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Pac-12 Basketball: 5 biggest storylines to watch for 2021-22 offseason

By Jason Burgess

Jan 14, 2021; Boulder, Colorado, USA; A general view of the PAC 12 logo on the floor in the first half of the game between the Colorado Buffaloes and the California Golden Bears at CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 14, 2021; Boulder, Colorado, USA; A general view of the PAC 12 logo on the floor in the first half of the game between the Colorado Buffaloes and the California Golden Bears at CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
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Pac-12 Basketball Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Tommy Lloyd James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Pac-12 Basketball Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Tommy Lloyd James Snook-USA TODAY Sports /

Gonzaga’s Tommy Lloyd tries to begin anew in Tucson

Despite all the success of the Pac-12 in the NCAA Tournament, the biggest storyline heading into the summer in my opinion is the changing of the guard that has taken place in Tucson. In a move that surprised some but most felt was a long time coming since news of the FBI investigation broke, Arizona parted ways with Sean Miller after 12 seasons. The firing may have its roots in the investigation but, not finishing higher than 5th over the last three seasons gave the school the chance it may have been looking for.

The next question for Arizona was, who were they going to get to replace Miller? The Wildcats made one of the best hires of the coaching carousel when they pried the top assistant and co-architect of one of the dominant programs in college basketball, Gonzaga’s Tommy Lloyd. Lloyd arrived at Gonzaga as an administrative assistant in 2000 and became a member of Mark Few’s staff the following year, remaining his right-hand man for over 20 years.

One of the many things Gonzaga is known for is the success they have had recruiting internationally, and that was Lloyd’s strength. He began scouting Europe and established a strong network over the years giving the Bulldogs the strongest international recruiting pipeline in college basketball.

The most interesting thing to me this summer when it comes to the Pac-12 will be not only how Lloyd builds his roster and if he can bring that international foundation to Arizona, but can he rebuild the culture and get people to move beyond the black cloud that has surrounded the program the last few seasons, and looking towards a brighter future?

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