Journey To Jadwin - Blake Peters '25
6/30/2025
I just want to be remembered as a winner.Blake Peters
It is safe to say Blake Peters '25 will be remembered just as he hoped. Most famously, Peters became a March Madness darling during Princeton’s 2023 Sweet Sixteen run, when he connected on 10 three-pointers as the No. 15 seed Tigers downed No. 2 seed Arizona and No. 7 seed Missouri. He was also part of three Ivy League Championships, one Ivy League Tournament Championship, two NIT appearances and high major wins over Rutgers (twice), Oregon State and South Carolina.
Whether it was lighting it up at the NCAA Tournament, diving for a loose ball or outhustling a taller player for a rebound, no job was too big or too small for Peters. Each season his role changed, but the intangible qualities he brought were the same. Peters went from having a limited role as a freshman, to being an instant offense driller off the bench as a sophomore to starting every game his junior year. As a senior, Peters came off the bench for the first half of the season before reprising a starting role for the second half. He could always be counted on to put the team first and represent Princeton with pride.
Peters’ journey to Jadwin began in Grapevine, Texas, and included a brief stint in Keller, Texas, before his family made the move to Highland Park, Illinois, to be closer to his mother’s (Shana) family. Peters has pondered the trajectory of his life had he remained in Texas. Perhaps he’d have been a quarterback instead of a shooting guard.
Before starting eighth grade, the Peters family would move to Evanston, Illinois, citing the athletics culture at the school better positioning Blake and his brother Ian to live out their basketball dreams. In addition to basketball, learning classical guitar and how to speak Mandarin were parts of Peters' upbringing.
Those dreams began when Peters’ father, Ashley, first introduced him to the sport in first grade. Father-son workouts began early, as there was an outdoor court just a 10-minute walk from Peters’ elementary school. Ashley would also take his son to the Lincoln school, a 10-minute drive away, and rebound for his son on the hoop in the parking lot.
“Back then it was all low stakes, we were doing it because we could bond over it,” said Peters. “I always loved to be around the game even from that age, it was always fascinating to me.”
Chicagoan Dwyane Wade was also an early role model for Peters. While acknowledging their games were different, there was much he admired about the Miami Heat superstar.
I tried to incorporate Dwyane Wade's toughness, unselfishness and competitive nature into my game. He’s someone I looked up to.Blake Peters
Things began to get serious for Peters at third grade AAU Nationals at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney under some improbable circumstances. He’d been playing for his Jewish Community Center’s (JCC) AAU team, but it did not go to nationals, so he ended up playing with a rival team called Rising Stars. Joining up with a rival program caused Peters much initial hesitancy, and he only agreed to play once he had the blessing of his coach from the JCC. In another ironic twist, the Rising Stars squad resembled a future Ivy League All-Star team. Peters teamed up with Cooper Noard, a rising senior at Cornell, and Brooklyn Net Danny Wolf, who spent his freshman and sophomore seasons at Yale before transferring to Michigan. Jake Wolf, Danny’s younger brother who played at Washington U., was also on the team.
Rising Stars, with Peters’ help, finished third in a tournament comprising the top AAU programs in the country. On an individual level, Peters' play was highly productive, even making a pair of game-winning free throws. Unlike his workouts with his dad during his younger days, he knew this was high stakes. Coaches and parents were treating it like March Madness.
Okay, this is my thing. I’m going to do everything I can with my dad as well. We’re going to do what we can to make me into the best player possible.Blake Peters
When playing for Rising Stars, Peters met Jaylin Gibson, who he immediately forged a close bond with both on and off the court. Gibson, who recently graduated from Lewis University, played point guard and was the perfect backcourt partner for Peters. The duo played all the way up to Nike EYBL and their first two seasons of high school basketball together. Their teams ran a dribble-drive offense, which resulted in frequent Gibson kickout passes to Peters three-pointers.
“We were inseparable, we were very close,” said Peters. “We were close friends, and you could see that in how we played together.”
The on-court chemistry and friendship Peters had with Gibson was another driving force behind his move to Evanston Township.
The program at Evanston Township and meeting Head Coach Mike Ellis became turning points in Peters’ basketball journey. He describes Evanston Township as a “college program that plays in high school” and that it took him to a “different stratosphere” athletically.
Stacey Moragne, an assistant coach at Evanston Township and a long-time friend also played a crucial role in Peters’ development. He refers to Moragne as a “basketball savant.” Moragne ran workouts for college and pro players from Evanston and the north suburbs of Chicago who were home for the summer, along with the best high school players. Peters participation in them helped elevate his game to the next level. He trained and bonded with his high school teammates Lance Jones and Nojel Eastern, who both went on to play at Purdue, and Sam Silverstein, who played at Harvard and is now at UIC, among other elite players.
“He’s been a first-class human being to me and my family,” said Peters of Moragne. “He’s a big part of the reason why I grew to love the game so much.”
Ellis, Morange and the staff at Evanston Township threw Peters into the fire, and he wouldn’t have had it any other way. He recalls his first summer league tournament, where at age 14 he was playing against 17 and 18-year-olds. As the weeks went on, Peters started getting more comfortable and his production increased. However, that comfort didn’t last long. Once school started, Ellis began putting Peters and his potential teammates through his legendary conditioning sessions, of which Peters describes as having some “Navy SEAL stuff in them.”
To make the varsity team, players had to condition four times a week at 6 a.m., on top of open gyms and lifting. Peters ended up as only one of four freshmen to make varsity.
I credit it with building my mental toughness and knowing how to push through things.Blake Peters
It only took a short span of time before Peters began to make a name for himself at the high school level. By the team’s Thanksgiving Tournament his freshman year, he had cracked the starting lineup.
Peters’ first viral moment came in January of his freshman season when he made a one-handed, 80-foot buzzer beater to give Evanston Township a 45-44 win over Maine South. The game-winning heave was named the day’s top play by SportsCenter and Peters was nominated for Best Play at the ESPYs, where he spent four days in Los Angeles for the star-studded event. Arike Ogunbowale, who made game-winning shots for Notre Dame in the Final Four and Championship game, would win Best Play but the experience was an unforgettable one for a 15-year-old Peters. He was even recognized by the likes of Jalen Brunson and Baker Mayfield. The Evanston City Council proclaimed that Jan. 29, 2018, was Blake Peters Day in Evanston, such was the impact of his buzzer beater.
Coming off the high of his viral moment, Peters faced some adversity and felt he did not play up to the standards he set for himself until the playoffs rolled around. As a 15-year-old, he had a hard time dealing with the amount of attention he was receiving. However, in true Blake Peters style, he was able to turn things around when it mattered most.
“I credit my family and my coaches,” said Peters. “They never let me get sidetracked with the wrong things. They were very honest with me and told me if I kept worrying about the right things and working hard, things would take care of themselves.”
The Wildcats made it to State and faced Whitney Young in the semifinals, a basketball powerhouse that produced current Tiger Dalen Davis. While Evanston Township lost that game, Peters scored 23 points in what he felt was his true breakout moment.
Peters took that momentum into the summer and played for an AAU program called Mean Streets. While he played at a high level, he was not receiving as much attention from college coaches compared to some of his peers. He thought perhaps it was his height, or the goggles he played in.
The lack of attention only poured fuel on Peters’ fire. As a sophomore he made over 100 three-pointers and tied the school record, even making nine in a game against Maine South. Peters also displayed the grit and tenacity he was known for at Princeton, finishing as the team’s second-leading rebounder.
While Peters still felt overlooked by college coaches that summer, he received his first offer from UW-Milwaukee Head Coach Pat Baldwin.
I sat down on the stairs at my house, got off the phone and started crying. For two years I thought I had been deprived of these scholarship offers that everyone around me had been getting and that I was better than all the players who were getting them. It was a moment that reminded me to keep going.Blake Peters
Peters received two more offers that summer and worked heavily on his game, reinventing himself from a purely catch-and-shoot player to one who could create off the dribble.
Evanston Township was set to play Loyola in the Sectional Final Peters’ junior year, but the COVID-19 Pandemic saw the season end prematurely. The next time Peters would wear the Evanston uniform was in January 2021, when the team had a shortened season and played in masks. Peters was grateful to be out there again and ended his high school career as the program’s all-time leading scorer. That season was Peters’ turn to be the leader, a role he relished playing alongside a group of seniors he had risen through the ranks with. At the Chipotle Classic, he made a game-winning shot against a Notre Dame Prep team that featured Louis Lesmond, who played at Harvard.
Peters’ four years at Evanston Township put him in a position to accomplish his academic and athletic goals, and there were two schools he hoped to achieve them at. One of them was Michigan. Peters’ father was from Michigan, and he had an uncle who went there. Growing up the Peters family regularly watched Michigan basketball, and he became a fan of their elite guards like Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jordan Poole. Peters also loved watching Michigan football and was attracted to the university’s strong academic reputation.
The other school was Princeton.
Princeton came on the radar around eighth grade as Peters began to think about what type of shape he wanted his life to take. There were three main reasons for this, one of them being its proximity to New York City. At a young age, Peters gravitated to the ambition and energy the city represented. When Peters was in eighth grade, Princeton made the NCAA Tournament, and it showed him that you can play in the Ivy League and accomplish the dream of playing in March Madness. That Tiger squad featured Steve Cook ’21 who attended New Trier High School, a rival of Evanston Township, so the Chicago area connection was there.
The final reason?
From doing the research and seeing who went there, it was very clear you could be both a student and an athlete. Between the combination of the people you meet, the professors and everything else, I thought I could go there and really make something of myself.Blake Peters
While most 14-year-olds aren’t thinking so specifically about what they wanted their college experience to be, Peters was.
However, getting that college experience did not come easily. After the UW-Milwaukee offer, Peters took visits to Dartmouth, Colgate and Miami (Ohio) the fall of his junior year, and while those were all great options, they did not line up with his athletic and academic ambitions as much as Princeton did.
That summer, he attended the Princeton Elite Camp. Peters was not invited and attended on his own initiative. He recalls receiving an introductory text from then Associate Head Coach Brett MacConnell the night before the camp and thinking it was “the coolest thing ever!”
It didn’t take long for Peters to become enamored with the beauty of Princeton’s campus. After a brief stop at Starbucks on Nassau Street, Peters and his father walked towards Rocky and Nassau Hall, immediately falling in love with the place.
After checking in for the camp at Baker Rink, Peters introduced himself to MacConnell, who did not recognize him at the time. After the first day of the camp however, the entire Princeton staff was well acquainted with Blake Peters.
“I’ve never played better than the first day of Elite Camp. I played perfect basketball; it couldn’t have gone any better.Blake Peters
Peters spoke with Mitch Henderson for 20 minutes after the camp, and while he described Henderson as being “vague” about what the future held, he came away knowing Princeton would be an option for his future.
Former assistant coach Jonathan Jones came to watch Peters at an open gym, but nothing concrete came of it. Due to COVID-19, recruiting slowed down so Peters became more proactive and started reaching out more.
A man of habit, Peters would listen to music before taking a shower. One day, halfway through a song the speaker shut off.
“Who the hell is calling me at 1 p.m. on this random day in the middle of COVID?”
It was Brett MacConnell.
A few weeks prior, Peters sent him film from a game against Bloom, the number one team in the state. MacConnell proceeded to ask Peters what jersey color and number he was, which left Peters feeling perhaps Princeton wasn’t as high on him as he thought.
After reviewing the film, MacConnell was in love with what he saw from Peters. That conversation truly got the ball rolling for Peters’ eventual commitment to the Tigers. He’d unofficially commit on June 1, then officially commit on June 13.
“I was proud, step one down,” said Peters. “I wanted to have a good college career, so I don’t remember celebrating all that much, but it was a good feeling.”
Once he got to Princeton, Peters was part of countless special moments. He lists the 2023 March Madness run as his favorite memory, followed by his senior night win over the University of Pennsylvania, where scored a career-high 25 points and drained seven three-pointers.
Peters also fondly recalls some of his travel experiences, especially to London and Spain in 2022.
Spain was one of the best weeks of my life. As a team, we let our guards down and bonded. It set the stage for what we did that season.Blake Peters
Peters’ play at the 2023 NCAA Tournament, along with his iconic interview after the Tigers downed Missouri and advanced to the Sweet 16 will forever be part of Princeton lore. After making five three-pointers and helping the Tigers become just the fourth No. 15 seed to make the Sweet 16, in shades of Kevin Garnett, Peters could not hide his emotions in front of a national audience.
Anything is possible!Blake Peters
The Tigers, and Peters, had inspired the nation. The viral interview even received a quote tweet and approval from the Big Ticket himself. The Wall Street Journal, long a favorite publication of Peters, included him in a feature story and the New York Post dubbed him “The Most Interesting Man in the NCAA Tournament.” CBS Sports came to the team hotel to interview Peters during its halftime show.
Despite the individual attention he received, Peters prefers to focus on the team’s accomplishments and praise others. He acknowledges that while Tosan Evbuomwan ‘23, Ryan Langborg ‘23 and Keshawn Kellman ‘23 got the headlines, the steady leadership and embrace of team over self displayed by Jacob O’Connell ‘23 and Konrad Kiszka ‘23 deserves a lot of credit for the team’s success.
“There was never a doubt in my mind they were all in on what we were trying to do,” said Peters. “It’s impossible to overlook Jacob and Konrad’s contributions … they were both locked in on us.”
As a junior, Peters stepped into a starting role and helped guide Princeton to a third consecutive Ivy League Championship. As a senior, despite coming off the bench the first half of the season, Peters had a historic three-point shooting season and became one of the team’s best defenders.
Peters personified what it meant to be a Princeton basketball player. In addition to his on-court accolades, Peters racked up the academic awards. He was named Academic All-Ivy League and College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District in 2025 and to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court in 2024.
There’s a standard of excellence. You work hard on the court. You work hard in the classroom. You recruit people who are committed to doing both of those things. It’s more than a team, it’s an institution.Blake Peters
His freshman year, he remembers thinking there were millions of people that would do anything they could to trade places with him. Peters was determined to do everything in his power for the program and not waste the opportunity.
“When you wear Princeton across your chest, there’s a weight to it in a good way,” said Peters. You must be the best version of yourself.”
His advice to incoming freshmen is to immerse yourself in Princeton immediately. Working Reunions his sophomore year, along with March Madness, was Peters’ first real crash course in the weight Princeton holds with the broader community and the alumni community
The place means so much to so many. When you understand that, it makes you play that harder. It makes you work that much harder and carry yourself to a different standard. People are watching and care about what’s going on.Blake Peters
The hard work paid off for Peters. His name is etched in the record book, with his 204 career-three-pointers ranking seventh all-time in program history. His 82 made three-pointers in the 2024-25 season are tied for fourth all-time at Princeton, and his 64 in 2023-24 are tied for No. 16.
True to his nature, Peters deflects the credit whenever his name being in the record book gets brought up and believes the banners mean more.
A lot of those threes were assisted, so it’s a reflection of my teammate’s belief in me and the way we play. I appreciate the system for letting a guy like me shine.Blake Peters
More than the prolific three-point shooting, Peters hopes to be membered for being a player who would always do the dirty work and get down in the weeds to make something out of nothing.
Moving forward, Peters will begin working at Summit Trail Advisors in New York City in July. Again, Peters is getting thrown straight into the deep end and will get a crash course in investing in multiple different asset classes. Peters views being a first year Analyst like being a freshman in college or high school. He’s excited to start over, work hard, build himself into something and earn his reputation.
Those who know him are aware Peters aspires to serve his country in some capacity down the road. Jerome Powell ’75, Chair of the Federal Reserve, spoke at the 2025 Commencement Ceremony and his message of having both a private and public sector career resonated with Peters. Those who have the privilege of knowing him know he will thrive in both roles and bring the same qualities he brought to Princeton to his future teams.
As much as Peters is thankful for Princeton, Princeton is thankful for Peters.
That’s another reason why I gravitated to Princeton, there is a genuine commitment to serving not only yourself, your family and the university but also the nation and humanity. Those are values I very much identify with. I hope whatever I do in my career I’m contributing to the greater good.Blake Peters
