Arizona's Koa Peat Is Built For The Spotlight

The No. 1-seeded (West Region) are moving on in the NCAA National Tournament after dismantling the No. 16-seeded LIU Sharks in a 92-58 routing in San Diego, CA, demonstrating just how challenging a team they are to play against.

The Wildcats now must wait until Sunday to take on the Utah State Aggies in a second-round matchup to determine who will move on to the Sweet 16. No. 9-seeded Utah State got to the second round of the tournament by defeating the No. 8 Villanova Wildcats by a score of 86-76.

Not bad for their March Madness debut pic.twitter.com/LYYayZy3Z5
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) March 21, 2026

In the Wildcats' starting roster, three freshmen scored in double digits. Koa Peat, who has demonstrated that he is an NBA-caliber player in the first game of the regular season, scored 14 points in Arizona's routing of LIU.

Although it is Peat's first time playing in the big dance, he has displayed a level of maturity and elite-level play that is rare for a young athlete. The 6-foot-8 Chandler, AZ native showed that he is built for these kinds of moments, which was apparent after he scored 30 points against Florida in the first game of the season.

Sharing the Spotlight

Mar 14, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona Wildcats center Motiejus Krivas (13) and forward Koa Peat (10) high-five during the second half against the Houston Cougars during the men's Big 12 Conference Tournament Championship at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Peat has been a star for the Wildcats and has fit perfectly in the system that head coach Tommy Lloyd has crafted. Rather than talking about himself and the stellar game he played, he gave credit to his other first-year teammates, detailing the privilege of playing with them.

"We had a good team win today and I'm just proud of our guys," Peat said. "We came out with good energy in the in the beginning of the game and I thought we sustained that well during the game and it's special to share the court with special freshman like Ivan (Kharchenkov), Brayden (Burries) and Dwayne (Aristode) and Sidi (Gueye) for sure."

Treating NCAA Tournament Like Another State Championship

Peat has been a bona fide winner even before he signed with the Wildcats before the season, winning four state championships for his alma mater, Gilbert Perry High School, on his way to becoming the No. 8 recruit in the country.

He also, under Lloyd, helped Team USA win gold on the U19 team in Switzerland. Lloyd's message to him and the other freshmen was simple: treat this tournament like any other state championship. Peat heard that message loud & clear and performed to the best of his ability.

"Everybody's watching the games in March Madness, so it's definitely special for sure," Peat said. "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 those big games and just playing my hardest and trusting my teammates."

The always electric Peat had a great game, both offensively and defensively, against the Sharks and will attempt to keep the momentum going when the Wildcats play the Aggies this Sunday at 4:50 p.m.