On Wednesday, Houston signed JUCO recruit Devonta Pollard for it’s men’s basketball team, according to Scout’s Brian Snow. Normally, the Cougars signing a new player wouldn’t carry much national significance, but Pollard’s story is anything but normal. As a former five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American in the class of 2012, he signed with Alabama.
After avoiding jail on kidnapping charge, former five-star Devonta Pollard signs with Houston
Pollard committed to Alabama basketball in 2012 and after a year of legal issues, he will play in Division I again.
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Pollard was supposed to be part of the Crimson Tide’s rise to national relevance, and the Rivals scouting report raved about him: “A multidimensional lefty, Pollard has a strong post up game and is a force on the offensive boards. He is also effective in the high post as a scorer and passer and can defend multiple positions,” it said.
After a rough first season at Alabama — he didn’t even play half of the available minutes and couldn’t get it going offensively — Pollard’s life got a lot worse off the court. From the Clarion-Ledger:
Photo credit: USA TODAY Sports Everything changed last April.
His mother, Jessie Mae Brown Pollard, was arrested and charged with kidnapping a 6-year old girl over a land dispute with the child's mother. Pollard was later charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping and he left Alabama in June.
It didn't get much easier from there. With his mother unwilling to absolve him of his role in the kidnapping, Pollard was ultimately forced to testify against his mother to avoid potential prison time. In exchange for testifying against his mother, Pollard will avoid prosecution if he stays out of trouble for the next two years. His mother was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Pollard transferred to East Mississippi Community College near his home in Porterville, Miss., to play basketball this past season. He will have two years of eligibility at Houston. The Cougars were up-and-down last season, beating UConn and Memphis, but losing to the likes of San Jose State, Rutgers and UCF last year en route to a 17-16 record.
This year, Houston and new coach Kelvin Sampson will need help from their new 6-foot-8 forward. The two leading scorers from last season, TaShawn Thomas and Danuel House, both elected to transfer. So if the Cougars are to compete in the AAC this year, Pollard will have to make an immediate impact.
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