Preseason college basketball publications pick Arizona Wildcats to finish fifth in Big 12 debut

Considering the Arizona Wildcats are a potential Top 10 team, they might be entering 2024-25 almost under the radar.

That’s what happens when you shift to a ridiculously competitive conference.

Both Lindy’s and Blue Ribbon Yearbook, the two major preseason publications now on the market, have picked the Wildcats to finish fifth in the Big 12 — and neither one has any UA player except guard Caleb Love listed on its preseason all-league teams.

A similar view can probably be expected when the Big 12 preseason polls are announced during its annual media day on Oct. 23, likely dropping the Wildcats down from the lofty spot they held annually during previous Pac-12 media days. UA was picked to finish first in six of the past 12 Pac-12 preseason polls — and then went on to finish first or tied for first six times over that span.

“If the Pac-12 was still a thing, Arizona would be a clear favorite to win the league,” wrote Tucson-based Anthony Gimino in Lindy’s. “Instead the Wildcats are going to have to battle through the best basketball conference in America and — they hope — be better ready for the NCAA Tournament.”

Arizona’s national preseason ranking in both publications suggests the Wildcats will again at least reach the Sweet 16, as they did in two of the past three seasons under coach Tommy Lloyd. Lindy’s ranks Arizona No. 10 nationally, while Blue Ribbon has the Wildcats at 13.

However, four other Big 12 teams rank ahead of them. Lindy’s has Kansas at No. 2, Houston at 4, Iowa State at 6 and Baylor at 9; Blue Ribbon ranks Kansas 2, Iowa State 5, Houston 7 and Baylor 8.

Individual preseason honors are consistent with those rankings. In Lindy’s, Love is listed on the Big 12’s five-player first team, but no UA players made the second or third teams and none were listed on a list of superlatives such as Top Defender (Tamin Lipsey of Iowa State). Lindy’s also ranked Love the No. 9 on its list of the top 150 players in college basketball but listed no others from UA.

However, veteran college basketball writer Frank Burlison gave Arizona a shoutout for having the best transfer group in the Big 12, citing a Horizon League MVP in Oakland transfer Trey Townsend, a scorer from Campbell in Anthony Dell’Orso and what he called a promising post player in Tennessee transfer Tobe Awaka.

Burlison also said Townsend would have the most impact of any Big 12 newcomer.

“Trey Townsend will check a lot of the boxes on the wish list for Arizona following the multiple spring departures: replacing Keshad Johnson in the lineup as a quality rebounder, solid scorer and underrated passer,” Burlison wrote.

In Blue Ribbon, Love was named a first-team All-American, and placed on the six-player all-Big 12 team. But the publication did not list UA as having one of the three best backcourts or frontcourts in the Big 12. Blue Ribbon listed Iowa State, Kansas and Houston in order as having the best backcourts, while Kansas, Houston and Baylor were cited for having the best frontcourts.

Then again, the buzz is much quieter for the other three Pac-12 programs who are moving to the Big 12: Lindy’s picked ASU 11th in the conference, Utah 13th and Colorado 14th. Blue Ribbon had Colorado at 13, ASU at 14 and Utah dead last at 16. None of those teams had any player listed for preseason honors of any type.

One way to view it

Among the feature stories in Lindy’s is one from Spokane-based writer John Blanchette in which he addressed whether there is a solid foundation for Western college basketball after the Pac-12’s breakup.

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“Are apocalyptic epics your jam? Try this one,” Blanchette wrote to begin the story. “Abetted by spineless educrats ever jonesing for a funding fix, geo-corporate overlords began divvying up the assets of college athletics. Not satisfied with merely owning the property and dictating distribution, they begin uprooting entire brands from one part of America and selling them off two and three time zones away.”

In 2022, UCLA and USC announced they were leaving for the Fox-backed Big Ten this year, while Washington and Oregon pounced on 2023 invitations to do the same, leaving UA, ASU, Colorado and Utah to head for the Big 12. Washington State and Oregon State remained in the Pac-12 and have since announced Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State and Colorado State would join the league in 2026.

Optimism for Koloko

After the Los Angeles Lakers signed former UA forward Christian Koloko to a two-way contract, ESPN quoted sources this week saying the Lakers had “reason for optimism” that Koloko would play this season after conducting an independent assessment of him.

The 33rd pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Koloko played in 58 games for the Toronto Raptors in 2022-23 but missed last season with a blood clot issue. He still must be cleared by the NBA’s fitness-to-play panel.

Greer, Dixon head elsewhere

Two four-star class of 2025 prospects have dropped off the Wildcats’ recruiting radar. Texas wing Hudson Greer, now of Florida’s Montverde Academy, committed to Creighton last week, while Washington, D.C. combo guard Derek Dixon did not visit UA as planned last weekend and has scheduled a Sept. 27 announcement.

Dixon has been considering North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Virginia.

Arizona’s remaining targets in the class of 2025 continue to include Gilbert Perry forward Koa Peat, Southern California forward Nik Khamenia, Florida guard Mikel Brown, Southern California guard Brayden Burries and Las Vegas center Xavion Staton.

USAB minicamp set

Pretty much all of UA’s domestic recruiting targets were among the 85 high school players invited to USA Basketball’s Men’s Junior National Team Minicamp from Oct. 11-12 in Colorado Springs.

Among the 2025 players invited were Peat, Brown, Burries, Greer, Khamenia and Staton, while 2026 UA targets such as Brandon McCoy, Cameron Holmes, Elijah Williams and Alijah Arenas were also invited.

Brown and Khamenia played for the Lloyd-coached USA team at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup in June.

Love for Lewis

College Hoops Today listed UA sophomore guard KJ Lewis as one of 15 players who could become stars in 2024-25.

“Could Lewis go from key reserve to the sport’s best perimeter defender in just one year?” wrote College Hoops Today’s Jon Rothstein. “It’s very much within the realm of possibility. A tenacious defensive player at 6-4, Lewis will step into an expanded role for the Wildcats as they transition to the Big 12.”