After joining the Gilbert Perry program pretty much the minute he finished eighth grade in the spring of 2021, Koa Peat picked up four state titles, three Gatorade Player of the Year titles and invitations to play anywhere he wanted in college.
Peat kept views about those invitations quiet until announcing Thursday he would play for Arizona, becoming the Wildcats’ highest-rated recruit yet under fourth-year coach Tommy Lloyd. Peat joined Perry just after Lloyd was hired at UA in April 2021, and the Wildcats have been recruiting Peat since then.
Also having considered ASU, Houston, Baylor and Texas, among others, Peat went on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show on Thursday to make his announcement. He thanked his family, teammates and Perry staff, then opened his Perry jacket to reveal an Arizona T-shirt.
“It was a super hard decision,” Peat said. “Me and my parents had really serious talks about it but I just felt like Arizona is the right situation for me. Coach Tommy (Lloyd) is a great coach. They have great assistant coaches over there for my development and they’re a winning program so I’m just excited to come down and play in McKale.”
Perry’s Koa Peat (10) draws a crowd of Badgers including Tucson’s Malaki Cunningham-Hiadzi (22), Adam Armadillo (5) and Xavier Grajeda (1) while dragging down an offensive rebound in their game at Tucson High on Jan. 7.
Unlike with most high-profile commitments, word did not leak out widely beforehand, creating more suspense. But Perry coach Sam Duane said that’s because Peat has kept focused on basketball since arriving, minimizing distractions around him throughout his Perry career.
“He kept it close to the vest all the way through till the end, and I was really proud of how he handled this situation,” Duane said. “He handled the process like a pro. With the way recruiting is these days … I’ve been impressed that he’s stayed locked in and focused on his teammates, his team, and trying to win. He’s handled it incredibly well.”
That’s not a surprise for a couple of reasons. Peat comes from a big family of athletic stars, including a father who played for the Arizona Cardinals and a brother, Andrus, who is a veteran offensive lineman now playing for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Peat also chose a Perry program that produced former Colorado forward and 2024 NBA lottery pick Cody Williams and former UA center Dylan Anderson, who now plays for Boise State.
Peat “brings a lot of attention, but he does a great job of handling it,” Duane said. “Our guys are kind of used to it. When he comes into the gym, he’s all about work. He probably has one of the strongest desires to win as anyone I know.
“He’s different. He’s a mature, a great likable kid who is humble, but when he steps on the floor, he wants to win.”
Perry’s Koa Peat (10) slaps the hand of Tucson’s Malaki Cunningham-Hiadzi (22), stopping his shot in the second quarter of their game in Tucson, Jan. 7, 2025.
Fittingly, Peat waited until a quiet period after his season ended and just before leaving for the April 1 McDonald’s All-American Game to make his announcement.
He went on ESPN just after 9 a.m. Thursday, then hopped a plane for New York, where he will go through several days of McDonald’s pregame activities just 15 miles away from where the Wildcats were scheduled to play Duke in a Sweet 16 game later Thursday.
Also typical of Peat: He won’t play in the hype-filled McDonald’s game itself because of a broken hand — but he did play in the semifinals and finals of the Arizona high school playoffs with it, just a week after suffering the injury while closing out in a practice.
Those games mattered to him.
“Koa was like ‘I’m not gonna have regrets, so I’m gonna play,’” Duane said. “He played through a lot of pain. He was hurting.”
Duane said Peat is aiming to return fully by June, so he can participate in UA’s summertime practices and possibly compete for the USA Basketball junior national team Lloyd will be coaching this summer in the FIBA U19 World Cup.
Then, next season, Duane said the Wildcats will gain a versatile talent who can virtually fit in anywhere Lloyd wants him to, though Peat projects most likely as a power forward.
Perry’s Koa Peat (10) slams into Tucson’s Malaki Cunningham-Hiadzi (22) on a drive to the bucket in the third quarter of their game at Tucson High on Jan. 7, 2025.
“Whatever is best to help U of A win, and whatever Tommy wants, that’s what Koa is going to do,” Duane said. “Koa can do anything, and I’m not just saying that. If they want to push break off rebounds, he can do that. If they want him running the floor, he can do that. He’ll fit perfectly.
“And Tommy runs. They play fast. He’ll fit into that. I have no issues with how he’ll be used down there.”
