UNC Targets Arizona's Tommy Lloyd

0:00On March 27, North Carolina has fired head basketball coach Hubert Davis and kicked off its search for a replacement. The Tar Heels are zeroing in on Tommy Lloyd, the head coach at Arizona, as their top choice. Lloyd has built a powerhouse program there, leading the wildcats to a number one seed in the NCAA tournament and a spot in the Elite 8. Lloyd got his start as an assistant at Gonzaga, under Mark Fu, where he excelled at recruiting International Talent. He took over at Arizona five years ago and posted an impressive 147 wins against just 35 losses. He's picked up multiple coach of the year awards along the way. Fans and analysts see Lloyd as a strong match for North Carolina's bass-paced, rebounding style of play. His teams pushed the tempo and crashed the board's hard, ranking in the top 20 nationally for offensive rebounds most seasons. That could fix some of the Tar Heels recent weaknesses on the glass and boost their recruiting game. Challenges include prying him away with an $11 million buyout that drops to $9 million

1:02on April 1st, plus, as a Washington native, who's always coached out west, abrooting his family, might give him pause. Still, money won't be an issue for a program like UNC, and they're willing to wait until Arizona season wraps up. Landing Lloyd would reset the program with fresh momentum and excitement. It's the kind of hire that could get North Carolina back to contending at the highest level right away.