After coming up just short last year, Arizona basketball looks to hang another banner in 2027
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Arizona basketball.
Since Tommy Lloyd took over as the Arizona coach, they have done nothing but win. They have won over 80% of their games with him, including 36 of 39 last year. They made it all the way to the Final 4, before losing to the eventual national champions. They were, of course, led by Big 12 player of the year Jaden Bradley and the two freshman phenoms, Brayden Burries and Koa Peat. All three are gone, but they return several other key pieces.
One is Mo Krivas, the 7-2 beast looking to be the best defender in all of college basketball. He joins his fellow Euro Ivan Kharchenkov, who had a terrific freshman season and is a breakout candidate. Speaking of freshmen phenoms, they may have their next one in Caleb Holt, a top 3 recruit who can be a top 5 player in the sport.
They’re going to be very young at the guard position, with Holt and two sophomores in JJ Mandaquit and Derek Dixon. Both showed flashes last year, and it’ll be exciting to see how they perform with increased roles. The biggest question is that power forward spot. RJ Godfrey, the transfer from Clemson, is the clear pick, but his eligibility is still in question. If he’s ineligible, we may see Cameron Holmes slip into that spot, or see Kharchencov slide to the 4 and insert Mandaquit into the starting lineup.
Arizona basketball has proven to be in the powerhouse conversation over the past few years, and this one won’t be any different. They’ll be in the mix for the Big 12 champs, and perhaps win their first NCAA championship since Lute Olsen led them in 1996-1997.
Head coach: Tommy Lloyd (6th season overall, all at Arizona)
2025-26 record: 36-3 (16-2)
2026 postseason finish: Lost in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament
Notable departures:
- Brayden Burries (16.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.4 APG)
- Koa Peat (14.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.6 APG)
- Jaden Bradley (13.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 4.4 APG)
- Tobe Awaka (9.3 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 0.8 APG)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. UCLA (Nov 2)
- at Auburn (Nov 13)
- vs. UConn (Nov 18)
- vs. Colorado State (Nov 23 – Maui Invitational)
- vs. VCU OR Providence (Nov 24 – Maui Invitational)
- BYU/Clemson/Ole Miss/Washington (Nov 25 – Maui Invitational)
- at St. John’s (Dec 5)
- vs. Arkansas (Dec 19)
Projected Rotation
PG: Derek Dixon (6-5, 205, S0.)
2025-2026 stats: 6.5 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, 0.4 SPG, 39.7 3P%, 81.8 FT% (UNC)
SG: Caleb Holt (6-5, 215, Fr.)
247Sports Composite No. 2 ranked recruit
SF: Ivan Kharchenkov (6-7, 230, So.)
2025-2026 stats: 10.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.4 SPG, 49.2 FG%, 72.3 FT%
PF: RJ Godfrey (6-8, 240, Sr.)
2025-2026 stats: 12.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 61.1 FG%, 66.0 FT% (Clemson)
*Pending Eligibilty
C: Motiejus Krivas (7-2, 260, Sr.)
2025-2026 stats: 10.4 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.9 BPG, 56.9 FG%, 78.0 FT%
6: JJ Mandaquit (6-1, 190, So.)
2025-2026 stats: 5.2 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.5 SPG, 43.6 FG%, 70.0 FT% (Washington)
7: Cameron Holmes (6-6, 215, Fr.)
247Sports Composite No. 47 ranked recruit
8: Ugnius Jarusevicius (6-11, 255, Sr.)
2025-2026 stats: 7.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.0 APG, 1 game played (Nebraska)
9: Bryce James (6-5, 210, Fr.)
247Sports Composite No. 325 ranked recruit (2025)
10: Evan Otten (6-11, 240, Sr.)
2025-2026 stats: 4.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 0.3 APG, 1.8 BPG, 52.2 FG%, 60.7 FT% (Idaho State)
Arizona basketball team MVP: Motiejus Krivas
Krivas’ statline might not pop as others do, but his impact on both ends of the floor is next to none. Let’s start on the defensive end. At 7’2, every shot that goes into the paint is either altered by his frame or blocked. He’s without a doubt a top five defender in the sport, and you can make a case for #1.
Offensively, he does everything you want a big man to do. He can perfectly execute a pick-and-roll, he can put his back to the basket and finish over defenders, and he grabbed over three offensive rebounds a game. With another year of experience, expect him to take another leap and be the leader of this team. He was named the Big 12 preseason player of the year for a reason.
Arizona basketball make-or-break player: Caleb Holt
Last year, we saw how Brayden Burries was able to lead this team as the primary scorer and showed impressive maturity despite being a freshman. Holt can do that and more. In the McDonald’s All-American Game, which features the best freshman in the class, Holt was named Co-MVP. In their most recent exhibition against Eastern Washington, he scored 21 points in just 24 minutes on 8-11 shooting. His defense might be even better, though, thanks to his long frame and agility.
If Holt can play like a top 3 freshman, then this team has what it takes to be a national champion. They have the defense, playmakers, and rebounding; they just need an elite scorer, and Holt can be just that. BartTorvik expects Holt to score 19 a game, and while that would be great, 17 a game would also be more than enough. If he has growing pains, as many freshmen do, then that can cap their ceiling slightly and put them a little under that tier of championship threats.
Key statistic: Rebounds per game
The biggest reason that Arizona basketball was able to dominate last season was their sheer size. Every starter besides Bradley was an elite rebounder for their position, and their 6th man, Tobe Awaka was a rebounding specialist, averaging 9 rebounds in 20 minutes a game. They finished second in all of college basketball at 42.6 a game last year, behind just Florida.
This team won’t be as good at rebounding, but they have a ton of size. If Godfrey is eligible, all five starters will be 6’5 or taller, with, of course, the 7’2 Krivas. They have two 6-11 bigs on the bench, and a coach who is going to emphasize crashing the glass on both ends of the floor.
Arizona basketball 2026-27 projections
Projected conference finish: 1st in the Big 12 Conference
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Champions