The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AS a tune-up to the Big Shots Prep Nationals this weekend, Deyton Albury had an impressive showing as he led his Believe Prep Academy to a championship title this past weekend in South Carolina.

Albury averaged 19 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and as many steals in leading the attack for their team at the Insiders Exposure 1 Tournament.

“It was a good performance. We came out of the gate very good,” Albury said. “We had a good showing in the three games we played.”

In their first game against Moravian Prep, they won 78-37 as Albury scored 18 points with 11 rebounds. They faced Winston Salem Prep in their second game and won 95-75 as Albury contributed 20 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. Then in the final, they won over West Winston Salem with Albury connecting on 13 points with five rebounds.

“I just used what coach (Kevin Jackson) told me to do to turn on the switch,” Albury said. “I was playing really lackadaisical a couple of weeks before, so I had to get back to doing what I used to do. I think I had a very good performance.”

As they prepare for the Big Shots Tournament, Albury said he’s looking forward to performing really well because he understands that there will be a number of college coaches coming out to scout the players.

Coach Jackson said Albury has progressed very well in their system.

“One of my prerequisites is that you are teachable, coachable, and respectable. This is non-negotiable with me and he’s been all those things,” Jackson said. “He’s starting to play very well right now and his defence has picked up tremendously.

“He’s doing a great job right now. He still has to concentrate on that shooting. I told Deyton that he won’t get to where he wants to go if his shooting isn’t up to par. We’re working on it but everything is falling into place.”

While Albury’s goal is to secure a division one athletic scholarship, Jackson said he just received a very nice offer from Erskine College, a Division II school. But he still has time to get a division one scholarship. He just has to continue to work at it.

“Division one schools can recruit players at the last moment, but with this pandemic going on right now, the coaches are looking more at the film because they can’t come out to every game or tournament we play in,” Jackson said.

“But we have this big tournament coming up this week where we are having teams coming in from California and New York, so this should be a really great event. We played in it last year and we won. We have a lot of teams who were not in it last year, so it’s going to be really fun.”

Jackson said if Albury can continue to play the way he’s been doing, attacking the board, hitting his mid-range jump shots and finishing his stride, Believe Prep would have a good chance of repeating as champions.

“This is what we want these kids to do at this time,” he said.

Albury, an 18-year-old graduate of Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas, where he starred in basketball and football after he left Temple Christian Academy two years ago, is holding his own on the court.