NCAA Tournament: 3 things you may not know about Southern California's Drew Peterson

Three things you may not know about Southern Cal senior Drew Peterson at the NCAA basketball tournament being played at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. 

Drew Peterson is a rare 6-foot-9 assist leader 

Sure, he’s 6-foot-9 and one of Southern Cal’s best rebounders. But Peterson spends much of his time at the top of the key as a ball-handler and leads the team with 110 assists. 

Call him a point center. 

Peterson had 19 assists during a three-game stretch this season against Pacific, UCLA and Washington. The middle game was his low with four assists. But he also had 27 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots. 

More:Your guide to the 2022 NCAA March Madness Tournament Greenville Regional

Transfer destination changed 

Peterson played two seasons at Rice before transferring out and committing to Minnesota. He changed his mind, however, from the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul to Los Angeles. 

As a sophomore, Peterson averaged 11.1 points per game while leading the Owls in rebounds (6.5) and assists (3.5). He started 56 of 62 games during his two years at the Houston school. Peterson was a three-star recruit whose only other offers were from Kent State, Bowling Green and Illinois-Chicago. 

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Close friend died at age 20 

Luke Weiland, a lifelong friend of Peterson in Libertyville, Illinois, was found dead in his room two years ago at the University of Nebraska. He was a business administration major who had returned to campus in July of 2020 for an internship. 

Weiland’s death shook Peterson.  

“I’m kind of dedicating my future in basketball to him,” Peterson said in a video by Southern Cal. “... It gives me that little extra bit of effort that I need to just make sure I’m doing everything that’s right and especially on the basketball court.”