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.”
Federal and state officials imposed new fire restrictions across a large portion of central Arizona ahead of a weekend forecasted to bring hot, dry winds that could increase wildfire danger.
On Friday, May 15, Tonto National Forest enacted Stage 1 fire restrictions across the entire forest, while the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management announced similar restrictions for state trust lands in Gila, Maricopa, and Pinal counties.
The restrictions come as fire officials reported major progress on two wildfires in the region, potentially freeing up firefighting resources for future incidents. The Forestry Department announced that the Hazen Fire, which burned nearly 1,200 acres of dense tamarisk along the Gila River near Buckeye, had reached 100% containment. Meanwhile, the Jones Fire near Wickenburg, which prompted evacuations and was also fueled by tamarisk vegetation, was reported at 90% containment.
Tonto National Forest prohibited campfires and the use of wood-, charcoal-, or coal-burning stoves outside Forest Service-provided fire structures. Liquid petroleum or LPG stoves are still allowed if they can be switched off and are kept at least three feet away from overhead or surrounding flammable materials. Similar restrictions apply on state lands, except fires are permitted in developed campsites or picnic areas. The ban also extends to wildlife areas managed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, state parks, and highway rights-of-way.
The National Weather Service forecasted high temperatures in the upper 90s across metro Phoenix through Saturday, cooling slightly into the upper 80s and low 90s by Sunday. In Arizona’s high country, forecasters warned of elevated fire danger due to low humidity and strong southwest winds, with gusts expected between 20 and 30 mph on Saturday and 25 to 40 mph on Sunday.
“Gusty winds, dry fuels, and low humidity will lead to critical fire weather danger with easier fire starts and uncontrollable spread of new or existing fires,” the agency said in its Friday afternoon briefing.
The weather service declared a red flag warning for the Tonto National Forest and for southern Gila County, effective Sunday. The agency’s Tucson office also put out a Sunday, May 17, red flag warning covering Santa Cruz, Cochise, Graham and Greenlee counties, and the far eastern parts of Pinal and Pima counties.
Beyond the fire prohibition, the Tonto’s restrictions ban recreational shooting except for legal hunting activity.
The Tonto fire restrictions are in place through Sept. 30 unless rescinded. The state order is in effect until further notice.
Brandon Loomis covers environmental and climate issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Reach him at brandon.loomis@arizonarepublic.com.
Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
Follow The Republic environmental reporting team at environment.azcentral.com and @azcenvironment on Facebook and Instagram.
Dozens of bright yellow jets once operated by Spirit Airlines are now sitting idle in the Arizona desert after being repossessed by leasing companies, according to aviation officials.
The aircraft are currently parked in a storage field following the shutdown of operations involving the planes. Industry experts say the jets were not owned directly by Spirit Airlines, but instead leased through outside companies that quickly moved to reclaim the aircraft.
One aviation contractor involved in the process said crews had only a matter of hours to coordinate the recovery effort and relocate the planes.
That process included hiring former Spirit pilots who had suddenly found themselves out of work to help ferry the aircraft to storage facilities in Arizona.
“The reason I’m empathetic to all this is because I’ve been in the same situation four or five times,” one aviation worker said. “I was with airlines that closed their doors overnight. I woke up the next morning not having a job. I’m worried about how I’m going to make my mortgage, how I can pay for health care. I have little kids.”
Officials say the future of the aircraft remains uncertain. Depending on what the leasing companies decide, the planes could eventually return to service with another airline, be dismantled for parts, or scrapped altogether.
Spirit Airlines has not announced whether the aircraft could return to operations.
Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
The 2026 NFL Draft is over, but the 2026 NFL schedule is here!
While Arizona Cardinals fans should be excited about Jeremiyah Love and all the new additions, the release of the regular season schedule turns a mere daydream of fall into a more concrete 17-game reality check.
The Cardinals finished last season 3-14, missed the playoffs, and now have a new path towards the postseason.
Shop Cardinals 2026 tickets
As a Cardinals fan, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to commune with your fellow fans and see State Farm Stadium in all its glory.
The first game of the NFL season is less than three months away, be the first to secure your tickets to see the Arizona Cardinals play this season.
Arizona Cardinals 2026 NFL schedule, tickets
- Week 1: Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Chargers – Sunday, Sept. 13 at 4:25 p.m. ET
- Week 2: Arizona Cardinals vs. Seattle Seahawks – Sunday, Sept. 20 at 4:25 p.m. ET
- Week 3: Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers – Sunday, Sept. 27 at 4:05 p.m. ET
- Week 4: Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants – Sunday, Oct. 4 at 1 p.m. ET
- Week 5: Arizona Cardinals vs. Detroit Lions – Sunday, Oct. 11 at 4:25 p.m. ET
- Week 6: Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams – Sunday, Oct. 18 at 4:05 p.m. ET
- Week 7: Arizona Cardinals vs. Denver Broncos – Sunday, Oct. 25 at 4:05 p.m. ET
- Week 8: Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys – Sunday, Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. ET
- Week 9: Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks – Sunday, Nov. 8 at 4:25 p.m. ET
- Week 10: Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Rams – Sunday, Nov. 15 at 4:05 p.m. ET
- Week 11: Arizona Cardinals at Kansas City Chiefs – Sunday, Nov. 22 at 1 p.m. ET
- Week 12: Arizona Cardinals vs. Washington Commanders – Sunday, Nov. 29 at 4:25 p.m. ET
- Week 13: Arizona Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Eagles – Sunday, Dec. 6 at 4:05 p.m. ET
- Week 14: BYE
- Week 15: Arizona Cardinals vs. New York Jets – Sunday, Dec. 20 at 4:05 p.m. ET
- Week 16: Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints – Sunday, Dec. 27 at 1 p.m. ET
- Week 17: Arizona Cardinals vs. Las Vegas Raiders – Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027 at 4:05 p.m. ET
- Week 18: Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers – TBD
Shop Cardinals 2026 tickets
Cardinals home opponents, tickets
The Cardinals will host the following teams at State Farm Stadium this season:
- L.A. Rams
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
- Denver Broncos
- Detroit Lions
- Las Vegas Raiders
- N.Y. Jets
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Washington Commanders
Cardinals away opponents, tickets
The Cardinals will hit the road and take on the following teams during the regular season:
- L.A. Rams
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
- Dallas Cowboys
- Kansas City Chiefs
- L.A. Chargers
- New Orleans Saints
- N.Y. Giants
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Arizona Cardinals NFL Draft pick
With the team’s first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Cardinals selected Jeremiyah Love at No. 3 overall. Watch Jeremiyah Love play in person this year by buying your tickets now .
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