Arizona basketball picked to repeat as Big 12 champions in preseason coaches poll

After a dominant regular season last year, and a spectacular run to the Final Four, Tommy Lloyd and the Arizona Wildcats enter the 2026-27 season with a massive target on their back.

In a conference loaded with talent, Arizona is the favorite to repeat as Big 12 champions – at least according to the preseason poll of the league’s coaches.

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Arizona received 12 out of 16 first place votes for 220 total points, just nudging out Houston – who received the four other first place votes and totaled 214 points.

Kansas, Iowa State, and Texas Tech round out the top five, all within five points of each other.

Road to a repeat

Arizona lost a ton of talent from last year’s team, including superstar freshmen Koa Peat and Brayden Burries, as well as Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley and key reserves Anthony Dell’orso and Tobe Awaka.

But Lloyd went out and filled in the gaps nicely, hauling in 5-star combo guard Caleb Holt – widely considered a top 5 pick in the 2027 NBA draft – as well as 4-star wing Cameron Holmes and a pair of transfer point guards in Derek Dixon (North Carolina) and JJ Mandaquit (Washington).

Mar 3, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Derek Dixon (3) brings the ball up court against the Clemson Tigers during the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The roster will feel nearly perfect if RJ Godfrey – a 5th year senior transfer from Clemson – ends up eligible to play this upcoming season. The 6’7 forward is currently ineligible after a stay request was granted in the state of Georgia, but that could change before, or even during, the season.

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All the new talent helps keep Arizona in the mix for a Big 12 title, but it’s the two returners who elevate them to the top – and who received flowers of their own from the conference coaches:

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Publish date : 2026-10-15 17:44:00

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