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That would be UA senior point guard Jaden Bradley, the Wildcats’ ultimate insider.

A rare third-year Wildcat in the transfer-portal era, Bradley is at the core of a roster that is meshing veterans such as himself, wing Anthony Dell’Orso and big men Tobe Awaka and Motiejus Krivas with a large class of talented freshmen from three continents, plus Harvard grad transfer Evan Nelson.

“In college basketball nowadays, I feel we’ve got the perfect roster,� Bradley said before Friday’s UA-Kansas State football game. “You need some older, veteran guys. We’ve got me, Krivas, Delly, Tobe, and then we’re mixing in with some nice young and talented freshmen, some older transfers like Evan, and our European guys.

“We’ve got a nice mixture, a little bit of everything, so we’re definitely going to be fun to watch.�

Ranked No. 7 by ‘s analytics rating but just No. 22 by Blue Ribbon Yearbook, the Wildcats can’t start practicing in full-length team workouts until the week of Sept. 22. But as of now, they are allowed four total hours per week on the court with the coaching staff while spending a lot of other time doing conditioning work … and bonding.

“We’re just trying to build chemistry,� Bradley said. “It’s early. The season’s approaching so we’re trying to get these finishing touches.�

Praise for Nelson

While Bradley is the highest-rated individual Wildcat in ’s 2025-26 player ratings at No. 34, Nelson’s experience and Tucson background gives the Wildcats some extra perspective.

A standout for Salpointe Catholic High School’s 2020 Class 4A state championship team, Nelson transferred back home after spending four-plus years at Harvard and picking up his Ivy League degree. Now pursuing a master’s in Sport and Recreational Leadership at UA, Nelson is expected to compete for backup minutes at the point.

“Evan probably could have gone anywhere else and probably started somewhere,� Bradley said. “But to have him here is big for us and our program.

“It speaks volumes for him, as well, to come here with a stacked team. He just wants to win and contribute. He’s a great shooter, can defend and he’s a smart point guard who can do a little bit of everything.�

During a group interview last month at McKale Center, Nelson said he would definitely have to work for an opportunity on the court. Not only did Bradley already play nearly every minute in tight-game situations last season, but UA coach Tommy Lloyd also has the option of moving freshman combo guard Brayden Burries over to the point for backup minutes.

“We’ve got a star-studded class of freshmen and returners, so every day it’s a grind to try to earn those minutes,� Nelson said. “But given that, coach Lloyd has been very encouraging to me and everybody on our team. For me, it’s about when and if I do get those minutes, it’s to be as aggressive as I can be defensively and offensively.

“I think there will be those opportunities and it’s just making the most of them.�

Analytics-based site ranks Arizona No. 7

Bradley’s player ranking was the highest on , and the Wildcats as a whole were on the analytics-based website’s preseason rankings.

Evan Miyakawa, the data scientist who runs the website, to compute the rankings includes projected roster strength, performance in previous seasons and roster continuity.

After Bradley, ’s included: Awaka (57), Dell’Orso (134), Koa Peat (144), Burries (159) and center Motiejus Krivas (255), who missed most of last season with a foot injury.

The Wildcats did not have anyone among Miyakawa’s Top 10 projected 3-point shooters, playmakers or indispensable players, but former UA guard KJ Lewis of Georgetown was rated the No. 10 most indispensable player (and No. 7 transfer last spring).

UA’s overall team ranking was the second-highest of all Big 12 teams on , which put Houston No. 1 overall. BYU (8) was ranked right behind the Wildcats, with Iowa State (12), Kansas (17) and Texas Tech (23) all in its Top 25.

Another analytics-based website, , ranked UA at No. 12, behind only Houston (1) and BYU (6) among Big 12 teams.

Wildcats come in at No. 22 on Blue Ribbon list

On the human side of things, the Associated Press preseason Top 25 won’t be released until next month, but the recently published Blue Ribbon Yearbook , the sixth-highest ranking among Big 12 teams.

Defending national champion Florida, which will face Arizona in Las Vegas for the season opener on Nov. 3, was ranked No. 1 by Blue Ribbon. Houston was No. 3 while Texas Tech (14), BYU (16), Iowa State (17) and Kansas (18) all ranked higher than the Wildcats out of the Big 12.

Blue Ribbon’s Big 12 conference race predictions started with the same order of those six teams, followed by Baylor, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Kansas State, TCU, Oklahoma State, Colorado, ASU, Utah and UCF.