By Davis Ramage
Senior guard Devin Askew has been at the top of collegiate basketball and now finds himself back in Southern California at Long Beach State, trying to make a name for himself again.
Askew went to Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, where he was the No.1 ranked point guard in the class of 2021. After deciding to forgo his senior year and reclassify to the class of 2020, he became the No. 26 ranked prospect.
With Askew’s five-star elite national ranking and outgoing personality, came an onslaught of attention due to the ever-growing popularity of high school basketball stars.
“I wouldn’t call it pressure, it was just a lot of like, at a young age a lot of limelight,” Askew said. “I learned to be humble through it having a good family around me and stuff like that.”
In his junior year of high school, Askew realized that he could play better basketball than other kids. His perseverance through the ups and downs that he endured in college reinforced that feeling for him.
He committed to play for the University of Kentucky Wildcats, a college basketball “blue blood” that was at the time coached by Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame head coach John Calipari.
Askew chose to reclassify to come to Kentucky a year early due to the influence of Calipari on him and his parents, the people he trusts the most.
“Kentucky really taught me how to be a real leader at a young age,” Askew said. “It was something I wasn’t really used to at that young of an age amongst older guys.”
It was a down year for the Wildcats, going 9-16 and missing out on an NCAA Tournament bid, a rarity for the storied program.
Askew played in all 25 games and started 20, while averaging 6.5 points, 2.9 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game as a freshman.
Calipari is not the only highly decorated coach Askew has played for. He transferred to the University of Texas after his freshman season with Kentucky.
At Texas, he played under Chris Beard, who has a career record of 195-85 in 10 seasons as a head coach, and entrusted the young Askew with a large role.
“When I was with Texas we focused mainly on defense,” Askew said. “As a young kid, I was guarding a lot of the best players the whole game.”
Senior guard Devin Askew (#9) on defense for LBSU in the first half of a home loss to Portland on Nov. 16. Photo Credit: Lauren Benson
After a sophomore year at Texas, Askew transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, where he spent two years. However, both years were derailed by injury.
He averaged 15.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game before a sports hernia injury ended his 2022-2023 season.
The following season, he started the first three games but sustained a foot injury that sidelined him for over a month. Although he returned briefly, the injury caused his season to shut down after three more games.
“It was really tough mentally and physically,” Askew said. “It was my first time really getting injured and you don’t know like how you’re gonna respond… and being away from the game, you don’t know how you’re gonna come back. It was like a fear component.”
Askew explained when he touched the ball again after overcoming those injuries, the love he had for basketball instantly came back. It made him realize that basketball is something he wants to do for as long as he can, no matter where.
His journey led him back to SoCal, where he joined the team of new LBSU head coach Chris Acker.
Acker knew that Askew wanted to find a place where he wouldn’t get mixed up in the politics of college basketball, and Acker said he knew LBSU could provide that for him.
He quickly rattled off six variables that attracted him to Askew in the transfer portal, including the fact that he has played in high-level environments, he understands competitive game plans and that he can “run our team.”
As one of the three seniors on the team, Askew has taken on a leadership role on a roster that includes 12 fresh faces and a new head coach.
LBSU senior guard Devin Askew communicated on the court in the exhibition game against Caltech on Oct. 28 as he scored 16 points in the game. Photo Credit: Lauren Benson
Acker said he has a “little bit of peace” knowing that Askew has “been through the wringer,” and that Askew is mature enough to understand what the team is going through.
The Beach are struggling and currently sit at 1-4, but Askew is off to a fantastic start, averaging 17.2 points to go along with 4.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists.
The kind of leader and teammate that Askew is can be defined by one moment: before this interview, he asked if senior guard/forward Cam Denson could be included in the interview.
Denson shared a story about when he played against Askew in high school, and the two reminisced about how good the Mater Dei team was that year.
Though it was Denson’s birthday on the day of the interview, that wasn’t why Askew brought him along. Askew, a former top prospect and high school sensation, has been in the media since he was a junior, but Denson has not. Askew chose to share the attention with him. A classy move from a true leader.
