Arizona will be down two regulars, including a starter, for Wednesday’s showdown with No. 23 BYU, and at least one could be out for longer
The school announced Tuesday that freshman forward Koa Peat has a muscle strain in his “lower leg area,” an injury that will keep him out for at least the next two games. He will be re-evaluated next week and will return to the court when cleared by the medical staff, according to a statement posted on social media.
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That means Peat will also miss Saturday’s showdown at No. 2 Houston.
Additionally, freshman wing Dwayne Aristode will miss a second straight game due to an illness. He sat out Saturday’s overtime home loss to Texas Tech, the same game that saw Peat start and play 11 minutes before not playing after halftime.
Peat is averaged 13.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, shooting 54.7 percent, but he’d struggled recently. He was 2 for 11 in the Feb. 9 loss at Kansas, scoring six points, and did not take a shot in the first half against Tech.
Senior forward Tobe Awaka is likely to move into the starting lineup for Peat, taking back the spot he held last season. Off the bench Awaka has been stellar, averaging 10 points and 9.7 rebounds per game on 60.5 percent shooting.
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UA coach Tommy Lloyd said after the Tech loss he would look to get freshman forward Sidi Gueye and senior guard Evan Nelson more involved to help with depth. Gueye logged 81 seconds in the second half against Tech but, like Nelson, has mostly been limited to mop up action in Big 12 play.
BYU will also be shorthanded, as senior guard Richie Saunders is out for the season after tearing his ACL on Saturday.
