Why not now?

Following Arizona’s win over Cal Saturday, Tommy Lloyd provided a rare glimpse into how he views this season, which has seen his Wildcats win 28 games, claim the Pac-12 regular-season title and likely earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

“From where we are started to where we are now, I didn’t expect that,” he said. “Pretty awesome. I’m happy for the guys. I’m happy for the staff. This is what I came down here to try to do.

“I didn’t have a timeline on it, but why not now?”

It’s a good question, albeit one nobody expected to be asked as recently as six months ago.

Even the most optimistic of Arizona fans likely didn’t have much issue with its fourth-place preseason ranking. There was a decent amount of talent coming back, but there were legitimate questions about how the players would fit into an entirely new system while led by a first-time head coach.

At the time it felt like Arizona would be good, but much would need to go right if the Cats were to be great.

Much went right. It’s happened before.

It is said that history has a way of repeating itself, and perhaps that is the case here. The last time Arizona had a new coach he guided the team to an excellent season ahead of schedule, though Sean Miller’s 2010-11 team was his second in Tucson. And although it won 27 games and the Pac-12, was just a No. 5 seed in the Dance.

That season, which feels like it was ages ago, had an Arizona team led by mostly sophomores. Four of its five leading scorers were in their second seasons with the program, and the team itself fit so very well together.

Sound familiar?

This year Arizona’s top two scorers, and five of its top seven, are in their sophomore campaigns. Combined with the team’s veterans, the Wildcats are a group that, you guessed it, fits so very well together.

Miller’s team reached the Elite Eight and just missed getting to the Final Four. Had the Wildcats knocked off UConn, there’s a decent chance…