The Pepperdine men’s basketball team will have the exciting services of Colbey Ross for one more season.
Ross, who gave hints of future greatness during his outstanding career at Eaglecrest High School during which he helped the Raptors win a Class 5A state championship, recently announced he would return for his senior campaign instead of making himself available for the NBA Draft.
That’s fantastic news for coach Lorenzo Romar’s Waves, who have seen the 6-foot-1, 180-pound guard make a huge impact since his arrival, as those who watched him play for coach John Olander at Eaglecrest might have anticipated. He was a two-time Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year — one of only two Aurora players to accomplish the feat, the other was Regis Jesuit’s Bud Thomas — and helped the Raptors play for the 5A state title in each of his last two seasons.
Welcome back, @cdot_ross!
The senior Wave is returning to Malibu after averaging 20+ PPG, breaking the school record for career assists & assists per game AND is set to break the Pepp scoring record within the first game back this season.
It’s cool, @marchmadness. We got you. pic.twitter.com/3mhkDlYm4W
— Pepperdine Men’s Basketball (@PeppBasketball) August 3, 2020
Ross has started all 98 games he has appeared in over three seasons at Pepperdine and has racked up 647 assists in those games (an average of 6.6 per game) with a career scoring average of 17.7 points per game to boot. The two-time All-West Coast Conference first team selection (and three-time all-conference honoree) averaged a career-high 20.5 points per game last season and led the Waves (16-16) in a slew of statistical categories.
Ross somehow remains under the radar in some ways, but he’s caught many eyes on the national scene that will be eagerly awaiting his senior season. He seems a sure bet to be the latest Aurora-area player to make the NBA.
— Courtney Oakes, Sports Editor