Arizona Athletics
10/31/2026
The Arizona men's basketball team opens the 2026-27 season against a familiar foe - UCLA - in a familiar location - T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas - on Monday night as part of the TNT Sports Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. MST on TNT, TruTV and streaming on HBO Max, with Brian Anderson, Grant Hill and Allie LaForce on the call. Fans can listen to Brian Jeffries and Reggie Geary on the radio call via Wildcats Radio 1290AM.
For more news and notes on the game, continue below.
Arizona Notes & Numbers
> Arizona enters the 2026-27 season ranked No. 5 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 and No. 4 in the Coaches Top 25.
> The Wildcats were also selected as the preseason favorite to win the Big 12 Conference regular season by the conference coaches and media.
> In five seasons under head coach Tommy Lloyd, Arizona is 35-16 against Top 25 teams, the second-most wins in the country over that span.
> Lloyd’s record as head coach is 148-36, an NCAA record for most wins in his first five seasons. He was named 2026 Naismith National Coach of the Year, The Sporting News National Coach of the Year and Big 12 Coach of the Year.
> Lloyd is the fourth coach to be named national coach of the year twice in his first five seasons ((Fred Taylor - Ohio State, Tom Izzo - Michigan State, Roy Williams - Kansas)
> Motiejus Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov form one of the top duos in all of college basketball. Both started all 39 games last year and averaged an identical 10.4 points per game.
> Krivas was named Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, a preseason All-American and is on the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Watch List. Last year, Krivas finished with 73 blocked shots, the seventh-most in a season in Arizona history.
> Kharchenkov is a preseason All-Big 12 selection, a member of the Julius Erving Award Watch List and named to CBS Sports preseason all-defensive team.
> Freshman Caleb Holt was the co-MVP of the McDonald’s All-American game and has been named to the Jerry West Award Watch List. The dynamic guard had shown the ability to score - averaging a team-high 17.7 points in three exhibition games. He was also third on the team with 17 rebounds in the exhibition games.
> Arizona is 11-2 in games played in Las Vegas under Tommy Lloyd; dating back to 1972, the Wildcats are 32-16 in games played in Sin City.
> This marks the second consecutive season Arizona has opened its season in Las Vegas against a Top 25 opponent; last year, the Wildcats defeated No. 3 Florida, 93-87.
NEW FACES IN NEW PLACES
> Derek Dixon appeared in 33 games as a freshman last year for North Carolina, averaging 6.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and shooting 39.7% from the 3-point line.
> Ugnius Jarusevicius appeared in one game last year at Nebraska due to a back injury. Prior to that, he averaged 16.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and shot 53.7% from the floor at Central Michigan in 2024-25. He spent his first two seasons of college at Cal State Bakersfield.
> JJ Mandaquit played his freshman season at Washington last year, appearing in 22 games before a foot injury ended his season in February. He averaged 5.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists and had a 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio.
> RJ Godfrey played in 35 games last year, making 32 starts, at Clemson and averaged 12.0 points and 5.3 rebounds. He spent the 2024-25 season at Georgia and playing his first two seasons at Clemson. As of Oct. 30, Godfrey is not eligible to compete in games, but has been practicing with the team since the summer.
LEARN ABOUT LLOYD
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd is in his sixth season as the head coach at Arizona and has a record of 148-36 (.804). It’s the second-best winning percentage among active D-1 head coaches that are in at least their fifth season at the Division I level (Mark Few - Gonzaga).
Last year, Arizona became the first team ever to win 12 games against ranked opponents prior to the start of the NCAA Tournament.
Under Lloyd, Arizona is 35-16 against Top 25 opponents, the best winning percentage in the country. Arizona’s 14-2 (.875) record vs. ranked teams last season were the most by any team in the country.
After sweeping the Big 12 regular season championship and tournament titles, Arizona has won six conference championships - regular season and tournament - in five seasons under Lloyd. (2022, 2024, 2026 seasons; 2022, 2023, 2026 tournaments).
A LOOK BACK AT HISTORIC 2025-26 SEASON:
> The Wildcats advanced to the Final Four for the fifth time in program history (1988, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2026).
> Arizona finished with a 36-3 record, setting a school record for wins. The previous record was 35 wins in 1987-88.
> The Wildcats won 14 games against AP Top 25 teams, the most in the country and the most by a team in a season since the AP Poll started in 1949-50.
> Below is a look at where the historic 2025-26 season ranks statistically in the Arizona record book:
- Total Points - 1st - 3,360
- Free Throws Made - 1st - 765
- Free Throw Attempts - 1st - 1,042
- Field Goals Made - 1st - 1,183
- Total Rebounds - 2nd - 1,663
- Rebound Margin - 2nd - +10.9
- Points/Game - 7th - 86.2ppg
- Scoring Margin - 7th - 16.8 points
- Assists - 7th - 639
- FG Percentage - 9th - .499
> The 765 free throws made were a school record and the most by any DI team since Cal State Northridge (765) in 2013-14.
> Jaden Bradley was named Big 12 Player of the Year, the third Wildcat under Lloyd to be named conference player of the year (Mathurin, Love). Arizona is the only school in the country with three conference POY’s over the last five seasons.
Seasons with 30 wins (Arizona History)
Year - Total Wins
2025-26 - 36
1987-88 - 35
2014-15 - 34
2021-22 - 33
2013-14 - 33
2010-11 - 30
2004-05 - 30
1997-98 - 30
MOST WINS IN FIRST 5 SEASONS (NCAA History)
1) Tommy Lloyd (Arizona): 148-36 (.804)
2) Brad Stevens (Butler): 139-40 (.777)
3) Everett Case (NC State): 137-29 (.825)
Shaka Smart (VCU): 137-46 (.749)
5) Mark Few (Gonzaga): 133-32 (.806)
6) Roy Williams (Kansas): 132-37 (.781)
Jamie Dixon (Pitt): 132-40 (.767)
MOST WINS IN FIRST 6 SEASONS (NCAA History)
1) Brad Stevens (Butler): 166-49
2) Jamie Dixon (Pitt): 163-45
Shaka Smart (VCU): 163-56
4) Everett Case (NC State): 161-39
5) Roy Williams (Kansas): 159-45
Mark Few (Gonzaga): 159-37
Dave Rose (BYU): 159-37
8) Eric Musselman (Nevada, Arkansas): 155-53
9) Steve Prohm (Murray St, Iowa St.): 151-52
Brian Dutcher (San Diego St.): 151-47
- Tommy Lloyd (Arizona): 148-35
NCAA WINNINGEST ACTIVE COACHES
(Min. five years as D1 head coach; includes record at four-year U.S. colleges only)
1) Mark Few (Gonzaga): 772-156 (.832)
2) Tommy Lloyd (Arizona): 148-36 (.804)
3) Josh Schertz (Saint Louis): 451-130 (.776)
4) Bill Self (Kansas): 840-272 (.755)
5) John Calipari (Arkansas): 863-284 (.752)
Current Wildcats on NBA Rosters (as of 11/1/26)
- Tobe Awaka, Chicago Bulls (2-way)
- Deandre Ayton, Washington Wizards
- Jaden Bradley, Toronto Raptors
- Carter Bryant, San Antonio Spurs
- Brayden Burries, Milwaukee Bucks
- Aaron Gordon, Denver Nuggets
- Josh Green, Utah Jazz
- Keshad Johnson, Miami Heat (2-way)
- Pelle Larsson, Miami Heat
- Caleb Love, Philadelphia 76ers
- Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz
- Bennedict Mathurin, New Orleans Pelicans
- T.J. McConnell, Indiana Pacers
- Zeke Nnaji, Denver Nuggets
- Koa Peat, Phoenix Suns
- Brandon Williams, Golden State Warriors
- Steve Kerr - head coach, Golden State Warriors
