SACRAMENTO, Calif.—This time a year ago, Arizona entered the NCAA Tournament with a roster that included just nine minutes of tourney experience and a head coach who had been to plenty of tourneys but never as the guy in charge.
What a difference a year makes.
When the Wildcats (29-6) open NCAA play in the first round Thursday afternoon against Princeton (21-8) they’ll be putting on the court a starting five that features four players with a combined 14 games of tourney experience at three different schools plus more off the bench. And Tommy Lloyd, whose 61 wins are the most in NCAA history for a coach in his first two seasons, feels like a grizzled vet instead of a wet-behind-the-ears newbie.