In their "100 days to men's college basketball: Top stories, players, games," Myron Medcalfe and Jeff Borzello of ESPN namedc Arizona forward Koa Peat one of their "10 freshmen to watch" entering the 2025-26 season.
Peat and fellow five-star prospect, guard Brayden Burries, are expected to make impacts for Arizona as freshmen in 2025. Depending on the direction Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd goes, Burries and Peat could both be starters in 2025-26. Burries and Peat anchored the 2025 Arizona class that is third nationally.
Tobe Awaka, Motiejus Krivas and Peat will provide Arizona with a very physical frontline. Peat averaged 18.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game at Gilbert, Perry as a senior in 2024-25. ESPN named Peat as their Arizona impact newcomer earlier this year.
Peat has been a winner wherever he has played. Arizona will have a new look in 2025-26 with the additions of Burries, Peat and the rest of the 2025 class. Arizona returns three starters, with Awaka, point guard Jaden Bradley and wing Anthony Dell'Orso back in 2025-26.
"Koa Peat, PF, Arizona (No. 10): Another highly decorated high school prospect, Peat has won three gold medals with USA Basketball and four state championships at the high school level. Consistently productive, he led the U19 World Cup team in rebounding."Myron Medcalfe and Jeff Borzello, ESPN
The most recent of the three gold medals Peat earned with USA Basketball was in the 2025 Under 19 World Cup this summer with Lloyd as the head coach. Peat was the captain of the USA 2026 Under 19 national team. Peat averaged 12.6 PP, a team-leading 6.9 RPG, 1.1 APG and 1.0 steal in the Under 19 World Cup.
The success Peat has had in college and with the USA National Team projects him to live up to his billing as a freshman to watch in 2025-26. Peat is the fifth-highest-ranked signee in Arizona program history and the top-rated since DeAndre Ayton in 2017.