Early Life
Elijah Pepper was born in Shepparton, Australia, before relocating to Washington. He comes from a family of basketball players, with his dad and uncle having played professionally. He is the oldest of four siblings, with Noah and Levi being his younger brothers and Makenna, his younger sister.
Elijah graduated from Selah High School and considered it his proudest personal accomplishment. He chose UC Davis because of the excellent facilities, the people involved with the program, the team’s potential to succeed, and the outstanding relationships with the coaching staff.
High School
Elijah Pepper led Selah High School to a 24-2 record and was named conference MVP for the second year as a junior. He ended the 2017-18 season as Washington State 2A Player of the Year. As a freshman, averaging 21.1 points per game, scored 503 points, and played a crucial role in helping SHS win the first of three straight Central Washington Athletic Conference championships.
He included all-league first-team honors, a district championship, and the first of four consecutive 20-win seasons in his debut season. In just three years, Elijah became the school’s all-time leading scorer with more than 1,650 points to his credit, an accomplishment bound to occur sooner than later since he crossed the 1,000-point threshold midway through his sophomore season. Pepper also twice tied the school’s single-game scoring record by finishing with 46 points.
2021-22 Season
Elijah Pepper led UC Davis in scoring charts with a career-best of 15.1 points per game. He finished fifth in the Big West Conference among scorers. In addition to finishing fifth among scorers, he was the second-best player among the steals and rebounds. Showing how talented and promising Pepper has been since very early in his career. Not only that people, the young and talented player also scored 30 points to lead UC Davis to a win over Pacific on Dec. 1. In the season, his 129 total rebounds were also a career-best for the young and talented basketball performer.
Career Stats
This player’s career stats are worth-applauding and worth praising. So far, he has shown his talents in more than 100 games. And during these games, he has been a force to reckon with. He boasts an impressive average of 22.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.
Honors & Awards
Elijah Pepper has also won numerous awards during his short but brilliant basketball career. He was named to the 2022-23 Preseason All-Big West Coaches Team. Moreover, he also made it to the 2021-22 All-Big West Conference Second Team. In addition, he was a member of the 2020-21 All-Big West Conference Second Team.
Future Prospects
So far, the performances have been exceptional and awe-inspiring. Pepper will be eligible for the NBA draft in 2024 and is expected to improve further by the time his name comes up in the NBA draft. He is one of the bright stars to watch out for!
