Impressive — that’s the word that best describes Emory University’s star junior guard Ben Pearce.
With lightning-quick speed, a remarkable ability to cut on a dime and a basketball IQ that will leave you wondering if he has eyes pointing in every direction on the court, Pearce is currently leading Emory men’s basketball to their best season in program history — the team ranked as high as No. 1 in Division III a few weeks ago.
This season, Pearce is averaging 17.4 points per game and 5.6 assists per game with incredible efficiency, shooting 37.9% from three and 85.9% from the free-throw line. During a game against Bowdoin College (Maine) in December, Pearce became the 19th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points.
But leaving an impact on the court isn’t new to Pearce. Hailing from Tuckahoe, N.Y. — a village of less than 7,000 people 40 minutes north of New York City — Pearce has played basketball for as long as he can remember.
At Rye Country Day School (N.Y.), Pearce was a two-time basketball team captain. He scored over 1,000 points by the end of his junior year and led his team to win the 2019 state championship. Pearce was also a multi-sport athlete, becoming a two-time track state champion and a Metropolitan Independent Football League champion by the end of his sophomore year of high school.
However, Pearce’s path was not as glamorous as one may expect for a talented basketball player. In fact, he said that he often felt “under the radar” because his high school was not in a top division.
When a knee injury cut Pearce’s junior year short and the COVID-19 pandemic canceled his senior season, his college aspirations and future in basketball were up in the air. Still, Pearce chose not to give up on his dream of playing collegiate basketball and went on to play a post-grad year at the Pomfret School (Conn.). He flourished in Connecticut, earning New England Preparatory School Athletic Council Class B Player of the Year honors.
After a year of playing post-grad, Pearce committed to Emory, which had been recruiting him since his senior year.
“It was the perfect decision for me, the perfect opportunity that I wanted when I really figured out what I valued in going to a school,” Pearce said. “Sometimes you can get caught up in chasing Division I … but then I really put it into perspective and I figured that this was the best option for me.”
Pearce burst onto the scene during his first year at Emory, setting a freshman program record for single-season scoring with 468 points while starting all 26 games.
Senior guard Albert Fallas said that Pearce was the “most talented freshman” he had seen during his time on the team, adding that his work ethic and mental maturity are an important part of his success.
“He’s a very hard worker,” Fallas said. “Mentally, he does a really good job of staying grounded — doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low.”
Freshman guard Will Otto echoed this sentiment. He said that Pearce often texts teammates to ask if they want to get in the gym to put up extra shots before or after practice.
According to Otto, Pearce’s infectious positivity and energy make him one of the team’s primary leaders. Head coach Jason Zimmerman added that Pearce has grown tremendously as a leader during his time on the team.
“When you’re a point guard and you’re on the court, you have to be a leader, so you don’t have a choice,” Zimmerman said. “His growth in that has been phenomenal.”
Pearce’s leadership on the court is evident to fans who attend Emory basketball games. Throughout the game, Pearce constantly offers a supportive pat on the back after a missed shot or a celebratory high-five after a made one.
“Everyone’s best when they’re empowered,” Pearce said. “Just continuously telling guys that they’re gonna hit shots, they’re gonna have a big day, to just stay at it.”
Pearce’s leadership also reaches beyond the court. Otto said that he is the best person to learn from, with Pearce often giving him advice on which classes to take and which clubs to join.
In addition to Pearce’s basketball talent and leadership abilities, he also possesses a hidden superpower that drives his success — his family.
“I have to credit my family because honestly, I have the best support system,” Pearce said. “Before and after every game, I talk to my mom, my brother texts me, my sister texts me, my dad texts me — they all text me just encouraging me.”
Pearce’s older brother Max Pearce played basketball at Purchase College (N.Y.) and now plays for the Harlem Globetrotters, while his older sister Jinjer Pearce ran track at Cornell University (N.Y.). Pearce said his siblings paved a road for him to pursue collegiate athletics.
“Just having siblings that have been through that experience, we just kind of laugh together,” Pearce said. “They help me. They’re kind of like additional parents to me.”
During a top-seed matchup that featured No. 2 Emory against No. 4 New York University (NYU) a few weeks ago, Pearce experienced what he described as his favorite memory to date, with his family and friends packed in the stands for the blockbuster game.
With his fans in attendance, Pearce did not disappoint. In the final stages of the game, NYU cut the Eagles’ lead to four points, but a big-time three from Pearce powered Emory to the win. Pearce recalled the excitement in the stands after making the last-minute shot.
“I wasn’t even thinking at the time, but I just turned and my family was there, everybody was just right there in the middle of the court,” Pearce said. “We were all just celebrating together, and that was the biggest moment for me.”
Pearce finished the game with a season-high 28 points, leading Emory to a 77-65 victory.
Despite a recent tough weekend in which the Eagles fell to the University of Chicago on Jan. 24 and Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.) on Jan. 26, the team bounced back to edge out Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.) 91-85 on Jan. 31. Pearce and junior guard and forward Jair Knight each scored 25 points, with Pearce also dishing out eight assists and setting up key shots for his teammates in crucial moments.
Off the court, Pearce plans to pursue professional basketball before transitioning into a career in sports business. As a business and sociology major, Pearce is already gaining valuable experience as the founder and president of the Emory Sports Business Association. In the future, he aims to launch his own sports-focused company.
But that will all come later, and for now, Pearce and the rest of the team are preparing for the postseason. Amid hopes of a championship, Pearce explained that it has always been about the team rather than his own individual statistics.
“We want to obviously win the conference championship … and then we think we have a legit shot to win the national championship,” Pearce said. “Those are obviously the big goals and if we’re able to do that then whatever individual goals will follow that.”
