Arizona enters Monday night with a No. 5 ranking and a familiar kind of pressure: the Wildcats are back in the spotlight after reaching the NCAA Tournament Final Four for the first time since 2001, then running into Michigan and falling 91-73.
Now the next chapter starts in Las Vegas, where Arizona opens its 2026-27 season against No. 22 UCLA in the Hall of Fame Series.
Both teams are coming off tournament trips a year ago, though UCLA’s run ended in the Round of 32 after a loss to No. 2 UConn as a No. 7 seed.
What makes this matchup interesting is how much both rosters have changed, and how Arizona’s returning size could tilt the night. The Wildcats lost three of their top scorers from last season and their entire starting backcourt, but they do bring back Motiejus Krivas and Ivan Karchenkov. That frontcourt pairing is expected to carry a major share of the load, and Karchenkov’s numbers from last season - 10.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game - show why Arizona will lean on him.
The Wildcats’ edge, at least on paper, comes from having those two big men back in the fold while UCLA is also replacing its top scorer from last season. Arizona’s inside presence should fit well against the style Mick Cronin prefers to play, and if the Wildcats are going to get where they want to go this season, that front line is going to have to set the tone early.
Arizona will also need production from RJ Godfrey, the senior transfer from Clemson. He averaged 12.0 points per game with the Tigers last season, and if he gives the Wildcats steady offense, Krivas and Karchenkov can handle the rest.
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Tommy Lloyd Already Has One Arizona Lineup Decision Hanging Over UCLA
Arizona is heading toward its season opener against UCLA in Las Vegas with more than just a marquee matchup on the schedule. Tommy Lloyd spent the lead-up talking through lineup choices and development opportunities as the Wildcats try to build on last seasons run to the Final Four and a strong early stretch, while also adjusting to the reality that one piece of the rotation is unavailable.
RJ Godfreys absence has already complicated the picture for Lloyd, who is weighing whether to keep the current group intact or make a change before the opener. The preseason exhibitions offered one look at the rotation, but Arizona still has a few internal options to consider, including Cameron Holmes, Ugnius Jarusevicius and Maksim Brnovic, before the Wildcats settle on how they want to line up against UCLA. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Faces One Big Test After Its Final Four Breakthrough
Tommy Lloyd spent the offseason looking back at a breakthrough run that carried Arizona to the Elite Eight and then the Final Four, and now the conversation has shifted to what comes next. The Wildcats head into the 2026-27 season with the kind of expectations that follow a deep tournament march, and the early buzz around the program says the standard has changed as much as the roster has.
Arizona enters with a strong core still in place, led by senior center Motiejus Krivas and forward Ivan Kharchenkov, while highly ranked freshman Caleb Holt adds another layer to the mix. The challenge now is less about proving last season was real and more about handling the pressure that comes with being viewed as one of the nations top teams before a game has even been played. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Still Has A Big 12 Shot But The Pressure Just Spiked
Utahs win over Cincinnati kept the Utes alone at the top of the Big 12 standings, and it sharpened the race for everyone else trying to stay in the hunt. At 5-0, Utah has the inside track for the conference title picture, with BYU and Texas Tech sitting just behind at 4-1 and plenty of separation still to be sorted out over the next few weeks.
For Arizona, the margin for error is getting thinner by the day. The Wildcats have already taken conference losses to BYU and Texas Tech, so the path back into the Big 12 conversation now depends on a quick response with TCU and Utah still ahead. The stakes only get higher from here, especially with Utahs next major test coming against BYU in a matchup that could reshape the race again. [Read more 🡒]