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.”
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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.