How These Arizona Freshmen Could Make Difference in Final Four

Just four days remain until the 1-seeded Arizona Wildcats take the court, this time in Indianapolis, for the chance to play in the championship game of the NCAA Tournament. Arizona will take on 1-seeded Michigan Wolverines in the Final Four, a highly anticipated matchup between two of the top teams in their respective conferences.

Both Arizona and Michigan won their respective conference's regular-season title. While Arizona won the Big 12 Tournament title, Michigan fell to Purdue in the conference championship round. The Wildcats and the Wolverines play a similar style of basketball, wearing down teams with their size and strength, eventually building a big lead and cruising to a win.

One last time in McKale for this group 🐻⬇️ pic.twitter.com/eCIrxxh7lA
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) April 1, 2026

With two teams that play with the same intensity on the court, it will take a critical factor for one to pull away from the other. Arizona's freshmen Koa Peat and Brayden Burries could be that factor that allows the Wildcats to pull away from the Wolverines.

Koa Peat Key Piece for Arizona

Much like he has been for almost the entirety of the season, Peat has displayed the level of talent that got him on the Big 12's All-Freshman team and Third Team All-Conference list. He also won the West Region All Outstanding Player award after averaging 17.5 points, 54.2% from the field, and 6.8 rebounds.

Peat earned the nickname "Mr. Arizona" due to his incredible style of play and hailing from Chandler, a city to the south of Phoenix. It was his play in the second half against Purdue that helped spark the Wildcats to outscore the Boilermakers by 22 points.

Koa Peat and the Arizona Wildcats are going to the Final Four!

He joins @ALaForce after his 20-point performance. pic.twitter.com/oqPf8fuEre
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 29, 2026

"Koa has a fearlessness and a belief in himself that's special," Tommy Lloyd said. "I really think he goes into these games feeling like he's an important piece to us winning, and he's not afraid to put himself out there and make the plays that he thinks can impact winning and put out the effort he knows will impact winning."

"He's just a ferocious competitor. In that second half, I just vividly remember him three times missing the first shot, landing, and laying it up before anybody could do anything on the second shot. That's really impressive stuff."

Brayden Burries Brings Elite Scoring Skills

Burries, the second part of the impressive scoring duo, has also been on a tear ever since the first tip-off of the tournament. He showcased just how good he can be against LIU, where he scored 18 points, went 6-for-10 from the field, and 4-for-5 from 3-point range.

Throughout the tournament, Burries has averaged 17.5 points, shot 57.9% from the field, and 68.4% from 3-point range. Much like Arizona, Michigan prides itself on being dominant in the paint and not allowing teams to score there. The Wildcats will need that sharp shooting prowess this Saturday when they meet the Wolverines on the court.