Offseason Departures Hurt Arizona's Preseason Ranking

Their success would carry over into the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats would go on to advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2001. They would then lose to Michigan, missing out on the National Championship game.

Despite the sour ending, the season was still one of the most memorable in the program's history and the best under Tommy Lloyd’s tenure. However, things are changing for the Wildcats this offseason.

Arizona’s Losses

Notably, star freshmen Braden Burries and Koa Peat — arguably Arizona’s two best players last season — are headed for the 2026 NBA Draft, as is senior point guard Jaden Bradley. They’ve gotten Motiejus Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov to agree to return to the program, but they’ll have work to do to make up for those losses. 

They’ve brought in UNC transfer Derek Dixon, and Washington transfer JJ Mandaquit, among others so far, and have five-star recruit Caleb Holt coming in. The Wildcats will still enter next season as one of the best teams in the country, but they’ve seen a slight drop in public perception. ESPN’s Jeff Borzello has Arizona as the 10th-best team in the land in his Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings.

Borzello’s Thoughts

“Arizona had a mix of impactful decisions at the early-entry deadline, with Koa Peat opting to go pro, and Motiejus Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov heading back to Tucson,” Borzello said. “Peat's expected departure means Tommy Lloyd will have to find frontcourt reinforcements elsewhere as the roster looks incredibly thin as it stands."

"One area where the Wildcats are well-equipped is on the perimeter, where they landed point guards Derek Dixon (North Carolina) and JJ Mandaquit (Washington), and also welcome top-five recruit Caleb Holt.”

The Wildcats will look to continue making high-impact moves this offseason, building on what they started last season and turning themselves into a perennial Final Four contender. Lloyd will be dealing with a fairly new roster following several departures, but there's no doubt his club is still oozing with talent.