The YouTube video clip of
Bryce Alford throwing down a thunderous one-handed dunk in a nonleague game last year — aptly titled "Bryce Alford Throws Down Nasty!" — has already given him some bragging rights over his dad, Steve Alford, the former Indiana star and current University of New Mexico men's basketball head coach.
"I don't think my dad ever looked that good dunking," said Bryce, a 6-foot-3, 175-pound senior point guard at
La Cueva (Albuquerque).
Bryce Alford, La Cueva
Photo courtesy of Marty Saiz
Talk about emerging from an enormous shadow.
While he may not be a household name on the national high school basketball landscape — yet — Bryce Alford has already established quite a name for himself in New Mexico. Nonetheless, Alford knows the comparisons to his father will follow him wherever he goes.
"I'm OK with that," he said. "Of course I want to establish my own identity and not always be known as Steve Alford's son, but if I'm being compared to an Olympian, a national champion (Steve Alford scored a team-high 23 points in the Hoosiers' 74-73 win over Syracuse in the 1987 NCAA championship game) and a guy who played four years in the NBA, I think I'm doing a pretty good job."
Of that, there is no doubt. The New Mexico-bound Alford has been on an absolute tear this season, averaging 38.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game for La Cueva (7-1), ranked second in the state in the
MaxPreps Freeman Rankings.
It doesn't take long to figure out why Alford has been virtually unstoppable this season. Alford possesses a rapid-fire release — "One of the quickest shots I've ever seen," Bears coach Frank Castillo said — to go along with tremendous shooting range and the ability to consistently get to the basket and finish off dribble penetration. Alford's numbers are even more impressive when you consider the fact that opposing teams are game-planning to stop him.
Mission impossible.
"I've seen every defense you could throw at me," he said. "I've seen double teams, triple teams, box-and-ones, even having two guys on me when I don't have the ball."
Alford gives credit to his teammates for adjusting to the various defenses opponents are throwing at him. Of course, the biggest factor in Alford's success — as a freshman Alford was a key reserve when the Bears won the Class 5A state title — lies in his indefatigable work ethic.
"A lot of players work hard, but Bryce has that extra gear," Castillo said. "Offensively, he works hard coming off screens and getting pressure off of him. Defensively, he's absolutely tenacious. In high school you don't find a lot of kids who play great defense, but Bryce is one of them. To be honest, Bryce has been terrific in all of our games in every aspect of the game. This is the case where the stats really do tell the story."
Bryce Alford playing for his AAU team.
Photo courtesy of Marty Saiz
During the offseason, Alford was at the Pit "almost every day" playing with the New Mexico players. When Alford wasn't playing basketball, he was in the weight room. When he wasn't in the weight room, he was studying film or doing outdoor conditioning.
In addition to all of the time he put in at New Mexico's facilities, Alford played AAU basketball and worked out with some of his high school teammates. Alford's dedication and singular focus to the sport comes with a price, as there are times when the last place he wants to be is on the basketball court.
"Sometimes, I'd rather be hanging out with my friends after school, just because I want to spend more time with them," Alford said. "But once I'm in the gym, I know that's where I need to be to reach my goal of becoming a really great player and trying to establish my own name."
Alford has learned many basketball and life lessons from his father — the art of proper shooting mechanics, being confident yet humble, and elevating the level of his teammates' play, just to name a few — but hard work and mental toughness trumps them all.
"If you don't work hard and you lack mental toughness, you're not going to accomplish anything," Bryce said. "My dad was a small white guy, and he had to work as hard as he possibly could to accomplish what he did. I think he did pretty well for himself."
Although Alford has received many great basketball lessons from his dad, it's the time spent off the court with his father that he cherishes the most. The late nights together playing Xbox games and table tennis, or playing a full 18 holes of golf during the spring and summer — that's when the Alfords really bond.
"My dad is my best friend, but I won't ever let him beat me in any Xbox game we play," Bryce said. "If that day ever happens, that would be a shame."
Although Alford counts his dad as his best friend, he's quick to point out that he's a mama's boy.
"I wouldn't be the person I am today without my mom (Tanya)," he said. "She was pretty athletic herself and has a lot to do with keeping me humble."
Indeed, Alford carries himself with a ton of confidence, but he respects the game and all that it has given to him. That's why Alford doesn't feel any pressure to live up to anyone else's expectations — his play speaks for itself.
"You look at Bryce's athleticism and the way he plays, it's pretty incredible," Castillo said. "He's his own man and own person on the floor. You don't have to compare him to anyone, because he's one of the more unique players this area has seen in a long time."
