make the Sweet 16.

[KansasCityCats]

The offense works. Arizona finished in the top-3 for three consecutive seasons.

The right guys need to be on the roster to win postseason games and in year 4, I think we'll see improvement, in terms of utilizing a deeper bench.

Realistically, I wouldn't be surprised if the 2025-26 team wins a title.