Arizona Draft Prospects Shine in Sweet 16 Win over Arkansas

Arizona’s been one of the best teams in college basketball all season long, headed by a slew of NBA Draft-bound prospects.

Their dominance has continued into the NCAA Tournament, where on Thursday they were able to blow out the white-hot Arkansas Razorbacks, 109-88.

Here’s how each of Arizona’s NBA Draft prospects fared in the Wildcats’ blowout win over Arkansas:

Koa Peat, Forward

The Razorbacks had few answers for Peat in the paint, who positioned himself well and finished off two feet as he has all season long. He scored 21 points on hyper-efficient 8-for-11 shooting.

Arizona’s roster construction as a whole makes Peat a real handful in the middle of the lineup, able to score, defend and pass.

If NBA teams are confident he can eventually stretch the floor and defend across multiple positions at the NBA level, he should be a mid-first pick or higher.

Brayden Burries, Guard

Burries has led the team in scoring all season long, despite offering a highly complimentary skillset. That continued on Thursday, as he played within the flow of the game to the tune of 23 points on 7-for-11 shooting.

He got downhill when the defense played up, hit threes when they came open and got to the line as well.

At 6-foot-4, Burries toes the line between lead and combo guard well, offering handling, shooting, driving, plus passing and solid team defense. His stock has been rising, of late, and he could very well be a lottery pick.

Motiejus Krivas, Center

At 7-foot-2, Krivas has anchored the Wildcats’ interior all season long, and that continued against a potent Arkansas team.

Krivas added 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting, with five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal in just 23 minutes played.

He’s gone under the radar as a big in the ’26 class, but has a great blend of size, movement skills and defensive acumen. He could very well be taken in the first round for any team in need of interior size and skill.

Ivan Kharchenkov, Wing

There’s no guarantee Kharchenkov is a 2026 draftee, mostly due to the talent and depth of the class in general, but he certainly feels and moves like a future pro. And was crucial to the team’s win Thursday.

He added 15 points on highly-efficient 4-for-6 shooting, playing with his general tenacity in shooting 10 free throws and adding a connective five assists.

At 6-foot-7, he feels like a gluey wing bet in 2027, if he can improve his shooting.