Education
University of Michigan.
University of Michigan.
After graduating from Dallas" H. Grady Spruce High School, Baston played college basketball at the University of Michigan. At Michigan, he was part of an all-star recruiting class that included Maurice Taylor, Travis Conlon, Jerod Ward and Willie Mitchell. He was known for his above-average dunking ability, and tenacious defense.
Baston averaged 10.7 points and 6.6 rebounds a game for his Michigan career, which included National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament appearances in 1995 and 1998 and the National Invitation Tournament Championship in 1997.
Michigan later forfeited its entire 1996-1997 schedule after Robert Traylor, Maurice Taylor and Louis Bullock were found to have taken money from a Michigan booster. He was drafted in the second round (58th overall) by the Chicago Bulls in 1998, but he did not appear in any games for them.
He played for the Quad City Thunder in the College of Business Administration, in Italy (South Carolina Montecatini) in Spain (Joventut Badalona), the National Basketball Association"s Toronto Raptors (February–April 2003 and 2007–2008) and Indiana Pacers, and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Baston was a College of Business Administration All-Star in 2000.
Baston holds the Euroleague Final Four record for blocks with 6 versus Tau Ceramica, in the 2006 finals.
On July 28, 2006, the National Basketball Association"s Indiana Pacers signed Baston to a two-year deal worth $1.8 million with the second year being a player option. He appeared in 47 games and averaged 3 points. On July 11, 2007, Baston signed an offer sheet to return to the Raptors worth roughly United States$3.8 million over two years.
The Pacers declined to match the offer.
But the Pacers did reacquire him in on July 9, 2008 involving a trade with the Raptors which included Jermaine O"Neal and T. J. Ford. Baston, along with point guard Chucky Atkins, signed non-guaranteed contracts with the Detroit Pistons on September 28, 2009.
The Pistons waived Baston on October 21, 2009. Despite conversations with KK Partizan, he signed for Budivelnyk Kyiv on March 1, 2010, but he only played one match due to his physical problems.
In November 2010 Baston returned to Israel, signing with Bnei HaSharon.
However, after playing seven games, he left the team in January 2011.