Arizona Freshman Getting Hot Ahead of Conference Play

For the first handful of games, freshman Koa Peat stole the show in Arizona.

And rightfully so. His 30-point, seven-rebound and five-assist debut in taking down No. 3 Florida is still one of the top performances of the year among NBA Draft prospects. And he’s issues several other notable outings as well.

But guard Brayden Burries, the Wildcats’ other highly touted freshman, has seen the opposite experience, now finding his groove a handful of games into the season.

The guard position, and especially lead guard, can be tough to assimilate to. Hundreds of players making the leap from the preps level to college, or college to the professional level need time to get acclimated. So few faulted Burries for a 3-point outing in that very same Florida win.

He would follow up his debut with 18 points and four steals against Utah Tech, before rattling off several rough scoring performances: nine points against Northern Arizona, five points against UCLA and just four against UConn.

Since then, Burries has found his groove.

He’s scored 15 or more points in each of his last five games, topping out at 28 on 11-for-19 shooting in a big win over No. 12 Alabama. Just last night, Burries saw the most efficient game of his short collegiate career, going for 20 points on 9-for-11 shooting versus Abilene Christian, adding two steals in the process.

At a legitimate 6-foot-4 with a sturdy frame, Burries' draft allure will be his all-around game. He can handle the ball and faciliate, hunt his own shot, is shooting a respectable 35% from three on great volume, and is among the stingier freshman backcourt defenders in the country. He's nabbed 1.6 steals per game, and has plenty of highlight-worthy moments on that end.

Breakout game for Brayden Burries last night? 20-7-4, looked more confident after hitting first 3PT two minutes into game. Strong driver with plenty of shotmaking ability. pic.twitter.com/RiKoobT2QA
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) November 25, 2025

There’s a myriad of talented guards who are 2026 draft hopefuls, all of which will eventually be competing against one another near the top of the draft. Players like Mikel Brown Jr., Kingston Flemings, Labaron Philon and a few others have jumps on Burries, though his combination of pro-ready tools and improving scoring are sure to help him climb toward the top tier.

Burries has helped Arizona to the No. 1 ranking in basketball, taking down Florida, UCLA, UConn, Auburn and Alabama, all of which are ranked. The Wildcats next take on San Diego State at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday Dec. 20, and Burries will be looking to continue his hot streak.