Dan Hurley Praises Koa Peat After UConn's Fall vs. Arizona
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The UConn Huskies arrived at its first top-five clash in almost two decades with a spotless record and a building that felt ready to burst. However, by the end of the night, the streaks were gone, the energy had shifted, and the No. 3 Huskies were staring at a 71–67 loss to No. 4 Arizona that stung.
The result ended UConn’s 36-game home non-conference winning streak, a run that had become part of the program’s identity. And on a night where they were shorthanded and scrambling, the Huskies never quite found the moment to put Arizona away, despite coming close.
The game went back and forth, with early deficits giving way to late surges. However, as UConn made its way back from a 13-point deficit in the second half, to held multiple narrow leads in the final minutes.
Even with Eric Reibe’s breakout 15-point performance and balanced scoring across the lineup, the Huskies were out-rebounded by 20 without Tarris Reed Jr. and Braylon Mullins on the court. The momentum never fully stayed in UConn’s hands.
And that’s what made the closing sequence, and who dictated it, so intriguing. Arizona freshman forward Koa Peat was the heart of the Wildcats' game. UConn felt him all night, especially on the glass. Peat ended the night with 16 points and 12 rebounds. He carried Arizona through UConn’s surge, which became the subplot that stole the show. And not so surprisingly, he became the focus of Dan Hurley’s postgame attention.
As Hurley puts it, “Just amazing respect for the family, the pedigree. You know, my brother Bob recruited him, and he knows the family, and he just talks about the classiness of the family, the pedigree of the family, all the crazy-level athletes among the siblings. And just the way he carries himself on the court, that guy plays like a 10-year NBA vet. He knows his identity, he’s all over the glass, he’s just a classy, classy player, and he’s going to be a great NBA player.”
Arizona freshman Koa Peat in a road win against No. 3 UConn:
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) November 20, 2025
16 PTS | 7-14 FG | 12 REB | 3 AST | 2 BLK pic.twitter.com/iBCtgcu8cQ
The pedigree that Hurley mentioned is real. Peat is the youngest of seven, born into a family stocked with NFL linemen, college athletes and elite competitors who treat brilliance like a shared language.
Peat’s father, Todd Peat, played nine seasons in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals and the Los Angeles. Meanwhile, his mother, Jana, was a multi-sport standout herself, and Pear’s oldest brother played college football at Nebraska, Eastern Arizona, and Texas A&M–Commerce.
Peat also has another brother, Andrus, who is an NFL veteran currently playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers. His brother Cassius had a winding college football journey through Michigan State, Eastern Arizona, Pima CC, Scottsdale CC, and Virginia. Another brother, Keona, currently plays basketball for Arizona. His sisters also play Division I women’s basketball.
What Does UConn Do Now and Who’s Next?
The Huskies won’t have much time to stew. Next up, Hurley and his squad will face Bryant, a program that UConn has only faced twice but has beaten twice. The first match ended with an 88–58 blowout in 2008, then a 66–53 win in 2014 that required a second-half push.
The margins were different, but UConn controlled both matchups. Bryant, however, arrives with momentum of its own. The Bulldogs are coming off a banner season and enter a new era under head coach Jamion Christian.
Final. pic.twitter.com/QxHKq9nvJp
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) November 20, 2025
Their non-conference slate is ambitious, with three power-conference opponents and a trip to Storrs circled as one of the marquee outings of their season. In their last meeting with UConn, Bryant even led by nine early in the second half before fading late.
They cannot be taken lightly because underdogs rarely announce themselves ahead of time. And with UConn fresh off a bruising loss, hungry to reset, and eager to reclaim its home-court aura, the timing of Bryant’s visit might be exactly the wake-up both sides need next.
-fd44250df32912986cc6690f0b8bfa32.png "Shivani Menon")
Shivani Menon is a sports journalist with a background in Mass Communication and a passion for storytelling. She has written for EssentiallySports, College Sports Network, and PFSN, covering Olympic sports like track and field, gymnastics, and alpine skiing, as well as college football, basketball, March Madness, and the NBL Draft. When she's not reporting, she's either on the road chasing sunsets or getting lost in the rhythms of electronic soundscapes.