The NBA Finals have not started yet but it is time for 28 other teams to start preparing for next season. The lottery was held on May 16th, the final deadline for early entry withdrawal is June 12th, and the draft will take place on June 22nd. We will spend the next few weeks interviewing as many members of this year’s draft class as possible. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel commences our coverage by chatting with USC G Drew Peterson about being a great 3-PT shooter and what it would mean to him to get drafted.
You began your college career at Rice where you started 24 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? It was a big change of pace from high school but I had some early success. It was a hard year but Coach Scott Pera started me a lot and I loved my experience there.
Why did you decide to transfer in 2020, and what made you choose USC? There were a couple of moving pieces as we entered COVID. It was kind of a timing thing but I also wanted to try playing for a bigger school. I committed to Minnesota for a couple of days but then decommitted because I had rushed it. After discussing it with my family I thought that USC was the perfect all-around fit for me.
You are a 6’9” guard: how were you able to develop backcourt skills despite being tall enough to play in the frontcourt? Growing up I always tried to develop my ball-handling/shooting, which has helped me play on the perimeter and push the ball in transition. I also had great trainers who helped me during my whole life.
In the 2021 NCAA tourney you had 3 straight wins before losing to Gonzaga in the Elite 8: what is the key to winning games in March? A lot of it comes down to experience. We rode a big momentum wave that year and had a great all-around team. Great guard play is also a main focus…but having a big guy like Evan Mobley who was a next-level type of talent really helped!
In February of 2022 you had 27 PTS/12 REB/5 BLK in a 3-PT win over UCLA: how do you explain the rivalry with the Bruins to someone who has never seen it in person? It is awesome! I had heard about notable rivalries like Duke-UNC while growing up but seeing the commitment from both of our schools in terms of how much we care about sports is cool. We never lost to UCLA at home during my time at USC, which I am proud of, and to play well in a big game like that was an awesome experience.
In the 2022 NCAA tourney you scored 17 PTS (including 8 PTS in the final 44 seconds) but Charlie Moore made 2 FTs with 3 seconds left in a 2-PT win by Miami: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? It was unfortunate because we had a late comeback that could have been like Northern Iowa’s loss to Texas A&M in the 2016 NCAA tourney. I wish Charlie did not get that questionable call at the end…but they were a good team so I give them credit.
You shot 38.4 3P% during your 3 years at USC: what is the secret to making shots from behind the arc? Just consistency/repetition. Coach Andy Enfield helped me a lot with my shooting. You have to know what you do well and pick the right spots to be as efficient as possible.
You were named 1st-team All-Conference during each of your final 2 seasons: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? I am really grateful for that and how everything worked out. The staff had incredible trust in me and we made the NCAA tourney every single year.
You suffered a back injury toward the end of the regular season last spring: how is your health doing at the moment? Great! I am fully back to normal. I did not have to sit out any games but I am really happy to be back in great health. I took it for granted before the injury occurred but have finally learned how to stretch for the 1st time in my life!
What would it mean to you to get drafted, and what is the post-graduation plan if you do not get drafted? It would be awesome! I am looking to make my way and prove that I can stick in the NBA. The draft itself is just 1 night but I am hungry and ready to prove that I can make an impact.