Libertyville Grad Headed To NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16

INDIANAPOLIS, IN —After a standout basketball career at Libertyville High School and a two-year stop at Rice University, former Wildcat Drew Peterson is making a name for himself on a national stage. Local residents will want to watch for him during this Sunday's Sweet 16 matchup as the No. 6 seed University of Southern California Trojans take on No. 7 Oregon.

The 6-foot-8 Peterson is a starting guard for the Trojans, who this past week defeated No.3 seed Kansas 85-51 in an NCAA Tournament West Regional second-round game in Indianapolis, earning their first trip to the Sweet 16 in 14 years.

"This game meant a lot to our program and our fans. USC basketball is on the rise," Trojans head coach Andy Enfield said after the win.

Peterson was an Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Boys Basketball All-State selection as a senior in 2018, when he averaged 25.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He scored 1,550 points during his three varsity seasons at Libertyville.

During this past week's NCAA contest, which was the third biggest margin of defeat in Kansas history, Peterson played all but six minutes, tied for second on the team with eight rebounds, and scored five points, including a big second-half 3-pointer that gave the Trojans a 21-point lead over the Jayhawks (21-9).

The performance came two days after Peterson scored 14 points in a 72-56 win over No. 11 seed Drake in a first-round contest.

• Libertyville Grad Helps Lead Southern Cal To Sweet 16

"We posted (Peterson) up in the first half, and he was able to use his length and shoot over some people," Enfield said after the Drake game.

The game is set to start at 8:45 p.m. on TBS — you can also watch it live online.

Patch writer Dan Shalin contributed to this article.