Majok Deng may only be a sophomore at Salpointe Catholic High School, skilled and athletic but still somewhat gangly at 6-foot-5, yet he showed off a couple of reasons why he might someday become a Wildcat.
Deng, who received a scholarship offer from UA earlier this month, first opted to leave home Monday wearing a pair of Arizona basketball socks without thinking much about it. Then he realized he’d be wearing them in a game against Sahuaro at McKale Center that evening.
“Everyone started asking me about them,” he said.
During the game, while Deng had some rough moments against a Sahuaro defense that keyed on him, he picked up a foul with 3.7 seconds left and wound up hitting a pair of game-winning free throws to give Salpointe a 43-42 win.
Deng said he was nervous, with the second free throw bouncing around the rim before falling in, “but it’s something I’ve been practicing.”
Salpointe coach Brian Holstrom said it was reminiscent of Salpointe’s 56-55 overtime win over Buena at McKale two years ago, when a guard named Cameron Miller hit the game-winning free throws … in the same building where his father works as Arizona’s head basketball coach.
