Djery Baptiste
| No. 12 – Vanderbilt Commodores | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| League | Southeastern Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born |
November 12, 1995 Gonaïves, Haiti |
| Nationality | Haitian |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
Prestonwood Christian Academy (Plano, Texas) |
| College | Vanderbilt (2015–present) |
Djery Baptiste /ˈdʒɛri ˈbæptiːst/ (born November 12, 1995) is a Haitian basketball player who currently plays for the Vanderbilt Commodores Men's Basketball Team.[1][2]
Early years
Baptiste was born in Gonaïves, Haiti to Hebert Jean Baptiste and Wislonde Destin. He arrived in the United States when he was 15 years old.[3]
High school career
Baptiste attend the Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas and led his team to four consecutive state championships. At the end of his senior year, he was named Defensive Player of the Year by his team.[4][5]
College career
Baptiste chose to play at Vanderbilt for academic reasons, despite receiving multiple offers from other schools.[6][7][8][9]
Personal life
Baptiste arrived from Haiti speaking no English. He taught himself English from music listening to country singer George Strait's songs and is now his favorite genre.[10][11] He speaks French, Haitian Creole, and Spanish fluently.[12]
References
- ↑ Sparks, Adam, ed. (29 July 2015). "Vanderbilt basketball's top 10 summer story lines: Freshman Addition - Baptiste is Big". The Tennessean. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ↑ Sparks, Adam, ed. (20 October 2015). "Meet the Vanderbilt men's basketball team". The Tennessean. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ↑ Futral, Isabel, ed. (11 November 2015). "Coming to America: the Djery Baptiste Story". Vanderbilt Hustler. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ↑ VU Commodores: Djery Baptiste
- ↑ ESPN: Djery Baptiste
- ↑ Press, ed. (12 November 2014). "Vanderbilt signs 4 led by 6-11 center Djery Baptiste who chose Commodores over UConn, others". DailyNews724. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ↑ 247Sports: Djery Baptiste
- ↑ Rivals: Djery Baptiste
- ↑ Scout: Djery Baptiste
- ↑ Mustard, Extra, ed. (12 November 2015). "Vanderbilt's Djery Baptiste learned English from George Strait songs". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ↑ Reuter, Annie, ed. (13 November 2015). "George Strait's Music Helps Vanderbilt Basketball Player Learn English". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ↑ Lind, J. R., ed. (13 November 2015). "Five For Clicking: 13 November 2015". Nashville Post. Retrieved 22 November 2015.