Just a few years ago, DeAndre Henry was being hailed as a Power 5 football recruit. He garnered interest from many of the top programs in the country. That included teams such as Memphis, Kansas State, Arizona, and even Alabama. But for Henry, his passion was not on the gridiron. It was on the hardwood.
“It was hard turning down the Alabama head coach. But God had a plan in basketball for me. And it’s just barely beginning to start! I do not regret my decision at all. I am actually very pleased I made the right decision.”
The Transition
Over the past several months, since making the decision to solely focus on basketball, the 6’8″ forward from Arizona had to change his body type. He went from a 255-pound offensive tackle to an athletic forward. In a recent interview with DeAndre, he mentioned how the process of switching sports was not hard. However, he stated that the tackling aspect of football became more challenging due to him losing weight.
“Switching sports wasn’t a hard task. I was going hard in both. As I began to lose weight, it became harder to play tackle. But I was still quicker than anyone. And stronger, too.”
For Henry, losing weight was key to him becoming the best basketball player he could be. For one thing, that meant changing up his diet, which included eliminating carbs and soda. And two, he had to stay in the weight room to prepare for the upcoming summer. It was then in which Henry pulled in 8 D1 basketball scholarships.
D1 Hooper
After pulling in offers from schools such as Grand Canyon, Air Force, Portland State, and Nevada, among others, there was one school that really stood out among the rest – the Nevada Wolfpack. First year head coach Steve Alford and associate head coach Craig Neal sat down with Henry on his official visit to talk about their vision for him over the next few years at Nevada, and his potential to develop into a professional basketball player.
“Nevada just felt very special. And it stood out as the right school. It was everything I can dream of. The facilities, like the gym and weight room, were beautiful. It does not get much better than that.”
Nevada commit DeAndre Henry is one of the most determined athletes I have ever spoken to. His work ethic is unmatched. He has the athleticism that every sports fan dreams they had. Not many athletes are considered NCAA Division 1 athletes, but for Henry to be a Division 1 prospect in two sports is just insane. About his numerous goals and expectations that he set for himself, Henry had this to say:
“I expect to shoot up a whole lot in development and gain as much skill, knowledge, and confidence as possible. And just be all around dominate every time I step on the floor. My goals are to be remembered, and I’ll become an inspiration to everyone.”
