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All four of last year’s Final Four teams – Arizona, Michigan, Illinois, and UConn – had a freshman who played a critical role during the regular season and NCAA Tournament, who opted to return to their school as a sophomore.
Three of those players – Braylon Mullins at UConn, David Mirkovic at Illinois, and Trey McKenney at Michigan – are the top three names on Andy Katz’s recent ranking of the top sophomores in the country.
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The other, Ivan Kharchenkov, inexplicably didn’t make it onto the list at all, instead replaced by players like Dame Sarr (Duke), Matt Able (North Carolina), and Nigel James Jr. (Marquette).
Why Ivan Kharchenkov deserved a spot
If Kharchenkov were far inferior statistically to McKenney, Mullins, and Mirkovic, the snub might be more reasonable. But comparing these four players from last season, Kharchenkov finished first in steals, second in rebounds, assists, and minutes, and third in points and blocks – and it’s become very clear he is leveling up entering his second season.
The 6’7 German is one of two key returners for Tommy Lloyd, alongside center Mo Krivas, and the duo looked every bit like a pair of All-Big 12 stars on Tuesday in Arizona’s 93-69 exhibition win over San Francisco.
Mar 28, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Ivan Kharchenkov (8) celebrates in the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers during an Elite Eight game of the West Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Kharchenkov had 18 points on 7-14 shooting against the Dons, along with five rebounds, three assists, and two steals in nearly 27 minutes. He attacked the rim relentlessly all game long, was very active defensively, and drilled one of his two three-point attempts while finishing just behind Krivas (20) in points scored.
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Kharchenkov led all scorers in Arizona’s Red-Blue showcase and was the best player on the floor throughout the team’s foreign tour in Lithuania as well, and alongside Krivas…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/arizonas-ivan-kharchenkov-snubbed-andy-230516417.html
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Publish date : 2026-10-14 23:05:00
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