Arizona’s preseason buzz just got another jolt.
Motiejus Krivas is officially on the AP preseason All-America team, giving Tommy Lloyd another elite name to hang his 2026-27 Wildcats around as Arizona builds toward what could be a major season after the program’s first Final Four run in 25 years.
Krivas was one of five players selected Wednesday, joining Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears, Florida forward Thomas Haugh, Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner, and Illinois forward David Mirkovic. On top of that, 19 other players received votes, including Arizona teammate Ivan Kharchenkov. Three other Big 12 players also landed among the vote-getters: BYU guard Rob Wright, Kansas freshman forward Tyran Stokes, and Texas Tech big man JT Toppin.
For Krivas, the honor adds another layer to what’s already shaping up as a huge senior season. He becomes the second preseason AP All-American under Lloyd, following Caleb Love, who made the list before the 2024-25 season. Love did not ultimately land All-America honors that year, but he entered it after earning Third Team All-American recognition in 2023-24.
Krivas is now aiming to become the fourth AP All-American coached by Lloyd at Arizona, joining Love, Azuolas Tubelis, who made second team in 2023, and Bennedict Mathurin, who was a second-team selection in 2022.
The numbers back up the hype. Krivas broke through last season in Tucson, averaging 10.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 25.4 minutes per game. His 73 blocked shots ranked No. 17 nationally, and Arizona allowed opponents to shoot just 36.7% from the field when he was on the floor, the best mark in the country.
With Koa Peat, Brayden Burries and Jaden Bradley gone, there’s even more room for Krivas to shoulder the offense on the block. So far, he’s already shown what that expanded role could look like in Arizona’s first two exhibition games against San Francisco and San Diego State.
Against the Dons, the Lithuanian center finished with 20 points and six rebounds on 6-for-7 shooting in 25 minutes. He followed that with 17 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks against the Aztecs, while going 19-for-24 from the free throw line across the two games.
Kharchenkov is also expected to take on more offensive responsibility in Tucson, and newcomers Caleb Holt, Derek Dixon and JJ Mandaquit will need their share of touches. Even so, Krivas stands out as Arizona’s clear anchor, thanks to his efficiency around the rim and his impact on both ends.
Arizona’s next exhibition is set for Friday, Oct. 23 at 7:00 PM MST against Eastern Washington at McKale Center. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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