TUCSON, Arizona — When Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd describes 19-year-old forward Ivan Kharchenkov as “seasoned,” he isn’t just tossing out a compliment.
The Russian-born Kharchenkov grew up in Germany and joined the famed FC Bayern Munich basketball program at age 12. There he starred on the international stage before deciding the best path to his NBA dream ran through American college basketball.
“It’s good for my development,” Kharchenkov said. “I want to make it to the league. This is the next nearest step to the league.”
If anyone understands the value of overseas experience, it’s Lloyd. Before taking the Arizona job, he spent nearly two decades on Gonzaga’s staff recruiting and scouting Europe. When Lloyd started doing his homework on Kharchenkov, one phone call stood out: a conversation with Pablo Laso, the legendary Spanish coach who once guided a teenage Luka Dončić at Real Madrid and later coached Kharchenkov at Bayern Munich.“Obviously, I called to do my homework,” Lloyd recalled. “He said, ‘Tommy, you are going to be blown away how ready he is on day one.’”
Laso wasn’t exaggerating. Kharchenkov arrived in Tucson as part of a loaded freshman class, but he quickly separated himself. In Arizona’s season-opening win over defending national champion Florida, the 6-foot-9 forward posted 12 points and 10 rebounds – an impressive double-double in his very first collegiate game.
In the beginning it was unusual to see so many new faces,” Kharchenkov admitted with a smile. “I don’t know you, I don’t know you, I don’t know you.”What he did know was how to play at an elite level – and it showed immediately.“Everyone says, ‘I’m a freshman.’ Yes, that’s true,” he said. “But I feel like I am more experienced than a freshman.”
Teammate Koa Peat, himself one of the top recruits in the country, has been just as impressed.“Ivan plays with edge,” Peat said. “He’s a dog. He plays really hard. He does all the little things, stretches the floor.”
That tenacity shows up on both ends of the court. Kharchenkov battles for rebounds, spaces the floor with his shooting, and brings a physicality that has become contagious.
It’s no coincidence that No. 2 Arizona is off to a 7-0 start with Kharchenkov playing a significant role.Pablo Laso told Tommy Lloyd the kid would be ready on day one.Seven games into the season, it’s clear Laso knew exactly what he was talking about.
