Arizona Freshman Competing and Improving With Wildcats

Peat is one of seven highly touted recruits who decided to sign with Arizona to enhance their basketball skills on an elite-level program. He joins guard Brayden Burries as one of the two five-star recruits on the team.

The three four-star recruits that decided to sign are Dwayne Aristode, Ivan Kharchenkov and Sidi Gueye. Three-star recruits Mabil Mawut and Bryce James make up the recruiting class, along with Evan Nelson, who transferred from Harvard.

"It's been great coming here as a freshman and not really knowing most of the guys coming in here," Peat said. "I knew Brayden pretty well, but that's really it. So it's just learning those guys on and off the court has been great for me. And I'm super excited for our season to start, and I think we keep building off the court our chemistry. I think that's only going to help us on the court. So I mean, I like all the guys, and I'm loving it here."

Adjusting to the next level and receiving mentorship

Peat had to adjust to the step up in competition when he first arrived at Arizona. Still, he thinks that practicing and competing with the veterans really helped him realize the work and improvements he must make to succeed at the Division I college level.

With the help of performance enhancement coach Christopher Rounds, Peat feels that he is making those necessary steps to make his game better than what it already was.

 "My first day here was pretty tough," Peat said. "Guarding those big guys like Tobe and Mo it was tough. I think that's really helped me a lot get in the weight room with Coach rounds and just learning the speed and physicality of the college game, I think I've adapted to it pretty well, and I'm excited to just keep getting better."

Although it took some time for the 6-foot-8, 235-pound Gilbert, AZ, standout to adjust to the game, he had a great group of veterans to help him and the other freshmen out. He credits Tobe Awaka, Motiejus Krivas, Anthony Dell'Orso Jaden Bradley with mentoring him.

"When you have guys like Tobe, Mo, Jaden Bradley and Dell'Orso, it makes it easy, honestly, learning from those guys," Peat said. "They've been through what we're going to go through. So I mean, just playing with those guys has been great. And just honestly, just getting to know them off the court has been even better."

Feeling the pressure?

Arizona was ranked the No. 17 team in the preseason rankings according to Field Of 68. Although being ranked so high may put a lot of pressure on a team, Peat doesn't feel that way at all and is focused on competing and getting better as an individual and as a team.

 "I don't feel like we feel a lot of pressure," Peat said. "I think, honestly, our main focus right now is just to keep getting better as us and as a team. And I think we're going to keep doing that, and we're we're super excited to get get it rolling and get the season rolling."

 "I think just giving 110% every night, working my hardest I can, and just becoming the best version of myself. And then I think everything else will help me in the long run."

Arizona will have two exhibition games at McKale Center before jumping into the season with a game against the 2024 NCAA National Tournament champion Florida Gators in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena as part of the 2025 Hall of Fame Series on November 3.

Florida was ranked the No. 3 team on the same list that ranked Arizona No. 17.

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