Arizona F Koa Peat remains in draft as 38 early entrants withdraw

Field Level Media|published: Thu 28th May, 22:06 2026

Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) is defended by Michigan Wolverines guard Nimari Burnett (4) and Michigan Wolverines forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) in the second half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Forward Koa Peat, a projected first-round pick, will remain in the 2026 NBA Draft and will not return to Arizona for his sophomore season.

Peat's decision was one of the handful still unknown before the NBA on Thursday released a list of 38 early-entry candidates who withdrew from the draft pool.

The 6-foot-8 Peat, who admitted he struggled at the NBA Draft Combine, averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists while helping to lead the Wildcats to the Big 12 regular-season and conference titles.

The Arizona native raised his game during the NCAA Tournament, averaging 17.2 points and 7.6 boards in five games as the Wildcats advanced to the Final Four before falling to Michigan.

While Peat heads to the pros, many of the early-entry candidates that withdrew will change uniforms in the college ranks as they entered the transfer portal at the same time as testing the draft waters.

Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic may be the single most sought-after player in the group, with recent reports naming Arizona, Kentucky, Louisville and St. John's as his suitors. Ex-Kansas big man Flory Bidunga is already committed to Louisville, as is Southern California 7-foot-5 center Gabe Dynes.

Earlier this week, Billy Richmond III reportedly changed course at the last minute and chose to return for another year at Arkansas.

And most recently, Baylor guard Tounde Yessoufou withdrew from the draft Thursday and announced his commitment to St. John's. A five-star recruit last year, Yessoufou averaged 17.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for the Bears as a freshman.

The list included three international players taking their names out of consideration: Bassala Bagayoko (Bilbao, Spain), Marc-Owen Fodzo Dada (Nancy, France) and Alexandros Samodurov (Panathinaikos, Greece). North Carolina is reported to have interest in Samodurov, a power forward.

Players withdrawing from draft (with 2025-26 school):

Matt Able, North Carolina State

Amari Allen, Alabama

Alijah Arenas, USC

Flory Bidunga, Kansas

Finley Bizjack, Butler

John Blackwell, Wisconsin

Shane Blakeney, Drexel

Anton Bonke, Charlotte

Rowan Brumbaugh, Tulane

Elliot Cadeau, Michigan

Rueben Chinyelu, Florida