Arizona basketball looked like it was head and shoulders above the rest of the college basketball world for most of the season, but Tommy Lloyd's Wildcats are licking their wounds now after two consecutive losses to Kansas and Texas Tech. In addition, standout freshman Koa Peat left that loss to the Red Raiders early with a leg injury.
Now, they will have to manage the next couple of games without Peat on the court. On Tuesday night, the team announced that the potential lottery pick has a muscle strain in his lower leg and will be re-evaluated in one week.
That timeline puts Peat out for at least the next two games, which are both going to be a big challenge for Arizona without the star power forward. The Wildcats are slated to take on AJ Dybantsa and BYU on Wednesday night before heading on the road to play No. 2 Houston on Saturday. Of course, there is a chance that he is out longer than a week if the injury lingers, as the postseason awaits less than three weeks away.
One of Arizona's biggest strengths is its size and ability to dominate the paint, and the luxury of starting Peat at the four and then bringing Tobe Awaka off the bench is a big part of that. Now, Awaka likely slides into the starting lineup, which hurts Arizona's shooting and its bench production. Time will tell how well Lloyd and company manage the loss.
Peat has been one of the best freshmen in a dominant class of youngsters this season. He burst onto the scene back in November with a 30-point game in his college debut against Florida, and currently ranks second on the team with 13.8 points per game.
If Peat's injury does stick around longer than anticipated, he may miss a home game against Kansas on Saturday, Feb. 28. If Arizona wants to make a run through the Big 12 Tournament and get deep into the NCAA Tournament, having Peat available and healthy is a must.
