Arizona basketball projected starting lineup and roster outlook for 2026-27
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The 2026-27 college basketball season officially tips off in two months, with Tommy Lloyd and the Arizona Wildcats taking on Mick Cronin and the UCLA Bruins on Monday, Nov. 2, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Lloyd is entering his sixth season at the helm in Tucson, coming off his first Big 12 Conference championship and first Final Four run, which ended at the hands of eventual champion Michigan.
While the loss of star freshmen Koa Peat and Brayden Burries stings - especially with many hoping Peat would come back for his sophomore year - Arizona did manage to keep two significant starters in the mix, while securing a highly-regarded freshman class and key transfers to shore up the backcourt.
With 60 days until the action begins, below is a look at the Wildcats' projected starting lineup and who will compete for rotation minutes as they head into the season with expectations of another deep March run.
Projected starting lineup
Center: Mo Krivas
Krivas is the anchor down low, heading into what will be his fourth season in Tucson and second as a starter. Last year, the 7'2 Lithuanian averaged 10.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks while shooting 58.4% on twos and 78% from the free throw line.
He is arguably a top-three center in college basketball and has a real argument for preseason Big 12 Player of the Year.
Power Forward: RJ Godfrey
Clemson transfer RJ Godfrey was the final piece of the puzzle for Lloyd and the Wildcats, although his eligibility is far from guaranteed this upcoming season.
Currently, the 6'7 forward is eligible thanks to a ruling in Georgia, but the fifth-year senior could have that taken away if the NCAA is granted a stay before the case goes to appeal.
If Godfrey does suit up this year, he slots in nicely next to Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov in Lloyd's frontcourt - providing toughness, offensive rebounding, and soft touch around the rim.
Small Forward: Ivan Kharchenkov
Most thought last year's freshman class in Tucson would be driven by Peat, Burries, and Dwayne Aristode, but instead Kharchenkov emerged as one of the better glue guys in all of college basketball - averaging 10.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.4 steals while playing 28.4 minutes per game.
Now, the 6'7 German is in line for a massive sophomore breakout campaign, and if he puts it all together, there is true All-American upside here for the Arizona wing.
Shooting Guard: Caleb Holt
Replacing Burries at shooting guard for Arizona is Caleb Holt, a 6'5 guard and McDonald's All-American who ranks No. 2 in 247Sports composite rankings for the 2026 class, just behind Tyran Stokes at Kansas.
Holt is a strong, lengthy wing who does just about everything well, notably attacking and finishing at the rim. At 6'5 with a 6'9 wingspan, Holt can play multiple spots on the perimeter and is continuing to develop his point guard skills. He has a real chance to be Arizona's leading scorer as a freshman, and likely won't spend more than one year on campus before he's off to the NBA.
Point Guard: Derek Dixon
Arguably the biggest swing spot for Lloyd and the Wildcats this season is at point guard, where the team replaced Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley with a pair of sophomore transfers in Derek Dixon and JJ Mandaquit.
Dixon should start after a strong freshman year in Chapel Hill with North Carolina, where he averaged 6.5 points, 2.7 assists, and 1.2 turnovers in 22.3 minutes per game. He's a knockdown three-point shooter at 39.7%, and his ball security and positional size at 6'5 make him an ideal guard in Lloyd's system - and a true breakout candidate in 2026-27.
Bench/Rotation
Wing Cameron Holmes
The younger brother of Dayton All-American DaRon Holmes, Cameron is a 6'6 uber-athletic wing who ranks No. 36 in the 2026 class at 247Sports. He's a versatile two-way player with a 6'9 wingspan who is a bully with the ball and a strong decision-maker.
Holmes has tremendous upside and should get real playing time as a freshman, with an opportunity to explode in 2027-28 when Kharchenkov and Holt could both be off to the NBA.
Point Guard JJ Mandaquit
Mandaquit was Arizona's other point guard addition, a 6'1 facilitator who Lloyd coached at the FIBA U19 World Cup in 2025. Mandaquit spent his first collegiate season at Washington, where he averaged 5.2 points, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 turnovers in 19.6 minutes per game for the Huskies.
Like Dixon, he is a reliable decision-maker with real upside, although his limited outside shooting (28.2% on 1.8 attempts) will need to improve or he'll stay buried behind Dixon and Holt in UA's talented backcourt.
Forward Maksim Brnovic
Brnovic is a 6'10 Montenegrin forward who last played for BC Zalgiris in Lithuania, where he averaged 8.1 points and 3.2 rebounds. Lloyd is keeping the Eastern European pipeline alive, and Brnovic should get quality minutes behind Krivas, with the potential for an increased role if Godfrey's eligibility becomes an issue.
Wing Bryce James
The youngest son of NBA legend LeBron James, Bryce redshirted last year with the Wildcats but is ready to take on a reserve role in 2026-27.
The 6'5 guard averaged eight points and four rebounds as a senior at Sierra Canyon High School, and should provide energy and outside shooting off the bench for Arizona.
Center Evan Otten
Otten is a 6'11 big man who led the Big Sky in blocks each of the past two seasons while at Idaho State. He doesn't do a ton else, thanks mostly to foul issues, but his size and rim protection give coach Lloyd valuable frontcourt depth - especially with Godfrey's tenuous situation with the NCAA.
Forward Ugnius Jarusevicius
Another Lithuanian big man joining the roster, Jarusevicius comes to Tucson after stops at Cal-State Bakersfield, Central Michigan, and Nebraska, where he played just one game last year - posting seven points and two blocks in 11 minutes before a back injury ended his season prematurely.
Jarusevicius averaged 16.2 points and 7.3 rebounds while leading the MAC with a 53.7% field goal rate in 2024-25 at Central Michigan, and his size and scoring touch give Arizona yet another frontcourt option in what looks like one of the deepest position groups in the country.
Forward Endurance Aiyamenkhue
Nicknamed "Endi", Aiyamenkhue played for Radiopharm in Germany last year, averaging 11 points and 1.5 blocks for the developmental team.
The 6'11 forward from the Netherlands is a developmental project for Lloyd and Arizona, but his upside as a rim protector and low post scorer makes him an intriguing piece of this loaded frontcourt.
Center Mabil Mawut
Mawut redshirted last year for Arizona, after joining the team from Our Savior Lutheran in New York. The 6'11 Sudanese big man didn't start playing basketball until he was 13 years old, but his natural athleticism and tremendous size make him yet another upside big deep on Lloyd's bench.
What's next?
The big question looming for Arizona at this point is the eligibility status of Godfrey. The Clemson transfer is currently eligible through the lawsuit in Georgia, but if that changes, the team could opt to start one of the many other bigs on the roster - Brnovic and Jarusevicius being the top options - or they could slide Kharchenkov up to the four and slot Holmes into the starting lineup as well.
A first look at Arizona's roster stateside will be later this month on Saturday, Sep. 26, for the annual Red-Blue showcase at the McKale Center, starting at 2:30 PM MT.
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