Big 12 men’s basketball preseason media poll predicts Arizona to finish first, ASU 12th

Arizona men’s basketball being projected to finish first in the Big 12 should come as no surprise.

Despite losing three starters (Koa Peat, Jaden Bradley and Brayden Burries) and their sixth man (Tobe Awaka) to the NBA, the media still projects a big season from the Wildcats.

The roster may look quite different, but the talent is still abundant. They will be headlined by returning star big man Motiejus Krivas, forward Ivan Kharchenkov and potential top-three NBA draft pick, freshman guard Caleb Holt.

Krivas was picked as the conference Preseason Player of the Year. Kharchenkov made the watchlist for the Julius Erving Award given to the nation’s top small forward. Holt was one of three freshmen nominated for the Jerry West Award given to the top shooting guard.

The media, however, is not as high on the ASU Sun Devils. They predict them to finish 12th in the conference.

The first and 12th respective placements were the same as what the coaches determined in their poll released two weeks earlier.

Even with new head coach Randy Bennett and forward Paulius Murauskas, who was voted Preseason Newcomer of the Year, the Sun Devils will need to prove they can win games after having not advanced to the NCAA Tournament since the 2022-23 season.

The Big 12 season will tip off on Monday with the Wildcats facing the UCLA Bruins in Las Vegas and ASU hosting the East Tennessee State Buccaneers.

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