The Valparaiso University men’s basketball program and head coach Roger Powell Jr. have announced the addition of 6-foot-3 point guard All Wright (Durango, Mexico / Link Year), who joins the program as a true freshman for the 2024-25 season.

“I really believe in Coach Roger Powell and everything that he’s doing with the program,” Wright said. “He was very honest with me during the recruiting process and has faith and belief in me as a player. I feel like Valpo has a chance to be a really strong team in the extremely strong Missouri Valley Conference next year, and that’s something I want to be a part of. I’ve been working for this my whole life since I was 2 years old, and it means a lot to be at the D1 level and have a chance to bring the winning tradition back to Valparaiso.”

Wright played his first three high school seasons at Joplin High School in Missouri before transferring to Link Year for his senior season, when he averaged 15.0 points and 7.0 assists per contest.

“All Wright is an unbelievable late pick up for us,” Powell said. “He has high-level ability and leadership. He is an unbelievable kid with unbelievable ability. He shows signs of greatness. He adds size and depth at the point and combo guard positions. He gives us a great young player to build the future with and continues our Link connection.”

Wright was born in Durango, Mexico before moving to Carthage, Mo. at age 2. His brother Always Wright is a member of the University of Rhode Island men’s basketball program, while his father Joe played at Kansas State University from 1984-1986 and went on to play professionally overseas. He holds the single-season scoring record for his team in Iceland after averaging 46.6 points per game in 1992-93. All’s mother Karina is a school teacher.

“My mom is the foundation for my career,” Wright said. “She was a tennis player back in her day, so she was also an athlete. I couldn’t have done this without my mom.”

Wright’s legal full name is Andre All Wright Vargas, but he goes by All Wright.

“My dad’s friend said, ‘You should name your kids All and Always,’” Wright said with a laugh. “The next thing you know, me and my brother have ridiculous names.”  

During his junior year at Joplin, Wright hit two free throws to win a playoff game, a moment that he holds as a special memory.

“My brother had graduated the year before, so junior year was my time to take over the team,” Wright said. “Winning that playoff game was a special moment.”

Wright spent his senior season at Link Year, the same school that helped produce 2023-24 Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year Cooper Schwieger as well as Valpo signees Carson Schwieger and Devon Ellis.

“Link has been awesome and was a stepping stone for me in my career,” Wright said. “It’s been a great experience to move out of a high school a year early and prepare myself for Valpo. It’s been nothing short of a great year for me.”

Off the court, Wright loves food and said the coaching staff showed him a lot of great places to eat in Valparaiso during his official visit. Academically, he is interested in pursuing either finance or aviation.

“I’m a playmaking point guard, and you’re going to see a lot of buckets, whether that’s from me or me giving the ball to some of our best players – Cooper and guys like that,” Wright said. “This whole team has dudes and I’m a player who is going to get them the ball and we’re going to score a lot of points, that’s for sure.”