Kerr Kriisa Returns to McKale, and Tommy Lloyd’s Wildcats Keep Grinding
Wednesday night at McKale Center wasn’t just another game on the schedule-it was a bit of a full-circle moment. Kerr Kriisa returned to Tucson, and Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd made sure to acknowledge the role Kriisa played in helping lay the foundation for what the Wildcats have become under his leadership.
“Kerr’s a really good player,” Lloyd said postgame. “I really appreciate what he brought to our program when he was here.”
That appreciation runs deep. Kriisa wasn’t one of Lloyd’s original recruits, but the coach made it clear that convincing the Estonian point guard to stay was a key early win.
Kriisa brought a unique energy to the floor-he pushed the pace, stretched the defense with his shooting, and had a knack for rising to big moments. According to Lloyd, Arizona’s early success under his tenure doesn’t happen without Kriisa.
“He was a critical piece,” Lloyd said. “He got us playing north-south.
He got us playing east-west in the half court. He was a good shooter.
He’s kind of a big moment guy… I’ll always appreciate what he brought to the table.”
Defensive Identity Taking Shape
While the Wildcats cruised to a 26-point win, Lloyd wasn’t caught up in the margin. He was more locked in on how his team defended-and how that effort might be flying under the radar.
“I have really no opinion on whether people are overlooking our defense,” he said. “If someone is, I’m probably not paying attention to them.”
That’s classic Lloyd-focused on the possession in front of him, not the chatter outside. And on this night, his defense delivered. Arizona held a Big 12 opponent to just 51 points, a rare feat no matter the circumstances.
“I thought overall today, our defense was pretty good,” Lloyd said. “We had to make some adjustments.
I thought some of their personnel, we weren’t as strong on some tendencies as we could’ve been. But to hold a Big 12 team to 51 at home?
Our guys deserve a lot of credit.”
Grit Over Glamour
Despite the lopsided final score, Lloyd saw value in the moments when the game was still in the balance. That’s when he saw his team’s identity come through.
“We’re here for it,” he said. “We don’t need to be pretty. We’re not trying to be a pretty team.”
That’s the blueprint for Lloyd’s Wildcats-gritty, not flashy. He’s preached it before, and he doubled down on it again.
“If we’re not gritty, then we look like a word that rhymes with gritty,” he joked. “That’s our DNA. That’s what it takes to win at the highest levels of college basketball, and that’s what it takes to win in this conference.”
Three-Point Shooting? Not the Whole Story
Arizona’s 3-for-13 night from beyond the arc might raise eyebrows in today’s pace-and-space era, but Lloyd isn’t losing sleep over it. His philosophy is simple: let the game dictate the shot selection.
“It’s a figure-it-out-as-you-go deal,” he said. “Game by game.”
Lloyd isn’t ignoring the numbers, but he’s also not letting them dictate his approach. He knows his guys can shoot-especially when they’re open in practice-but he’s more interested in how teams defend Arizona and how that opens up other areas of the floor.
“There’s also this thing called transition,” he said. “You have to score on us, and you have to rebound on us. There are so many factors that go into it.”
And while 3-for-13 isn’t ideal, Lloyd pointed out that Arizona still got to the line 28 times and scored 48 points in the paint. That’s the kind of physical, inside-out production that wears teams down.
“To get 28 free throws and 48 in the paint? Man, that’s a heavy load to play against.”
Anthony Dell’Orso: Staying the Course
Big 12 play hasn’t been kind to Anthony Dell’Orso so far, but Lloyd isn’t wavering in his belief. His message has been consistent-hang in there.
“What you do is really hard,” Lloyd told him. “Hang with it.”
Lloyd’s confidence in Dell’Orso hasn’t dipped. He believes the sophomore guard will deliver when it matters most.
“I love Delly. I love how he’s handling this,” Lloyd said.
“I have a real strong belief that we’re going to get the best from Delly when we need it… So I’m going to hang with him. I’m not going to change anything.”
Motiejus Krivas: Taking the Hits, Giving Them Back
If there’s a big man in college basketball taking more punishment than Motiejus Krivas right now, he’s hard to find. The physicality is relentless, but Krivas just keeps battling-and improving.
“He’s an awesome, awesome dude and a really good player,” Lloyd said. “He means so much to us, and he’s getting so much better.”
Krivas quietly dropped 17 points, and while he left a few free throws on the table, Lloyd is encouraged by his growth and mindset. After a particularly physical game a few weeks back, Krivas approached his coach with a simple but telling statement.
“He just said to me, ‘Coach, I think I’ve just got to be a little bit tougher,’” Lloyd recalled. “When a player tells you that-who’s been taking the physical beating he is-you tip your hat to him. Because that ain’t easy to do.”
Bottom Line
Arizona’s not trying to win a beauty contest. They’re trying to win basketball games-and they’re doing it with grit, defense, and a willingness to adapt.
Whether it’s honoring a former player like Kriisa, grinding through shooting slumps, or embracing the physicality of the Big 12, this team is built for the long haul. And if Wednesday night was any indication, they’re just getting started.