Perennial Bahamian point guard Deyton Albury will look to remain close to home to pursue his college education and basketball career when he selected junior powerhouse Chipola College out of Marianna College.
It is a surprising move by the star player who had offers from National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I schools. In the end it was about Chipola setting him up with the best opportunity to fulfill his long-term goal of playing at the NCAA DI level.
“Weighing out my options and figuring out the best strategy to play and contribute at the Division I level was the goal all along,” Albury said. “Chipola presented the best opportunity to do so because they have a winning program and a coaching staff that has produced high level players that play on major D1 programs year in and year out. I plan to follow that blueprint and contribute to the winning culture there and become the best version of myself.”
He had 17 offers last year. Albury spent last year at Believe Preparatory Academy in Rock Hill, South Carolina. He averaged 15.6 points and 11 boards a contest. Before that he was at Sunrise Christian in Bel Aire, Kansas. While there he averaged 25 points, five rebounds and three steals per game.
At Chipola, he will be coached by Donnie Tyndall who coached the Grand Rapids Drive of the NBA (National Basketball) G-League, and had NCAA Division I stints at Morehead State, Southern Mississippi, and the University of Tennessee.
Back in April, he visited the campus and was able to scrimmage with the current players and work out with the coaches. It was an added bonus for the guard along with speaking with coach Tyndall.
“Coach Tyndall really explained to me that he wanted me to come in and compete for the starting point guard spot and that he’s going to coach me to an elite level,” Albury said. “I like the fact the he was open and honest about coaching me hard and how he values perfection out of his players. This is exactly what I need to be successful, and I trust his experience and track record.”
Tyndall will be entering his second season at Chipola College, where he finished with a 23-5 overall win/loss record and 13-3 in conference play. His team made it to the Final Four of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) tournament and ended up being ranked seventh in the country at season’s end.
Guiding him through the recruitment process was his Temple Christian High School coach Jammal Smith.
“Coach Smith just kept telling me that the NCAA dead period that lasted for almost a year and a half since the pandemic began impacted how fast a school would pull the trigger on me. He told me that coaches prefer to trust their eyes and physically evaluate over watching streams, because it doesn’t paint the full picture of who I am as a player.
“The D1 schools that began to call towards the end of the travel ball season became enticing to explore, but Coach Smith said those schools along with a lot of others will have all eyes on you once the season starts,” Albury said.
While at Temple Christian here in The Bahamas, he burst on to the high school basketball scene and collected many accolades including finishing as the leading scorer at the 2019 Hugh Campbell Tournament. He also made the All-Tournament team.
As a national team member he was instrumental in The Bahamas under-17 national team winning bronze medal at the FIBA (international basketball federation) Centrobasket Championships in 2019. He averaged 19.4 points per game.
Albury along with Bahamian Romad Dean, he was selected to participate in the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders camp in Medellin, Colombia.
The post Deyton Albury heading to Chipola College appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/deyton-albury-heading-to-chipola-college/
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