UAA Athletics

UAA men’s basketball signs 3 Division I transfers

A day after losing two players, the UAA men's basketball team added three.

NCAA Division I transfers Jacob Lampkin, D.J. Ursery and Maleke Haynes have signed scholarship agreements to play for the Seawolves, UAA coach Rusty Osborne announced Friday.

The trio of seniors were all roommates at University of the Pacific, where they each started at least one game for the Tigers last season.

"With the departure of eight seniors, we needed immediate help to continue competing for the GNAC championship," Osborne said in a press release. "Jacob, D.J., and Maleke give us the talent and experience to again win at a high level."

Lampkin, a 6-9, 235-pound forward, was the Tigers' fifth-leading scorer with 6.4 points per game in 2016-17, notching double figures in eight of 24 games before suffering a broken foot in January.

Prior to playing at University of the Pacific, Lampkin was a three-time All-Metro League performer at O'Dea High School in Seattle, where he played with former UAA All-American Suki Wiggs.

"Jacob will be an elite post player at our level with the ability to score on the low post, off the screen and roll, and jump shots out to 19 feet," Osborne said. "He will also be a very good rebounder and post defender."

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Ursery was the Tigers' sixth-leading scorer last season, averaging 6.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists in just over 16 minutes per game. The 6-4, 195-pound guard scored a season-high 19 points at Pepperdine and had 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting against Portland.

"D.J. is a slashing, athletic wing who can attack the basket on the break and in the half court," Osborne said. "I also believe he will be a good 3-point shooter as he plays regular, extended minutes."

Osborne said Ursery and Lampkin are familiar with UAA and the Alaska Airlines Center from playing in the GCI Great Alaska Shootout as freshmen in 2014.

Haynes will join his teammates at UAA after averaging 2.5 points and 1.9 assists in 52 career games at University of the Pacific. A 5-10, 160-pound point guard, he started five of the final six games for the Tigers as a junior last season. He played his freshman season at Saddleback Junior College.

"Maleke is a pass-first point guard and a tremendous leader," Osborne said. "He has that one quality that every program needs. His JC coach's description was 'he's a winner — that's all he cares about.' "

Osborne said he's not concerned that all three players are seniors because he is balancing his recruiting class with younger players.

The trio joins incoming freshmen Brennan Rymer, a 6-1 guard from Sydney, and Austin White, a 6-8 forward from Ninilchik, in Osborne's 2017 recruiting class.

The five players will help replace 10 departing players from the 2016-17 squad, including all five senior starters as well as junior forward Augustus Simmers and sophomore guard Damien Fulp.

Osborne said Friday that Simmers is choosing to focus on academics and Fulp will transfer to NAIA Corban University in Salem, Oregon.

Correction: A previous version of this story said the players were transferring from Pacific University not University of the Pacific.

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