Alpha Bangura

Alpha Bangura

Personal information
Born	(1980-02-04) February 4, 1980 Freetown, Sierra Leone
Nationality	Libyan / Sierra Leonean
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school	Eleanor Roosevelt (Greenbelt, Maryland)
College	Monmouth (1998–1999) St. John's (2000–2002)
NBA draft	2002: undrafted
Playing career	2002–2018
Position	Small forward
Career history
2002–2003	North Charleston Lowgators
2003–2004	Charleston Lowgators
2004–2005	Sioux Falls Skyforce
2005	Guaiqueríes de Margarita
2005	Benfica
2005–2006	Michigan Mayhem
2006	Idaho Stampede
2006	Unelco Tenerife
2006–2007	Aishin Sea Horses
2007	Atléticos de San Germán
2007–2008	Aishin Sea Horses
2008	Sagesse-Al Hekmeh Beirut
2008	Al Qadsia
2008–2009	Rio Grande Valley Vipers
2009	Bakersfield Jam
2010	Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut
2010–2011	Anibal Zahle
2011	Air21 Express
2015–2016	Incheon Electroland Elephants
Career highlights and awards
JBL champion (2008) NEC Newcomer of the Year (1999) 2x CBA All-Star Game (2005, 2006)

Alpha Mohamed Bangura (born February 4, 1980) is an American-Sierra Leonean former professional basketball player who represented the Libya National Basketball Team after being naturalized and granted a Libyan passport—following offers of citizenship from several other countries.

Amateur career

Bangura is a graduate of Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland, where he was teammates with fellow professional basketball players Delonte Holland and Eddie Basden.

Alpha Bangura played NCAA basketball at St. John's University for two years after starting his career at Monmouth University, where he averaged 18.9 points per game as a freshman and earned newcomer of the year. Bangura moved to St. John's after one season at Monmouth to play for coach Mike Jarvis. In 2002, he left the team for unknown reasons.

Professional

After going undrafted out of St. John’s University, Alpha Bangura began his professional career in the USBL, where he averaged 13 points and 4 rebounds per game. The following season, he joined the North Charleston Lowgators in the NBA Development League (now G League), where he played alongside current Houston Rockets Head Coach Ime Udoka. During his three seasons with the Lowgators, Bangura established himself as one of the league’s premier scorers, consistently ranking in the top five in scoring.

Bangura later signed with the Washington Wizards, and after being released, he joined the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), playing under future NBA Head Coach Dave Joerger. That season, he averaged 22 points and 6 rebounds per game, earned CBA All-Star honors, and helped lead the Sioux Falls Skyforce (now affiliated with the Miami Heat) to a CBA Championship.

The following year, Bangura led the entire CBA in scoring, averaging 30 points and 7 rebounds per game for the Michigan Mayhem. He was named an All-Star once again and captured the CBA Slam Dunk Contest title, defeating future NBA dunk contest participant Jamario Moon.

Bangura also competed in the NBA Summer League with the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, and Orlando Magic. A seasoned NBA G League veteran, he last played for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the G League affiliate of the Houston Rockets, where he averaged 18.9 points per game and helped lead the team to a championship in 2010.

International

Bangura was the most consistent member of the Libyan team that finished 11th as the host country in the 2009 FIBA Africa Championship. He averaged 24.4 points per game over six games for the Libyans before his team failed to qualify to the next round. Bangura scored a game-high 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the opening game against South Africa to send the Libyans into the eighth finals. Bangura again scored a game-high 23 points in a two-point Libyan victory over Egypt in the eighth finals, its only victory in that round.