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March 20, 2025; Denver, CO, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Buzz Williams motions during the second half against the Yale Bulldogs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Aleks Alston talks Buzz Williams' influence in coming to Maryland

Originally posted on Maryland Terrapins on SI
By Brandon Walker | Last updated Aug 1, 2025 2:00 PM ET

Aleks Alston is a new face coming to Maryland this fall. The 6-foot-10 Serbian native is going to try to find his way this coming season, most likely in a limited capacity, with seniors Elijah Sanders, Pharell Payne, and Solo Washington on the roster. The Kingwood High School (Chicago, Illinois) product has the size, skill, and experience playing nationally that have everyone excited for his development at College Park.

Alston is coming to the program with a team mentality, and he wants to do his best to help the team and improve daily. He believes this journey is already set out for him, as he told Brendan Hartlove of Umterps.com.

"I feel like that's a part of the whole journey. I didn't come here to be selfish and be like, 'Ok, I'm trying to get to my goals and do this; I don't care about anything, I just want to get through this year.' I feel like you can't have that mentality, you know?" Alston said.

"What I go by is your path is already written, so it's just about taking each day day-by-day and getting better for yourself off the court and on the court, and everything else is going to write itself."

Alston was one of the last players that new head coach Buzz Williams added to the roster when he committed to Maryland on May 27 after a recruiting process that involved Big Ten rivals Indiana, Michigan State, and Oregon. Alston, who finished as the No. 22 power forward and the No. 104 overall in the 247Sports Composite Rankings, spoke about how researching the program with his father was the key to making his commitment to Maryland, particularly because Coach Williams was a significant part of his commitment to the Terps.

"Research was definitely done, especially with my dad being a coach as well. He knew what were great options, but at the end of the day he was going to let me choose where I wanted to be. I chose Maryland because it was family. You look at all the stuff that was done with Texas A&M and Coach Buzz and what he brought when he got here. A lot of winning, and that's what I want to be a part of." Alston said.

"Relationships were very strong. He had the fewest number of players enter the portal at Texas A&M. He brought his whole staff to Maryland. That was crazy to see. We're in week two and already close to being a family. I'm big on that—I want to know that someone's got my back as much as I've got their back."

Also thought that he made the right decision when he first stepped into Coach Williams' office, and seeing how serious and disciplined he is about how he coaches is something that he wants to be part of.

"When I first got into his office, I could tell he's very serious about what he does, which is what you want to be a part of. Like a businessman in a way. He holds himself accountable to a lot of things, and that's what he tries to teach us. Ownership, that's going to compound. I kind of messed up with the team rules a little bit, but any time he talks to me, it's firm, it's strict, and that's the way it needs to be."

Monitoring Alston's development will be a fun and intriguing experience as we follow it in Maryland on SI. You can follow more updates from Brandon Walker on social media by clicking HERE.

This article first appeared on Maryland Terrapins on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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