Kharchenkov Breaks Down Arizona’s Comeback Over Iowa State

Arizona squeaked past Iowa State 82-80 at the buzzer in the Big 12 semifinals. This game had both fan bases going through an array of emotions. Deep 3-pointers, fast break dunks, teams trading leads, this game had it all.

This matchup will go down as one of the best games the Big 12 Tournament has ever produced. The Wildcats will now play for the Big 12 championship tonight against Houston. If it is anything like last night, then it will be a good one.

What. A. Game. pic.twitter.com/yciVHbSRh1
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) March 14, 2026

Arizona locked in after slow start

It was not a pretty start, as the Wildcats found themselves down 14-2 early on in the ball game. If any team was built to face the challenge and come back, it is the Wildcats. Freshman forward Ivan Kharchenkov explained how his squad had to focus up and lock in.

“They made everything at the beginning, and we didn’t play our best defense — not as physical or as energetic as we should have,” Kharchenkov said. “After the first timeout, we said, ‘Hey guys, we can’t keep doing that. We came here to win.’ So we figured it out, played even harder and just chipped away a little bit.”

Kharchenkov played huge role in win

Let’s play for a championship tomorrow 🐻⬇️ pic.twitter.com/JPDVIAuuMb
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) March 14, 2026

Kharchenkov was a big catalyst in the comeback, scoring 17 points and hitting two 3-pointers. He did not just put the ball in the basket, though. Kharchenkov filled the stat sheet with five assists, three rebounds, three steals, and a block. He said he did not try to force the hand and let the game come to him.

“Just not forcing it and letting the game come to me,” Kharchenkov said. “I feel like I did that a little bit. The bigs did a pretty good job sealing and getting me open, and my teammates found me when I was sliding and cutting. So, yeah, just playing the game the right way.”

Tone is set for championship game

Jaden Bradley showed why he is the Big 12 Player of the Year when he hit the game-winning shot, with a contested mid-range fadeaway at the buzzer. Kharchenkov mentioned how Bradley’s shot will set the tone going into tonight's championship game.

🗣️🗣️🗣️ pic.twitter.com/tzvo4e7id3
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) March 14, 2026

“We have about two hours to celebrate once this game is over,” Kharchenkov said. “Then we have to lock back in again. The only good thing is we’ll have two more hours to recover than the other team that plays today. It’s crazy, but it’s good that we won and that he hit the shots. It’s March, basically. But we’ve got to lock back in in two hours.”