Former Springer wins NBA D-League shootout
Fred Jeter | 2/19/2016, 7:53 p.m.
Andre Ingram is like fine wine. He seems to keep improving with age.
At 30, the former Highland Springs High School guard rang the victory bell last Saturday at the NBA Development League’s All-Star festivities in Toronto.
D-League All-Star activities are held in conjunction with NBA All- Star events.
Sinking 39 of 50 attempts in two rounds, Ingram won the Three- Point Shootout over runner-up Jimmer Fredette.
The final score — counting “money ball” bonus shots — was Ingram 53, Fredette 46. Ingram, who plays for the Los Angeles D-Fenders, an affiliate of the Los Angeles Lakers, won the same D-League contest in 2010 when he was with the Utah Flash.
Incredibly, this marks the second straight year a former Highland Springs Springer has won a D-League All-Star individual award.
Last year in New York City, Jarvis Threatt captured the Slam-Dunk Contest.
“No wonder I’ve won a few games,” Highland Springs Coach George Lancaster said of the results. “I’ve had some great players come through here. I’m the luckiest man alive.”
Ingram began playing in the D-League with Utah in 2007. He is the league’s all-time three-point marksman with 546 career connections in 1,205 attempts.
Through 33 games this season, he leads the D-League in three-point accuracy — 76 for 151, or .503, while averaging 10 points per game.
Ingram was an All-Central Region star under Coach Lancaster at Highland Springs in 2003. From there, he went to American University, where he tallied 1,655 points (265 three-pointers) between 2003 and 2007 under Coach Jeff Jones.
Undrafted, he has played in the D-League ever since.
In Los Angeles, Ingram’s teammates include Justin Harper, the former Meadowbrook High School and University of Richmond star. Harper was named to the D-League All-Stars.
Also competing as D-League rookies are former VCU stars Treveon Graham and Briante Weber.
Graham, in 31 games for the Idaho Stampede, an affiliate of the Utah Jazz, is averaging 13.7 points and 5.4 rebounds.
In 13 games for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, a Miami Heat affiliate, Weber averages 7.4 points, 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals.