Inside The Wildcats

Koa Peat Leads Physical Win Over TCU

The Wildcats continue their dominance with their latest win over the Horned Frogs ahead of their matchup with ASU.
Nathaniel Martinez|
Jan 10, 2026; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) drives to the basket past TCU Horned Frogs forward Xavier Edmonds (24) during the second half at the Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Jan 10, 2026; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) drives to the basket past TCU Horned Frogs forward Xavier Edmonds (24) during the second half at the Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

For the last 10 games, the No. 1-ranked Arizona Wildcats have soundly defeated their opponents by at least 19 points on the way to a 15-0 record. Their latest game against TCU was their most challenging one since escaping UConn with a 71-67 victory.

Despite a few runs that pulled the Horned Frogs (11-5) within 10 and 7 points, Arizona (16-0) relied on its physical play in the paint, huge shots from beyond the 3-point line, aggressive rebounding, and capitalizing on turnovers to remain undefeated with an 86-73 win at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena.

By the end of the game, TCU's skill on the glass was on par with Arizona's, being outrebounded 38-32. Arizona's eight steals and 21 assists were a big reason it stayed in the lead for most of the game.

Koa Peat, one of the more developed freshmen in the country, led the team in points with 20, which was the second time he had gone over 19 in a game. The first time was a 30-point effort against Florida at the beginning of the season.

Jaden Bradle
Jan 10, 2026; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Jaden Bradley (0) brings the ball up court against the TCU Horned Frogs during the second half at the Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Jaden Bradley, who is arguably one of the most underappreciated guards in the country, scored 17 points. Anthony Dell'Orso came off the bench and matched Bradley in points while going 3-for-6 from beyond 3-point range. Overall, Arizona went 7-for-16, which is a far cry from its 3-for-16 effort against Kansas State on Wednesday.

After Michigan's loss to Arizona, it is now just one of four teams remaining to be undefeated. It now joins Nebraska, Vanderbilt, and Iowa State as the only teams that haven't lost a game.

First half

Arizona jumped to a 14-8 lead five minutes into the first half, and it only grew thanks to a huge 3-point shot by Burries. The Wildcats then took advantage of a missed shot by TCU, and the talented freshman went to the other side of the court and made a contested layup to bring the lead to 19-8 before TCU scored a point.

With 8 minutes remaining in the first half, the Wildcats found themselves well in control of the game with a 26-11 lead. At that point, Arizona shot an impressive 12-for-21 from the field while the Horned Frogs struggled to make a shot, going 5-for-17.

The Wildcats were draining their long-range shots with ease in the beginning of the game, going 3-for-5 with Dell'Orso shooting two of those. With over 7 minutes to play, Arizona began to overwhelm TCU, leading 31-13.

Arizona was up 37-19 with 5 minutes left in the first half, but TCU went on an 8-2 run to make it 39-27 with just over a minute left. Krivas was able to break that run by knocking down two clutch free throws to pull ahead with a 41-27 score. Peat then made a mid-range shot to make it 43-27 before the first half was up.

After one half of play, Peat led the team in points with 10. He and Awaka also led in rebounds with fivr apiece. The sharp shooting Dell'Orso was second in points with 10 off the bench.

Second half

Arizona's defense started slow and allowed the Horned Frogs to go on a 7-3 run. By the first timeout, the Wildcats' lead had shortened to 43-34 in the first few minutes. The Wildcats got right back on track after that and went on a 7-0 run of their own, which began with an easy layup by Bradley. It was then capped off with a 3-point by Kharchenkov.

After Bradley made a 3-pointer on a fast break to make it 53-34, TCU came storming back to cut the lead to 12, with a 59-47 score with 11 minutes remaining in the game. Eventually, the Horned Frogs were able to get within 7 points of tying it up at 65-58 with 6 minutes left to play.

The Wildcats pulled back to a 13-point lead after that and didn't let TCU come back. With 4 minutes to play, Arizona led with a 74-61 score. With 2 minutes left, Arizona was up 80-65. By the final buzzer, Arizona was able to remain undefeated with an 86-73 score.

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Nathaniel Martinez
NATHANIEL MARTINEZ

Nathaniel Martinez and a set of shoulder pads at 7 years old. He later graduated from Pima Community College in 2023, where he began writing for the Pima Post. He is working to achieve a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and Media Studies.