4-Star Guard, Son of Former NBA Player Takes Official Visit to Purdue
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Reese Alston, one of the top prospects in the 2027 recruiting class, took an official visit to Purdue over the weekend. The 6-foot-2 guard was on campus on Saturday, Jan. 24, the same day the Boilermakers hosted Illinois at Mackey Arena, per 247Sports.
Reese, who is listed as a four-star talent in his recruiting class, is the son of former NBA player and second-round pick Rafer Alston.
The younger Alston shared images of his trip to West Lafayette with a post on social media. He also used the hashtag "not committed," indicating he has not made a decision on his future at this time.
Boilermaker🚂? #notcommited pic.twitter.com/Qo4bArI3YY
— Reese (lilskip) Alston (@lilskip08) January 26, 2026
Reese is listed as a top-25 recruit in the 2027 class and has received several high-profile offers. Along with Purdue, he's also received offers from Louisville, Houston, Kentucky, LSU, Arizona State, Florida State, Maryland, Illinois, Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, USC, Washington and others.
Reese is having a great junior season at Second Baptist in Houston this season. The four-star guard is averaging 23.6 points, 5.3 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game. He is also shooting 60% from the floor and 36% from three-point range.
Purdue didn't get the win over Illinois during Reese's visit, falling 88-82 to Illinois.
Reese's father, Rafer, had an 11-year career in the NBA. He was a second-round pick in the 1998 NBA Draft out of Fresno State and had runs with the Milwaukee Bucks (1999-2002), Miami Heat (2003-04, 2010), Toronto Raptos (2004-05), Houston Rockets (2005-09), Orlando Magic (2009) and New Jersey Nets (2009-10).
What would Reese Alston bring to Purdue?
The 6-foot-2 guard has made a living by attacking off the dribble throughout his high school career. He's not afraid to take defenders off the bounce, driving the lane and finishing at the rim. He would need to get a little stronger, but he's demonstrated the ability to finish at the rim through contact.
Reese possesses great athleticism and isn't afraid to throw down dunks when he gets the opportunity. He's a score-first point guard currently, but also has good vision and will find his teammates open for good scoring opportunities.
The four-star guard is also an active and aggressive defender, great at forcing turnovers and pushing the ball into transition.
Purdue's guard situation is already in good hands with CJ Cox, Gicarri Harris, Antione West Jr. and Omer Mayer currently on the roster. The Boilermakers are also bringing in Luke Ertel as a member of the 2026 class.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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