Koa Peat Bruce Pearl remembered that the recruitment failed

Former coach of the Auburn Tigers Bruce Pearl couldn’t help but take a carefree hit on Arizona Wildcats freshman Koa Peat after his explosive college debut. Pearl reminded Peat of his extensive recruitment efforts, which ultimately failed, when Peat has returned his commitment to Arizona in March.

During a postgame interview following Arizona’s upset win over the No. 3 Florida Gators, Pearl appeared on the show to congratulate Pete. The veteran coach playfully reminded the freshman of his unsuccessful pursuit Peat and fellow top AJ Dibants.

“This is coach Bruce Pearl. Do you remember a few years ago when I traveled to Istanbul, Turkey, trying to chase you and AJ Dibants, to maybe come to Auburn, and none of you gave me a sniff. Remember that?” Pearl asked in a video shared by TNT Sports.

The freshman from Arizona acknowledged the recruitment with a knowing smile.

“Yeah, sure. I remember that. AJ’s my man, man,” Peat replied. “That’s my roommate, USA. That’s my boy.”

Pearl’s search for Peat was serious business. He went all-in on Gilbert, an Arizona native, even though the Tigers ultimately failed to crack his final roster. Peat chose 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 Pitt’s historic debut. The freshman dropped 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists in Arizona’s 93-87 win over the defending champion. He connected on 11 of 18 shots and made 9 of 10 free throws, the second-best debut in Wildcats history.

That dominant performance relative to Florida’s size is 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 got buckets.”

The Arizona forward thanked his teammates for the daily training that prepared him.

“I mean, I think it’s just Big Mo and Toby watching over me at practice every day,” Pete explained. “Those guys are, I think, one of the best center forwards in the country, and they don’t get as much attention as these other guys, but I think we showed that tonight. I think we showed tonight that we’re a really good frontcourt, and I’m just thankful for my teammates. We’re going to keep getting better every week.”

Peat wasn’t the only elite prospect Pearl pursued in the Class of 2025. Pearl also pursued Dibanca, the top-ranked player in the cycle. Auburn made Dibantsina first seven before dropping out of the race. The 6-foot-9 wing signed with the BIU Cougars in December, marking another recruiting flop for the Tigers.

Pearl’s jab at Peat showed he can laugh about recruiting. But the freshman’s 30-point explosion against the defending champions made it clear why Auburn struggled so hard to land him.