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For his son and current basketball player, see Derrick Alston Jr.

Derrick Samuel Alston Sr. (born August 20, 1972) is an American basketball coach and former player who serves as head coach of the Pioneros de Los Mochis. In February 2023, Alston became the second head coach of the Montreal Alliance of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). He previously coached primarily in the NBA G League, including as the head coach of the Westchester Knicks.[1]

Early life

Born in The Bronx, New York, Alston played basketball at Hoboken High School in Hoboken, New Jersey.[2]

Professional career

Alston, a power forward/center from Duquesne University, started off his professional career when he was selected 33rd overall in the 1994 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers for whom he played two seasons. He then played 2 games for the Atlanta Hawks in late 1996 before taking his game overseas.

Joining the New Zealand Breakers mid-season 2007–08, Alston made an immediate impact. Statwise, he reached the top 20 in the league for FG%, shooting at 56.0%, and offensive rebounds, while averaging 13.8 ppg and being instrumental in helping the Breakers reach the playoffs for the first time in club history.

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1994–95 Philadelphia 64 1 16.1 .465 .000 .492 3.4 0.5 0.6 0.5 4.7
1995–96 Philadelphia 73 41 22.1 .512 .333 .491 4.1 0.8 0.8 0.7 6.2
1996–97 Atlanta 2 0 5.5 .000 .000 .000 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Career 139 42 19.1 .489 .143 .487 3.8 0.7 0.7 0.6 5.4

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1990–91 Duquesne 28 25 28.8 .536 .000 .598 6.3 1.3 0.8 1.9 11.3
1991–92 Duquesne 28 - 32.8 .556 .000 .526 8.0 1.5 1.2 2.1 13.9
1992–93 Duquesne 28 27 34.3 .563 1.000 .574 9.3 1.1 1.4 2.1 19.9
1993–94 Duquesne 30 - 36.0 .578 .000 .601 7.3 1.4 1.6 1.8 21.3
Career 114 52 33.0 .561 .333 .576 7.7 1.3 1.2 2.0 16.7

Coaching career

After retiring, in 2012, Alston joined the staff of the Houston Rockets and served as their Player Development Coach for two seasons 2012–2015.[3] On October 27, 2015 he was hired by the Westchester Knicks to be an assistant coach.[4]

In August 2014, Alston traveled to the Philippines as a SportsUnited Sports Envoy for the U.S. Department of State. In this function, he worked with Alison Feaster and Erik Spoelstra to conduct basketball clinics and events for more than 375 youth from underserved areas. In so doing, Alston helped contribute to SportsUnited's mission to advance the status of women and girls around the world and to show support to an important regional partner.[5]

In August 2019, he was named head coach of the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League.[6] He held the head coaching position until the end of the 2021-22 season.[7] On October 25, 2022, Alston was named an assistant coach of the NBA G League's College Park Skyhawks.[8]

In November 2023, Alston was named head coach of the Pioneros de Los Mochis of the Circuito de Baloncesto de la Costa del Pacífico (CIBACOPA) ahead of the 2024 season.[9]

Personal life

Alston's son Derrick Alston Jr. was a college basketball player at Boise State,[10] before embarking on a career in professional basketball.[11] Alston also has a daughter named Avery.

References

  1. ^ "Montreal Alliance names Derrick Alston Sr. head coach". Montreal Gazette. February 15, 2023.
  2. ^ Brennan, John. "ALL-STAR EFFORTS CARRY NETS", The Record (Bergen County), January 14, 1995. Accessed August 12, 2008. "Derrick Alston, a second-round draft choice by the 76ers out of Duquesne, is a Hoboken High School graduate."
  3. ^ DERRICK ALSTON SE INCORPORA AL CUERPO TÉCNICO DE HOUSTON ROCKETS Archived 2012-10-14 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Westchester Knicks hire Coby Karl, Derrick Alston as assistants". Newsday.com. October 27, 2015. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  5. ^ "Day 5 of 6: WHO IS THIS NBA ICON? Miami... - U.S. Embassy, Manila Philippines | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 2022-02-26. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
  6. ^ "Derrick Alston Named Westchester Knicks Head Coach". OurSports Central. August 20, 2019.
  7. ^ Magliocchetti, Geoff (27 May 2022). "Knicks Hire DeSagana Diop To Head G League Team". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  8. ^ "College Park Skyhawks Announce Coaching Staff for 2022-23 Season". OurSports Central. 2022-10-25. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  9. ^ Rojas, Roberto (November 29, 2023). "Derrick Alston es el nuevo coach de Pioneros de Los Mochis". Debate.com.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ "Stars outshine Hustle in Salt Lake". DeSoto County News. 2022-01-19. Retrieved 2023-01-28.

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