Arizona sophomore Ivan Kharchenkov dominates during Lithuania tour

Arizona Wildcats forward Ivan Kharchenkov. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Arizona sophomore Ivan Kharchenkov dominates during Lithuania tour

By Alan Rubenstein | Last updated Aug 23, 2026 11:07 AM ET

Arizona Wildcats forward Ivan Kharchenkov dominated in two games against Lithuania and one versus Ukraine during their recent European tour. Kharchenkov averaged 26.3 points per game while shooting 58.5 percent from the field as Arizona won two games and lost one.

Kharchenkov had his best performance when Arizona beat Lithuania 88-74 on Saturday. The German national scored 30 points and had five rebounds, three assists, three steals and a blocked shot. Kharchenkov significantly elevated his game from his freshman season.

As the fifth option offensively on a Final Four team in his first season playing college basketball in the United States, Kharchenkov averaged 10.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists on 49.2 percent from the field in 2025-26.

With starting guards Jaden Bradley and Brayden Burries and forward Koa Peat gone to the NBA, Kharchekov, returning starting center Motiejus Krivas and incoming five-star freshman guard Caleb Holt are expected to be Arizona's top offensive options in 2026-27.

Ivan Kharchenkov averaged 26.3 PPG and shot 58.5% from the field on Arizona’s three-game tour in Lithuania. But we knew he was primed for a jump. The sleeper I saw overseas? Nebraska transfer Ugnius Jarusevicius. Remember The Name.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) August 22, 2026

Results in Arizona's first two European games

The Lithuanian B team beat Arizona 99-88 in the first game of the European tour on Wednesday before the Wildcats beat Ukraine 107-85 on Thursday. Kharchenkov scored 25 against the Lithuanian B team and 24 versus Ukraine.

Kharchenkov and Krivas will anchor the Arizona frontcourt after the Wildcats lost Tobe Awaka and Koa Peat from their Final Four team. Nebraska transfer Ugnius Jarusevicius is a player to watch, per CBS Sports National College Basketball analyst Jon Rothstein.

Jarusevicius averaged 14 points and six rebounds in the three-game European tour. After missing all but one game with Nebraska in 2025-26, Arizona needs Jarusevicius to be a key player off the bench in 2026-27.

Jarusevicius played in front of family and friends 10 minutes from where he grew up, per a blog he posted to the Arizona Wildcats website. Freshman forward Cam Holmes and transfers, center Evan Otten from Idaho State and projected starting power forward Randall Godfrey from Clemson are expected to round out the Arizona frontcourt rotation in 2026-27.

Alan Rubenstein

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