Arizona Tabbed Big 12 Preseason Favorite, Krivas Named Preseason POY
10/15/2026 | Men's Basketball
Ivan Kharchenkov joined Krivas on First Team Preseason All-Big 12
TUCSON - The Big 12 Conference announced the 2026-27 preseason poll and conference awards on Thursday, as voted on by the conference coaches, and Arizona was picked to win the conference after claiming the regular season and conference tournament titles on the way to the Final Four last year.
Motiejus Krivas was named Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year and was joined on the preseason first team All-Big 12 by Ivan Kharchenkov.
Last year, Krivas anchored one of the top five defenses in the country while averaging 10.4 points and 8.2 rebounds. He also blocked a career-high 73 shots and held opponents field goal percentage to 36.7% when he was on the floor. He was named a Second Team Preseason All-American by CBS Sports recently and earned First Team All-Big 12 and Big 12 All-Defensive Team accolades last season.
Kharchenkov is entering his second season with the Wildcats after averaging 10.4 points and shooting 49% from the floor as a freshman. Considered one of the top wing defenders in the country, he had 53 steals last year but also handed out 89 assists and grabbed 4.3 rebounds per game. On Arizona's 3-game international trip in August, he led the team in scoring, averaging more than 26 points per game.
Arizona continues preseason play on Friday with an exhibition game against San Diego State inside McKale Center at ALKEME Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on ESPN+. Tickets are available by visiting ArizonaWildcats.com/MBK.
Below are all of the conference preseason honors that the Big 12 announced.
2026-27 Monster Energy Big 12 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Arizona (12) – 220 points
2. Houston (4) – 214 points
3. Kansas – 186 points
4. Iowa State – 181 points
5. Texas Tech – 180 points
6. BYU – 148 points
7. TCU – 137 points
8. Cincinnati – 116 points
West Virginia – 116 points
10. Baylor – 102 points
11. Oklahoma State – 98 points
12. Arizona State – 75 points
13. UCF – 55 points
14. Colorado – 34 points
Kansas State – 34 points
16. Utah – 24 points
2026-27 Monster Energy Big 12 Men's Basketball Preseason Honors
Preseason Player of the Year: Motiejus Krivas, Arizona
Preseason Newcomer of the Year: Paulius Murauskas, Arizona State
Preseason Freshman of the Year: Tyran Stokes, Kansas
All-Big 12 Preseason Team
Ivan Kharchenkov, Arizona
Motiejus Krivas, Arizona
Paulius Muruskas, Arizona State
Robert Wright III, BYU*
Dedan Thomas Jr., Houston
Joseph Tugler, Houston
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Tyran Stokes, Kansas
Xavier Edmonds, TCU
JT Toppin, Texas Tech*
Players are sorted alphabetically by school
*Indicates unanimous selection
Motiejus Krivas was named Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year and was joined on the preseason first team All-Big 12 by Ivan Kharchenkov.
Last year, Krivas anchored one of the top five defenses in the country while averaging 10.4 points and 8.2 rebounds. He also blocked a career-high 73 shots and held opponents field goal percentage to 36.7% when he was on the floor. He was named a Second Team Preseason All-American by CBS Sports recently and earned First Team All-Big 12 and Big 12 All-Defensive Team accolades last season.
Kharchenkov is entering his second season with the Wildcats after averaging 10.4 points and shooting 49% from the floor as a freshman. Considered one of the top wing defenders in the country, he had 53 steals last year but also handed out 89 assists and grabbed 4.3 rebounds per game. On Arizona's 3-game international trip in August, he led the team in scoring, averaging more than 26 points per game.
Arizona continues preseason play on Friday with an exhibition game against San Diego State inside McKale Center at ALKEME Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on ESPN+. Tickets are available by visiting ArizonaWildcats.com/MBK.
Below are all of the conference preseason honors that the Big 12 announced.
2026-27 Monster Energy Big 12 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Arizona (12) – 220 points
2. Houston (4) – 214 points
3. Kansas – 186 points
4. Iowa State – 181 points
5. Texas Tech – 180 points
6. BYU – 148 points
7. TCU – 137 points
8. Cincinnati – 116 points
West Virginia – 116 points
10. Baylor – 102 points
11. Oklahoma State – 98 points
12. Arizona State – 75 points
13. UCF – 55 points
14. Colorado – 34 points
Kansas State – 34 points
16. Utah – 24 points
2026-27 Monster Energy Big 12 Men's Basketball Preseason Honors
Preseason Player of the Year: Motiejus Krivas, Arizona
Preseason Newcomer of the Year: Paulius Murauskas, Arizona State
Preseason Freshman of the Year: Tyran Stokes, Kansas
All-Big 12 Preseason Team
Ivan Kharchenkov, Arizona
Motiejus Krivas, Arizona
Paulius Muruskas, Arizona State
Robert Wright III, BYU*
Dedan Thomas Jr., Houston
Joseph Tugler, Houston
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Tyran Stokes, Kansas
Xavier Edmonds, TCU
JT Toppin, Texas Tech*
Players are sorted alphabetically by school
*Indicates unanimous selection
Players Mentioned
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