Peyton Watson

Peyton Tyler Watson (born September 11, 2002[1]) is an American basketball player. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. A McDonald's All-American in high school, he was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top small forwards in the 2021 class.

Peyton Watson
Watson with UCLA in 2021
Personal information
Born (2002-09-11) September 11, 2002
Beverly Hills, California
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High schoolLong Beach Poly
(Long Beach, California)
CollegeUCLA (2021–2022)
PositionShooting guard / Small forward
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  United States
FIBA Under-19 World Cup
2021 LatviaTeam

High school career

Watson attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California, joining the varsity team as a freshman.[2] After coming off the bench earlier in his career,[3] he assumed a leading role in his junior season.[4] He averaged 23.2 points and eight rebounds per game,[5] earning Moore League MVP honors.[6] He was named to the rosters for the McDonald's All-American, Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit.[7]

Recruiting

Watson was a consensus five-star recruit, one of the top small forwards and the highest-ranked player from California in the 2021 recruiting class.[8] On July 27, 2020, he committed to playing college basketball for UCLA over offers from Arizona, Gonzaga, Michigan, Oregon and Washington.[9]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Peyton Watson
SF		 Long Beach, CA Long Beach Poly (CA) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Jul 27, 2020 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 94
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 12  247Sports: 8  ESPN: 12
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "UCLA 2021 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  • "2021 UCLA Bruins Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  • "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 17, 2021.

    College career

    As a freshman at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2021–22, Watson joined an experienced group that had advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament a year earlier.[10] All five starters returned, and he received no guarantees about his playing time.[11] Watson's defense was more advanced than his offense. However, the Bruins had other established scorers.[10] He received honorable mention for the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.[12] He averaged 3.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 12.6 minutes per game, and made just 32.2% of his field goals and 22.6% of his 3-pointers. His playing time was sporadic, and he logged 10 minutes or more in just two out of the last seven games of the season.[13] On April 12, 2022, Watson declared for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[14]

    National team career

    Watson represented the United States at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Latvia. He averaged four points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, helping his team win the gold medal.[15]

    Career statistics
    Legend
      GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
     FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
     RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
     BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

    College
    Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
    2021–22 UCLA 32012.7.322.226.6882.9.8.6.63.3

    Source: [16]

    Personal life

    Watson's father, Julio, is a medical device representative, and his mother is an event planner. He has a younger brother, Christian, who plays basketball at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, and a younger sister, Jolie Grace.[17]

    References
    1. "Peyton Watson". fiba.basketball. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
    2. Bien-Kahn, Joseph (June 11, 2020). "Peyton Watson's Crash Course in Stardom". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
    3. Morales, Robert (December 30, 2019). "Long Beach Poly guard Peyton Watson helping young Jackrabbits grow". Press-Telegram. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
    4. Guardabascio, Mike (July 9, 2019). "Next One Up: Peyton Watson, Long Beach Poly Basketball". The 562. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
    5. "USA TODAY High School Sports Awards: Los Angeles boys basketball nominees". USA Today. April 22, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
    6. Morales, Robert (April 23, 2021). "UCLA's tournament run brought joy to Long Beach Poly coach Shelton Diggs". Press-Telegram. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
    7. Guardabascio, Mike (February 24, 2021). "Long Beach Poly's Peyton Watson Named McDonald's All-American". The 562. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
    8. Bolch, Ben (July 27, 2020). "Familiarity breeds content as top prospect Peyton Watson picks UCLA". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
    9. Borzello, Jeff (July 27, 2020). "Top California prospect Peyton Watson commits to UCLA". ESPN. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
    10. Bolch, Ben (February 2, 2022). "Making defense seem elementary, Peyton Watson quickly becomes a UCLA star". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
    11. DeCourcy, Mike (November 23, 2021). "Top freshman Peyton Watson takes shot at helping UCLA skip First Four and head straight toward Final Four". Sporting News. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
    12. Allen, Trevor (March 8, 2022). "Utah Basketball Standouts Carlson, Stefanovic Receive All-Pac-12 Honors". KSLSports.com. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
    13. Bolch, Ben (April 12, 2022). "Peyton Watson announces he's leaving UCLA after one season, entering NBA draft". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
    14. Royer, Benjamin (April 12, 2022). "UCLA Men's Basketball G/F Peyton Watson Declares For 2022 NBA Draft, To Hire Agent". Retrieved April 12, 2022.
    15. "Peyton Watson (USA)'s profile – FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2021". FIBA. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
    16. "Peyton Watson College Stats". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
    17. Archbold, Rich (December 4, 2020). "Peyton Watson, Poly High star, helps Long Beach Boys & Girls Clubs; you can help, too!". Press-Telegram. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
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