There are three uncommitted five-star recruits in the 2025 men’s basketball high school class, Nate Ament, Brayden Burries, and Arizona native Koa Peat. The 6-foot-8 Peat is yet to choose between his five finalists, Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Houston, and Texas, but now he’ll have more time to focus on that decision as his final high school basketball season came to an abrupt end.
Five-star forward Koa Peat out for season with broken hand
The McDonald’s All-American and No. 8 recruit in the country suffered a broken hand in practice as he prepared to lead No. 1 ranked Gilbert Perry High School into the Arizona Open Division state playoff quarterfinal on Friday night. Twice named the Gatorade Arizona High School Basketball Player of the Year, Perry’s high school career is over, but the injury will not scare away interest college coaches.
Peat’s head coach Sam Duane Jr. informed the media that “it’s a three to four-week recovery and his hand will be good.” So, Peat will not have his collegiate career impacted by this unfortunately timed injury.
With his season coming to an end, this injury could expedite a commitment that has been a long time coming. Peat reached his final five back in November and many expected him to reach an agreement during the early signing period. Yet, his recruitment has dragged into March.
Arizona State could be the favorite to land Peat, who has spoken a lot about trust being the primary factor in his recruiting. In a conversation with Travis Branham of 247Sports, Peat mentioned that his brother attends ASU, which could be a factor in his recruitment. Family ties appear to be important to the five-star, but so does winning and the Sun Devils haven’t done much of it over Bobby Hurley’s 10 years in Tempe.
Hurley led ASU to 14-18 in the 2023-24 season and apart from an unlikely run through the Big 12 tournament, secured another losing season this year. It’s hard to trust that Hurley will even be around that program much longer, while Arizona, Baylor, and Houston have all competed for championships under their current head coach. Texas remains a wild card with Rodney Terry fighting to keep the Longhorns in the NCAA Tournament picture this season.
Peat is one of the few remaining dominoes left to fall on the recruiting trail for 2025. His decision could shape the landscape of college basketball next season, and a conclusion to their recruitment odyssey could be coming soon.