Arizona's Freshmen Trio Looks Part in NCAA Tournament Debut
The NCAA Basketball Tournament is a huge deal for any team and player, but it can be especially daunting for a young player debuting in the event for a team that expects to contend for a national title.
That's the position Arizona freshmen Koa Peat, Brayden Burries, and Ivan Kharchenkov found themselves in against LIU on Friday, making their Tournament debuts after stellar freshmen seasons that saw them lock down spots in the starting lineup and earn recognition from their Big 12 peers.
No one would've blamed them for a slow start, but they were more than ready for the moment, leading the way as the Wildcats' top three scorers.
"It was great," Peat told the media postgame. "We had a good team win today, and I'm just proud of our guys. We came out with good energy in the beginning of the game, and I thought we sustained that well during the game. It's special to share the court with special freshmen like Ivan, Brayden, Dwayne [Aristode], and Sidi [Gueye]."
Cats Advance. pic.twitter.com/x51PxvFUQs
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) March 20, 2026
The First NCAA Tournament Experience
All five of those freshmen played on Friday, and the only two freshmen who didn't sat out because of redshirt restrictions.
The Wildcats dominated the game, with all three freshmen starters scoring in double digits. Burries, the team's leading scorer, scored a team-high 18 after struggling some in the Big 12 Tournament, while Peat had a complete effort and finished with 15 points and seven rebounds, and Kharchenkov ended up with a career-best 10 rebounds.
Head coach Tommy Lloyd told the media this week he wanted to assimilate his freshmen into the NCAA Tournament by drawing from the familiar experience of competing for a high school state championship. While that sentiment rings true, the Wildcat freshmen are well aware of the heightened stakes that come with this time of year, and they're excited to make their mark.
"It's huge. Everyone's watching this, the games in March Madness," Peat said. "It's definitely special, but I've played in a lot of big games, so I feel like I'm pretty seized for the moment and just ready to play in the big games. Just playing my hardest and trusting my teammates."
These freshmen have had to lean on that trust all season, entering the starting lineup against a hostile and competitive Big 12 Conference. Yet, it's those exact experiences, in the regular season and the Big 12 Tournament, that have these young players feeling ready for the challenges of their first postseason.
Rookies Know the Importance
"Just the one-and-done scenario," Burries explained. "Take it one game at a time, be where your feet [are], don't look too far ahead, and don't look too far back. Just stay in the present."
That's a mature and experienced answer from the 20-year-old guard, which is what has impressed Lloyd the most about his young group. They may not have played much basketball together or at the collegiate level in general before this season, but they understand the game and the dynamic of a successful program.
A combined 47 points on 55% shooting from this special trio of freshmen in their NCAA Tournament debut. pic.twitter.com/OYbNMAptxV
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) March 20, 2026
"I don't look at them as freshmen," Lloyd said. "I look at them as really good basketball players. They have high IQs, they have great character, obviously, they're talented basketball players, and they put the work in. When you have that combination of elements, I don't think it matters what year you are in school. I would've been a little more surprised had they come out and been a little more nervous today than the way they did."
Sound familiar? That's the same impression Lloyd had of Duke's phenomenal group of freshmen after last season's Sweet 16 loss. The Blue Devils made it all the way to the Final Four. If this group continues to play that way as the competition gets stiffer, the Wildcats could follow suit.
And Friday's game was a great first step in that direction for Arizona and its young trio.
_(1)-718df543ba5564ea141c31c2d86089eb.jpg "Travis Tyler")
Travis Tyler joined On SI as a writer in January 2026. He has experience contributing to FanSided’s NFL, college football, and college basketball coverage, in addition to freelance work throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth area, including high school, college, and professional sports for the Dallas Express and contributions to the College Football Dawgs, Last Word on Sports/Hockey, and The Dallas Morning News. In addition to his writing, Travis contributes video and podcasting content to Fanatics View and regularly appears as a guest analyst. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and SMU and is an avid Detroit sports fan with a deep knowledge and appreciation of sports history. Follow Travis Tyler on Twitter at @TTyler_Sports.