CHICAGO (March 15, 2023) — In its 38th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Koa Peat of Perry High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade Arizona Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Peat is the second Gatorade Arizona Boys Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Perry High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Peat as Arizona’s best high school boys basketball player. Peat joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Chet Holmgren (2020-21, Minnehaha Academy, Minn.), Trae Young (2016-17, Norman North High School, Ok.), Jayson Tatum (2015-16, Chaminade College Preparatory School, Mo.), and Karl-Anthony Towns (2013-14 & 2012-13, St. Joseph High School, N.J.).

The 6-foot-8, 215-pound sophomore guard led the Pumas to a 30-1 record and the Open State Tournament championship this past season. Peat averaged 19.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.3 steals per game, and dropped 35 points in Perry’s 74-58 win over Sunnyslope in the state final. Ranked as the nation’s No. 3 recruit in the Class of 2025 by ESPN.com, he concluded his sophomore year with 1,055 points in his prep basketball career.

Peat has volunteered locally with the Komatke Branch of the Boys and Girls Club on the Gila River Indian Community reservation. He has also donated his time fundraising for multiple families as part of Christmas tree and toy drives. “As a sophomore, he is a strong and powerful athlete who can influence the game with his body, skill and basketball intelligence,” said Paul Biancardi, National Recruiting Director for ESPN. “Peat owns the versatility to score, defend rebound and make the assist. His on-court traits stand out and elevate his talent. He’s mature, possesses terrific work habits and has positive body language in addition to being competitive and coachable.”

Peat has maintained a weighted 3.44 GPA in the classroom. He will begin his junior year of high school this fall.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.

Peat joins recent Gatorade Arizona Boys Basketball Players of the Year Dylan Anderson (2021-22 & 2020-21, Perry High School), DaRon Holmes (2019-20, Millennium High School), and Nico Mannion (2018-19, Pinnacle High School), among the state’s list of former award winners.

Being a Gatorade Player of the Year means paying it forward for the next generation. Through Gatorade’s Play it Forward initiative, every Player of the Year receives a grant to give to one of Gatorade’s social impact partners, supporting Gatorade’s ambition to fuel the future of sport. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $3.5 million across more than 1,300 organizations.

For nearly 40 years, Gatorade has honored high school athletes at the top of their game as teammates, supporting their communities and achieving academic success. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes and community leaders, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport.

To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate studentathletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.