When Joe Kinch shared the court with Tommy Lloyd during the 1990-91 high school basketball season, the then-senior couldn't necessarily tell the sophomore was destined for greatness.

It was years of hard work, starting from the ground floor — or maybe even the basement, as the current Kelso boys basketball coach says — that drove Lloyd to lead the University of Arizona to the Final Four as the head men's basketball coach.

Young Tommy Lloyd

A young Tommy Lloyd dunks on a basketball hoop. Lloyd grew up in Kelso and is now the head coach of Arizona men's basketball. He has led the Wildcats to the Final Four. 

Tommy Lloyd: Coweeman

Tommy Lloyd played for Coweeman Jr. High School in Kelso before it became a middle school. 

NCAA Arizona Basketball

Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd speaks during a news conference ahead of a national semifinal NCAA college basketball tournament game against Michigan at the Final Four, Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Indianapolis.

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