Derrick Samuel Alston Sr. (born August 20, 1972) is an American basketball coach and former player who serves as an assistant coach for the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA G League. 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]
 Alston in 2014 | |
| Wisconsin Herd | |
|---|---|
| Position | Assistant coach |
| League | NBA G League |
| Personal information | |
| Born | August 20, 1972 The Bronx, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Hoboken (Hoboken, New Jersey) |
| College | Duquesne (1990–1994) |
| NBA draft | 1994: 2nd round, 33rd overall pick |
| Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers | |
| Playing career | 1994–2012 |
| Position | Power forward / center |
| Number | 21, 45 |
| Coaching career | 2012–present |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1994–1996 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1996 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 1996–1997 | Efes Pilsen |
| 1997–1998 | TDK Manresa |
| 1998–2000 | FC Barcelona |
| 2000–2002 | Pamesa Valencia |
| 2002–2003 | Real Madrid |
| 2003–2005 | Lleida |
| 2005–2006 | BCM Gravelines |
| 2006 | Ural Great Perm |
| 2006–2007 | Türk Telekom |
| 2007–2008 | New Zealand Breakers |
| 2008–2009 | Libertad de Sunchales |
| 2009–2010 | Boca Juniors |
| 2010 | La Unión de Formosa |
| 2011–2012 | Boca Juniors |
| As coach: | |
| 2012–2015 | Houston Rockets (assistant) |
| 2015–2019 | Westchester Knicks (assistant) |
| 2019–2022 | Westchester Knicks |
| 2022–2023 | College Park Skyhawks (assistant) |
| 2023 | Montreal Alliance |
| 2024 | Pioneros de Los Mochis |
| 2024–present | Wisconsin Herd (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Early life
editBorn in The Bronx, New York, Alston played basketball at Hoboken High School in Hoboken, New Jersey.[2]
Professional career
editAlston, 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
edit| 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
edit| 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
edit| 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
editAfter 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]
On November 1, 2024, Alston became an assistant coach for the Wisconsin Herd.[10]
Personal life
editAlston's son Derrick Alston Jr. was a college basketball player at Boise State,[11] before embarking on a career in professional basketball.[12] Alston also has a daughter named Avery.
References
edit- ^ "Montreal Alliance names Derrick Alston Sr. head coach". Montreal Gazette. February 15, 2023.
- ^ 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."
- ^ DERRICK ALSTON SE INCORPORA AL CUERPO TÉCNICO DE HOUSTON ROCKETS Archived 2012-10-14 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Westchester Knicks hire Coby Karl, Derrick Alston as assistants". Newsday.com. October 27, 2015. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
- ^ "Day 5 of 6: WHO IS THIS NBA ICON? Miami... - U.S. Embassy, Manila Philippines | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
- ^ "Derrick Alston Named Westchester Knicks Head Coach". OurSports Central. August 20, 2019.
- ^ Magliocchetti, Geoff (May 27, 2022). "Knicks Hire DeSagana Diop To Head G League Team". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
- ^ "College Park Skyhawks Announce Coaching Staff for 2022-23 Season". OurSports Central. October 25, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "WISCONSIN HERD ANNOUNCES COACHING STAFF FOR 2024-25 SEASON". NBA.com. November 1, 2024. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Stars outshine Hustle in Salt Lake". DeSoto County News. January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
External links
edit- Career statistics from NBA.com and Basketball Reference
- Derrick Alston at Eurobasket.com
- Derrick Alston at ACB.com (archived)
- Derrick Alston – college basketball player statistics at Sports Reference