Arizona
Arizona’s Koa Peat has won at all levels, Michigan next in Final Four
Hear from Arizona basketball players ahead of Final Four
Hear from Arizona men’s basketball players Anthony Dell’Orso and Jaden Bradley ahead of the Wildcats’ Final Four matchup against Michigan.
INDIANAPOLIS – Chandler native Koa Peat has won a lot of big games.
He led Perry High School to four straight state high school championships. He’s been part of gold-medal-winning entries for Team USA. And he’s a star freshman on the No. 1 University of Arizona team, which is on the precipice of the school’s first national championship since 1997.
It should have been hard for him to come up with an answer when asked the last time he actually “lost” a big game, but he did come up with one.
He singled out Arizona’s loss to then-No. 9 Kansas at Phog Allen Fieldhouse in February. That was one of just two games the Wildcats dropped this season. It says a lot that it was the worst loss he can remember.
Peat and the Wildcats (36-2) will square off against Michigan (35-3) in the second of two NCAA semifinals on Saturday, April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts. The game is scheduled to tip off at roughly 5:50 p.m. MST, and will be televised on TNT, TBS and truTV.
The first Final Four game will pit Illinois against Connecticut at 4 p.m. and will be televised on TBS and truTV. The winners will compete for the national championship on Monday, April 6.
Arizona has won 13 straight games since back-to-back losses to Kansas and Texas Tech in February. Peat has hardly looked the part of a freshman.
“They call him Mr. Arizona,” said Wildcats’ coach Tommy Lloyd, who agreed to a contract extension on the eve of the team’s semifinal showdown. “Koa is special, and I know you guys hear it, but you got to hear it again. Four state championships at the same high school. Didn’t go to a prep school. Four gold medals with USA Basketball. No one in FIBA history has ever done that. And helped lead Arizona to a Final Four.”
At 6-foot-8, 235 pounds, Peat hardly looks like a freshman physically. He doesn’t play like one either.
Peat is averaging 14.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. That might sound pedestrian compared to some athletes who have put up video-game-like offensive numbers. But this Arizona team is balanced offensively, with all five starters averaging double figures.
Peat has been at his best in the big moments. He was named the most outstanding player in the West Region, scoring 21 points against Arkansas in the Sweet 16 win and 20 against Purdue in the Elite Eight victory, which earned the Wildcats a berth in Indianapolis.
He came onto the scene with a bang, scoring a season-high 30 against defending national champion Florida on Nov. 3.
Message delivered.
While that game was a long time ago, it was a good indicator that the Wildcats could go the distance because they beat a team like Florida, which is similar to Michigan with size in the front court.
“We always watch our good highlights, so just seeing those (against Florida) definitely gives us confidence for sure,” Peat said.
Michigan coach Dusty May said it takes a certain kind of player to be able to compete at this level as a true freshman, and Peat fits the bill, as does Brayden Burries.
“When we were at Florida (Atlantic) we used to talk about how there are certain prerequisites to be able to play as a freshman at a Power Five level,” May said. “And one of those prerequisites was playing USA Basketball because of the amount of intensity that it takes to compete during the trials, during the practices and also the games and also the sacrifice it takes because you’re playing with 11 of the best players in our country and you have to sacrifice so much just to play.”
Genes and a competitive drive probably help too. Peat grew up in a house full of athletes as the youngest of seven siblings, all of whom played football or basketball. His brother, Andrus Peat, has been in the NFL for 10 years and currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. His father, Todd, played for four teams in the NFL, most notably the Cardinals.
“It’s been a blessing to have great people like that around me, a family as I have with so many athletes who played Division I sports,” Peat said, on the eve of the national semifinal. “I would say I am the most competitive just because their competitiveness was passed down to me, seeing how good they were and what it took to compete.”
Lloyd has been impressed, although not necessarily surprised, with how Peat has performed as well as the way he has remained grounded.
“The dude, he’s amazing. His ability to perform the way he did in these moments, you know, he’s been in a lot of them,” Lloyd said. “I told our guys, don’t make too much out of this. It’s like a state championship game. You guys have all played in them. Or a gold medal game or whatever. Let’s just find a way to win the game. Don’t make it more than it is.”
Arizona
Final Four: Yaxel Lendeborg vows to play vs. UConn after finishing win over Arizona with MCL, ankle injuries — ‘I’m gonna play unless I can’t walk’
Michigan All-American Yaxel Lendeborg returned to Saturday’s Final Four win over Arizona after suffering knee and ankle injuries and vowed after the game to play in Monday’s NCAA title game against UConn.
Lendeborg confirmed postgame that he sprained his left MCL and injured his ankle on a fall in the first half. He missed most of the first half, but returned to play briefly in the second half of Michigan’s runaway win.
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He hit two 3s in the opening minutes of the second half to help Michigan extend its lead as the Wolverines cruised to a 91-73 victory.
Lendeborg left the court with 13:32 remaining and Michigan holding a 66-45 lead. He briefly returned later in the half, but finished the game on the bench with a wrap around his knee as Michigan was comfortably in control.
Lendeborg finished with 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in 14 minutes while shooting 3 of 4 from the floor. The attention now turns to his health and availability for Monday’s championship game against UConn, which beat Illinois in Saturday’s first Final Four game.
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Lendeborg: ‘I’m gonna play unless I can’t walk’
Lendeborg told TNT after the game that he’s confident he’ll play Monday night.
“Coach said at worst, like MCL sprain,” Lendeborg said. “ And obviously, I rolled my ankle. I’m gonna push through. There’s no way I’m missing the game on Monday night, no matter what goes on.
“I’m gonna play unless I can’t walk at all.”
Lendeborg maintained a noticeable limp as he walked of the court following Michigan’s win.
Lendeborg in pain after scary fall
Lendeborg left the game with his injuries as Michigan held a 28-14 lead with 8:41 remaining in the first half. He rolled his left ankle after stepping on the foot of Arizona’s Motiejus Krivas on a drive to the basket.
He was in obvious pain as he stood up from his fall. He was fouled on the play and was able to shoot free throws before limping off the court to the Michigan locker room.
Lendeborg was able to briefly return to the Michigan bench before the end of the half, but again limped off the court before halftime. He didn’t return until the second half.
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Arizona reeled off seven straight points after he left the game to cut Michigan’s lead to 28-21. But Michigan withstood the run and went into halftime with a 48-32 lead. The Wolverines dominated the second half despite the limitations of their best player.
Lendeborg is critical to Michigan’s hopes of beating UConn in Monday’s title game. A senior forward, Lendeborg has averaged 15.2 points, 7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals this season while shooting 52% from the field and 37.2% from 3.
He’s a consensus first-team All-American and was named Big Ten Player of the Year while leading Michigan to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. He’s been Michigan’s most valuable player while leading the Wolverines in a dominant NCAA tournament run to the Final Four and, now, to the title game.
Arizona
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Arizona
Breakout Arizona RB Set for Bigger Role in 2026
The weather in Tucson has gotten warmer, and the days are getting longer, meaning one thing: football season has returned to the delight of Arizona fans everywhere.
Spring football practice began a little over a week ago, and the Wildcats are looking to build off of an impressive season that saw them go 9-4, finish as the 21st-ranked team in the NCAA, and earn an appearance in the Trust & Will Holiday Bowl.
Although it is just spring practice and full pads haven’t been worn yet, Arizona is looking like a strong team, and as teammates continue to gel over the months, it will only get better.
The running back position group is greatly benefiting from having four returning players and a new coach in Lyle Moevao, who is already familiar with the Wildcats and how head coach Brent Brennan and offensive coordinator Seth Doege like to run things.
Quincy Craig was a part of a three-running back committee that had all the makings of an elite-level backfield. Now that Ismail Mahdi is gone and preparing for the NFL Draft, he and Kedrick Reescano are the team’s veterans and will see a lot more carries throughout the season.
Craig’s Initial Growing Pains in First Year With Arizona
In his first season with the Wildcats, Craig established himself as an all-purpose back who can scorch a defense, both on the ground and through the air. The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Sacramento State missed just one game and racked up 364 yards on 65 carries (5.6 yards) while also snagging 14 receptions for 114 yards,
Although transferring to a new team and getting acclimated to another offense may seem like a huge burden, Craig actually got used to it quickly, and it showed on the field. Now that he is in his second year, he is fully used to the ‘RedLine’ ways and credits the coaching staff and players for the smooth transition.
“I think the coaching staff does a really good job at keeping everybody together, and the team also does a good job at accepting everybody,” Craig said. “I actually do think that we have the potential to be another really close team, and I think that’s going to benefit us in the fall.”
Craig Taking Time To Get Back to Full Health
The 2025 season took a toll on Craig’s body. An undisclosed injury even sidelined him in Arizona’s week 11 game against Baylor. Craig is listed as limited in spring practice, meaning he is taking all the necessary steps to rehab any lingering injuries so he will be 100% by the time summer camp rolls around.
“It’s definitely been a grind,” Craig said. “We each have our ups and downs, and I think this is something to where, how can we be of value for the team through our own injury or through our own circumstances right now?”
Craig Accepting Leadership Role
Now that Craig is considered one of the veterans of the running back room, Moevao challenged him and Reecano to take on more of a leadership role with the second-year players Wesley Yarbrough and Cornelius Warren.
Craig feels that the coaches have done an exceptional job in letting him speak and share advice with the younger players, which allows him to be a role model on the field.
“I think our coaching staff does a really good job at letting us have the opportunity to talk and speak out about it,” Craig said. “I’m definitely taking this role of trying to, ‘how can I be of value?’ That’s the main thing that I’m really trying to step up… As of right now, it’s me trying to vocalize and become more of a leader into the situation. Just trying to take it day by day.”
Arizona’s spring practice will run through April 22, giving Craig about a month to fully rehab any lingering injuries. Until then, he will continue to be a vocal leader and help the running back room improve.
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