Pelle Larsson
| No. 3 – Arizona Wildcats | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard / small forward |
| League | Pac-12 Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born | February 23, 2001 Nacka, Sweden |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Utah (2020–2021) Arizona (2021–present) |
| Career history | |
| 2018–2019 | RIG Luleå |
| 2019–2020 | BC Luleå |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Pelle Larsson (born February 23, 2001)[1] is a Swedish college basketball player for the Arizona Wildcats. He previously played for the Utah Utes.
Early life[edit]
Larsson grew up in Nacka, Sweden, and is the son of Christian Larsson, a former member of the Sweden men's national basketball team.[2][3] As a youth, he played for the local Skuru IK basketball team before moving north at age 16 to join BC Luleå.[4] He played two seasons with RIG Luleå and BC Luleå in the Swedish Basketball League, being named the league's star of the year in his first season at the top level with averages of 7.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.8 steals per game.[5][6]
College career[edit]
Larsson moved to the United States in 2020 to play for the Utah Utes.[2] He became a starter seven games into his freshman season and averaged 8.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists; he was 50.0% on 3-point field goals in conference games which was the third-best in the Pac-12, and he was second in the conference with 88.3% of his free throws made.[7] He announced a transfer to the Arizona following his only season at Utah.[8]
In his first season at Arizona, 2021–22, Larsson was named the Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year and appeared in all 37 games, averaging 7.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists.[9] He played in all 35 games and had 18 starts in 2022–23, averaging 9.9 points and 4.3 rebounds.[10] He initially entered the 2023 NBA draft but later announced he was returning to Arizona for his senior year in 2023–24.[11]
International career[edit]
Larsson has represented Sweden at the under-16, under-18 and senior levels, including averaging 6.3 points in 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers.[12][13]
References[edit]
- ^ "Pelle Larsson". NBADraft.net.
- ^ a b Quinn, Brendan (December 13, 2022). "It's Pelle Larsson's turn to step into the light at Arizona". The Athletic.
- ^ Marshall, John (February 15, 2024). "Pelle Larsson putting his body on the line every game for No. 5 Arizona". Associated Press.
- ^ Newman, Josh (January 3, 2021). "Utah basketball's Pelle Larsson at the forefront of Runnin' Utes' overseas movement". The Salt Lake Tribune.
- ^ Scheer, Jason (May 8, 2021). "Highlights: Utah transfer Pelle Larsson". 247Sports.
- ^ Drew, Jay (January 13, 2021). "Freshman guard Pelle Larsson, a Swedish import, making instant impact for struggling Utes". Deseret News.
- ^ Pascoe, Bruce (May 9, 2021). "New transfer Pelle Larsson brings shooting touch, physical game to Wildcats". Arizona Daily Star.
- ^ Newman, Josh (May 9, 2021). "Utah hoops star freshman Pelle Larsson commits to Arizona after entering NCAA Transfer Portal". The Salt Lake Tribune.
- ^ "Pelle Larsson". Arizona Wildcats.
- ^ Scheer, Jason (April 25, 2023). "Pelle Larsson enters NBA Draft". 247Sports.
- ^ Pascoe, Bruce (May 16, 2023). "Pelle Larsson confirms he will return to Arizona Wildcats for 2023-24 season". Arizona Daily Star.
- ^ "Pelle Larsson". Proballers.com.
- ^ Pascoe, Bruce (August 30, 2022). "Arizona's Pelle Larsson wraps up Swedish national team experience with win". Arizona Daily Star.