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That’s not supposed to happen, is it?

A Top 10 talent in the class of 2025 who has received college basketball offers since eighth grade, Peat is exactly the sort of guy who can get plucked away from public high school life after a year or two to join a basketball “academy� and breathe almost exclusively on the court until college.

But not Peat. On Wednesday, the 6-8 forward joined 13 other Perry athletes at a spring signing ceremony before an auditorium packed full of students, staff and media, saying pretty much the same appreciative things everybody else did.

“You guys are amazing,â€� Peat said of his teammates, while also thanking a lengthy list of coaches and trainers, and adding: “I’m super excited that I came down to the choice of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, to go play for coach (Tommy) Lloyd and an amazing coaching staff. I’m super excited for this next chapter in my life.â€�

That’s how one chapter ended. Peat made sure of it.

The prep school and academy recruiters never had a chance.

“They were talking to my parents, but every time my parents brought it up to me, I didn’t even talk to any of those guys,â€� Peat said. “I thought Perry was the best decision for me. It’s five minutes away from my house. You’ve got the best coach ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has ever seen, coach (Sam) Duane. So I didn’t see any reason why I would leave, especially because we’re playing a national schedule. We’re one of the best teams in the country.â€�

That part is no exaggeration. In 2024-25, Perry won the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Open Division title, finished 26-2 and ranked No. 4 nationally, the highest-ever postseason ranking for an ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ team in MaxPreps history.

Also, Perry had students pursuing other interests, attending regular classes in regular buildings and going to prom, even.

“For sure. It’s cool,� Peat said of his high school experience. “You get to go play basketball in front of the kids you go to school with. You got the crazy environments coming to Perry just to watch you play. That’s what it’s about. I think we left a legacy here and a community here that will live on for years.

“I would say to young kids that are coming into high school, go to your public schools, because you can do it. You can do it at your public school.�

Peat did it in a way that drew plenty of attention to himself and his team. A McDonald’s All-American and three-time ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Gatorade Player of the Year, Peat led Perry to four state championships, including the last three in the Open Division, a literal four-Peat, if you will.

According to the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Republic, Peat averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.6 blocks as a senior while finishing his four-year varsity career with a total of 2,154 points. He also played the Pumas’ final two playoff games with a broken hand.

He made it hard to look elsewhere. Yet, Duane said Peat never made it about him.

“I have so much respect for Koa because of the way he handles himself, because with all the media and attention he gets, he stays low-key with it,� Duane said. “He wants to win and there’s zero ego. No ego, and he’s competitive and coachable. I’ve truly enjoyed coaching him for four years.�

Duane said Peat would “flourishâ€� at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, where he is expected to jump immediately into the Wildcats’ starting lineup as a freshman next season. That appears most likely at power forward, possibly in a post rotation along with returnees Tobe Awaka and Motiejus Krivas, but Peat said he is willing to fill in wherever Lloyd wants him.

While deciding to play for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ over schools such as ASU, Houston, Baylor and Texas, Peat said he visited McKale Center “a lot of times,â€� learning how he might fit in.

“It was seeing their style of play, watching them throughout the season, talking to the coaches and building that trust with the coaches,â€� Peat said. “Then, also talking to the players to see how they feel, how ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ is as a school and how they like their situation there. I felt it was the right fit for me.â€�

Peat committed to the Wildcats on March 27, the morning of their season-ending loss to Duke, then flew across the country to go through McDonald’s All-American Game festivities in New York.

Peat did not play in the game itself because of the broken hand — he said he would get fully cleared on May 1 — but he did manage to spend a lot of time with Southern California guard Brayden Burries, who was in the final days before he also committed to the Wildcats.

“I was trying to recruit him to come to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥,â€� Peat said. “I was talking to him the whole weekend, just asking him where his head’s at, just telling him me and him would be really good together, that we would complement each other really well. Our play styles would fit together.â€�

Burries committed to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on April 9, pushing the Wildcats’ 2025 recruiting class to the No. 4 spot in 247’s composite team rankings. Burries and Peat are both five-star rated, while UA’s class also includes four-star forward Dwayne Aristode and three-star guard Bryce James.

“We’re gonna go out there and work,� Peat said. “I’m super excited for this class coming in and I’m super excited for the class that’s there to build great chemistry and just build a great team.�

In other words, for however long Peat remains a Wildcat, he’s interested in doing the same sort of thing he did as a Puma: Building a legacy just down the street — or interstate highway — from home.

“How I picked my decision was based on the coaches and how they’re going to play me, the winning program they have,� Peat said. “And it’s in the backyard of my state. So I’m just excited. I’m excited.�