De'Riante Jenkins (born November 12, 1996) is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the VCU Rams.

De'Riante Jenkins
Free agent
PositionShooting guard
Personal information
Born (1996-11-12) November 12, 1996 (age 27)
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeVCU (2016–2020)
NBA draft2020: undrafted
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–2022BC Luleå
2022Trapani
2023Basketball Nymburk
Career highlights and awards

Early life and high school career edit

Jenkins grew up in Eutawville, South Carolina and played basketball and football. He attended Lake Marion High School in Santee, South Carolina, and led the team to a 2013 state title. On the gridiron, Jenkins played quarterback and threw for 3,500 yards and 26 touchdowns as a sophomore, before deciding to focus completely on basketball. For his senior season, he originally opted to transfer to Oldsmar Christian School in Oklahoma, but was expelled shortly after the beginning of the school year. Jenkins was accepted to West Oaks Academy in Florida several days later. He completed a postgraduate year at Hargrave Military Academy and averaged 22 points per game. Jenkins was a highly-rated recruit, considered a four-star prospect ranked No. 43 in his class.[1]

College career edit

In September 2015, Jenkins committed to playing college basketball for VCU, choosing the Rams over offers from Clemson, South Carolina and Tennessee.[2]

Jenkins averaged 4.3 points and 1.7 rebounds per game as a freshman.[3] He sat out 15 games due to breaking his right foot.[1] On November 21, 2017, Jenkins scored a career-high 27 points and had 11 rebounds in an 83–69 win over California.[4] As a sophomore, Jenkins averaged 12.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.[5] Jenkins averaged 11.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game as a junior, emerging as a leader on the team and helping VCU reach the NCAA Tournament. He was named third-team All-Atlantic 10.[6] On February 29, 2020, Jenkins stepped away from basketball due to an undisclosed health issue.[7] As a senior, he averaged 10.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1.9 steals per game, shooting 40 percent from the floor.[8]

Professional career edit

On August 5, 2021, Jenkins signed his first professional contract with BC Luleå of the Swedish Basketligan.[9] In 40 games in the 2021–22 season, he averaged 17.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game.[10]

In October 2022, Jenkins had a four-game stint with Trapani of the Italian Serie A2.[10] In January 2023, he had a two-game stint with Basketball Nymburk of the Czech NBL.[10]

Career statistics edit

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

College edit

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2016–17 VCU 21 0 12.3 .500 .455 .625 1.7 .5 .3 .1 4.3
2017–18 VCU 33 33 29.5 .433 .418 .750 3.7 2.5 1.3 .2 12.9
2018–19 VCU 32 32 28.0 .405 .341 .750 3.9 2.0 .8 .5 11.3
2019–20 VCU 28 28 26.8 .396 .333 .875 4.2 2.0 1.9 .3 10.7
Career 114 93 25.3 .419 .374 .785 3.5 1.9 1.1 .3 10.3

Personal life edit

His father, Ty Jenkins, was shot and killed outside his home on September 30, 2014.[1] Jenkins has a son.[11]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Epps, Wayne (February 29, 2020). "What's your why?: VCU's De'Riante Jenkins driven by family, hometown". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  2. ^ "Hargrave's De'Riante Jenkins commits to VCU". Danville Register & Bee. September 22, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  3. ^ Jackson, Ryan (October 17, 2017). "Preseason Preview: VCU". Paint Touches. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  4. ^ "VCU runs away from Cal 83–69 at Maui Invitational". ESPN. Associated Press. November 21, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  5. ^ "MBB Preview: Return to Conference Title Glory on the Game Plan for UMass, VCU". Atlantic 10 Conference. November 2, 2018. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  6. ^ Rea, F.T. (November 19, 2019). "High Hopes for Rams Hoops". Richmond Magazine. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  7. ^ "VCU's De'Riante Jenkins is stepping away from basketball". NBC Sports. February 29, 2020. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  8. ^ Schmidt, Dakota (August 25, 2020). "Twenty Mid-Major Players That Could Get Two-Ways During The 2020 Off-Season: Part Four". Ridiculous Upside. SB Nation. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  9. ^ "Jenkins' pro career starts at BC Lulea". Eurobasket. August 5, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  10. ^ a b c "De'Riante Jenkins". Eurobasket. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  11. ^ Kalbrosky, Bryan; Friar, Nick (November 5, 2020). "De'Riante Jenkins making up for lost time with family ahead of NBA draft". Rookie Wire. Retrieved October 13, 2021.

External links edit