5 questions that could make or break Arizona’s national championship hopes
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It'll be tough for Tommy Lloyd and the Arizona Wildcats to follow up on what was an outstanding 2025-26 season, resulting in the program's first Final Four appearance in 25 years.
Only two key players from last year's team - center Mo Krivas and forward Ivan Kharchenkov - are back in Tucson, while Lloyd went to work rebuilding this roster with a variety of transfers, freshmen, and international additions.
After an up-and-down showing on a foreign tour in Lithuania earlier this summer, the Wildcats flashed a lot of upside on Saturday in the annual Red-Blue Showcase.
With the first exhibition game in two weeks, and the regular season opener barely a month away, Arizona still has a sky-high ceiling this upcoming season - and plenty of questions to answer before they get there:
1. Will RJ Godfrey be eligible to play?
RJ Godfrey is arguably the perfect fit to play power forward in Lloyd's system, and securing a commitment from the former Clemson transfer so late in the offseason was a blessing...or a curse.
Godfrey received eligibility through a lawsuit in Georgia, which was recently granted a stay request by the NCAA, meaning the fifth-year senior is currently ineligible while his case awaits an appeal hearing.
Godfrey is currently eligible to practice with Arizona - and he did play in the Red-Blue Showcase - but until he is eligible to compete in games, this Arizona team will have a cap on their ceiling. His rugged rebounding, efficient low-post scoring, and physicality give Arizona an elite defensive starting five and allow Kharchenkov to play his more natural small forward position.
2. Can Ivan Kharchenkov become Arizona’s go-to scorer?
It's become quite clear this team will live and die by how sophomore forward Ivan Kharchenkov performs on any given night. The 6'7 German was an excellent role player for the Wildcats last year, starting and serving as a connector between Jaden Bradley, Brayden Burries, Koa Peat, and Mo Krivas.
Now, with Peat, Burries, and Bradley all gone, Kharchenkov will step into a far bigger role offensively - which was evident when he averaged 26.3 points per game during Arizona's foreign tour to Lithuania, and then led all scorers with 13 points in the Red-Blue Showcase on Saturday.
After averaging 10.4 points and shooting 58.2% on twos and 31.7% from three last year, Kharchenkov will hope to improve his outside shooting, while scaling up his offense and remaining a valuable defender and facilitator. It's a tall order, but one that - if he can pull it off - vaults this team into true national championship contention.
3. Can Caleb Holt find his offensive rhythm?
The entire offensive burden doesn't fall squarely on Kharchenkov's shoulders - especially with the return of Krivas - but the added pressure for the sophomore coincides with the cooling expectations around 5-star freshman guard Caleb Holt.
Holt - who many project as a top five pick in the 2027 NBA draft - has not performed all that well offensively for Arizona, shooting poorly in Lithuania and then going 3-12 from the field, and 0-5 from three, in the Red-Blue Showcase on Saturday.
There's certainly no need for panic about a freshman who has yet to play even his first exhibition game, but Holt's shot selection has been erratic thus far - and it's fair to wonder if he will be the offensive juggernaut fans were hoping to see replace Burries at shooting guard.
Holt is projected to be an elite defender - which raises his floor and helps Arizona considerably - but this team's best shot at competing for a title has the 6'5 freshman operating smoothly on both sides of the ball right away this season.
4. Does Arizona have enough backcourt depth?
The Wildcats are expected to deploy a pair of sophomore transfers at point guard this season in Derek Dixon (North Carolina) and JJ Mandaquit (Washington), both of whom have looked good for the team in practice and at the Red-Blue Showcase.
Dixon is the likely starter, while Mandaquit could quietly be this team's biggest x-factor, especially if he can improve on last year's ugly 28.2% mark from the three-point line.
Between the two PGs, Holt, and 6'6 freshman wing Cameron Holmes, the Wildcats have plenty of backcourt talent...but really only redshirt Bryce James beyond that group. It represents a concerning lack of depth that could haunt this team if injuries or ineffectiveness crop up during the campaign.
5. Which Arizona big man will emerge?
Godfrey's status is obviously a huge hinge for Arizona's frontcourt, but whether or not he plays, the Wildcats will need someone, or multiple people, to play behind or alongside Krivas this season.
Most of the top options for Arizona are international bigs, including newcomers Maxsim Brnovic and Ugnius Jarusevicius (a transfer from Nebraska), as well as returner Mabil Mawut.
Brnovic has a lot of upside after averaging 8.1 points and 3.2 rebounds last year for BC Zalgiris in Lithuania, and is who most believe will play third big minutes behind Krivas and Godfrey.
Jarusevicius is a big X-factor for Arizona as well, coming over from Nebraska, where he appeared in just one game before suffering a back injury that cost him the rest of the season. Prior to that, the 6'11 big averaged 16.2 points and 7.3 rebounds at Central Michigan, and if he can stay healthy, there's a world where he ends up playing big minutes for coach Lloyd this year.
Arizona will host San Francisco on Tuesday, Oct. 13, in the first exhibition game of the season. The game is set to tip off at 7:00 PM PT and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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