December 6, 2012
Boyd goes aloha
Often, success in life comes down to the quality of individual relationships and it is no different in basketball recruiting. Who is perceived as the most genuine suitor? Who stays in touch, minus an obligatory tone? Those are telling signs and such played a major role in De'Von Boyd's decision to go aloha.
A starter since his sophomore season at Sacramento High, the 6-foot-1 Boyd has cast his lot with Coach Eric Bovaird and the Chaminade Silverswords. Bovaird is in his first year in the islands and comes from assisting a West Liberty College program in West Virginia that went 33-1 last season while scoring 111 points per game.
Fitting right in, Boyd is coming off a 34-point performance against Deer Valley High in the recent Nor Cal Tipoff that probably has local and regional college coaches gnashing their teeth over not landing him.
So why the Honolulu-based Silverswords, the sole Catholic-based college in the islands?
“It felt good academically -- I liked that,” Boyd explained. “Coach Bovaird and I had several really good conversations, and I felt welcomed. I believe I can make a significant impact on the basketball program.”
Boyd's father, Sean Boyd, also was impressed by Bovaird and Company. “Their sincerity struck us,” he offered, adding, “that the university and the basketball program is the right fit for De'Von.”
As to what Boyd feels he'll bring to the Chaminade court, he said, “My jumpshot and my explosiveness to the basket.”
Academically, he currently sports a 3.5 grade point average and Boyd will be majoring in biology. “I'm interested in becoming a pulmonary dpecialist and they have a great program to prepare students for medical school.”
On the court, he's being looked at as a point and wing by the Chaminade coaching staff.
It was also participation in track, football and baseball for Boyd in his younger days. However, roundball won out, “I had a different kind of passion for the game and made it my focus.”
His basketball background is an interesting mix of patience, nature taking its course and continually working.
“Beginning high school, I was more of a wing coming off screens and shooting,” Boyd said. “In the springs and summers, I was more of a point because I was surrounded by high major guys. But this season, I'm handling the ball more [while simultaneously] receiving more freedom on offense. I came in as a freshman, no taller than 5-foot-6. Then I had a growth spurt last summer, going from 5-foot-10 to 6-foot-1. I've also really worked on my dribbling because the college coaches were telling me to do that.”
Asked how his friends, teammates and regular students alike, would describe him, Boyd offered “a great personality, always smiling in school and on the court.”
Where does he see himself 10 years hence?
“Maybe medical school or wherever my game carries me. Chaminade has a good reputation for producing guys who move on to the NBA, the D League and Overseas.”
He offered thanks to his parents, Sean and Denise Boyd, his brothers, Daniel and De'Sean, to Derek Swafford, his Sacramento High coach, to Fred Wilson of Blue Collar Preps, to Sam Luong, his skills trainer, and to Brian Hamilton of Play Hard Play Smart.
It's a mutual admiration society with Boyd's father expressing, “De'Von is so down to earth and a good person. I'm proud to be his Dad.”
The Chaminade program etched its place in college basketball history when taking down Ralph Sampson-led Virginia 77-72 back in December of 1982 and the Silverswords have embellished that reputation by recently topping Texas 86-73 in the Maui Invitational.
Boyd will be able to make a number of appearances in northern California because of the locales of fellow Pacific West Conference members. Notre Dame de Namur is based in Belmont, Academy of Art University has a San Francisco address, Holy Names University receives its mail in Oakland and Dominican University is located in Marin County.