SAN ANTONIO -- UTSA men’s basketball has inked four standouts to National Letters of Intent for the 2021-22 season, it was announced by head coach Steve Henson.
UTSA signed a pair of scoring junior college talents who hail from South Sudan, including 6-foot-8 Austin High School and Temple College product Aleu Aleu and 6-5 guard Dhieu Deing, who prepped in High Point, N.C., before opening his career with a season at USC Aiken and transferring to Dodge City [Kan.] College.
The Roadrunners have also added a pair of high school talents in Lamin Sabally, a 6-7 guard out of Berlin, Germany, and Azavier Johnson, a 6-5 guard from Las Vegas.
“We are thrilled to welcome these four young men and their families into our UTSA family,” Henson said. “They each bring a unique skill set to our roster and have the ability to immediately impact our program. We can’t wait to get them to San Antonio and start helping them achieve their goals on and off the court.”
Aleu Aleu, Wing, 6-8, 185, Austin, Texas (Austin HS/Temple CC)
Is set to play his second season at Temple Community College in 2020-21, where he is coached by Kirby Johnson … Temple CC (2019-20): Averaged 10.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in 30 starts for Temple College as a freshman … shot 48.2 percent (119 of 247) from the field, 35 percent (36- of 103) from 3-point range and 67.9 percent (53 of 78) from the free-throw line … went for 24 points on Nov. 9 vs. Tribulation Prep, adding 20 points outings vs. Hill College and Grayson College … The Leopards went 24-7 in 2019-20. High School: A three-year letterwinner and two-year starter at Austin High School … missed his 2018-19 season due to injury … was named all-district as a junior and sophomore … was tabbed academic all-district in each season he lettered.Personal: Moved to Texas in 2012 after being born and raised in Kenya … son of Akuol Mayen … name is pronounced AHH-lou AHH-lou.
Henson on Aleu …
“We are excited about the addition of Aleu to our program. Aleu brings a lot of versatility and shot making ability. He has been part of one of the most prolific junior college offensive programs at Temple College and we look forward to him showcasing those abilities with us. He’s playing against a high level of competition in the Region 5 JuCo Conference which will help make his transition to UTSA seamless.”
Dhieu Deing, G, 6-5, 175, High Point, N.C. (High Point [N.C] Central HS/USC Aiken/Dodge City [Kan.] CC)
Is set to play his sophomore season at Dodge City [Kan.] Community College. USC Aiken (2019-20): Played in 29 games, earning 15 starts at Division II USC Aiken … averaged 11.6 points and 4.3 rebounds a game … played 28.4 minutes per game, connecting on 42.3 percent of his shots from the field, 34.2 percent of his 3-point attempts (52 of 155) and 79.4 percent from the free-throw line (50 of 63) … added 19 blocks and 24 steals … tallied 12 points, eight rebounds and an assist against Davenport … scored 13 points and snagged four rebounds against No. 7 West Texas A&M … posted 14 points and four rebounds against Tusculum … had four points and four boards against No. 6 Lincoln Memorial … tallied 10 points against Florida Southern … scored 19 points to go along with five rebounds in the win over Belmont Abbey … accounted for 10 points in the win over Paine … posted 10 points and two blocks in the win over Claflin … tallied nine points and six boards in the win over Southern Wesleyan … garnered 19 points and two boards in the win at North Georgia … accounted for eight points and five boards in the win over Columbus State … accounted for nine points and seven rebounds to go along with four steals in the win over Georgia Southwestern … had nine points at Southern Wesleyan … scored 17 points in the win at Georgia College … posted a double-double with 16 points to go along with 11 rebounds in the win over Francis Marion … poured in a career-high 28 points on 10-of-13 shooting to go along with two steals in the victory at Clayton State … posted 14 points and six boards in the win over Flagler … tallied 14 points and four rebounds in the win at Young Harris … chipped in four points and five boards against UNC Pembroke … added two points at Lander … snagged seven rebounds against Augusta … totaled four points and four rebounds in the victory over North Georgia … pulled down five boards in the win at Francis Marion … scored five points in the win at Georgia Southwestern … poured in 17 points to go along with four rebounds in the win at Flagler … garnered 11 points and four blocks in the win over Young Harris … netted 19 points at UNC Pembroke … posted16 points and six boards against Clayton State … netted 17 points and had six rebounds at Augusta. High School: Attended High Point Central … three-time all-conference selection … two-time all-state and all-district honoree … averaged 20.6 points and 6.5 rebounds a game as a senior.Personal: Born in Lafayette, La. … son of Akowal Gongong … majoring in communication … name is pronounced like D-hew DING.
Henson on Deing …
“We are pumped to be adding Dhieu to our program. He’s a ball of energy with an electric personality. He’s a gym rat who possesses deep range along with solid play-making ability. Dhieu is deeply committed to the game and his experiences playing high level Division II, coupled with competing in the Jayhawk Conference will serve him well in C-USA.”
Azavier Johnson, G, 6-5, 185, Las Vegas, Nev. (Faith Lutheran High School)
Standout at Faith Lutheran High School, where he was coached by Brett Walters … averaged 12.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game over 31 outings as a junior in 2019-20 … named first-team all-conference and earned nine player of the game awards during his junior season … averaged 22.3 points, six rebounds and five assists during the playoffs as a junior … shot 36 percent from the field as a junior, scoring 400 points on 128 made buckets … drilled 50 3-pointers as a junior and shot 66 percent from the free-throw line (94 of 142) … averaged 7.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists over 25 games as a sophomore … shot 39 percent from the field as a sophomore, connecting on 66 percent of his free-throw attempts (23 of 35) … Personal: son of Bryant and Shaneen Johnson ... has two older brothers and an older sister … born in Las Vegas … name is pronounced like A-Zavier.
Henson on Johnson …
“We are very excited about having Azavier join our program. We had a strong feeling about his potential and upside when we recruited him. That potential has already begun to reveal itself as he has already grown nearly two inches since the spring. His nearly 6-5 frame and guard skill set make him a player who is physically ready for Conference USA.”
Lamin Sabally, G, 6-7, 180, Berlin, Germany (Bella Vista [Ariz.] Prep)
A three-star prospect according to 247Sports, which ranks him as the 12th best prospect in Arizona and the 45th best small-forward prospect in the nation … moved from Germany in 2019 to play prep basketball at Bella Vista College Prep in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he is coached by Corey Boswell … played internationally for ALBA Berlin U18 in 2018-19 in the Munich League before coming to the United States … also played for the club team Tusli Lichterfeld in Berlin. Personal: Son of Jerreh Sabally and Heike Krone … comes from an elite basketball family, as sister Satou Sabally was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft out of Oregon, where she was a 6-foot-4, dominating forward, who averaged over 16 points per game over her last two seasons … Satou averaged 13.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in her rookie season for the Dallas Wings, shooting 87.2 percent from the free-throw line … sister Nyara Sabally has also joined the Ducks in Euguene, Ore., as a 6-foot-5 forward who enters 2020-21 as a redshirt sophomore … name is pronounced like LAHH-mean SA-bal-lee.
Henson on Sabally …
“We are thrilled to be adding Lamin to the Roadrunner family. His international experience coupled with his time at nationally recognized Bella Vista Prep in Arizona has given him a wealth of high-level competition that will allow him to quickly transition into our program.”
UTSA signed a pair of scoring junior college talents who hail from South Sudan, including 6-foot-8 Austin High School and Temple College product Aleu Aleu and 6-5 guard Dhieu Deing, who prepped in High Point, N.C., before opening his career with a season at USC Aiken and transferring to Dodge City [Kan.] College.
The Roadrunners have also added a pair of high school talents in Lamin Sabally, a 6-7 guard out of Berlin, Germany, and Azavier Johnson, a 6-5 guard from Las Vegas.
“We are thrilled to welcome these four young men and their families into our UTSA family,” Henson said. “They each bring a unique skill set to our roster and have the ability to immediately impact our program. We can’t wait to get them to San Antonio and start helping them achieve their goals on and off the court.”
Aleu Aleu, Wing, 6-8, 185, Austin, Texas (Austin HS/Temple CC)
Is set to play his second season at Temple Community College in 2020-21, where he is coached by Kirby Johnson … Temple CC (2019-20): Averaged 10.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in 30 starts for Temple College as a freshman … shot 48.2 percent (119 of 247) from the field, 35 percent (36- of 103) from 3-point range and 67.9 percent (53 of 78) from the free-throw line … went for 24 points on Nov. 9 vs. Tribulation Prep, adding 20 points outings vs. Hill College and Grayson College … The Leopards went 24-7 in 2019-20. High School: A three-year letterwinner and two-year starter at Austin High School … missed his 2018-19 season due to injury … was named all-district as a junior and sophomore … was tabbed academic all-district in each season he lettered.Personal: Moved to Texas in 2012 after being born and raised in Kenya … son of Akuol Mayen … name is pronounced AHH-lou AHH-lou.
Henson on Aleu …
“We are excited about the addition of Aleu to our program. Aleu brings a lot of versatility and shot making ability. He has been part of one of the most prolific junior college offensive programs at Temple College and we look forward to him showcasing those abilities with us. He’s playing against a high level of competition in the Region 5 JuCo Conference which will help make his transition to UTSA seamless.”
Dhieu Deing, G, 6-5, 175, High Point, N.C. (High Point [N.C] Central HS/USC Aiken/Dodge City [Kan.] CC)
Is set to play his sophomore season at Dodge City [Kan.] Community College. USC Aiken (2019-20): Played in 29 games, earning 15 starts at Division II USC Aiken … averaged 11.6 points and 4.3 rebounds a game … played 28.4 minutes per game, connecting on 42.3 percent of his shots from the field, 34.2 percent of his 3-point attempts (52 of 155) and 79.4 percent from the free-throw line (50 of 63) … added 19 blocks and 24 steals … tallied 12 points, eight rebounds and an assist against Davenport … scored 13 points and snagged four rebounds against No. 7 West Texas A&M … posted 14 points and four rebounds against Tusculum … had four points and four boards against No. 6 Lincoln Memorial … tallied 10 points against Florida Southern … scored 19 points to go along with five rebounds in the win over Belmont Abbey … accounted for 10 points in the win over Paine … posted 10 points and two blocks in the win over Claflin … tallied nine points and six boards in the win over Southern Wesleyan … garnered 19 points and two boards in the win at North Georgia … accounted for eight points and five boards in the win over Columbus State … accounted for nine points and seven rebounds to go along with four steals in the win over Georgia Southwestern … had nine points at Southern Wesleyan … scored 17 points in the win at Georgia College … posted a double-double with 16 points to go along with 11 rebounds in the win over Francis Marion … poured in a career-high 28 points on 10-of-13 shooting to go along with two steals in the victory at Clayton State … posted 14 points and six boards in the win over Flagler … tallied 14 points and four rebounds in the win at Young Harris … chipped in four points and five boards against UNC Pembroke … added two points at Lander … snagged seven rebounds against Augusta … totaled four points and four rebounds in the victory over North Georgia … pulled down five boards in the win at Francis Marion … scored five points in the win at Georgia Southwestern … poured in 17 points to go along with four rebounds in the win at Flagler … garnered 11 points and four blocks in the win over Young Harris … netted 19 points at UNC Pembroke … posted16 points and six boards against Clayton State … netted 17 points and had six rebounds at Augusta. High School: Attended High Point Central … three-time all-conference selection … two-time all-state and all-district honoree … averaged 20.6 points and 6.5 rebounds a game as a senior.Personal: Born in Lafayette, La. … son of Akowal Gongong … majoring in communication … name is pronounced like D-hew DING.
Henson on Deing …
“We are pumped to be adding Dhieu to our program. He’s a ball of energy with an electric personality. He’s a gym rat who possesses deep range along with solid play-making ability. Dhieu is deeply committed to the game and his experiences playing high level Division II, coupled with competing in the Jayhawk Conference will serve him well in C-USA.”
Azavier Johnson, G, 6-5, 185, Las Vegas, Nev. (Faith Lutheran High School)
Standout at Faith Lutheran High School, where he was coached by Brett Walters … averaged 12.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game over 31 outings as a junior in 2019-20 … named first-team all-conference and earned nine player of the game awards during his junior season … averaged 22.3 points, six rebounds and five assists during the playoffs as a junior … shot 36 percent from the field as a junior, scoring 400 points on 128 made buckets … drilled 50 3-pointers as a junior and shot 66 percent from the free-throw line (94 of 142) … averaged 7.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists over 25 games as a sophomore … shot 39 percent from the field as a sophomore, connecting on 66 percent of his free-throw attempts (23 of 35) … Personal: son of Bryant and Shaneen Johnson ... has two older brothers and an older sister … born in Las Vegas … name is pronounced like A-Zavier.
Henson on Johnson …
“We are very excited about having Azavier join our program. We had a strong feeling about his potential and upside when we recruited him. That potential has already begun to reveal itself as he has already grown nearly two inches since the spring. His nearly 6-5 frame and guard skill set make him a player who is physically ready for Conference USA.”
Lamin Sabally, G, 6-7, 180, Berlin, Germany (Bella Vista [Ariz.] Prep)
A three-star prospect according to 247Sports, which ranks him as the 12th best prospect in Arizona and the 45th best small-forward prospect in the nation … moved from Germany in 2019 to play prep basketball at Bella Vista College Prep in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he is coached by Corey Boswell … played internationally for ALBA Berlin U18 in 2018-19 in the Munich League before coming to the United States … also played for the club team Tusli Lichterfeld in Berlin. Personal: Son of Jerreh Sabally and Heike Krone … comes from an elite basketball family, as sister Satou Sabally was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft out of Oregon, where she was a 6-foot-4, dominating forward, who averaged over 16 points per game over her last two seasons … Satou averaged 13.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in her rookie season for the Dallas Wings, shooting 87.2 percent from the free-throw line … sister Nyara Sabally has also joined the Ducks in Euguene, Ore., as a 6-foot-5 forward who enters 2020-21 as a redshirt sophomore … name is pronounced like LAHH-mean SA-bal-lee.
Henson on Sabally …
“We are thrilled to be adding Lamin to the Roadrunner family. His international experience coupled with his time at nationally recognized Bella Vista Prep in Arizona has given him a wealth of high-level competition that will allow him to quickly transition into our program.”
- UTSA -
