Arizona's Peat Reflects on Unfamiliar Feeling After Final Four Loss

Peat’s Wildcats lost to Michigan in the Final Four.

Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) cries Saturday, April 4, 2026, after the team’s 91-73 loss to the Michigan Wolverines during the Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Koa Peat hasn’t lost much in his life, but this one proved to be one of the more difficult losses he’s ever suffered. Peat’s Arizona Wildcats were crushed 91-73 by the Michigan Wolverines in the Final Four. 

Peat has been a winner in every aspect of his basketball playing career up to this point, winning the Arizona state championships with Gilbert Perry High School all four years, and helping lead the U19 Team USA group to a gold medal in the U19 World Cup. In his collegiate career at Arizona, he played a major part in Arizona’s 36-3 record and a thrilling run to the Final Four.

Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) in action against Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) in the second half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

As a freshman, Peat was one of the Wildcats’ best players, averaging 14.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 53 percent from the floor, and 35 percent from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-8, 235-pound wing is expected to be selected in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft later this summer.

Peat Is a Proven Winner

Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) and Arizona Wildcats center Motiejus Krivas (13) react in the second half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Michigan Wolverines at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Peat was very effective during Arizona's NCAA Tournament run, averaging 17.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in five appearances. After scoring 16 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in the loss to Michigan, Peat talked about the unfamiliar feeling of losing that he is now experiencing after the Wildcats were erased off the floor by the Michigan Wolverines. 

Peat’s Thoughts

• “It’s tough for me to process right now,” Peat said. “I haven’t really fully processed it. Just learn from it. You’re not going to be perfect every night, but just knowing that I gave this team all I had, I can put my head on a pillow at night and be able to sleep, so, just super thankful.”

Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) shoots against Michigan Wolverines center Aday Mara (15) in the second half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

• “I love these guys,” Peat added. “We’re going to have a relationship for the rest of our lives. Coach too, Coach brought me in, and I can’t thank Coach enough for how much he trusted me and believed in me, and I’m just really thankful for him, this program, and everybody honestly.”

Being that he likely won’t be back with the team next season, Peat will look to get back to his winning ways in the NBA once he is selected in the draft later this summer. One thing’s for certain: whichever team drafts Peat is getting a player who has contributed to winning at every level of basketball to this point, including in his lone campaign with the Wildcats.