OF the Aussies making a mark overseas, much of the attention goes to those suiting up for some of the higher profile schools.

However, there are still Australian players making a serious impact on other teams, such as Elijah Pepper, who has been showing an impressive level of development each year. A valued member of the UC Davis Aggies in the Big West Conference, the guard took his game to another level throughout the 2022/23 season.

Born in Shepparton Victoria, Pepper joined the team in 2019, and showed glimpses of a strong offensive game, albeit in a reduced role. However, his scoring has increased on a yearly basis, growing each season, and the 2022/23 season saw the biggest jump yet.

As a scorer, Pepper was a pillar of consistency for the Aggies, registering double-digits in 29 of his 31 appearances, stepping up to be an excellent scorer for his side. Although he had shown patches of strong scoring in the past, this past season was the culmination of those.

He reached 30 or more points on six occasions, including a four-game stretch between February and March where he hit that mark in each outing. He certainly took his game to another level in this sense and the team benefited from his strong scoring.

It was the most confident he has looked with ball in hand throughout his whole career, taking 16.5 shots per game to be the number one option on offence. After waiting patiently behind some of his teammates in his freshman and sophomore seasons, Pepper now has the reigns to control the team on the offensive end.

Pepper produced an average of 22.5 points per game, which is the most of any Aussie in the collegiate system. It is evident that he took full advantage of a career-high 35 minutes per game, emerging as the focal point of the team’s offence in a big way.

He was also a capable rebounder, using his six-foot-four frame to pull down double-digit boards on four occasions. Although hitting the court as a guard, Pepper took matters into his own hands on the glass at times, and ensured his side got first hands to the ball on both ends.

It looms likely he will have a similar role when he returns for a senior campaign, although it will be hard to improve his impressive numbers from his junior season. At the Aggies, Pepper is able to display the true scoring talent he possesses, and he showed signs of a professional scorer in the recently wrapped fixture.