TITLE: Arizona’s Koa Peat Stays in NBA Draft as Many Peers Head Back to College
SLUG: koa-peat-remains-in-nba-draft-while-others-return-to-school
CONTENT:
Arizona freshman forward Koa Peat will stay in the 2026 NBA Draft and leave the Wildcats after one season, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello reported just ahead of Wednesday’s 11:59 p.m. ET withdrawal deadline.
Peat averaged 17.2 points and 7.6 rebounds over five NCAA tournament games and had been projected 27th overall to Boston in ESPN’s latest mock draft. The 6’7” forward struggled to shoot consistently at the draft combine, hitting 6-for-25 in the spot-up drill and 7-for-25 in the three-point “star” drill—second-worst among participants—while displaying a noticeably slower release. “I’m trying to shoot the same way every time,” Peat told ESPN, adding that he expects improvement soon.
Draft analyst Jeremy Woo has suggested Peat could profile as a small-ball center at the next level.
Most Prospects Withdraw and Return to Campus
While Peat moves on, the majority of players announcing decisions Wednesday chose to preserve eligibility:
Milan Momcilovic — The Iowa State forward is exiting the draft and will decide on a new school, his agents said. Widely viewed as the nation’s top transfer and best shooter, Momcilovic is now the marquee name in the portal.
Tyler Tanner — Vanderbilt’s All-SEC point guard is coming back for his junior year after averaging 19.5 points and 5.1 assists in 36 games.
Jeremy Fears — The Michigan State floor leader, second-team All-American as a junior and Division I assists leader at 9.4 per game, will return to East Lansing.
Dennis Parker — The Radford senior-to-be is withdrawing and transferring to Kansas.
Finley Bizjack — Butler’s veteran guard will head to West Virginia for his final season instead of turning pro.
Rowan Brumbaugh — The Tulane guard plans to finish his career at SMU after taking his name out of the draft.
Colby Garland — San Jose State’s senior guard will suit up for Georgia Tech next season.
Okorie Remains Draft-Bound
Ebuka Okorie of Stanford is staying in the draft, his agent confirmed. The freshman led the ACC with 23.2 points per game.
The NCAA’s withdrawal deadline allows players to maintain college eligibility if they remove their names by the cutoff time; Peat and Okorie were the notable exceptions Wednesday, opting to stay in the 2026 class.
Source: Hoops Rumors
