Arizona had reason to expect Ivan Kharchenkov’s name near the top of Andy Katz’s latest sophomore rankings. Instead, it was nowhere to be found.
That’s the part that stands out most. Four teams from last season’s Final Four - Arizona, Michigan, Illinois and UConn - all had freshmen who mattered right away and then came back for year two.
Three of them landed in Katz’s top three: Braylon Mullins at UConn, David Mirkovic at Illinois and Trey McKenney at Michigan. Kharchenkov, the Arizona holdover from that group, did not make the list at all.
The omission feels even stranger when you look at what Kharchenkov did last season. Among that quartet, he finished first in steals and second in rebounds, assists and minutes, while coming in third in points and blocks. And early signs suggest he’s taking another step.
Arizona’s 6-foot-7 German is one of two major returnees for Tommy Lloyd, alongside center Mo Krivas, and both looked the part in Tuesday’s 93-69 exhibition win over San Francisco. Krivas led the Wildcats with 20 points, but Kharchenkov wasn’t far behind with 18 on 7-of-14 shooting.
He added five rebounds, three assists and two steals in nearly 27 minutes, attacked the rim all night and was active on the defensive end. He also knocked down one of his two 3-point tries.
Kharchenkov has already shown this version of himself more than once. He led all scorers in Arizona’s Red-Blue showcase and was the best player on the floor throughout the team’s foreign tour in Lithuania. With Krivas and freshman Caleb Holt, he’s expected to carry a heavy share of the offense in his second season.
What makes Katz’s list even more notable is the conference breakdown. Not only was Kharchenkov outside the top 10, but no Big 12 sophomore made the cut at all. The list included three players from the Big East, two from the Big Ten and five from the ACC.
That left out several names worth mentioning, including Baylor’s Kayden Mingo and Iowa State’s Killyan Toure. A case can also be made for Kansas big man Paul Mbiya and TCU guard Gavin Sykes.
Kharchenkov gets another crack at proving the doubters wrong on Friday, Oct. 16, when Arizona hosts San Diego State in an exhibition game. Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM MST on ESPN+.
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Arizonas Young Talent Just Made One Early Statement
Arizonas exhibition win over San Francisco offered an early glimpse of how much young talent could shape this group. At McKale Center, the Wildcats rolled to a 93-69 victory, and the tone was set early by a pair of freshmen and a team that never let the visitors settle in. Arizona stayed comfortably ahead for most of the night, turning San Franciscos mistakes into easy points and using that edge to keep the game under control.
Caleb Holt looked every bit like a player who will matter right away, finishing with 17 points, while Motiejus Krivas did plenty of his damage before halftime with 16 points. For a team still finding its rhythm in the preseason, that kind of contribution from young players is the kind of development Arizona wants to see. The bigger question now is how far this new-look group can carry that early momentum once the games count for real. [Read more 🡒]
Tommy Lloyds Early Arizona Decision Put Bryce James In Focus
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Bryce James was part of that early look, earning a start in the opener and giving Arizona another name and another storyline to track as the roster takes shape. Lloyd addressed both James and Holt after the game, explaining the thinking behind the starting decision and offering his view of Holts progress, leaving plenty to watch as the Wildcats keep building toward the real thing. [Read more 🡒]