Perry boys' basketball can cement high school dynasty behind top recruit Koa Peat

There's more parity in Arizona boys' high school basketball this year, mainly because one of the Big 2 is now playing for the Colorado Buffaloes.

But as long as 6-foot-8 Koa Peat still is pulling down rebounds, blocking shots and scoring points, Gilbert Perry is the favorite to win the Open championship again. His former teammate, 6-8 Cody Williams, paired with Peat last year to create a powerful Pumas team. Williams has since moved on to college ball.

Still, Peat is in a category by himself in Arizona, one of those positionless players who can bring the ball up the court, facilitate and make everyone around him better. There's a reason he's got two gold medals playing for junior USA teams and is ranked among the top five in the nation in the 2025 class.

It seems like he's done so much for so long but he's only embarking on his junior season, and that is why it looks like Perry can be the kind of dynasty that Tempe Corona del Sol was during Sam Duane Jr.'s time coaching there. Duane now coaches Perry.

During that 2011-15 span, Duane had another Peat, Cassius Peat, who won four state championship rings. Koa is trying to do what his brother did, roll up four state titles in a row.

Perry has won two state titles in row behind Peat in his first two years of high school.

To make it three in a row, he'll need help, and since the end of June's Section 7, which on the surface might have looked like a disappointment, Perry's basketball team is locked and loaded and ready to roll into the season, which starts Nov. 22 for the Pumas at 5 p.m., against Catalina Foothills in the LV8 Invitational at Chandler-Gilbert Community College.

"I think if we work every day, I think we definitely have a chance to play that last game," Peat said. "That is our goal."

Peat did get some help since the summer.

Trey Mckinney, a 6-7 junior forward, moved in from Walla Walla, Washington.

"He's a really good player," Duane said. "He gives us something we didn't have this summer.

"He'll take some pressure off of Dre (Harrison) and Koa."

Guard NoNo Brown is back from an injury that caused him to miss June.

Starters D'Andre Harrison and Barron Silsby return. Jonas Cederlind, Dominic Avalos and Don Tinsley should help.

"We're actually deeper this year," Duane said. "We're not as long and as athletic. I like the makeup of our team. We're still trying to define roles, playing off of (Peat). "

Perry went 31-1 last year, the lone loss coming to Pinnacle, 65-63, on Jan. 3. The Pumas made up for that in the second round of the 24-team Open rolling to an 87-34 win.

Phoenix Sunnyslope, the team the Pumas beat handily in the Open state championship game, should give Perry the biggest challenge, returning its top three players — guards Rider Portela and John Mattingly and forward Jai Anthoni Bearden. The Vikings also add two of the top freshmen in the state in guard Delton Prescott and center Darius Wabbington.

"A concern is keeping this team hungry and focused day in and day out, which is an attribute of a great team," Sunnyslope coach Ray Portela said.

Goodyear Millennium, Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep and Scottsdale Desert Mountain out of 5A can give both Perry and Sunnyslope a run with great experience and marquee players returning.

Phoenix St. Mary's out of 4A has a shot to win the Open.

But, in the end, all roads point to Perry with Peat standing in the way.

"He's really facilitating the ball well," Duane said of Peat. "He's hitting the open guy. I don't think he gets enough credit for his passing ability. And he has a really high IQ."

Perimeter play and outside shooting are huge. Peat and move inside and outside. The guards can knock down 3s.

"That's really going to free some guys up, including Koa," Duane said.

The schedule is brutal, the toughest one Duane has ever had, and that counts his days at Corona del Sol when he had Marvin Bagley III and Alex Barcello.

The Pumas will play in the Hoophall West in Scottsdale against New York power Archbishop Stepinac and California-power Havard-Westlake. They'll be playing in the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts and could face Miami, Florida power Christopher Columbus in Portland, Oregon at the Les Schwab Christmas tournament. Columbus features 6-9 junior Cameron Boozer.

They'll have a game on Jan. 13 at Georgia-power Grayson.

"It's going to toughen us up," Duane said. "It's going to make us ready for the Open. Our team always wants to play our best at the end of the year. And this will get us ready."

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Perry boys basketball can cement dynasty tag behind Koa Peat