The latest commitment is the newest commitment for the Bearcats! He was at Utah State under coach Calhoun and will help bring familiarity with the system and high energy upside!
On the Court:
Perryman’s freshman year saw him average 13.9 minutes per game, averaging 4.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 0.8 steals per game. He committed 1.4 fouls per game and turned it over 1.4 times this year. This year’s highlight came in February against Fresno State, where he had 16 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 turnover in 19 minutes of action. While the Big 12 is a major step up in competition, there are areas of his game that I believe can translate into him being a solid role player. On offense, he had a 22% usage rate with an efficiency that left something to be desired. Where he shines on offense is facilitating, with an assist rate of 35.4%. His defensive profile is ahead of his offensive profile, where he has very strong metrics. He does extremely well at creating turnovers, and his defensive efficiency is very good. Overall, I’d expect him to be a defensive playmaker doing well as a playmaker, but likely will need to be surrounded with guys who can help space the floor, allowing Elijah to facilitate.
Comparison:
A historical comparison here drew me to Bloomington and the Hoosiers. Trey Galloway played in a program record 140 games for Indiana over his career, and his senior year (2025), he averaged 8.8, 2.3, and 4.7 on the year. Similar to Galloway, Perryman had a 35.4% assist rate, meaning he plays with a high IQ and will look to pass first on offense. On defense, Galloway really sparked the transition game and was able to disrupt opponents offense. Perryman has shown glimpses of these same traits. Within coach Calhoun’s system, Perryman has the ability to anchor the offense while being a defensive menace.
Overall, this is a depth piece this year, and Elijah will have the opportunity to grow over the next couple of years.
