Former Auburn Tigers coach Bruce Pearl couldn't help but take a lighthearted jab at Arizona Wildcats freshman Koa Peat after his explosive college debut. Pearl reminded Peat of his extensive recruitment efforts, which ultimately fell short, when Peat made his commitment to Arizona back in March.
During a postgame interview following Arizona's upset win over No. 3 Florida Gators, Pearl appeared on the broadcast to congratulate Peat. The veteran coach playfully reminded the freshman about his unsuccessful pursuit of both Peat and fellow top recruit AJ Dybantsa.
“This is coach Bruce Pearl. Do you remember a couple of years ago when I traveled to Istanbul, Turkey, trying to chase you and AJ Dybantsa, to may be to come to Auburn, and neither one of you even gave me a sniff. You remember that?” Pearl asked in the video shared by TNT Sports.
The Arizona freshman acknowledged the recruitment with a knowing smile.
“Yeah, for sure. I do remember that. AJ's my guy, man,” Peat responded. “That's my roommate, USA. That's my boy.”
Pearl's pursuit of Peat was serious business. He went all-in on the Gilbert, Arizona native, though the Tigers ultimately didn't crack his final list. Peat picked the Wildcats over the Arizona State Sun Devils, with the Baylor Bears, Houston Cougars, and Texas Longhorns also in the mix.
That decision looked even better after Peat's historic debut. The freshman dropped 30 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in Arizona's 93-87 win over the defending champions. He connected on 11-of-18 shots and hit 9-of-10 free throws, posting the second-best debut in Wildcats history.
That dominant performance against Florida's size was exactly what Pearl wanted to know about.
“So here's my question,” he asked. “What prepared you to play against the incredible size of Florida? This is the best front line in college basketball, and you went down there and you got buckets.”
The Arizona forward credited his teammates for the daily practice battles that prepared him.
“I mean, I think it's just having Big Mo and Tobey guarding me in practice every day,” Peat explained. “Those guys are, I think, some of the best forward centres in the country, and they don't really get noticed as much as these other guys, but I think we showed it tonight. I think we showed that tonight that we're a really good front court, and I'm just thankful for my teammates. We're going to keep going, keep getting better each and every week.”
Peat wasn't the only elite prospect Pearl chased in the 2025 class. Pearl also pursued Dybantsa, the top-ranked player in the cycle. Auburn made Dybantsa's top seven before falling out of the race. The 6-foot-9 wing signed with the BYU Cougars in December, marking another recruiting miss for the Tigers.
Pearl's jab at Peat showed he could laugh about the recruiting miss. But the freshman's 30-point explosion against the defending champions made it clear why Auburn fought so hard to land him.
