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By Noah Maltzman
Cronkite News
GILBERT – Fueled by exceptional team chemistry and the desire to build a legacy, the Perry High School boys basketball team has its sights set on winning a third consecutive state championship.
The Pumas are off to a good start in that pursuit after defeating Willow Canyon, 75-43, in a first-round game Wednesday night. The state’s top-ranked team will face Deer Valley on Friday.
Perry, which has not had a losing season since 2016-17, took a 19-6 record into the state tournament, to go along with a 6-2 split through eight games in the 6A Premier region. Despite playing in the toughest region in the state, Perry had a point differential of +403 and defeated opponents by an average of 16 points per game.
The two most pivotal figures for the Pumas are coach Sam Duane Jr., a six-time state title winner, and Koa Peat, the fourth-ranked recruit in the ESPN 100 for the 2025 class.
Duane Jr. studied the game of basketball under his father, Sam Duane Sr., who won four state championships as the head coach at Corona del Sol High School in Tempe.
Duane Sr, who is a member of the Arizona High School Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame, passed on knowledge to his son but also allowed Duane Jr. to evolve and grow into his own type of coach.
“Everything I do is based on what he instilled in me, and not just basketball,” Duane Jr. said. “He taught me how to be a good person, have a work ethic, pay attention to detail and even hold players accountable.”
It can be difficult to live under the shadow of a parent who won as many titles as Duane Sr. However, this never fazed Duane Jr., who managed to match his dad in winning four state championships at Corona.
Following back-to-back trophies over the past two seasons at Perry, Duane Jr. now combines with his father for a whopping total of 10 state championships.
“It’s tough to win three in a row,” Duane Jr. said. “When you win back to back, there’s going to be a target on you. This means that you get every opponent’s best effort each night.”
Duane Jr. is not the only person trying to establish a legacy. Peat, who already has two championships and two gold medals with Team USA juniors, has lofty but not unrealistic expectations for this season and next.
When asked about the chances of matching his brother Cassius, who won four titles with Duane Jr. at Corona, Peat was very clear: “That’s what I’m going to do.”
Peat, whose siblings Andrus and Cassius both played for Duane Jr. during his successful tenure at Corona, ended up at Perry because of his desire to learn from Duane Jr. and to join an infectious team culture.
Andrus and Cassius have had a major impact on Koa because they paved the way and established a standard for what can be achieved as a high school athlete, with Cassius winning four state championships and Andrus winning one of his own.
Peat is similar to his siblings in that he wants to win and be great. He is different from his siblings in that they were all multi-sport athletes, whereas Koa has focused all of his attention on basketball.
Peat, who is 6-feet-8 and 215 pounds, uses his frame effectively, imposing his will on opposing defenses.
He also has tremendous touch and athleticism and is capable of shooting the ball from the outside. He’s confident when pulling the trigger on mid-range jump shots and also has a good feel for the game, particularly when there is an opportunity to push the ball in transition.
While it is common for highly touted recruits to struggle with the expectations bestowed upon them, Peat believes that “pressure is a privilege.”
Despite being the No. 1-ranked team in the state, Peat still does not think that the Pumas are playing at the peak of their capabilities.
“We are not playing the best we can play but we are getting wins nonetheless,” Peat said.
Duane Jr. and Peat understand that to win basketball games on the court, the team also needs to be a tight-knit group off the court.
“The guys love each other,” Peat said. “We come in every day happy to play together and work hard.”
The team spends a lot of time together, both during the season and over the summer. This bonding time allows teammates and coaches to get to know each other individually.
There are other methods used by Perry to create a strong bond and boost team chemistry. Some of these include community service projects, bowling, and traveling out of state, most recently to Oregon and Massachusetts.
“We trust one another and that’s a big reason why we are successful,” Duane Jr. said. “The players trust our staff, our staff trust our players and the players trust each other.”
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