Arizona basketball: European wing Ivan Kharchenkov commits, as Carter Bryant officially declares for NBA draft

Breakups are always hard, but they’re made easier when you have a backup waiting in the wings.

Arizona forward Carter Bryant officially announced he’s leaving for the NBA Draft on Monday afternoon, a decision that was weeks in the making. A little prior to an hour before Bryant made his announcement, Arizona publicly landed a commitment from Russian-German wing Ivan Kharchenkov.

Bryant’s announcement wasn’t a surprise to anyone who’s been paying attention – he technically opted out last week when the May 28 deadline to withdraw and return to college passed. Bryant hadn’t officially made an announcement himself, giving his social media post on Monday an air of finality.

Most mock drafts have Bryant being picked in the middle of the first round. His draft stock has gone up since the end of the season, according to multiple outlets.

With Bryant out of the picture, Arizona is fully able to move forward with finalizing the 2025-26 roster. Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd and his staff landed on Kharchenkov as a replacement for Bryant. Kharchenkov had previously been linked to North Carolina among other schools.

Eurohoops was first to report Kharchenvok’s commitment to Arizona, which has yet to be confirmed by the player or the school.

The 6-foot-7 Kharchenkov is a wing for FC Bayern Munich, a German team that plays for the country’s top league, Basketball Bundseliga. Kharchenkov plays alongside former American college basketball players including UConn’s Shabazz Napier, Duke’s Jack White and Purdue’s Carsen Edwards.

harchenkov averaged 5.7 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 33 games with FC Bayern.

Kharchenkov is considered one of the top scorers in his class, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN and DraftExpress.

Kharchenkov competed this past weekend at the adidas Eurocamp in Italy. NBA Draft writer Nick Crain attended the camp and said Kharchenkov is head and shoulders above some of his peers.

“No player on day one of Eurocamp showed more poise and natural lead guard qualities than Kharchenkov,” Crain wrote for Sports Illustrated. “His experience playing professionally shined bright on Saturday, as the floor general set the pace for every offensive possession and elevated his team in so many ways. The 3-point shot wasn’t falling at the rate he would have liked, but the 6-foot-6 guard proved he’s without a doubt one of the best players at Eurocamp.”

Jon Chepkevich, Director of Scouting at Draft Express, also praised Kharchenkov’s performance at the camp, saying he projects as a potential first round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Kharchenkov becomes the seventh freshman on Arizona’s roster, joining 5-stars Koa Peat, Brayden Burries, and Dwayne Arisode, 3-star Bryce James, and developmental big men Sidi Gueye and Mabilmawut Kon Mabil.

Arizona is also bringing in transfer Evan Nelson, a senior from Harvard who grew up in Tucson.

Here is a rundown of Arizona’s 2025-26 depth chart by position.

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