Derrick Alston Jr.

Derrick Alston Jr. (born September 17, 1997) is an American college basketball player for the Boise State Broncos of the Mountain West Conference.

Derrick Alston Jr.
No. 21 – Boise State Broncos
PositionShooting guard
LeagueMountain West Conference
Personal information
Born (1997-09-17) September 17, 1997
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight188 lb (85 kg)
Career information
High schoolStrake Jesuit
(Houston, Texas)
CollegeBoise State (2017–present)
Career highlights and awards

Early life and high school career

Alston worked as a ball boy for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association, grabbing rebounds for players during warmups.[1] Alston attended Strake Jesuit College Preparatory in Houston, where he played varsity basketball for two years. As a senior, he averaged 14.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, earning first-team All-District 19-6A honors.[2] Alston received attention from several NCAA Division II schools but did not have any NCAA Division I offers, with some programs suggesting that he complete a postgraduate season. He was convinced to work his way to a basketball scholarship at Boise State after a junior college coach sent film of Alston to the Bronco's coaching staff.[3]

College career

Alston was invited to walk on to Boise State after impressing the team's coaching staff. When he joined Boise State, he stood 6'9" and weighed 148 pounds. Alston redshirted his first year and reached a weight of 170 pounds by the start of his next season. As a freshman, he averaged 0.6 points per game in limited playing time.[4] He began earning more minutes during his sophomore season due to his work ethic as well as the departure of Chandler Hutchison to the NBA.[3] On February 9, 2019, Alston scored a career-high 33 points, shooting 12-of-15 from the field, along with four rebounds and four assists in a 105–57 win over San Jose State.[5] In his sophomore season, he averaged 13.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game and was an All-Mountain West honorable mention selection. His increase in points per game from the previous season ranked first in school history and second in the nation. Before his junior season, he earned a scholarship to play for Boise State.[3] On December 23, 2019, Alston scored a season-high 32 points to go with six assists in an 85–69 victory over Portland at the Diamond Head Classic.[6] As a junior, he averaged 17.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, earning second-team All-Mountain West accolades.[7] On April 7, 2020, Alston announced that he would enter the 2020 NBA draft, while maintaining his college eligibility.[8] On July 8, Alston announced that he would be returning to Boise State for his final season.[9]

Personal life

Alston's father, Derrick Alston, played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for three years before playing professional basketball overseas for 16 years.[3] Derrick Sr. later coached in the NBA and the NBA G League and currently serves as head coach for the Westchester Knicks of the G League.[10]

References
  1. Roberts, Rachel (February 15, 2020). "From NBA ball boy to NBA prospect: The 'remarkable' story of Boise State's Alston Jr". Idaho Statesman. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  2. Marrion, Jack (April 18, 2016). "Cinco Ranch's Chandler voted District 19-6A basketball MVP". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  3. Southorn, Dave (February 14, 2020). "How Derrick Alston Jr. built himself up to carry the weight for Boise State". The Athletic. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  4. Rains, B. J. "From skinny walk-on to NBA prospect, Derrick Alston Jr. still 'scratching the surface' for Boise State basketball". The Idaho Press-Tribune. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  5. Rains, B. J. (February 9, 2019). "Alston's career-high 33 points leads Broncos to rare 100-point game in blowout of San Jose State". The Idaho Press-Tribune. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  6. "Alston comes within one point of his career high as Boise State beats Portland in Hawaii". The Idaho Press-Tribune. December 23, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  7. "Derrick Alston Jr". Boise State University Athletics. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  8. "Alston to Enter 2020 NBA Draft". Boise State University Athletics. March 30, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  9. Kloppenburg, Katie (July 8, 2020). "Derrick Alston, Jr. returning for senior year at Boise State". KIVITV. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  10. Priczak, Chris (August 25, 2019). "Derrick Alston Named Head Coach Of Westchester Knicks". Ridiculous Upside. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
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