From Koa Peat to Motiejus Krivas, Arizona's NBA Draft Prospect Pool is Growing

The Wildcats have had perhaps the most well-rounded rotation in college basketball this season. They could have as many as five players taken in June.

Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) celebrates after defeating the Utah State Aggies during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Not a single Arizona Wildcat was featured on any of the three AP All-America teams. Maybe it's a nod to head coach Tommy Lloyd, but the fact that no one on the Big 12 Tournament Championship team, who by the way, went 29-2 in the regular season, is fascinating, and quite bold from the voters.

But that shouldn't take away from what each player has contributed to a program that finds itself in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

Arizona's most recent win against Utah State in Sunday's second-round matchup is a great example of why the Wildcats could have as many as five prospects taken in the 2026 NBA Draft. Four players finished in double-digit scoring, two of whom put up double-doubles.

Scouts and analysts are raving about Koa Peat, a potential lottery pick in 2026. The freshman is averaging 13.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in his freshman season, but the potential lies as a 6-foot-8, 235-pound forward with two-way prowess.

But Arizona's real stars are in the backcourt. Brayden Burries (16 PPG, 4.8 RPG) and Jaden Bradley (13.3 PPG, 4.4 APG) are taking the nation by storm as one of the best guard duos in college basketball, able to create for themselves and teammates as well.

Burries is playing his way into the top 10 of the draft, while Bradley's seniority is the only thing holding him back from rising in the first round.

Then there are the Wildcats' big men: Motiejus Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov. Krivas is the bruising center down low, putting up 10.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. The 7-foot-2 junior could be a major paint presence in the NBA, able to play the role of a traditonal center while taking an occasional three-pointer.

Kharchenkov may return to college basketball for a bigger role, but his potential as a prospect is certainly there. He's a 6-foot-7 freshman averaging 10.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. With an impressive wingspan, he too could be a difference-maker at the professional level despite not being listed on many mock drafts.

It would be astonishing and rare to see an entire starting five leave a program for the NBA Draft, but if there's any unit that could do it, it's Lloyd's. Arizona isn't just winning because they play together on both ends of the floor; this team is full of pros.