After five seasons following junior college football [1] programs, Netflix's docuseries [2] Last Chance U is back with Last Chance U: Basketball. This first season tells the story of several players at East Los Angeles College (ELAC), and while their basketball season takes a turn no one could have expected, the eight-episode series delivers the same level of talent and emotional backstories you've come to expect from the show. Curious to know how the athletes are doing now? Keep reading to see what some of the key players have been up to since filming wrapped last year. One thing that seems true across the board: they're thriving!
Where Is KJ Allen Now?
As the show reveals, small forward KJ Allen was highly sought after by Division I programs, but ultimately committed to the University of Southern California, where he'll begin the next phase of his college career later this year. "I want to thank my family, my friends, and my coaches for pushing me every day to do better and keep improving. Everyone has been a great help getting me to this point in my life [3]," Allen wrote on Instagram, before expressing gratitude to the other schools that recruited him. "This decision was not easy."
In an interview with TrojanSports.com, Allen explained that USC offered everything he was looking for: "I felt USC can help me expand my basketball game [4] and have a shot at a championship . . . It feels great being able to play for your own city and have family and friends watch you play. It's a wonderful feeling."
Where Is Joe Hampton Now?
After some setbacks early in his career, Joe Hampton comes to ELAC seeking redemption, and by the end of the series, he finds it, fighting his way back to a Division I program at Long Beach State. "I want to thank my teammates and the entire ELAC coaching staff [5] . . . for trusting me, guiding me, and allowing me to go to war with you guys," Hampton wrote when announcing the news on Instagram. The junior forward seems to be settling right in at Long Beach — he recently put up a season high 19 points [6] for the 49ers, in a game against UC Davis.
Where Is Deshaun Highler Now?
In the final episode of Last Chance U, Huskies guard and team captain Deshaun Highler moves out of the home he shared with his late mother to begin a new chapter at Sacramento State. Highler is still on the roster at the Division I school, where he's majoring in computer science [7] and averages five points per game.
In Nov. 2020, Highler appeared as a guest on the podcast Handle with CARE to discuss his mom's battle with breast cancer and how he's doing now [8]. "At the end, when she started to get really bad, she didn't want to worry me, she didn't want anything to affect what I was doing, so she kept a lot to herself," he recalled. "If you're going through this, if you know someone going through this, just be there . . . but don't forget about yourself."
Where Is Malik Muhammad Now?
After earning an associate's degree at ELAC, forward Malik Muhammad enrolled at Central Michigan University. "We are thrilled to have Malik Muhammad [9] in our program here at CMU," head coach Keno Davis said about his recruitment. "Malik comes from one of the premier programs in the country at East LA College, which went 53-6 over the past two seasons. Malik also has the size and athleticism to give our frontcourt an immediate defencive presence with his shot blocking and rebounding ability." In his first season with the team, Muhammad quickly rose to be a starter and averages six rebounds and points per game.