Hard work and countless shots in Ashland lead NEMCC’s All-American Tipler to D-1 basketball
Deanthony Tipler has went back old school, partly out of necessity due to gyms being shut down over the COVID19 crisis, and partly because sometimes the best way forward is to retrace your steps.
Tipler’s steps back lead him to Ashland, Mississppi. Training, condtioning and hoisting shot after shot after shot with his grandmother, Margaret, on his goal outside his home in Benton County.
2,310 miles away there is the University of Portland, Tipler’s future basketball home after making his college commitment to the Pilots.
Tipler made his choice based on several factors after his recruitment really started to heat up after a tremendous career as a member of Northeast Mississippi Community College.
“I feel like Portland really believes in me. This is an opportunity for me to play against some of the best competition in America. I also feel like being coached by an NBA player will help me prepare to achieve my goal of playing professional basketball,” Tipler said about his college choice.
At Portland, Deanthony will play for 17-year NBA vet and 2 time All Star Terry Porter. Porter also coached in the NBA for 3 seasons, so he will be able to push Deanthony in the direction he needs to go to achieve his pro basketball dreams.
The past predicts the future
From putting up untold amounts of shots in his yard to where he is today, Tipler has already had a level of success on the court that few can rival.
He has won state championships and led the entire state of Mississippi in scoring as a high school senior. He followed that up with a commitment to Northeast, where he continued getting buckets and helping his team win.
At NEMCC, Tipler led Mississippi junior colleges in scoring at 20.4 points per game and was named a JUCO All-American.
All of the accolades that Tipler has earned started with the same basic premise as he is using now: put in the work to achieve your goals.
The past is sometimes the best indicator of the future. If that is the case, one thing is for certain: Deanthony Tipler is going to succeed at the next level.
In the meantime, you can catch him 35 hours away from his future basketball home. Putting in the work.
Getting buckets.
