The University of Guam Triton Athletic Department named former NBA player, Vincent Askew, as the new men’s basketball coach for the Tritons after a week long search to replace former UOG coach, Brent Tipton.
Said UOG Athletic Director Doug Palmer “This is an incredible hire for not just the men’s basketball program but the whole University. We have a individual who played 10 years in the NBA and made a name for himself and this will open doors for our program to expand its ability to recruit, to raise funds, to build camps and draw teams to Guam to play basketball”.
Coach Askew stated “I love the game of basketball …everything about it….i love teaching a group and get them to eventually play as one on both ends of the floor ….playing the game “the right way” and competing daily is what it’s all about…..the University Of Guam deserve a team that young guys dream about coming to when they leave high school”
Vincent Askew was both a McDonald’s and Gatorade High School All-American at Frayser High School in Memphis, TN.
Coach Askew played college basketball at the University of Memphis (then Memphis State) where he had a 94-13 record to include one NCAA Final Four appearance in his three seasons there. He was a first team All-American as a junior but also carried a 3.80 GPA in his final four season.
Askew was the 39th pick of the in the 2nd round of the 1987 draft by the 76ers. He played 10 years in the NBA with eight different teams to include the Philadelphia 76ers, the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Seattle Super Sonics, New Jersey Nets, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers.
He was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 1996 and runner-up for that award in 1995.
He was twice named Most Valuable Player in the Continental Basketball Association.
He has been a head coach in the NBA D League, the CBA, the American Basketball Association and won two state championships as a high school head coach at Rossvile Christian Academy.
The UOG Men’s Basketball Team will hold it’s first practice/tryout with Coach Askew on Saturday, September 21 at 9:00am in the UOG Calvo Field House to include the 12 players on the current roster and any full-time UOG students who wishes to tryout for the team.
The team opens its fall season on October 14th against the FSGA All-Stars in the six team Triton Men’s Basketball League. The game will be shown live on PBS Guam at 8:15pm that night.
The practice will be followed by a 11:30am press conference for Coach Askew to answer any questions about his hire and his vision for the Triton basketball team.
Contact Athletic Director Doug Palmer at 735-2862 or email at palmerd@triton.uog.edu for more information about the tryout or press conference on Saturday, September 21.
