Arizona is already carrying the weight that comes with being the favorite, and the Big 12 coaches just made that very clear.
Tommy Lloyd’s Wildcats were picked to repeat as conference champions in the preseason coaches poll, grabbing 12 of 16 first-place votes and finishing with 220 points. Houston got the other four first-place votes and came in just behind Arizona at 214 points. Kansas, Iowa State and Texas Tech followed to complete the top five, separated by only five points.
That vote says plenty about how the league views Arizona entering the 2026-27 season: the roster changed dramatically, but the ceiling still looks as high as anyone’s.
The Wildcats are trying to reload after losing a major chunk of last year’s team, including standout freshmen Koa Peat and Brayden Burries, Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley, and important bench pieces Anthony Dell'orso and Tobe Awaka. That kind of turnover can flatten a lot of teams. Instead, Lloyd attacked the transfer and recruiting market and brought in a group that keeps Arizona squarely in the title hunt.
Headlining that incoming class is 5-star combo guard Caleb Holt, who is widely seen as a top 5 pick in the 2027 NBA draft. Arizona also added 4-star wing Cameron Holmes along with transfer point guards Derek Dixon from North Carolina and JJ Mandaquit from Washington.
There’s also the wild card: RJ Godfrey, a 5th year senior transfer from Clemson. The 6'7 forward is currently ineligible after a stay request was granted in the state of Georgia, though that could still change before the season begins or even during it.
The biggest reason Arizona sits at the top, though, is the pair coming back.
Forward Ivan Kharchenkov and center Mo Krivas were both named to the preseason All-Big 12 team, and Krivas was also picked as preseason Player of the Year. Krivas broke out last season as a junior, putting up 10.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 25.4 minutes per game. He finished with 73 blocked shots, good for 17th in the country, and Arizona allowed opponents to shoot just 36.7% while he was on the floor - the best mark in college basketball.
Now the Wildcats will ask him to carry even more on the offensive end, and he’s already being talked about as an All-American candidate.
Kharchenkov made his own case last year as a freshman, and he did it in a do-everything role. The 6'7 German wing started every game and averaged 10.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals. Arizona sees him as a player ready to take another step, with his driving game, passing and improving perimeter shot giving him a chance to become the team’s offensive hub on the wing.
Arizona’s two returners were joined on the preseason All-Big 12 team by Paulius Murauskas at Arizona State, Tyran Stokes at Kansas, JT Toppin, Rob Wright of BYU, Houston’s Dedan Thomas and Jojo Tugler, Tamin Lipsey of Iowa State and Xavier Edmonds of TCU.
The Wildcats will get their next look on Friday, Oct. 16, when they host San Diego State in an exhibition game at 7:00 PM MST on ESPN+.
In Other News...
Arizona Suddenly Has A Frontcourt Question Fans Need To Watch
Arizonas frontcourt picture is suddenly worth watching as Tommy Lloyd sorts through options for the 2026-27 season, with RJ Godfreys eligibility still creating uncertainty at power forward. The Wildcats have been testing different lineup combinations in the preseason, and that search has taken on extra importance with the opener against UCLA set for Nov. 2.
One of the clearest reasons for optimism has been Montenegrin forward Maksim Brnovic, who flashed enough in the exhibition win over San Diego State to suggest he could be part of the answer. Arizona is still piecing together how the front line will look when the games count, but Brnovics emergence at least gives Lloyd another candidate to consider as the Wildcats try to settle on the right mix. [Read more 🡒]