Former Columbia Heights boys’ basketball standout Zach Lofton – who starred at New Mexico State University last season after stints at Quakerdale Prep, San Jacinto College, Illinois State, University of Minnesota and Texas Southern University — recently signed with the NBA’s Detroit Pistons.
The 6’-4” guard averaged nearly 11 points and close to three rebounds per game in the 2018 NBA Summer League, and scored 21 in his final game.
Lofton averaged 19.8 points per game for New Mexico State, leading them to the NCAA tournament.
He also led Texas Southern to the 2017 tournament while earning Southwestern Conference Player of the Year Honors.
As a senior in high school, Lofton led Columbia Heights to a runner-up finish to Orono in the Class 3A title game in 2011.
Holloman and Aligbe named All-Americans
Local ninth-grade basketball talents Trejuan Holloman and Prince Aligbe served notice that the state of Minnesota has talent worthy of national recognition after earning All-American honors at the CP3 Rising Stars Camp held in Greensboro, NC last week.
The camp – to which the nation’s top high school prospects are invited – is facilitated by NBA All-Star and Houston Rockets point guard Chris Paul.
Holloman and Aligbe played so well that both were named to the CP3 Dunk Dog All-American game. Aligbe’s Team Black defeated Holloman’s Team Red, but both showed that they will be forces to reckon with for years to come.
Holloman started as an eighth grader last year for Minneapolis North, contributing to a City Conference championship and Twin Cities title run for the Polars while averaging 10.5 points per game.
The 6’-2” point guard played with Howard Pulley this summer.
Aligbe averaged 8.8 points per game as an eighth-grader this past season for Class 2A state champion Minnehaha Academy. He contributed to their 2017 state crown while in seventh grade as well.
The 6’-5” forward played AAU ball with Mentality Minnesota.
Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald is a contributing columnist at the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.