Arizona basketball picked to repeat as Big 12 champions in preseason coaches poll

After a dominant regular season last year, and a spectacular run to the Final Four, Tommy Lloyd and the Arizona Wildcats enter the 2026-27 season with a massive target on their back.

In a conference loaded with talent, Arizona is the favorite to repeat as Big 12 champions - at least according to the preseason poll of the league's coaches.

Arizona received 12 out of 16 first place votes for 220 total points, just nudging out Houston - who received the four other first place votes and totaled 214 points.

Kansas, Iowa State, and Texas Tech round out the top five, all within five points of each other.

Road to a repeat

Arizona lost a ton of talent from last year's team, including superstar freshmen Koa Peat and Brayden Burries, as well as Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley and key reserves Anthony Dell'orso and Tobe Awaka.

But Lloyd went out and filled in the gaps nicely, hauling in 5-star combo guard Caleb Holt - widely considered a top 5 pick in the 2027 NBA draft - as well as 4-star wing Cameron Holmes and a pair of transfer point guards in Derek Dixon (North Carolina) and JJ Mandaquit (Washington).

The roster will feel nearly perfect if RJ Godfrey - a 5th year senior transfer from Clemson - ends up eligible to play this upcoming season. The 6'7 forward is currently ineligible after a stay request was granted in the state of Georgia, but that could change before, or even during, the season.

All the new talent helps keep Arizona in the mix for a Big 12 title, but it's the two returners who elevate them to the top - and who received flowers of their own from the conference coaches:

Krivas and Kharchenkov earn major recognition

Forward Ivan Kharchenkov and center Mo Krivas were both named to the 10 player preseason All-Big 12 team, while Krivas unsurprisingly was tabbed the preseason Player of the Year.

Krivas broke out last year as a junior, averaging 10.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 25.4 minutes for the Wildcats. His 73 blocked shots ranked 17th in the country, and Arizona held opponents to 36.7% shooting while he was on the floor last year - the best mark in the sport.

Now he'll take on an even bigger role offensively, and is widely considered an All-American candidate for coach Lloyd's team.

Meanwhile Kharchenkov was a revelation last year for the Wildcats. The 6'7 German wing was the ultimately glue guy as a freshman, averaging 10.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.4 steals while starting every game for Arizona.

Now he looks primed to take a sophomore leap, and could very well be the team's perimeter offensive hub thanks to his driving ability, connective passing, and improving outside shot.

Eight other players join Krivas and Kharchenkov on the preseason All-Big 12 Team, including projected Newcomer of the Year Paulius Murauskas at Arizona State, projected Freshman of the Year Tyran Stokes at Kansas, All-American forward JT Toppin, BYU point guard Rob Wright, Houston guard Dedan Thomas and forward Jojo Tugler, Iowa State guard Tamin Lipsey, and TCU forward Xavier Edmonds.

Arizona takes the floor again on Friday, Oct. 16 in a home exhibition matchup with San Diego State. The game is set to tip at 7:00 PM MST and will be broadcast on ESPN+.