Arizona Freshmen Lead Wildcats to 29-2 Season

Koa Peat and Brayden Burries shine as Arizona overcomes slow start to beat Colorado

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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The second-ranked Arizona Wildcats continued their impressive season, improving to 29-2 overall with an 89-79 victory over Colorado on Saturday. Freshman Koa Peat led the way with 25 points, while fellow freshman Brayden Burries scored a career-high 31 points, including 22 in the second half to help the Wildcats rally from an early deficit.

Why it matters

Arizona's success this season has been fueled by its talented freshman class, with Peat and Burries emerging as key contributors. The Wildcats' ability to overcome slow starts and find ways to win has been a hallmark of their campaign, as they continue to build momentum heading into the postseason.

The details

After falling behind by 11 points in the first half, Arizona regrouped and rallied to close the gap before halftime. In the second half, Burries took over, scoring 22 of his 31 points to lead the Wildcats to the victory. Peat also had a strong game, scoring 19 of his 25 points in the first half to keep Arizona in the contest.

  • Arizona improved to 29-2 overall on the season with the victory over Colorado on Saturday, March 8, 2026.
  • Koa Peat scored 19 of his 25 points in the first half, while Brayden Burries scored 22 of his 31 points in the second half.

The players

Koa Peat

A freshman forward for the Arizona Wildcats, Peat scored 25 points, including 19 in the first half, to help lead his team to victory.

Brayden Burries

A freshman guard for the Arizona Wildcats, Burries scored a career-high 31 points, including 22 in the second half, to rally the Wildcats to the win over Colorado.

Tommy Lloyd

The head coach of the Arizona Wildcats, Lloyd praised his team's ability to bounce back and show grit after a slow start against Colorado.

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What they’re saying

“I thought Brayden didn't have a good start to the game … he was like 1 for 6 or something like that. We just don't really have to challenge him. He's a competitor, and he kind of figured it out on his own and got himself going a little bit.”

— Tommy Lloyd, Head Coach, Arizona Wildcats (Big 12 Studios)

“I didn't realize he had 31 points, but for him to do that was great … Koa goes 12 for 15, 25 points. When your team's not playing (well), it's great to have a guy like that step up and kind of keep your team in the game. Koa did a great job of that.”

— Tommy Lloyd, Head Coach, Arizona Wildcats (Big 12 Studios)

“I'm really proud how we bounced back, it showed some character and some grit.”

— Tommy Lloyd, Head Coach, Arizona Wildcats (Arizona Wildcats Radio)

What’s next

The Wildcats will compete in the Big 12 Conference tournament this coming week, as they prepare for the NCAA tournament and a chance to make a deep postseason run.

The takeaway

Arizona's success this season has been fueled by its talented freshman class, with Koa Peat and Brayden Burries emerging as key contributors. The Wildcats' ability to overcome slow starts and find ways to win has been a hallmark of their campaign, as they continue to build momentum heading into the postseason.