As his college career nears its end, Boise State’s Alston has ‘so much left to play for’
Although Tuesday’s senior night festivities are intended to honor him, Derrick Alston Jr. plans to use it as an opportunity to recognize the support system that helped get him to this moment.
How else could a walk-on transform himself into a Mountain West Player of the Year candidate and NBA prospect?
Boise State will celebrate Alston’s career before the Broncos’ Mountain West regular-season finale against Fresno State, which starts at 5 p.m. Tuesday at ExtraMile Arena. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network. Fellow Boise State senior Abu Kigab has not yet announced whether he will take advantage of the NCAA’s extra year of eligibility because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I think when I made the decision to walk on and bet on myself, I just was kind of seeing what was gonna happen, and I think that the events that transpired are kind of beyond my dreams,” Alston said during a Zoom interview Monday afternoon. “I always had a deep belief in myself that I could be a great player, but I’m just thankful for all the support and all the people that have gotten me to this point. I really think that’s what tomorrow is gonna be about for me.
“It might be senior day for myself, but so many people helped me get to this point. ... I’m just super thankful for them, so I just want to honor them tomorrow and hopefully get a win and play well.”
Alston is one of just eight players in Boise State history to record three 400-point campaigns, and his journey from bench warmer to beast has been well documented during nearly every televised game the Broncos have played this season.
It’s hard not to marvel at the 6-foot-9 guard’s rise. After redshirting in 2016-17, Alston played in 11 games for the Broncos in 2017-18 and totaled seven points. He has since contributed 441 points as a sophomore, 554 as a junior and has 425 points so far this season. His 1,427 points currently ranks No. 11 on Boise State’s career scoring list.
“Derrick, he’s been remarkable this year,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said. “He’s really changed the kind of player and the role that he’s in even from just last year with having this many good players. He just does whatever the game needs him to do and whatever the game tells him to do that night.
“If they want to guard him with two, well, he can go get a bunch of assists. If we need more rebounds that night, he can go do that. If we need more scoring, he can go do that. His versatility and his consistency has been probably the most impressive thing.”
With up to 900 fans permitted to attend Tuesday’s game, Alston said his mom and younger sister will be there. His father can’t make the game because he is the head coach for the NBA G League’s Westchester Knicks, who also play Tuesday night.
“You obviously can measure success in wins and losses, but I think I really measure success as just my experience here. It was second to none,” Alston said. “This is a very special place and (has) a very special place in my heart. I’m just very thankful that God and everything brought me to this place. I feel like this is where I was supposed to be at and this is how it’s supposed to go.”
If Boise State beats Fresno State on Tuesday, the Broncos will finish with a league record of 15-5. They still can finish anywhere from second place to fourth in the league standings, depending on how Colorado State and Utah State perform in their remaining games.
San Diego State (19-4, 13-3 MW), which took two close games from BSU last week, can lock up the regular-season title with a win at UNLV on Wednesday. The Broncos (18-6, 14-5) would need Colorado State (15-4, 12-3) to lose at least two of its remaining three games, and Utah State (16-7, 13-4) must lose at least one of its final two, for Boise State to be the Mountain West runner-up.
The Mountain West Tournament begins for the men on March 10 and runs through March 13 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The Broncos have clinched a first-round bye and will open play March 11 in the quarterfinals.
“It was obviously a tough weekend for us as a team, but what my message is and what I think everybody is feeling is that we’ve got so much left to play for,” Alston said. “That’s all you want as a team. Being able to go into March with just everything in front of you, with all the opportunity in front of you, is not a bad feeling.”
FRESNO STATE AT BOISE STATE
When: 5 p.m. Tuesday
Where: ExtraMile Arena
TV: CBS Sports Network
Radio: KBOI 670 AM (Bob Behler, Abe Jackson)
Records: Boise State 18-6, 14-5 MW; Fresno State 10-10, 8-10 MW
Series: Boise State leads 24-21
Last meeting: Boise State won 73-51 on Jan. 20 in Boise
Vegas line: Boise State by 14
KenPom rating: Boise State 55; Fresno State 202
KenPom & ESPN predictions
Ken Pomeroy, who created the popular college basketball statistical website KenPom.com, ranks every Division I team using an adjusted efficiency margin, which Pomeroy defines as the difference between a team’s offensive and defensive efficiency.
According to Pomeroy’s detailed statistical analysis, Boise State has a 91% chance of beating Fresno State. His score prediction is a 75-61 BSU victory.
ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index: Boise State has a 94.4% chance of winning with a predicted point differential of 17.7.
This story was originally published March 1, 2021 at 5:29 PM.
