Boise State forward Derrick Alston Jr., who was an early entrant for the 2020 NBA Draft, will return to the program for his senior season.
Alston averaged 17.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, both strong marks. He ranked among the top five in scoring for players in the Mountain West Conference in 2019-20. He was a top-10 finalist for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award.
But according to a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke to USA TODAY Sports Media Group on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, Alston will likely take over the position of starting point guard at Boise State next season. Alston, who is 6-foot-9, averaged 3.1 assists per game in 2019-20.
Before his most recent season, head coach Leon Rice predicted that Alston would see a drastic increase in his role as a creator on the court (via Boise State):
“You’ve got another versatile guy. When talking about his feel for the game, [it] is at the highest level, 99th percentile, I’d say. He just knows what’s going on out there. He can see the floor. He’s so big … But he is also a weapon in making a lot of guys better, too. He can get guys easy buckets because of his abilities. I think you’re going to see a big jump in that aspect.”
Rice ended up being correct considered, as noted by Pro Basketball Combine, Alston recorded just one game with at least four assists during his sophomore season. But as a junior, that increased to eleven instances. This was highlighted by a 24-point, 7-rebound, 7-assist performance during the first month of the season.
Overall, his assist percentage (20.1%) ranked sixth-best among all players 6-foot-9 or taller in college basketball last season. When including passes, per Synergy, Alston finished 34.4% of his possessions as the ballhandler in pick-and-roll sets.
Alston was 9-for-15 (60.0%) on finishes as the ballhandler in transition, per Synergy. Boise State had the third-lowest transition frequency in the MWC, via Synergy. This is something that could increase, resulting in a style that is more reliant on pushing the break in the open court if Alston does take over as the lead initiator.
It is worth mentioning that Alston’s assist count (98) was already the highest mark of anyone on his team last season, recording nearly thirty more assists than Alex Hobbs — who finished with the second-most on the team.
Hobbs, however, has exhausted his four years of collegiate eligibility. So, too, did Justinian Jessup — who finished with the third-most assists on Boise State. Alston is projected to once again lead his team in assists next season, per Bart Torvik.
Even if he does not end up getting the start in their opener, expect to see Alston with the ball in his hands more often when he returns to the NCAA.
This is likely something that can make Alston more alluring to NBA teams. He was certainly on the radar in the second round when he tested the waters after declaring for the draft in 2020. But if he is able to succeed as a primary playmaker, he can serve as a secondary ball-handler at the next level.
His is a name worth keeping an eye on when making early big boards for the 2021 NBA Draft.
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