The poll results are in: Here’s a closer look at No. 4 Arizona.
4. ARIZONA
2025-26 record: 36-3
Outlook for 2026-27: Arizona ended a 25-year Final Four drought last season and will have a chance to return if freshman guard Caleb Holt lives up to his billing as a potential top pick in the 2027 NBA Draft. Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year Motiejus Krivas could thrive in a role that has the offense running through him.
What we like: Having Krivas and fellow double-digit scorer Ivan Kharchenkov back from a Final Four team is huge for a program eager to get back. Landing forward RJ Godfrey, who played three seasons at Clemson and one at Georgia, would provide much-needed experience and potential double-digit scoring.
Trouble ahead: The Wildcats open against UCLA and have other nonconference contests against UConn, St. John’s and Arkansas, along with three games in the Maui Invitational, to prepare for a tough Big 12 slate. Figuring out how best to fit North Carolina transfer guard Derek Dixon (50 3-pointers last season) into the lineup will be one of the team’s November tasks.
