Recruiting Analyst Thinks Arizona Basketball Will Land Elite Five-Star Forward

The Arizona Wildcats are hoping to ramp up their recruiting efforts under Tommy Lloyd after they have failed to secure a top 15 class since he’s taken over as head coach.

They still have been wildly success in his three years, winning the Pac-12 regular season title and Pac-12 Tournament twice. But if they are going to break through the Sweet 16 ceiling that has been holding them back, then they have to start landing elite high school players.

One the Wildcats are eyeing is the top in-state prospect Koa Peat.

The 6-foot-8 Gilbert native is ranked as the fifth-best player in the entire country by On3’s Industry Ranking, turning him into one of the most coveted recruits in the 2025 class.

This is a perfect opportunity for Lloyd and his staff to announce themselves as real players in the national recruiting scene by landing someone from the state of Arizona who is being courted by top programs across the nation.

Peat has started visiting schools, having already taken trips to see Michigan, Houston, North Carolina, and Arizona State in an official capacity. He has lined up an official visit to see Arizona on the weekend of Oct. 4.

With the five-star forward traveling to Arkansas, Duke, and Baylor before heading down to Tucson, the Wildcats will have their work cut out for them if they want to land him.

But, at least one recruiting insider thinks they can pull this off.

“The in-state rival Arizona, coached by Tommy Lloyd, have done a good job here in making Peat a priority. I’m currently watching UofA the most in this recruitment while also keeping an eye on Duke. Baylor and Houston could also be sneaky,” Joe Tipton of On3 writes.

That is a good early sign for the Wildcats.

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine lists Arizona as the favorite to land Peat with a 18.4 percent chance, followed by Arizona State at 12.2 and Texas at 10.4.

This recruitment will certainly be something to keep an eye on as Lloyd is looking to land the most high-profile player since he’s taken over as head coach.