LOS ANGELES — The Arizona Wildcats are on the cusp of achieving something they haven't done in more than two decades; a trip to the Final Four.
"I am very excited to be here," Arizona senior guard, Pelle Larsson, said. "It's another chance to prove ourselves and what we can accomplish here."
The Wildcats are just two wins away from advancing to the Final Four for the first time in 23 years back in 2001.
To break the two-decade-plus drought, No. 2 seed Arizona will have to win the West Regional in Los Angeles by beating No. 6 Clemson and the eventual winner of No. 1 North Carolina and No. 4 Alabama (that game to follow after the Arizona game).
The approach stays the same, though. In response to being asked about 'getting over the hump' and advancing in the NCAA Tournament, Head Coach Tommy Lloyd shared a unique perspective.
"I don't see a hump," Lloyd said. "I see opportunity. It's a privilege and we have to take advantage of what's in front of us. I know it sounds cliche, but we are the stereotypical team and coaching staff. We take all of this one day at a time."
While Lloyd believes their approach is stereotypical, their offense is very much the opposite. The Wildcats boast a top-10 offense and defense, not to mention a plethora of experience and leadership on their side in seniors Keshad Johnson, Caleb Love, and Oumar Ballo.
One of Arizona's strengths as a team is the ability to adapt to various looks thrown at them and still score the ball at a high clip. March Madness represents programs with various styles of play and the Wildcats have adjusted well to competing against a wider range of competition.
That will be the case yet again when Arizona faces a Clemson team that plays at a much slower pace compared to the Wildcats who like to get out and run.
"When we build a team, we want to give our team as many chances to win as possible," Lloyd said. "We are trying to think of everything we can to win and with that mindset, we are not afraid to play different styles. We can’t always play in our comfort zone and be comfortable being uncomfortable.
Lloyd praised this year's team and their ability to adapt to various game situations.
"Even down the stretch of the season, we saw different things thrown at us," he said. "That’s not easy to play against and our guys have handled it well."
More than anything else, Lloyd and the players admitted poise will be a major factor, whether good or bad, in determining the outcome of each game moving forward in the tournament.
"At times our poise is really good and at times we’ve let teams get back in the game," Johnson said. "Having possessions in the tournament is big and poise will be a big key. And when we take care of the ball, there aren’t a lot of teams that can defend us."
If Arizona gets stuck in the half-court with the Tigers that could present additional challenges for the Wildcats. Yet, Pelle Larsson doesn't find the clash of playing styles a major concern.
"We’ve played a lot of teams that play slow," Larsson said. "In this tournament, the fight is about effort and 50-50 balls and rebounding. Guys will make shots and you have to focus on those things you can control. It’ll be a big effort game."
Arizona will open Sweet 16 play on Thursday inside Crypto.com Arena at 4:09 p.m.
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