NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - FINAL FOUR: MICHIGAN VS ARIZONA

April 4, 2026

Tommy Lloyd

Brayden Burries

Jaden Bradley

Koa Peat

Hinkle Fieldhouse

Arizona Wildcats

Semifinals Postgame Media Conference

Michigan - 91, Arizona - 73

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd and student-athletes Koa Peat, Brayden Burries and Jaden Bradley.

TOMMY LLOYD: First off, I want to thank the players on our team and the staff. They were amazing this year, and it was an awesome, awesome journey. It was as much fun as I've ever had coaching basketball.

Secondly, I want to give credit to Michigan. I mean, they were outstanding tonight. Really had us on our heels tonight. We never could get in a rhythm. So they get a ton of credit for that. No one's been able to do that to us all year. So it was an impressive performance by them.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Jaden, obviously you got in early foul trouble. Seemed to kind of disrupted a lot of things. There might be a little bit of frustration in terms of picking up the four fouls so early into the second half. Can you explain how you felt and how you were trying to help the team overcome that during that little run?

JADEN BRADLEY: For sure. Definitely wanted to be out there with my guys, but like you said early foul trouble. They did a great job of putting me in ball screens. I was trying to cheer my guys on on the bench.

We've got talented freshmen and other talented players. But Michigan just did a great job, and we weren't able to kind of catch up and tie it up.

Q. Jaden, how do you just reflect on your time at Arizona and just what the city of Tucson and the Arizona basketball community means to you?

JADEN BRADLEY: It means a lot. I appreciate Coach Lloyd and the staff for taking me in and giving me, I'd like to say, like a fresh start. I appreciate this team. We accomplished a lot this year.

We definitely wanted to win this game, but Michigan was the better team tonight.

Appreciate Tucson. Just love this group and cherish the last couple gatherings we have together before everybody goes their own ways. But just happy to be a part of this team.

Q. Coach has talked about "figure it out." And we saw the Purdue game. You were down, you came out in the second half and steamrolled them. And you've been able to figure it out. Can you talk about what it was like in the locker room at halftime for this game and what made it different?

KOA PEAT: I just think it wasn't our day, honestly. A lot of shots went in and out. Halftime, Coach told us the same thing, just to stay together, go out there, play our brand of basketball.

And I'm just proud of the guys. We fought. Just didn't come out on top. But I'm super thankful for these guys. I love these guys, and I cherish every moment we had together. And just really grateful for everybody.

BRAYDEN BURRIES: The halftime speech was the same. No matter how much we were down by, it was the same. Coach Murph came in and told each other everybody get up, dap each other up. And we watched the clips. And then, you know, Coach Lloyd came in gave us the pep talk we needed.

Then we went out there and we just couldn't get it done. Michigan, they were making a lot of shots and they played great.

And I'm just thankful, though, for the experience I had with these guys. Very blessed. Learned a lot about not only myself but one another.

Q. The team had 14 turnovers, below 40 percent from the field. What did Michigan do defensively to really aggregate the offense?

BRAYDEN BURRIES: They had a great defensive plan. They were pretty bigger. But I feel like most of our shots were just, like, in and out. Like, it was in the rim and then out. And sometimes it's just not your day, and today just wasn't our day, honestly.

Q. Koa, what kind of challenge does a guy like Aday Mara present with his size and agility?

KOA PEAT: He's just a good player, you know, really unique. He had a really good game tonight. So props to them.

Q. Koa, obviously you've been called Mr. Arizona all season. The objective, the goal was to win a national championship. But just how proud are you to be able to represent your home state on this stage and bring Arizona back to its first Final Four in 25 years?

KOA PEAT: It means everything to me. Being a kid from Arizona, putting on this jersey, having Arizona across my chest. Like I said in the beginning of the season, when I put Arizona across my chest, I'm going to go 110 percent every game and leave no regrets.

I'm just really thankful for the brand and the program for everything they did for me, and these teammates right here. I'm just super blessed. And it was a special year, and I'm just really thankful for everybody in Tucson, for sure.

Q. What's your biggest takeaway, but also your favorite moment from this season?

BRAYDEN BURRIES: My favorite moment, honestly, I couldn't even pick, but it honestly would be just being around the guys, probably just in the locker room, or just, like, practice, going and competing against one another. And just being around the guys, honestly, it's unexplanatory. It's just a blessing.

JADEN BRADLEY: I would say just, on and off the court, I feel like you really get to figure your teammates out, know what they're like, meet their families. Just stuff beyond basketball. I felt like it brings you closer on the court, and I feel like we did a lot of stuff like that this year.

Q. This is the first time in at least four years that you've ended the season on a loss. How can you take this experience and move it forward, whether it's at Arizona or beyond?

KOA PEAT: Yeah, I mean, it's tough for me to process this right now. I really haven't fully processed it. But, yeah, just learn from it. You're not going to be perfect every night. But just knowing that I gave this team all I had, I could put my head on a pillow at night and be able to sleep.

Super thankful. And these two right here, I love these guys. We're going to have a relationship for the rest of our lives.

And Coach too. Coach brought me in. I can't thank Coach enough for how much he trusted and believed in me, and I'm just really thankful for him and this program and everybody, honestly.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach.

Q. A lot of people had hype in this game as almost like the national championship, two heavyweights that were going against each other for a possible classic game. Seeing how the game -- Michigan just came out and took over right off the bat -- do you feel like this game said a lot more about how strong and dominant Michigan is, or do you feel like it just wasn't your night?

TOMMY LLOYD: I mean, listen, Michigan gets all the credit today, whether -- I mean, it wasn't our night, probably had a lot to do with them. They were just impressive. They were impressive how they came out and executed their game plan.

And we got down a little bit, and we've been down a few times this year, but not like that. Just probably got a little panicky and weren't able to settle back in.

And they get credit. That's why if you can get off to a good start in games, you know, it's usually pretty impactful. And that definitely was the case today.

Q. Your guys had played and won a lot of tough games, down-to-the-wire games. When you get to a Final Four, especially with a team with so many young guys, does all that experience matter? Does it go out the window?

TOMMY LLOYD: I mean, I don't know. I mean, I don't think it was an inexperience thing today. We had a good couple of days of practice. We had a good shoot-around today.

I think we just came out and we played a team that was really well built. They have a great coach. They were able to take control of the game. And then really, they were like surgical at a point. So that's hard to do.

So they get a ton of credit. Like you said, we have had a great year. But even if you're a great team and you can't get in a rhythm, it's going to be a tough night. That's what we felt tonight.

Q. Dusty said, he described your team as Gonzaga on steroids. Did you review the Michigan-Gonzaga game as a key part of your prep? And what does it say about Michigan that they were able to --

TOMMY LLOYD: Yeah, for sure. Obviously we looked at that. They did that to a few other people, not just Gonzaga this year. And this game could have went that way. Obviously they have the kryptonite right now. So that's going to be a fun thing for me to try to figure out this offseason.

They just did a great job. And their size really impacted the game. I felt that. I see they only have Mara down for two blocks. There's no way. I could think of three that he tipped, you know what I mean, just right off the top of my head.

And I think they're one of those teams -- I would say, like, Houston's like that, or even Iowa State's like that, teams we played. You have to play them a few times. And after you kind of get used to playing them a few times you get more comfortable.

I think that's probably why you saw more closer games in the Big 12 -- in the Big Ten for them towards the end because teams probably got comfortable playing them and had a better plan.

I mean I wish we had another crack at it, but we don't. And so they get a ton of credit.

And obviously they're down to two teams left, and they've got a good chance to win. Listen, I don't think anybody is going to count UConn out.

So that's why when everybody was saying this is the national championship game; it's not the national championship game. Monday night the national championship game and you have to fight to get there. So, yeah, credit to Michigan. Really impressive tonight.

Q. How do you measure the disappointment of tonight with what your team achieved to get to this stage?

TOMMY LLOYD: It will probably take a little time. I knew we could do this this year. And I thought we had a chance to win this four-team tournament. But obviously Michigan had other thoughts today.

So I'm sure we'll get back home and take a breath. But I know, myself, no loss at the end of the season feels great. But I also think that it can be a great learning tool. So we're going to take a breath, probably try to figure out what our roster looks like next year, and like I've always said, in this business, as a coach, you've got to be tough enough to take disappointment and show back up.

And we're going to show back up. And we're going to try to do this again but see if we can do it a little bit better.

Q. When you reflect on Jaden Bradley and Tobe and the seniors, obviously this is a tough way to go out, but what stands out just about their careers in general and what they did for the program?

TOMMY LLOYD: They were just incredible young men. Not just really good basketball players, just great young men. We never had one issue with either one of those guys.

They showed up every day. They played when they were a little banged up. They put in the work. They were great teammates. They did an amazing job of helping us kind of continue to build our culture and kind of raise the standards of the program.

So I'll always be thankful for those guys. I wish there was a fifth year of eligibility. I don't know, I guess I saw there was one, but who knows what will happen with that. But I wish I could coach those guys again because they're awesome, awesome young men.

Q. Obviously a historic season. Just what's the message to Tucson after the best season in arguably 25 years?

TOMMY LLOYD: Thank you. I mean, thank you. Thank them for everything. Obviously we're disappointed we weren't able to get it over the top for them. But I think we all saw what's possible again.

So now let's all roll up our sleeves and support each other and see if we can make this a normal thing. That would be awesome for me.

You sit around and you dream as a coach or you think, and these narratives in the media all get created that you can't be in the big one, whatever. You get upset in the tournament.

Well, I thought one day, man, I can't wait until we get to a Final Four, because I knew we would, but can't wait until we get there just so I could maybe just coach and I don't have to worry about any of your guys' narratives or anything.

But then the first thing that popped to my head was like, one Final Four? Why don't we go five times in 10 years? I mean, that's where my mind's at. You know, I'm going to do it day by day. But that's my big dream. I mean, who knows?

Maybe you guys will use that against me saying that some day, but I'm going to dream big, and I'm going to work my ass off to try to make it happen.

Q. What were they doing in that first half to turn you guys over the way they did?

TOMMY LLOYD: They just did a great job being in the gaps. They were kind of mixing up their, whether they're going over and under ball screens, and our guys, we didn't do a great job adjusting the level of our screen. And so we weren't getting the edge. And then we had a few guys over-penetrated.

They're scrappy and handsy, and they got their hands on some balls. That was kind of the first thing.

Then I felt like there was at least, I don't know, four or five rebound situations on our end when we were on defense that we had the ball or could have had the ball and we just didn't secure it. That's tough when that happens right in front of the rim; they pick it up and lay it in.

So the combination of those two things got them off to a really good start. Dusty is a really good coach. Once they get on a good start, he kind of really knows how to control the game. And when you're controlling the game and you're running your actions and you're getting some open shots or semi-open shots, you knock them down, it makes it really tough to come back, and that's what they were able to do.