Nijal Pearson


Nijal Pearson is an American basketball player for Chorale Roanne Basket of the French LNB Pro A. He competed in college basketball for the Texas State Bobcats.

Early life and high school

Pearson grew up in Beaumont, Texas and attended Central High School. As a senior, he averaged 18.5 points, seven rebounds and nine assists per game and was named the co-District 22-5A MVP and Class 5A All-State by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.

College career

Pearson was a starter at small forward for the Bobcats as a true freshman and averaged 13.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. As a sophomore, he led the team with 15.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game and was named to the third team all-Sun Belt Conference. Pearson was named first team All-Sun Belt as a junior after averaging 16.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. He was named the MVP of the 2018 Portland Classic after scoring 33 point in the championship game against Portland. He became Texas State's all-time leading scorer on January 18, 2020 in a 23-point performance in a win over Louisiana, breaking Charles Sharp's 60-year-old record of 1,884 points. Pearson scored his 2,000th career point against Georgia Southern on February 20, 2020. Pearson was named the Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year as a senior. He averaged 19.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.

Professional career

In May 2020, Pearson agreed to terms with Chorale Roanne Basket of the LNB Pro A.

Personal life

Pearson is the son of Stephanie Lartigue-Pearson. He has an older brother, Elijah, while his oldest brother Nico died from testicular cancer in 2010. Pearson's girlfriend is Kayla McNutt. She gave birth to the couple's daughter, Nova Lael Pearson, on February 8, 2020. After playing against Appalachian State in Boone, North Carolina, Pearson took an Uber to Charlotte and took the first flight in the morning to see his newborn girl.