Arizona Freshman Koa Peat Named AP Player of the Week

TUCSON, AZ (AZFamily/AP) — Koa Peat, a freshman forward for the Arizona Wildcats, has been named The Associated Press men’s college basketball player of the week for the first week of the season.

Peat, a former star at a high school in East Valley, made a remarkable debut in Tucson. On opening night, he scored 30 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and recorded three steals against the defending national champion Florida Gators, who were ranked No. 3 at the time. Peat’s performance tied for the second-highest scoring game by an Arizona freshman, just behind Eric Money’s 37-point game in 1972.

Additionally, Peat became the first player in Big 12 history to score 30 points and dish out five assists in his debut game. His strong start continued with an impressive showing against Utah Tech, where he scored 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting, along with three rebounds and three assists. The Wildcats won that game 93-67.

Peat’s impressive early performances have set high expectations as he continues his college basketball career with the Wildcats.