Recruit on Next Year's Radar

[Captain Kangaroo]

Albert Gallatin hoopster a well-traveled athlete FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEWSunday, February 19, 2006Jawaan Alston dribbles down the court at Albert Gallatin.Albert Gallatin junior Jawaan Alston has quite an edge on his classmates when discussing United States geography.After all, he has already been to Las Vegas, Orlando, Houston, Niagara Falls, New Orleans, as well as a pair of prominent North Carolina cities, Durham and Chapel Hill.Throw in acronyms like D-1, MAC, Big East, and A-10, and Alston, with a 3.4 grade average, has a big edge perusing a U.S. map, not to mention the advantage he enjoys with his 6-foot-8 height.Alston, a three-year starter for the Colonials boys basketball team, has already earned a lot of frequent flyer miles and has already seen more of the U.S. than most kids -- perhaps adults -- may ever see.As the 2005-2006 scholastic basketball season draws to a close, Alston, with 916 career points, is second on the school's all-time scoring list, behind Jason Kopec's 927 career total set between 1994-1997. Alston, most likely on his way to becoming the Colonials all-time leading scorer, has scored 495 points this season -- an average of 20.6 points per game -- and has at least one more game to play, against top-seeded Bethel Park in the first round of the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs set to begin this week.With 272 rebounds this season, Alston holds the single-season mark, and has pulled down 667 for his career. He has also blocked nearly 100 shots this year for the Colonials, 14-10 overall, 7-7 in Section 1 for the regular season."Jawaan came in and started in Quad A as a freshman," Albert Gallatin coach Dan Andria said. "He learned some hard lessons as freshman. Jawaan got off to a good start for us, but had trouble finishing plays. We made the playoffs that season and won the section last year when he was a sophomore. He is bigger and stronger, growing in to his body -- Alston weighs 195 pounds -- and now he is able to finish those same plays."Helping with Alston's basketball development has been his involvement with the Pittsburgh J.O.T.S. AAU program, where he was a member of the 16-and-under team which, last July in New Orleans, was runner-up to national champion Mellow Yellow, from Baltimore, a team sponsored by NBA star Carmello Anthony.Alston has been with the AAU program for five years and coach J.O. Stright has glowing comments regarding the Colonials star."Jawaan was the most improved player on our team last year," Stright said. "He learned to work down low and got tougher as the season went on. He absorbed everything we taught. He's a smart player, runs the floor well, and was an integral part of the team. He is a definite Division-1 prospect."Always big for his age, Alston, at the urging of his father, Donald, started playing basketball when he was 6 years old, and is generating interest from such colleges as St. Joseph, Can't, Duquesne, Buffalo, Akron and Penn State. West Virginia is also keeping a vigilant eye on him.In three seasons, Andria has seen Alston's progress up close."He naturally plays inside but can go outside and shoot the three," Andria said. "He works hard, is coachable and has made steady progress. He covers a lot of ground. He lifted over the summer and is finishing plays, unlike his freshman year. His foul shooting has improved this year, and he has come a long way on defense. Jawaan works on becoming consistent and is turning into the top player we thought he would be."Going from high school to AAU and back again, Alston, whose SAT scores have already qualified him for D-1 schools, has played against the nation's best players in his age group."It's a tremendous opportunity playing against the best players in the country," Alston said. "There's so much talent out there, and it's making me a better player. I'm playing against bigger, stronger, more versatile players. Against bigger players I have to move outside sometime, and it's making me more versatile as well."Seeing the nation as a member of the AAU program has made a significant impression on Alston, especially his trip to Orlando, where he played at Disney World, and in North Carolina, where he played on the home courts of the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) and Duke University (Durham)."You see Duke and North Carolina on national TV and all of a sudden I'm playing on their floors. It was a great experience," said Alston, who was named to the All-Fayette County team as a sophomore last year. "You see them on TV, but it was fantastic being and playing there."On the verge of becoming AG's all-time leading scorer, Alston was on fire during one four-game stretch this season, scoring 31, 32, 29 and 28 points in the span. His high-water mark was a 34-point performance against Mt. Pleasant."Our goal was to make the playoffs," Alston said. "Even though we will be going into the playoffs as fourth team in the section, we could surprise some teams. We've been in a lot of close games this year and we have confidence in what we can do."With yet another season of high school basketball in front of him, Alston, who will play for the 17-and-under AAU team this year, is in no hurry to make a decision regarding college."There are a lot of schools interested," Andria noted, "and he has plenty of time to make a decision."Additional AAU exposure this summer and his senior season will make that decision easier.

[zip37]

I think AGHS is in Point Marion, Pa-- about 10 mi morth of Morgantown. .WBALAL

[zip37]

Make that south of M'town.

[Valpo Zip]

Is there any thing that makes you think that he would come to Akron ?

[Captain Kangaroo]

Is there any thing that makes you think that he would come to Akron ?

As opposed to one of the other schools listed? No. It is just and interesting read, and Akron is a school in contact with him.

[zen]

I think AGHS is in Point Marion, Pa-- about 10 mi morth of Morgantown. .WBALAL

He'd almost have to be a huge WV fan then.I've been to point marion several times. It's all Steelers and WV.