At the center of Ragsdale High School’s 1-3-1 zone stood a three-year varsity starter fresh off his junior season as a two-way football player. Standing 5-foot-11 and wearing number 12, Devan Boykin thrived on picking off Asheboro Blue Comet passes.
He turned nine steals into 19 points to lead the Tigers to a 73-58 victory. The January night in central North Carolina was not an outlier. Intercepting passes on the hardwood became a habit for Boykin, who averaged 2.2 steals per game in that season.
Six years later, Boykin attributes his basketball skills as a big reason for his success.