Taelon Peter
| Indiana Pacers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | February 27, 2002 |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Russellville (Russellville, Arkansas) |
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 2025: 2nd round, 54th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Indiana Pacers |
| Playing career | 2025–present |
| Career history | |
| 2025–present | Indiana Pacers |
Taelon Joseph Peter (born February 27, 2002) is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Pacers in the second round of the 2025 NBA draft. He played college basketball for the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles, Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys and Liberty Flames.
Early life
[edit]Peter was born on February 27, 2002, and grew up in Russellville, Arkansas.[1] He attended Russellville High School where he competed in basketball and track and field as a high jumper.[2] He won two state championships in the high jump and in basketball, averaged 16.0 points per game as a senior.[1][3] He was all-state in track and field and was named the Class 5A West Player of the Year, River Valley Now Player of the Year, all-state and all-conference in basketball.[1] After high school, he signed to play college basketball for the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles in 2020.[4]
College career
[edit]Peter only played six games as a freshman for Tennessee Tech in 2020–21 before transferring to the NCAA Division II-level Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys.[4] He averaged 10.0 points playing in 25 games off the bench for Arkansas Tech in 2021–22.[4] He then became a starter in 2022–23, averaging 15.5 points while making 44% of his shots.[4] In 2023–24, he was named the Great American Conference (GAC) Player of the Year and first-team All-GAC after averaging 18.5 points and starting every game for the Wonder Boys.[4][5]
Peter finished his three-year stint at Arkansas Tech with overall averages of 15.0 points and 5.2 rebounds and transferred to the Liberty Flames for his final year of eligibility in 2024–25.[6] In one season with the Flames, he averaged 13.7 points and 4.0 rebounds, being selected third-team All-Conference USA and the Conference USA Sixth Man of the Year.[7] He led the conference in free throw percentage and also was the national leader with a true shooting percentage of .724, "a statistic that combines field goal and free throw shooting proficiency".[7]
Professional career
[edit]Peter was selected by the Indiana Pacers in the second round (54th overall) of the 2025 NBA draft.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Taelon Peter". Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles.
- ^ May, Easton (July 9, 2020). "The state record that never was". RiverValleyNow.com.
- ^ Davenport, Richard (January 16, 2020). "Russellville's Taelon Peter just starting to heat up". WholeHogSports.com.
- ^ a b c d e Gordon, Bryson (January 24, 2025). "Peter excels as 6th man". The News & Advance. p. B1, B4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Taelon Peter of ATU top men's player in GAC". Magnolia Reporter. March 7, 2024.
- ^ a b Glenesk, Matthew (June 26, 2025). "Who is Pacers' pick Taelon Peter? 'This is why the NBA draft is beautiful because you hear guys like Taelon Peter hearing their name'". The Indianapolis Star.
- ^ a b Dopirak, Dustin (June 26, 2025). "Pacers take Liberty sharpshooter Taelon Peter with the No. 54 pick in NBA draft". The Indianapolis Star.
