Now that we are officially through the spring and summer's extended period of club basketball, atleast for the NCAA Evaluation Periods, there are many prospects that helped themselves during the club season over the past (4) months. While many prospects rose to the occasion, no Arizona prospect was more dominant throughout the club season than Perry High School's unstoppable force, 6-foot-8 junior forward Koa Peat. Peat was tremendous on the Adidas 3ssb circuit, while also leading the USA Men's U16 National Team to a Gold Medal in Merida, Mexico. Peat had an amazing performance throughout the spring and summer months, proving his brilliance as a college prospect, and has received loads of new Division-I offers for himself. Peat has a chance to be the best ever prospect to grace the Arizona high school basketball hardwood.
While most prospects simply played on their respective club circuits this spring and summer, Peat has been rather busy - traveling to numerous events around the country. Peat traveled with his club program the Compton Magic (CA) to numerous events, while he also competed in events as an individual as well, led by leading the USA U16 National Team to a Gold Medal. Peat spent seven days at a Training Camp in Colorado Springs, before competing at the 2023 FIBA Men’s U16 Americas Championship in early June in Merida, Mexico. The USA roster was selected by the USA Basketball Men’s Developmental National Team Committee and represented the graduating classes of 2025 and 2026. The team included such national star prospects as Cameron Boozer, Cayden Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Isiah Harwell, Caleb Holt, JJ Mandaquit, Brandon McCoy, Jalen Montonati, Darryn Peterson, Jayden Quaintance and Tyran Stokes. This group of stars, including Peat, would finish the 2023 FIBA U16 Americas Championship undefeated and would win their 8th straight gold medal for USA in fine fashion.
Peat would then return to the Adidas 3ssb circuit in July, and would pick back up where he left off during the spring - turning in consistent authoritative performances, and earning many more Division-I offers from college coaches in the process. After receiving many more offers in the spring, Peat would garner more offers again this summer from Houston, PITT, Alabama and Oklahoma State, to go with an already loaded list of offers from Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, Arizona, Michigan State, Tennessee, Washington State, California, Butler, Mississippi State, Florida, Ole Miss, Arizona State, UCLA, Texas, Texas Tech, Michigan, Washington, USC, Illinois, Baylor, LSU, Indiana, Memphis, Stanford, Nebraska and Kansas State - all high-major Division-I offers and with many more to still to come.
Peat, of course, has not indicated any clear leaders in his college recruitment at this time. It will be exciting to see where he ultimately lands for college, as the addition of such a tremendous prospect to any college roster, will certainly mean immediate production and success for the college suitor of his choice. Peat projects to be a future NBA Lottery pick, and could become the best pure talent to ever come out of Arizona. This will likely be a long recruiting process for Peat.
Now that the club competition for the spring and summer is now over for Peat, he will now begin to focus his attention on the high school season, where he will absolutely unstoppable again for Perry High School this up-and-coming high school season. Peat will see every designed defense possible this high school season, designed to slow him down, but opposing teams will have their hands completely full trying to do so. Peat will look to lead he and his teammates again to a repeat performance for the Open Division State Championship. While Peat will be without the services this season of graduating star guard Cody Williams (University of Colorado signee) to support him, Peat will surely put on his Superman cape this high school season and pour in amazing numbers across the board for himself and the Perry team. It will be enjoyable to watch Peat all season in the Arizona high school ranks again, while we still have the opportunity to do so, while he is still young.
As we continue to look at many of the prospects that had strong performances throughout the spring and summer, no one was more dominant in their performance than Koa Peat, who simply continues to improve and has become an unstoppable force for opposing players and teams. I will continue to enjoy watching this young man perform, while the entry fee to do so is marginal. It is almost unthinkable to imagine that he still has two years left to play of high school basketball.
Arizona Hoop Review Scouting Report: Peat has excellent size at 6-foot-8 and weighing 215 pounds, as he is very light on his feet and has very good athleticism and length of body, which allows him to play even bigger than his size suggests. He also has great hands and is physically very strong with broad shoulders, and is agile on his feet. He will only continue to improve and become much more of a physical force over time, which is scary to think of. He has a very good skill level that allows him to score inside and out, while possessing a good handle and amazing body control and explosiveness off the floor. He has developed his perimeter skills and has a nice shooting stroke with range, to keep defenses honest, while also being able to score off the dribble and finish strong over defenders in the lane. A next level finisher inside the paint. Gets to the free throw line quite often and relishes physical contact, although he can get into foul trouble easily. He has strong low post skills and good low post footwork, which allows him to score almost at will around the basket. He runs the floor hard like a guard and is a strong scorer in the open floor. An elite rebounder and finisher, and also a very good shot blocker with excellent timing. A generational talent for the state of Arizona and a future NBA Lottery pick.