Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd looks down court after a Kansas Jayhawks basket during the game inside Allen Fieldhouse on Feb. 9, 2026. Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Arizona's Lloyd Explains Impact of Raucous Allen Fieldhouse

Originally posted on Arizona Wildcats on SI
By Justin Backer | Last updated Feb 11, 2026 11:00 AM ET

The Arizona Wildcats were stunned on the road by #9 Kansas earlier this week, suffering their first loss of the season in what has been a historical campaign for the Wildcats.

The Jayhawks were able to knock off the top team in the country even without Darryn Peterson, who is averaging 20.5 points per game this season on elite efficiency. Peterson — a projected top 3 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft — missed the contest due to an illness, but the Wildcats were unable to take advantage.

With the loss, only #23 Miami (Ohio) remains as the only undefeated team in the country. Arizona had broken numerous program, and Big 12 records along the way with their 23-0 start.

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Virtually impossible task

Notoriously, winning on the road at Allen Fieldhouse is almost an impossible task, as the home venue of the Jayhawks has been known to have one of the best home-court advantages in all of college basketball. With the number one team in the nation coming to town, Allen Fieldhouse was a frenzy. Kansas head coach Bill Self declared after the game that the fans in the arena won the game for the Jayhawks, and Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd also shared his thoughts on the atmosphere during the game.

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Tough to compare

“I mean, it was awesome,” Lloyd said. “Last year was really good, I don’t know how to compare the two, I mean, they’re both awesome. It makes it really difficult to play, and you guys need to know, it does impact the game. Your fans deserve credit like that, just like our fans do at home when we’re playing in McKale.”

After their loss to Kansas, things don’t get easier from here. The Wildcats will still have to face other Big 12 powerhouses such as Houston, Texas Tech, BYU for a second time, Iowa State, and Kansas for a second time. Now that they’ve suffered a tough loss on the road, they’ll look to use this as a lesson heading into a difficult stretch.

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With Selection Sunday about a month away, Arizona will look to finish off the season strong as they are almost a certainty to earn a 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Asking the Wildcats to remain undefeated all season was never going to be realistic, but they can still prove to the country that they should be considered a favorite to win the national title with a strong finish to the regular season.

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