NCAA Purdue Arizona Basketball
- Kelley L Cox - FR172224 AP
- Updated
Arizona forward Koa Peat celebrates after a win over Purdue in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in San Jose, Calif.
Kelley L Cox - FR172224 APTags
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Arizona is headed back to the Final Four for the first time in 25 years after the top-seeded Wildcats got 20 points from freshman Koa Peat to beat Purdue 79-64 in the NCAA Tournament's West Region final. After years of disappointment in March, coach Tommy Lloyd has gotten Arizona back to being a championship contender. The Wildcats showed they can win in almost any style. They used a nearly flawless performance on offense to beat Arkansas in the Sweet 16 and then shut down one of the nation’s most efficient offenses against Purdue.
Koa Peat has been a winner throughout his basketball career. He won four state titles in high school in Arizona and became the first player to win four international gold medals at the junior level. So when Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd was trying to entice Peat to play for the Wildcats, he pitched him on helping the school end a 25-year Final Four drought. Peat fulfilled the wish in his first season with Arizona, leading the Wildcats to their first Final Four since 2001 with a memorable performance in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament. Arizona will take on Michigan in the national semifinals.
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