Jaquori McLaughlin
October 27, 2025
Quentin Peterson
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 12/10/94
- Place of Birth: Hedgesville, West Virginia (USA)
- Position: PG
- Height (CM): 183
- Weight (KG): 84
- Junior Assoc:
- College: VMI (2013–2017)
- NBL DEBUT: 31/10/25
- AGE AT DEBUT: 31
- LAST NBL GAME: 18/02/26
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 31
- NBL History: Illawarra 2026
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Quentin Peterson was born in Hedgesville, West Virginia (USA).
NBL EXPERIENCE
Quentin Peterson made his NBL debut with the Illawarra Hawks at 31 years of age. He scored four points in his first game.
After defeating Melbourne in five games to win its first championship in 24 years, Illawarra entered NBL26 as defending champions under coach Justin Tatum. Trey Kell III (to Toyama), Hyunjung Lee (to Nagasaki) and Lachlan Olbrich (to Chicago) exited the championship roster, while Tatum added JaVale McGee (via Bayamón), Jonah Bolden (via Arecibo), Jackson Ball (via Hawke’s Bay), Biwali Bayles (via Nyon) and JaQuori McLaughlin (via Jakarta), with Sam Froling unavailable while recovering from the Achilles injury suffered during the previous Grand Final series.
After McLaughlin was released following three appearances, Q.J. Peterson (via Xinjiang) has signed with the Illawarra Hawks on a one-year deal mid-season.
For Hawks General Manager of Basketball, Mat Campbell, the signing marks a major step in solidifying the team’s offensive lineup.
“Q.J. is a proven scorer and competitor who can create opportunities and lift the energy of those around him,” said Campbell. “He’s played at a high level all over the world, and his experience and leadership will be invaluable for our younger players. We’re thrilled to welcome him to the Illawarra and can’t wait for fans to see what he brings to the floor.”
Peterson, who made his first appearance in Australia this season, was equally eager to don the Hawks jersey.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to play in the NBL. It’s a tough, respected league, and I’m ready to compete,” said Peterson. “The Hawks have a strong culture and passionate fans, and I’m looking forward to being part of that energy and helping this team win games.”
His NBL debut came at the WIN Entertainment Centre on October 31, where Peterson (4 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, and 1 steal) made one of 10 shots as New Zealand defeated Illawarra 102-60, with McGee (13 points and 10 rebounds) and Harvey (11 points and 3 rebounds) leading the Hawks while Sam Mennenga (21 points and 11 rebounds) starred for the Breakers.
Peterson (15.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists across 26 games) recovered from making only four of 23 shots across his first three appearances to become Illawarra’s third-leading scorer, providing another ball-handler and an aggressive scoring option through the second half of the season.
His best scoring game came against South East Melbourne at the WIN Entertainment Centre on December 4, where Peterson (42 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) came off the bench and made 16-of-25 shots, including six three-pointers, as Illawarra defeated the Phoenix 113-109 in overtime. McGee (29 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks) and Hickey (16 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 blocks) helped the Hawks survive South East Melbourne’s fourth-quarter comeback, while Wes Iwundu (22 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals) led the Phoenix. Peterson made a deep three-pointer to put Illawarra ahead 108-107 with 27 seconds remaining in overtime, producing the highest score by a Hawks player since C.J. Bruton scored 43 points during the 1998/99 season.
Peterson (5 points and 1 assist) endured one of his most difficult nights at Spark Arena on February 7, fouling out after committing four turnovers as New Zealand defeated Illawarra 106-95, with Blanchfield (19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals) and Harvey (19 points and 5 assists) leading the Hawks while Izaiah Brockington (27 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) starred for the Breakers. Following an incident involving Spark Arena facilities and a staff member, Peterson received a formal warning under the NBL Code of Conduct, was directed to provide a written apology and required to cover any costs associated with damage to the stadium.
McGee (19.3 points, 10 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks) and Harvey (16.9 points and 3.6 assists) remained Illawarra’s two leading offensive players, while Hickey (12.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists), Froling (11 points and 6.7 rebounds across 15 games), Swaka Lo Buluk (8 points), Grida (6.3 points), Peatling (6.1 points and 4.8 rebounds) and Blanchfield (5.1 points and 4.2 rebounds) were the other main contributors. McGee was named the Hawks’ MVP, Grida collected Most Improved Player and Players’ Player, Swaka Lo Buluk received Defensive Player of the Year and Peatling received the Coach’s Award.
With their finals hopes already over, Peterson (20 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists) made six of 12 shots as Illawarra closed the season in Hobart on February 18 with a 103-70 win over Tasmania, with Harvey (21 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal) and McGee (15 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks) leading the Hawks while Josh Bannan (17 points and 4 rebounds) was Tasmania’s best. The Hawks finished eighth with a 13-20 record after Peterson made three of six three-pointers and all five free throws in 23 minutes.
Quentin Peterson played one season in the NBL. He averaged 15.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 26 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 31 | Illawarra | 13-20 (8) | 26 | 634 | 397 | 85 | 92 | 11 | 74 | 21 | 3 | 50 | 58 | 140 | 323 | 43% | 62 | 165 | 38% | 55 | 62 | 89% | 56% | 53% | 42 | Totals | 26 | 634 | 397 | 85 | 92 | 11 | 74 | 21 | 3 | 50 | 58 | 140 | 323 | 43.3% | 62 | 165 | 37.6% | 55 | 62 | 88.7% | 57% | 53% | 42 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 31 | Illawarra | 13-20 (8) | 26 | 24.4 | 15.3 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 0.4 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 5.4 | 12.4 | 43% | 2.4 | 6.3 | 38% | 2.1 | 2.4 | 89% | 56% | 53% | 42 | Total | 26 | 24.4 | 15.3 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 0.4 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 5.4 | 12.4 | 43.3% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 37.6% | 2.4 | 6.3 | 88.7% | 57% | 53% | 42 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 42 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
Was a first-round pick in the 2018 G League Draft by Lakeland, Peterson was waived before heading overseas.
Peterson played for the New York Knicks during the 2023 NBA Summer League. He then returned to China.
Peterson played games in the NBA. He averaged 0 points, 0 rebounds, and 0 assists per game over his NBA career.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Czech Republic - USK Praha (2017) | South Korea - Anyang KGC (2017–2018) | Cyprus - APOEL (2018–2019) | Ukraine - MBC Mykolaiv (2019–2020) | Denmark - Bakken Bears (2020–2021) | Turkey - Gaziantep Basketbol (2021–2022) | China - Nanjing Monkey Kings (2022–2023), Jilin Northeast Tigers (2023–2024), Xinjiang Flying Tigers (2024–2025), Fujian Sturgeons (2026) | Puerto Rico - Vaqueros de Bayamón (2024) | Taiwan - New Taipei Kings (2024)
Peterson signed his first professional deal with USK Praha in the Czech NBL in September 2017 and averaged 21.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists in six games before moving to Anyang KGC in the Korean Basketball League.
With Anyang, he averaged 15.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game across 51 appearances during the 2017–18 season.
Peterson joined APOEL in Cyprus in November 2018 and averaged 15.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game before departing in January 2019.
In 2019–20, Peterson played for MBC Mykolaiv in Ukraine and averaged 29.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.1 steals over 18 games, finishing as the Ukrainian Superleague’s leading scorer.
Peterson joined the Bakken Bears in Denmark for 2020–21 and averaged 22.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. He was named league MVP and helped Bakken win the Basketligaen championship.
He moved to Gaziantep Basketbol in Turkey for 2021–22 and averaged 18.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
Peterson joined the Nanjing Monkey Kings for 2022–23 and averaged 28.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.0 steals per game across 38 outings.
He played for the Jilin Northeast Tigers in 2023–24 and averaged 27.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.4 steals across 40 games.
In 2024, Peterson joined Vaqueros de Bayamón in Puerto Rico and averaged 21.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.0 steal across 11 games. He also played for the New Taipei Kings in Taiwan, averaging more than 17 points, four rebounds and four assists per game while helping the club reach the finals.
Peterson returned to China with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers for 2024–25 and averaged 20.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
In March 2026, Peterson joined the Fujian Sturgeons. Across 18 CBA games, he averaged 26.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.8 steals in 28.2 minutes per game.
COLLEGE
Peterson carved out one of the most prolific careers in Virginia Military Institute history, arriving in Lexington as a dynamic scoring guard and leaving as one of the Southern Conference’s elite perimeter threats.
As a freshman in 2013–14, he made an immediate impact with VMI still competing in the Big South, averaging 19.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and quickly emerging as the Keydets’ primary offensive option.
He was named to the Big South All-Freshman Team, earned second-team All-Big South honours, and collected multiple Freshman of the Week awards, with standout performances including a 37-point outburst against Asheville as part of a season in which he had three games of 30 or more points.
VMI transitioned to the Southern Conference for Peterson’s sophomore year in 2014–15, and he continued to put up big numbers early, scoring in double figures in 16 of the first 18 games and posting seven games of 20-plus points.
However, a prolonged shooting slump coincided with personal struggles, and after a 75–63 loss at UNCG on January 14, 2015, he stepped away from the program on a medical furlough and missed the remainder of the season while leading the team at 19.6 points per game.
Peterson returned to the floor in 2015–16 and immediately re-established himself as one of the premier guards in the SoCon, leading the league in scoring at 19.8 points per game while also grabbing 6.3 rebounds per night.
His junior campaign featured a school-record 46-point performance against Mercer and multiple 30-point outings, helping him earn first-team All-Southern Conference recognition from both coaches and media, as well as All-State honours and SoCon Player of the Week and Player of the Month awards.
As a senior in 2016–17, Peterson again carried the Keydets’ attack, averaging 19.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from three-point range.
He posted several signature performances, including a 40-point game at Chattanooga, a 37-point effort against The Citadel, and a 13-rebound outing versus Charleston Southern, and was named first-team All-SoCon by the media and second-team All-SoCon by the coaches, in addition to making the All-Southern Tournament second team.
Across 113 career games (107 starts), Peterson averaged 19.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists, finishing among the conference leaders in scoring, rebounding, and three-pointers made in multiple seasons and cementing his status as one of VMI’s most productive and resilient guards of the modern era.
AWARDS
- Basketligaen champion (2021)
- Danish Cup winner (2021)
- Basketligaen MVP (2021)
- Ukrainian League Top Scorer (2020)
- 2× First-team All-SoCon (2016, 2017)
- Second-team All-Big South (2014)
- Big South All-Freshman Team (2014)
Related
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