Derrick Alston Jr.

Early life

Before college, Derrick Alston Jr. worked as a ball boy for the NBA’s Houston Rockets, shagging rebounds during warmups. He played two varsity seasons at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, where as a senior he averaged 14.6 points and 5.1 rebounds, earning first-team All-District 19-6A. Though several Division II programs showed interest, no Division I school offered him a scholarship; some suggested a postgraduate year. A junior college coach then sent his game footage to Boise State, convincing Alston to pursue a basketball scholarship there.

College career

Derrick Alston Jr. arrived at Boise State as a walk-on after catching the coaching staff’s eye. Listed at 6-foot-9 and just 148 pounds when he joined, he sat out his first year as a redshirt and bulked up to 170 pounds by the following season. As a freshman, he saw limited court time and averaged only 0.6 points per game. His sophomore year brought more minutes, thanks to a strong work ethic and Chandler Hutchison’s move to the NBA.

On February 9, 2019, Alston erupted for a career-high 33 points on 12-of-15 shooting, adding four rebounds and four assists in a 105-57 blowout of San Jose State. That season, he averaged 13.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, earning an All-Mountain West honorable mention. His scoring jump from the prior year was the largest in school history and second-best nationally. Before his junior campaign, he was put on scholarship.

On December 23, 2019, he dropped a season-high 32 points and six assists in an 85-69 win over Portland at the Diamond Head Classic. As a junior, his averages climbed to 17.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists, good for second-team All-Mountain West honors. On April 7, 2020, he declared for the NBA draft while keeping his college eligibility open, but on July 8 he opted to return to Boise State for his final season.

Professional career

Derrick Alston Jr. went undrafted in 2021 and played that summer with the Golden State Warriors. He signed with the Utah Jazz in September 2021 but was cut before the regular season. He then joined the Salt Lake City Stars as an affiliate player that October. The following summer, he suited up for the Dallas Mavericks in the 2022 NBA Summer League.

In August 2022, he signed with the Rostock Seawolves of Germany’s Basketball Bundesliga. His G League rights were traded from the Iowa Wolves to the Long Island Nets in January 2023. Alston moved to Spain in July 2024, signing a one-year contract with Manresa of the Liga ACB. His father, Derrick Alston, had played for the same club during the 1997–98 season, when Manresa won its only league title.

With Manresa, Alston earned the ACB Player of the Month award for January 2025 and was named to the All-Liga ACB First Team for the 2024–25 season. In June 2025, he signed with Virtus Bologna of Italy’s Lega Basket Serie A and the EuroLeague.