Tommy Lloyd says Koa Peat is ‘working through a plan’ as NBA pre-draft process escalates

PHOENIX — Arizona men’s basketball coach Tommy Lloyd said Koa Peat is working through a plan, and he respects Peat’s decision timeline when asked about the star forward’s pre-draft process.

Peat has until May 27 to decide whether to keep his name in the NBA draft or return to Arizona for his sophomore season.

“First off they’ve been great,” Lloyd said Thursday about his conversations with Peat.

“I mean obviously they’re all private between me and Koa, but Koa’s a great young man who obviously means a lot to the state of Arizona and to our basketball program, and he has a plan and he’s working himself through that plan right now, and I totally respect that, and Koa’s got a great family, and I know he has dreams to play in the NBA, and I’m supporting every ounce of his pursuit to do that.”

 

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Peat has been projected as a late first-rounder in most post-combine mock drafts after changing his jump shot mechanics prior to the draft combine, which saw him struggle in the shooting drills as a result.

The 6-foot-7, 245-pounder with a 6-foot-11.25 wingspan shot 6 of 25 (24%) in the spot-up shooting drill at the combine, 7 of 25 (28%) in the 3-point star drill, 10 of 25 (40%) in the side-mid-side drill, 15 of 30 (50%) in the off-the-dribble drill and 7 of 10 (70%) at the foul line.

As a freshman, Peat helped take the Wildcats to their first Final Four in 25 years after arriving at Arizona as the No. 11 recruit in the nation.

He averaged 14.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in his lone season with the Wildcats, but his draft stock continued to fall during the season, mainly due to not being a threat from deep (taking only a total of 20 3-pointers) and not showing the same ability as a rebounder that teammates Tobe Awaka and Motiejus Krivas put on display.

Entering the 2025-26 season, Peat was initially projected as a lottery pick (Nos. 1-14), which was fueled by his stellar start to the season.

In a win over then-defending national champion Florida during the season opener, Peat notched season highs in points (30), assists (five) and steals (three). But longstanding concerns over Peat’s shooting flaws drew concern as the collegiate season progressed and were only exacerbated after his combine performance.

On the flip side, Peat has demonstrated an ability to win at every level. The Chandler native previously led Gilbert Perry High School to four state championships in four seasons.

During his freshman campaign at Arizona, Peat was named to the Big 12 All-Freshmen team and earned Third-Team All-Big 12 honors as well.

Peat also took home Most Outstanding Player in the West Region and All-Region honors in the NCAA Tournament. In five NCAA Tournament games, he averaged 17.2 points on 48.5% shooting with 7.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.

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