NCAA Ranks Arizona Center Motiejus Krivas in Top 10 Bigs Nationally

Longtime college basketball writer Andy Katz ranked Arizona junior center Motiejus Krvias ninth among his list of the top 10 bigs in the nation entering the 2025-26 season. Krivas is returning after he had season season-ending surgery and only played eight games in 2024-25.

Krivas has averaged 5.6 points per game, 2.6 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 12.8 minutes over 44 games while shooting 55.3 percent from the field and 70.0 percent from the free throw line in two seasons with Arizona. In the Arizona exhibition win over St. Mary's, Krivas had 14 points and 17 rebounds.

Five-star Houston freshman center Chris Cenac and Cincinnati sophomore center Moustapha Thiam are the only other Big XII bigs in Katz's top 10 and on the 2025-26 Arizona schedule. Arizona hosts Cincinnati on January 21 and is at Houston on February 21.

Thiam transferred from Central Florida after averaging 10.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game in 2024-25. Thiam had eight points, 10 rebounds and two blocks with four fouls as Arizona beat Central Florida 88-80 in 2024-25.

Cenac is the sixth-ranked prospect and top center in the 2025 247sports composite rankings. The top big in Katz's rankings is Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who spent the previous two seasons at Alabama-Birmingham. Lendeborg also played two years at Arizona Western College.

Cameron Boozer of Duke and Nate Ament of Tennessee join Cenac as the only freshmen on Katz's top 10 bigs. Another familiar name for Arizona fans is Oregon center Nate Bittle. Bittle had 16 points and 11 rebounds on six of 13 from the field as Arizona beat Oregon 87-83 in the 2025 NCAA Tournament second round.

The performance by Krivas against St. Mary's was encouraging entering the 2025-26 season. St. Mary's has played in the last four NCAA Tournaments. Krivas and Arizona will get tested in the season opener against 6'11 Florida F Alex Condon, who averaged 10.6 PPG and 7.5 RPG in 2024-25.