"Is that paolo banchero?": Hoops fans react to 5-star forward Koa Peat's elite hooping skills; compare him to NBA's Paolo Banchero 

Koa Peat remains one of the few Top 10 recruits in the Class of 2025 to have not committed to a college yet. While he thinks about his preferred college, he has not taken his foot off the accelerator playing for the Perry Pumas. Their 59-49 win against the Central Catholic ended the Rams' 23-game winning streak that dated back to the previous season.

Koa Peat looked tremendous on both ends of the floor as he took charges, rose high to clear the board, finished off alley-oops, and even finished tough shots in the paint. A famous basketball page posted highlights of the Gilbert, AZ native on their Instagram page:

Hoops fans took to the comment section of the video to post their reactions, with some of them comparing Peat to NBA players:

Hoops fans react to 5-star forward Koa Peat's elite hooping skills; compare him to NBA's Paolo Banchero

"Is this paolo banchero?" a fan compared Peat with the 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year.

"Going to the league easily keeps up the same mature energy along with simple playing style," a fan claimed that Peat could go to the NBA with his current momentum.

"@koapeat Beardown man! We’d love to see you play in Tucson next season," commented another fan.

More fans compared Peat with other NBA players and commended his skills:

Hoops fans react to 5-star forward Koa Peat's elite hooping skills; compare him to NBA's Paulo Banchero

"Watching Koa Peat’s highlights, I’m getting flashes of Carlos Boozer’s power, Julius Randle’s versatility, and Kenyon Martin’s intensity. He’s like a blend of all three with his own unique edge—dominant in the paint, explosive in transition, and relentless on both ends. The sky’s the limit for this kid!" this fan drew comparisons with 2-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, 3-time NBA All-Star Julius Randle, and 2000-01 NBA Rookie of the Year Kenyon Martin.

"He college ready now. Reclassify my boi 😂," commented a fan.

"Looks like Paolo banchero clone .. straight man child lol," a fan claimed that he looked like Paolo Banchero,

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A look at Koa Peat's stats

Todd Peat Sr.'s son Koa Peat averaged a double-double in the last season with 20.5 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.4 APG, and 2.2 BPG for Perry High School. In the 2022-23 season, he won the Gatorade Player of the Year, averaging 19.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.3 steals per contest.

For Team USA, he won three gold medals in the U17 National Team in the FIBA U17 World Cup in Malaga, Spain, the 2023 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Merida, Mexico, and the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup.

Furthermore, he was the highest scorer for Team USA in Malaga, Spain, where he averaged 17.2 points.

The Arizona Wildcats lead the race to land Peat.