Arizona’s annual Red-Blue Showcase gave the home crowd plenty to chew on Saturday afternoon, and the biggest takeaway came from an unexpected place: Ivan Kharchenkov looked ready to own a much larger role, while five-star freshman Caleb Holt had a rough first impression.
The Wildcats wrapped the event with the Red team beating the Blue team 42-32 in the scrimmage portion, but the day was about more than the final score. Arizona honored its 1997 national championship team before moving into a three-point shootout, a dunk contest, and then the scrimmage, giving fans a first real look at Tommy Lloyd’s roster as it tries to make another run at the Final Four after reaching it for the first time in 25 years last season.
The setting also brought together a wide slice of Arizona basketball history. Former players from 30 years ago were in the building, along with last year’s players Jaden Bradley, Brayden Burries, and Tobe Awaka. Potential future Wildcats Adan Diggs, Darius Wabbington, and Kamsi Awaka were there, too, making the day feel like a full snapshot of the program’s past, present, and future.
If Arizona is going to replace the offense it lost from last season - with Bradley, Burries, and Peat gone - Kharchenkov looks like the player most ready to fill the void. He was already scoring at a high level on the foreign tour in Lithuania this summer, where he averaged 26.3 points per game, and he kept that momentum rolling Saturday by leading all scorers with 13 points in the 20-minute scrimmage. He also paced the field with four assists, a sign that his playmaking is taking another step forward.
That kind of performance makes Kharchenkov look like a serious breakout candidate, with the kind of upside that could put him in All-American territory in 2026-27.
Holt, meanwhile, had a quieter afternoon. The 6-foot-4 guard struggled again after also looking less than sharp in Lithuania, finishing 3-for-12 from the field and 0-for-5 from three. He spent too much time settling for long twos and didn’t seem fully comfortable in Arizona’s offense yet.
That said, the sample is still tiny, and there’s no reason to overreact. Holt has plenty of upside, and it may simply take some time for him to settle in early in the season.
Arizona is also expected to lean on two sophomore transfers at point guard this season: Derek Dixon, who came over from North Carolina, and JJ Mandaquit, who arrived from Washington. Dixon is considered the likely starter because of his shooting from outside, while Mandaquit brings a steadier, pass-first approach and already has familiarity with Lloyd from the FIBA U19 World Cup last summer.
Mandaquit looked comfortable in the showcase. He scored six points on 2-for-3 shooting, made his only three-pointer, and added two assists and two steals. The 6-foot-1 guard will need to improve on last season’s 28.2% mark from beyond the arc if he wants to seriously push Dixon for minutes, but he has the look of a player who could become a real contributor for the Wildcats.
Arizona’s next game is Tuesday, Oct. 13, when San Francisco visits McKale Center for an exhibition. Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM MST, and the game will air on ESPN+.
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Loops latest Sunday spotlight only adds to the sense that Arizonas pipeline is still producing players who can shape games at the highest level. Smiths takeaway haul was especially eye-catching, and Folks climb on the all-time field goals list gave the week a little extra weight for former Wildcats fans tracking familiar names. There were other contributions from ex-Arizona players as well, but the biggest question now is how much of this momentum carries into Week 4. [Read more 🡒]
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Arizonas Title Hopes Rest On One Big Rebuilt Roster Question
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The biggest question now is how quickly those pieces can settle into defined roles, especially with so many moving parts still in the picture. Arizona is waiting on clarity around the eligibility situation involving RJ Godfrey, while the offensive workload for Ivan Kharchenkov and freshman Caleb Holt remains a key part of the puzzle. For a team with real title hopes, the difference between being a dangerous early-season story and a legitimate March threat may come down to how soon this rebuilt roster starts answering those questions. [Read more 🡒]