Rasir Zias Bolton (born September 27, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for KK Spartak Subotica of the ABA League and KLS. He played college basketball for the Penn State Nittany Lions, Iowa State Cyclones, and Gonzaga Bulldogs.
.jpg) Bolton with Gonzaga in 2021 | |
| No. 45 – Spartak Subotica | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard |
| League | ABA League |
| Personal information | |
| Born | September 27, 1999 Petersburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | |
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 2023: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2023–present |
| Career history | |
| 2023–2024 | Antwerp Giants |
| 2024–present | Spartak Subotica |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
High school career
editBolton attended four different high schools during his first three years, often leaving due to changes in coaching or the athletic department.[1] For his senior season, he transferred to Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, Virginia.[2] He played a postgraduate season at the school.[3] He competed for Team Loaded VA on the Amateur Athletic Union circuit.[4] Bolton committed to playing college basketball for Penn State over offers from Clemson, Saint Joseph's, Virginia Tech and VCU, among others.[5]
College career
edit
On December 8, 2018, Bolton scored a freshman season-high 27 points, shooting 7-of-9 from three-point range, in a 76–65 win over Colgate.[6] As a freshman at Penn State, he averaged 11.6 points, before transferring to Iowa State.[7] Bolton later said that he left Penn State because head coach Pat Chambers told him "I want to loosen the noose that's around your neck" in January 2019.[8] On December 31, 2019, he recorded a career-high 29 points, four rebounds and four assists in a 70–68 loss to Florida A&M.[9] As a sophomore, Bolton averaged 14.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.[10] In his junior season, he averaged 15.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, earning Third Team All-Big 12 honors. After the season, Bolton transferred to Gonzaga.[11] He averaged 11.2 points and 2.4 rebounds per game as a senior. Bolton declared for the 2022 NBA draft before returning to Gonzaga for his fifth season of eligibility.[12] He averaged 10.1 points, 2.5 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game in his final season.[13]
Professional career
editOn July 23, 2023, Bolton signed a contract with Telenet Giants Antwerp of the BNXT League.[14]
Career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Penn State | 32 | 9 | 26.9 | .383 | .361 | .876 | 2.0 | 1.5 | .6 | .1 | 11.6 |
| 2019–20 | Iowa State | 30 | 30 | 30.8 | .404 | .336 | .848 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 1.1 | .1 | 14.7 |
| 2020–21 | Iowa State | 21 | 20 | 33.0 | .459 | .314 | .843 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 1.3 | .1 | 15.5 |
| 2021–22 | Gonzaga | 32 | 32 | 27.3 | .502 | .460 | .817 | 2.4 | 2.3 | .6 | .0 | 11.2 |
| 2022–23 | Gonzaga | 37 | 37 | 26.1 | .438 | .388 | .782 | 1.9 | 2.5 | .8 | .1 | 10.1 |
| Career | 152 | 128 | 28.4 | .433 | .378 | .837 | 2.7 | 2.5 | .8 | .1 | 12.3 | |
Personal life
editBolton's father, Ray, played college basketball at Bethune–Cookman before becoming a high school coach.[15] His older brother, Resean, played basketball for Alderson Broaddus University.[16]
References
edit- ^ Herron, Jack (April 20, 2017). "Recruiting Report: Rasir Bolton (2018)". Prep Hoops. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ "MMA's postgrad basketball team has a clear leader in Rasir Bolton". Massanutten Military Academy. January 28, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ Fauber, Brad (January 27, 2018). "Taking Control: Bolton assumes leadership role for MMA's postgrad basketball team". The Northern Virginia Daily. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ King, Tyler (July 27, 2017). "New commit Rasir Bolton will bring three-level scoring to Penn State men's basketball". Daily Collegian. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ^ Markulics, Chad (July 23, 2017). "2018 Virginia Guard Rasir Bolton Commits to Penn State". Roar Lions Roar. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ "Bolton leads Penn State to 76-65 win over Colgate". ESPN. Associated Press. December 8, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ^ Hines, Travis (July 6, 2020). "Iowa State guard Rasir Bolton says he transferred from Penn State after Pat Chambers made 'noose' remark". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ^ Washington, Jesse (July 6, 2020). "Noose comment by Penn State basketball coach points to larger NCAA problem". Andscape. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ^ "Cyclones Fall In Final Seconds To Florida A&M, 70-68". Iowa State University Athletics. December 31, 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ^ Visser, Ben (November 16, 2020). "Rasir Bolton needs 'to take the next step' for Iowa State men's basketball". The Gazette. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ^ Meehan, Jim (April 30, 2021). "Gonzaga lands Iowa State transfer guard Rasir Bolton". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ^ Ali, Asher (May 31, 2022). "Rasir Bolton back for Zags next season after removing name from draft". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ Lawson, Theo (April 10, 2023). "Gonzaga's Rasir Bolton selected to participate in Portsmouth Invitational". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ Lawson, Theo (July 23, 2023). "Gonzaga's Rasir Bolton inks contract with Antwerp Giants of Belgian league". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ Jones, David (November 14, 2018). "Rasir Bolton might be a raw rookie, but for Penn State basketball he's already a cool commander". The Patriot-News. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ "Phenom Hoop Report catches up with Bishop Sullivan fast rising star". Phenom Hoop Report. November 4, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2021.