City of Basketball Love

Jeff Neiburg (@Jeff_Neiburg)
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Levan Alston, Jr. came across a basketball relic in his basement recently. And when it came time for him to make a decision on where to play his collegiate basketball, he saw it fit that the item be a crucial part of the announcement.

The item was Levan Alston, Sr.’s No. 10 Temple Owls cherry uniform. So when the younger Alston unzipped his sweatshirt and revealed to the basketball world at the Haverford School on Tuesday morning that he’d be following in his father’s footsteps, he did much more than adorn his jersey.

He added to the collection of local 2015 prospects committing to schools in Philadelphia, especially in the Big 5 – Lamarr Kimble (Neumann-Goretti) and Chris Clover (St. Joe’s Prep) will be Big 5 opponents at St. Joseph’s. Donte DiVincenzo, Alston’s Team Final teammate–as was Kimble–makes the jump from Salesianum to Villanova next fall, where he’ll team up with Blair Academy (N.J.) forward Tim Delaney. Lower Merion wing Jule Brown is Penn-bound, as is Cherry Hill East’s Jake Silpe, from just across the river.

“They say you don’t get a lot of love when you go away, so I just decided just to stay here,” Alston Jr., said.

“I always grew up wanting to play in the Big 5,” he added. “I can’t wait to play against these guys.”

He adds to Temple’s earlier recruiting get in 2015 guard Trey Lowe, also a Team Final teammate of Alston’s. Lowe had been in Alston’s ear even since he committed back on August 7.

The two had discussed a package deal together at the beginning of the AAU season.

“It’s going to be fun,” Alston said. “I enjoyed playing with Trey this season – great shooter, great playmaker.”

Alston had a bevy of offers from schools all over the country. He had a final six: Temple, Penn State, VCU, Marquette, Notre Dame and fellow-Big 5 school Penn. He would cut that list to those first three prior to Tuesday’s announcement – and just after a visit to Penn State.

But it was always going to be Temple. It was always going to be Fran Dunphy and newly-hired assistant Aaron McKie.

That was the key. Aaron McKie.

McKie and Alston Sr. once played together under legendary Temple coach John Chaney after first being teammates at Simon Gratz. They’ve been great friends ever since.

Funny how things work out sometimes. Temple was one sexual assault charge away from maybe bringing on Rick Brunson to the coaching staff and in turn attracting his Villanova-bound son, Jalen Brunson.

But they’ll be more than alright with Alston. Especially with McKie on the bench.

“He’s a quiet kid, he doesn’t talk to me a lot about different things,” Alston Sr. said of his sons decision. “But when we sat down and did our pros and cons, the way he feels about the coaching staff at Temple – especially Aaron McKie – I think that pretty much sealed the deal. He has such a great relationship with Aaron, known him since he was a baby and he’s [been] working out with Aaron since April.”

“He made it to the NBA, came from North Philly like myself and went to Temple,” the younger Alston said. “Hopefully I can follow his footsteps.”

The kid who was born and raised on 24th and Allegheny streets, just 3.5 miles from campus, instantly revitalizes a Temple program that bordered on the cusp of failure last season.

He brings scoring ability, playmaking, leadership and maybe, most importantly, other recruits.

He’s working on bringing 2015 big man and Temple target Ernest Aflakpui to Temple. If it were up to Alston, 2016’s Lamar Stevens and Tony Carr would be right behind.

What a change that would be for Dunphy and his staff. The Owls’ 2014 class brought in just one player in forward Obi Enechionyia. Recruiting in college basketball has that sort of affect. One player leads to another.

With Temple graduating two guards in Will Cummings and Jesse Morgan following the 2014-15 season, Alston has a good chance to come in and start right away. At least that’s what Dunphy told him.

Alston’s decision was sealed last night around 5 p.m. when Dunphy came to the Haverford School and sat down with Alston and his high school coach, Henry Fairfax.

“He put the icing on the cake yesterday,” Alston said.

Dunphy has known, or known of, Alston since the guard was in the 7th grade.

“He’s one of the few coaches that told me, ‘no matter where you go, I’ll still be a supporter of you,’” Alston said of his future coach. “Right there that just let me know that he had genuine love for me, not just wanting to recruit me.”

Alston can play the point, the ‘2’ guard and even on the wing. His versatility only makes putting five guys on the floor easier for Dunphy.

Alston is the prototypical guard from Philly. It’s stereotypical, but he’s got that toughness that some players don’t. His dad had it too.

“That came natural to him,” Alston Jr., said of his dad. “Growing up in North Philly, it’s like born into you. Him, McKie, [Penn coach] Jerome Allen, they all had that Philly toughness.”

The decision came after meticulous planning with his father, and Fairfax as well.

“I think the way he handled his recruiting was classy in that we talked through the process,” Fairfax said. “He asked great questions, evaluated the universities that were involved with him and trying to figure out a fit. And I’m sensitive to the fit because I’m the director of admissions [at Haverford]. So it’s about finding the right place, the right fit for the kid overall.

“I think Sean was looking at a four-year decision. He’s got some ties in Philly, bloodlines at Temple, and a community at Haverford that loves him.”

Bloodlines seemed to supersede all else. Maybe it was finding the jersey. Maybe it was the hiring of McKie, and the family atmosphere that came along with it.

Either way, Temple’s basketball program just asserted itself right back in with the likes of UConn, Memphis, SMU and Cincinnati in the American Athletic Conference, a league the Owls went 4-14 in last year.

Funny what one recruit can do.