Tommy Lloyd, Arizona players bond with Wildcat fans at El Pueblo Park

During a brief speech to fans at a Hispanic-themed El Pueblo Park celebration, Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd didn’t talk much about himself or his players.

But he did tell everyone that he took his guys to Aqui Con El Nene for Sonoran hot dogs not too long ago.

“So we’re doing it right here,” Lloyd said to cheers.

For Lloyd, entering his third season as the Wildcats’ head coach, soaking up local food and culture apparently is something of a mandatory thing. After joining five players at Tuesday’s event – including Spanish speakers Conrad Martinez, Henri Veesaar and Oumar Ballo – Lloyd said he is also planning a team meal at Mi Nidito.

“These guys gotta learn,” Lloyd said. “They gotta fall in love with Tucson. And they are but they gotta really know why. That’s what I’m pushing.”

Tucson was an easy sell for Martinez, a freshman guard from Granollers, Spain. The Wildcats’ only native Spanish speaker, Martinez appeared especially comfortable at Tuesday’s event, chatting in Spanish to fans while posing for countless pictures.

“I knew that there was a really good Spanish community,” Martinez said. “This is my first time meeting (Hispanic) people here. It’s a really great experience and I’m so happy to be here.”

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Martinez, Ballo and Veesaar all briefly addressed the crowd in Spanish, with Veesaar having learned the language while spending two years in Real Madrid’s youth system while Ballo played in the Canary Islands and Mexico City.

“It really was (fun) because I feel like it makes them feel good to see people who speak their own language," Ballo said. "I’m blessed I’m able to speak Spanish and be here today.”

Though Lloyd admitted with a smile that his Spanish is extremely limited, he dove into the fan event, posing for all manner of photos, making the rounds to chat with fans and even paying for some of the bill. UA gave out 1,000 Red Blue Celebration tickets at the event, worth $7 each, and Lloyd said he shared the cost with longtime UA supporter Humberto Lopez as he did during a similar event last year.

“It’s not only worthwhile, it’s vital,” Lloyd said. “I mean, one of the things that makes Arizona basketball so special is the connection it has with the community and we’ve got to put effort into that too. We can’t just be performers.

“We talk to our guys about it all the time: Tucson is a special place. That’s why not only am I trying to teach them to fall in love with the University of Arizona and our basketball tradition but I want our guys to fall in love with Tucson and our people. And these are our people. So I feel I strong connection. I want to expose our players to them and I want the community to see our players out among them.”