MALIBU, Calif. — Pepperdine men's basketball freshman guard Anto Balian will utilize his redshirt eligibility this season, announced today.
 
"Anto and I mutually feel it's in his best interest to redshirt this season to continue his development to be a Division I and WCC contributor," said head coach Ed Schilling. "As an 18-year-old freshman, we believe an additional year will prove most beneficial."
 
Utilizing the redshirt allows a student-athlete who does not compete in any games for one season to still practice with the team, participate in all team activities and receive a scholarship. 
 
This allows Balian to continue to develop skills and physically mature while preserving his four years of athletic eligibility to be used over a five-year period. He is currently the youngest player on the roster and will be the lone teenager on the squad by the end of this month.
 
Balian arrived at Pepperdine from Pilibos Armenian School in Los Angeles, where he graduated as the 15th all-time leading scorer in California high school history with 2,980 career points. A three-time All-CIF and two-time All-State selection who averaged 32.8 points per game as a senior, Balian became the first student-athlete from an Armenian high school to earn a Division I basketball scholarship. 
 
He also joined the Armenian Senior National Team at age 16, quickly rising to the starting point guard role under head coach Rex Kalamian.
 
Balian becomes the seventh Wave on the current roster to have utilized a redshirt season.
 

ABOUT PEPPERDINE MEN'S BASKETBALL
Pepperdine men's basketball has made 13 NCAA postseason appearances while earning 12 WCC Regular-Season Championships and three WCC Tournament Championships in its history. This success has spanned multiple decades, with the Waves most recently winning the 2021 CBI Tournament. The program has also seen 19 All-Americans along with 19 NBA players, which included a streak of 34 consecutive seasons with at least one alum on an NBA roster from 1976-2011.

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