They all had the same message, and Alstork has taken it to heart: Be yourself.
“I’m trying to get the most information I can, but for my game, they told me, ‘You’re aggressive. Be aggressive first, and everything else will be based off that.’ “
New coach Scott Nagy would rather keep the 6-foot-5, 190-pound junior in his customary role at shooting guard, but the Raiders’ roster doesn’t have a natural point guard.
“Mark can play that position. He handles the ball very well. He has good pace to him,” said Nagy, whose team officially begins preseason practice Monday. “I think teams will try to load up on him and make him get rid of the ball, but he’s a good passer.”
The Thurgood Marshall High School graduate was the Raiders’ second-leading scorer last season with an average of 12.4 points, and he also was a rugged rebounder at about five per game. But he wasn’t known for distributing, notching 61 assists in 35 outings.
Growing up as one of the tallest kids in his class, he usually was stuck inside battling against the bigs, and he admits the transition will take time.
“I have to develop and get better at it, but it’s what I want for my game. And it’s best for the team to have the ball in my hands — to draw two defenders and make plays,” he said. “I like that we’re going to go more up-tempo this year. That’s all I can ask for.”
Nagy, who had a 21-year run as coach at South Dakota State, wants to make sure the rest of Alstork’s game doesn’t suffer with increased responsibility.
“He’s going to have the ball in his hands, and he’s going to have to learn how to make good decisions. But he’s going to get a chance to shoot the ball quite a bit, too,” Nagy said.
“The thing he should be best at is offensive rebounding. He’s athletic, he’s strong, and if you’re playing him at the point position, most point guards don’t block out.”
The 6-5 Thomasson and the 6-4 Minnis were better suited to play shooting guard, but they also were thrust into a conductor’s role out of necessity.
They fared well, though, and Grant Benzinger, the junior 3-point specialist, has confidence in Alstork.
“He’s probably our best athlete. He’s the best ball-handling wise, and you’re not going to get under his skin as a defender,” Benzinger said. “Once he gets down being able to hit guys at the right time in the right places with good passes, it’s going to be a good fit for us.”
About the Author