While the college basketball world is busy cheering for their teams in the March Madness, the programs are also strategizing their future rosters. With the race moving too fast and just a handful of good recruits left in the pool, the urgency is high. And as we speak, the Sweet-16 team, the Arizona Wildcats and Tommy Lloyd, are making their moves.

Back in January, they already signed the star recruit– Bryce James. But can it be that Lloyd could bring in a top recruit to work with the guard and the 5-star wing Dwayne Aristode signed in November 2024? Possibly so. In fact, the chances are high that the No. 8 prospect in the nation, Koa Peat, will stay in the state. But which program will he choose? The clock is ticking for the big announcement with the stage already set.

According to ESPN’s Paul Biancardi’s tweet, Peat will reveal his choice tomorrow on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show. Previously, it was revealed that the Arizona native has a final list featuring Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Houston, and Texas. Per On3, all signs point to one destination—the Wildcats. However, Houston is the winner for 247Sports with Arizona State also high in the mix.

Latest update: The 6-foot-8 forward has committed to the Arizona Wildcats. “I felt like Arizona was right situation for me and Coach Tommy is a great coach. They have great assistant coaches there for my development and they’re a winning program. So, I’m just excited to come down and play,” Koa told McAfee about his choice today. “Their culture is like family; they are all there for each other. The fans and atmosphere are incredible. I feel blessed to stay home to continue my basketball journey and legacy in Arizona.”

Lloyd is all in on Peat, especially after losing Alijah Arenas to USC. In fact, on Koa’s end, things are looking pretty good for the Cats. In January, he told On3’s Jamie Shaw, “Things are good with (Arizona). The last time I was down there, I think they played Duke. Even though they lost it was great to see the fans. The environment was crazy.

“And Coach (Tommy) Lloyd is a great coach. He tells me all the time how much he believes in me. They tell me they’ve never had a player like me, with my versatility. They say I would kind of fit in the Pelle Larsson role. Really they throw a lot of names and clips at me, like Dalen Terry and some others.”

Interestingly enough, just like his visit to Tucson was when Arizona played Duke, the history seems to be repeating itself. The Wildcats will be taking up the Blue Devils in Newark for their Sweet-16 round. Coincidence? Planning? Maybe.

Pairing Peat with James could give the Wildcats a future-shaping duo. Biancardi made sure to note that, “Peat is a highly competitive athlete and a winner. He played through a broken hand to lead Perry High School to its fourth consecutive state championship. He is both productive and consistent on the court and in the classroom.”

Peat has the numbers to back up the hype. Over the past three seasons, he’s transformed from a promising freshman (15 PPG, 6.1 RPG) to a dominant junior (20.5 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.4 APG), earning Gatorade Player of the Year honors and three gold medals with Team USA. His ability to deliver in clutch moments has solidified him as one of the country’s top prospects as he wrapped the last season with 18.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.

Recruiting insiders have Arizona as the overwhelming favorite (75.8% per On3 projections), and if Peat joins James and Aristode in Tucson, the Wildcats could be looking at a promising season; especially with the coach who has led the program to 4 consecutive tournament appearances and 3 Sweet 16s in his 4th year of assuming the role. But as Arizona fans know, recruiting victories are never guaranteed.

The One that got away: Arizona loses Alijah Arenas—Will Koa Peat and Bryce James be enough?

Despite their strong recruiting push, Arizona took a gut punch when Alijah Arenas—the son of Wildcats legend Gilbert Arenas—chose USC over his father’s alma mater back in January.

A five-star shooting guard and the top-ranked player at his position in 2025, Arenas is putting up video game numbers this season (31.8 PPG, 7.5 RPG) and was a priority target for Tommy Lloyd.

Jason Gardner, Arenas’ former backcourt mate at Arizona and now an assistant coach, couldn’t seal the deal. Instead, it was USC head coach Eric Musselman, who once coached Gilbert Arenas with the Warriors, who won the battle. “Eric Musselman is my guy, and he is pushing hard,” Alijah told 247Sports in December.

Matt Moreno covering Pac-12 also confirmed the same after a conversation with Gilbert as he tweeted, “Gilbert Arenas says Eric Musselman talked with Alijah every day and that made the difference. Arenas admits he wanted his son to go to Arizona but the relationship with the USC staff won out.”

For Arizona, this loss stings. But with Peat’s decision looming, the Wildcats have a shot at redemption. If he picks Arizona, it could be the start of something special in Tucson.