Archbishop Mitty has been one of the dominant national high school basketball programs recently. Star forward Aaron Gordon has moved on collegiately to the Pac-12. As a result, this upcoming Monarch season will lean heavily on senior point guard Connor Peterson who has committed to the Azusa Pacific Cougars of the Pacific West Conference.
The 6-foot-2 and 185 pound guard has good mobility and quickness that allows him to break down defenders while also being agile in his perimeter defense. Peterson transferred from Leigh to Mitty after his freshman year where he has helped the Monarchs to 31 and 28 win seasons in the past two seasons. As a senior, Peterson will be able to be the focal point as he had the advantage of playing with his older brother at Leigh and with Gordon.
Peterson believes playing with his older brothers has been beneficial, "My older brother Trevor and I used to play basketball together on an organized team for about five years. It was always harder playing in a higher age group but it was something that helped me get better. My oldest brother Leyton plays basketball at West Valley. The three of us have always battled against each other in basketball, we are always trying to beat each other one on one and challenge another to make us better."
Two summers ago, Peterson was on the Oakland Soldiers roster and coach Nick Enzweiler had this to say. "Connor is a great playmaker who can finish around the basket extremely well and has a superior ability of getting his teammates involved offensively as well. Connor is also a good shooter especially under pressure. He also plays very solid defense both on the ball and in help side situations. He has very solid fundamentals and when you couple that with his outstanding athleticism you get a dynamic, well rounded player that is a coach's dream."
For the Monarchs to come anywhere near the win total in either of the past two seasons, Peterson has to increase his output to replace Gordon. His time with Gordon was a positive learning experience as he reflects. "Playing with Aaron is truly a blessing. Playing together with somebody of his caliber is remarkable because he has taught me so much. Having grown up down the street from him, he has taught me how to lead a team and become a factor in games. He makes everybody on the team better and brings a lot of enthusiasm."
Oakland Soldiers Coach Ray Thomas had this to say about his development and his decision to commit to Azusa. "I think his biggest improvement has been his decision making. We asked Connor to be our point guard. Run the team and take care of the basketball. He did that all spring and summer pretty flawlessly. He got away from the flashy high-risk passes and became a steady guy who was hard to keep on the bench. I think he will be stud at Azusa contributing from day 1. When a guard of his size, skill set, and athletic abilities fall to D2, it has all conference player written all over him. Connor is a winner."
Azusa plays in the PacWest Conference, which is comprised of schools in California, Hawaii, and Utah. The Cougars feature a multi-guard set as they have six non-senior guards on the roster this season. Peterson's skill set will allow him to compete for playing time as he first will lead his Monarchs during his senior year in San Jose, Calif.
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