Ringing up Representation: Deng Delivering in Blazer Blue

By Jim McCurdy

IRVING, Texas – Ring Deng is all about representation.

And this extends deeper than the surface.

A 6-foot-6 sophomore forward on Dallas College North Lake's No. 2 nationally-ranked men's basketball team, Deng's parents fled from South Sudan in 2002 to North Texas due to the country's second civil war, which lasted from 1983-2005. A third Sudanese war, pitting conflicts between the North and South, broke out again last year. His mom, Ashel Arop, was pregnant with his sister, Nxerro Maluw, when she and Ring's dad, Maluw Deng, were fleeing Sudan with their children. Initially, the family settled in Fort Worth, Texas, but now make their home in nearby Grand Prairie. It is a long ways away from Sudan.

But home is a place which yields many stories for Deng and his family.

"They always told me it was a beautiful place," Ring said. "They always said, if it wasn't for the wars and stuff, they would've stayed. They plan on going back. My mom loves it there. She's always trying to take us back every summer. We were supposed to go last December, but when my brother passed, we couldn't go. Every time she gets some time off, she's trying to go back."

Deng has relatives who've remained in Sudan, however he has never been to his family's homeland. His grandma is going blind, and his mom longs for the opportunity to take her son and siblings there to see her. Family fables are his pipeline to South Sudan.

For Ring, or Ringo, as he's affectionately known, home is North Texas. It is the place he was born. He graduated from South Grand Prairie High School, where he became a First Team All-District 8-6A selection as a senior, following a season he averaged 12.1 points and 6.2 rebounds. Yet while home is Dallas for Deng, he is linked to his family's Sudanese roots in many ways.

"I hear the stories," Deng said. "I'm part of the culture. I know the language. We still have meetings and parties here for the appreciation of South Sudan. I've got a respect for it. I know my tribe, and I know I've got to represent for it."

Deng thinks it's natural for people to routinely make the correlation he's from South Sudan based on his darker skin color. North Lake second-year head coach Josh Mills says many Sudanese-born, tall, slender athletic types fit a common basketball player prototype. But, in Deng's case, the love for the game was a gradual process. It took a few years for the sport to grow on him.

"I was always outside as a kid. I was always playing outside, but I didn't start playing basketball until the seventh or eighth grade," he said. "That's when I started taking it seriously, mainly because I always used to watch my older brother play. He's the one who introduced me to (the game)."

Ring and his older brother, Maluw Deng, used to venture off to Sallye Moore Elementary School in Grand Prairie, where they would hone their skills on the outdoor court. Neighborhood residents would flock to play there, too, some just to watch.

"I was really attracted to Ring out of high school because, No. 1, the program that he came from, South Grand Prairie, they're known for being really tough, defensive minded," Mills said. "That's a testament to Coach Brandon Bennett. They're always competing for state championships. What also was really attractive about Ring is his length. He can guard any position. Any time he would get switched on screens, I would be comfortable and confident in his ability to guard (players) bigger and smaller than he is."

Heaven on Hardcourt

Basketball and brothers. That's what those days at Sallye Moore were for the Dengs. Maluw tutored Ring, pushing him to improve. They were days that paved the path to where he is now. Ring cherishes those days pounding the rock with Maluw, being challenged to get better. That's what big brothers are for, they say. It is a bond that will never be broken, no matter if Maluw isn't around physically to see Ring play.

In early December 2022, a month into Ring's freshman season at North Lake, Maluw passed away in his sleep. It was sudden. There were no warning signals for the 24-year-old older brother, who played two seasons at Concordia University in Austin, Texas. Maluw was named to the 2017-18 American Southwest Conference West All-Freshman Team.

"It was a bad two-three months," Ring said. "My mom still hasn't gotten over it."

Deng's North Lake teammates and coaches attended the Sudanese candlelight ceremony at South Grand Prairie High. Those who came to show their respect brought different colored balloons, and used paper lanterns lit up by candles, which were lifted into the sky with well wishes and positive vibes to symbolize Maluw being carried into Heaven. Mills also attended the funeral. 

"The day it happened, everybody was texting me to make sure I was OK," Ring said of the support he received from his team. "Every time I came to practice, they welcomed me with open arms. It was never, like, sad. It was always a joyful area to be around."

He'll never forget the support his Blazer teammates showered him with during the tough times.

Motivation for Mom

His brother's passing continues to push him. He's reminded of those days on the pavement, where learning from Maluw lit the candle that burns inside even more now.

"I'm doing it for him," Ring said. "But I just don't want to see my mom go through anything like that again, so I'm trying to make it for her so she can have a better life."

Ashel and her family are not able to see Ring play in person due to work commitments to support the family. Make no mistake, though, they hear his success stories.

As a freshman, Deng averaged 6.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and nearly a steal per game, while dishing out 49 assists and blocking 13 shots as a reserve off the bench. He shot 49 percent from the field and 76 percent from the free throw line. He earned Honorable Mention All-Dallas Athletic Conference honors. The Blazers won the Dallas Athletic Conference and National Junior College Athletic Association Division III South Central District championships, advancing to national tournament in Herkimer, New York. North Lake finished 25-8 overall, 10-0 in the DAC. The Blazers went unbeaten at home – a perfect 16-0 mark in the Blazer Dome – and rode a 21-game winning streak into the NJCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed.

Despite Maluw's passing, Deng didn't lose his sense of the present. He missed a couple games for obvious family reasons, but continued to take care of his responsibilities. He never asked for a pass, never made excuses, and continued to grind academically and athletically.

"I told him to take as much time as he needed, but he wanted to be around us," Mills said. "He never wanted me to take it easier on him. He wanted to be coached. He wants to be good. I think he really wants to do something that would make his brother proud of him, which he's going to be proud of him, no matter what.

"He's a really, really tough kid. He has great family support. He shows up every day. He communicates with me if he's going to be late. He does what he's supposed to in the classroom. He's one of the guys, and I say this about a lot of guys that we've had recently because we've just had really good guys the last few years, but he's a kid I'd like to have every single year while I'm coaching."

Driven by Dreams

Deng has a passion for cars. Someday, he'd like to build car engines. He's pursuing a mechanical engineering degree, which is to say, he's had his fill of crunching numbers.

"I'm here taking these math classes, and they're not easy," he said matter-of-factly.

He carries a 3.2 overall grade point average, which included a 3.75 in the fall semester. Last season, Deng contributed to the Blazers' NJCAA All-Academic team honor after the Blazers posted a 3.24 cumulative GPA in the 2022-23 academic year. It was the second highest men's basketball team GPA in NJCAA Division III, and the 15^th highest among all three junior college divisions in the country.

Inside the Blazer Dome, Deng routinely provides high-flying moments on a team that enters the second half of conference play Saturday sitting atop the league standings. 

"I knew this past summer was going to be his biggest (transition), and that's typically how it goes, freshman and sophomore," Mills said. "That's the time that they improve the most. I knew that was going to be the case for Ring. He's just more confident with the ball in his hands. He can make plays. He's a leader, very positive. Everybody loves him, you know, no enemies. He's a really funny kid. We went to take an unofficial visit to Tarleton (State University), and Coach (Billy) Gillispie said, 'I would have that kid on my team just because I love his personality. If he wants to be a walk-on for us, he's welcome.' But Ring, he's looking for scholarship opportunities."

Bleeding Blazer Blue

This season, Deng's point production has doubled, while his perimeter shot precision has spiked substantially. He's averaging 13 points per game, while shooting 58 percent from the floor and 57 percent from the three-point line – a one-year improvement of 28 percentage points from long range. He's averaging 4.6 rebounds and one steal, while distributing 34 assists and blocking eight shots through 22 games – all but one as a starter. 

He's soaked up every minute representing the Blazers.

"It's honestly a blessing," Deng said with genuine candor. "I get to stay home, and be close to the family, while I'm still playing high-level basketball at the same time. I understand people love dorms and stuff, but if you get to stay with your family … playing basketball and you're staying with your family, that's like a blessing."

One of six kids, Ring has an older brother, Aler, and younger brother, Majak, still living in the house. His sister, Nexerro, a junior forward on Western New Mexico University's women's basketball team, is away at college. He also has an older sister, Ajok. In the coming months, Ring hopes to land a scholarship of his own to finish his college career at a four-year school, where he can further the path towards his designs of becoming a mechanical engineer.

Right now, he's following the Blazer blueprint.

"During the summer, Coach Mills helped me get my body right, my skills right," Deng said. "I feel like I've grown tremendously coming to North Lake."

In a mid-November home game on Community Day, where Ringo had the opportunity to shine in front of Sallye Moore and other elementary school students in a packed home venue environment, Deng elevated for a breakaway dunk that had the Blazer Dome buzzing. It was caught on camera.

People were, like, "Dang, Deng."

Ring rang it up for 19 points on 6 of 7 shooting, burying both three-point field goals and all five of his free throws, and had four rebounds, two steals and two assists. It was the culmination of a seven-game span to start the season in which he scored in double figures in all but one of those contests. He's since reached double figures 10 more times for a total of 16. He scored a career-high 23 points, going 3 of 3 from the 3-point line and 8-for-11 at the free throw stripe, while collecting six rebounds to go along with a block and a steal in a 92-69 win at Dallas College Cedar Valley Jan. 24. Three days later, he recorded his second career double-double in a 76-67 comeback victory over previously-ranked Dallas College Mountain View, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 boards. It was the second time in as many seasons he's had 10 rebounds against the Lions. His first double-double came in last year's NJCAA Tournament opener against Rochester Community and Technical College when he had 15 points, and matched a career high with 12 rebounds.

"I think Ring is just as valuable (to our team) as guys like Jakob (Zenon), who's scoring 19-20 points a game," Mills said. "I think it would be tough to win without Ring on the court. And not even on the court, but just around because of his leadership presence."

Like a precisely-assembled engine, Deng is one of many parts that has blended the Blazers into the winners they are. And there's no disputing, he's done plenty to represent.