UAA men’s basketball team signs Anchorage high school star Sloan Lentfer of Grace Christian

The University of Alaska Anchorage men’s basketball team made its second and most notable addition to its 2023 recruiting class Tuesday after announcing Grace Christian High School standout Sloan Lentfer has signed his national letter of intent to play for his hometown team.

“It’s definitely pretty exciting and a super cool opportunity for sure,” Lentfer said. “I’ve been talking to them for about a month and signed about a week ago.”

Lentfer said he had offers from other programs outside the state, including one in Oregon, but he had his heart set on joining the Seawolves.

“It’s pretty cool to be able to still be a part of Alaska basketball and show what it stands for,” Lentfer said. “I’m also excited to be able to give back to Alaska basketball and do stuff with a bunch of kids who probably dream of doing it some day.”

The 6-foot-7 forward was named the Alaska 3A Boys Player of the Year by the Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches after leading the Grizzlies to their first state championship since 2017.

“We are very excited to add Sloan as the second piece of our recruiting class,” UAA head coach Rusty Osborne said in a statement from the school. “He had a special year both individually and as a team, winning multiple titles in both the regular season and postseason.”

His sensational senior season included earning MVP honors at the Alaska Prep Shootout and Alaska Airlines Classic, where he recorded a double-double in all three games, including 17 points and 10 rebounds in an upset win over Heritage Christian of North Ridge California.

“As he has matured physically, Sloan has continued to improve all aspects of his game,” Osborne added. “He is a tremendous rebounder and a smart, tough defender. Offensively he has great hands, can score inside, and is a very good passer. Once he gets experience playing consistently against other opponents his size, we expect him to have a great college career.”

Incoming freshman Trey Evans, a 6-foot-5 point guard from Salt Lake City (Real Salt Lake Academy), was the Seawolves’ first signing this year.

As a UAA assistant, Osborne coached Lentfer’s father, Clint, who played for the Seawolves from 1993-95.

“Having coached his father, and against his uncle Jeff, I know he will be not only a hard worker, but an awesome teammate as well,” Osborne said.

Lentfer was the biggest and tallest player virtually every time he stepped on the court throughout his high school career whether he was playing against a 3A or 4A opponent. He is looking forward to facing more athletes that will be comparable in size and skill at the next level.

“It’ll be super fun and definitely be a huge learning experience my first year because I haven’t really played against a bunch of super tall people and guys my size,” he said.

Lentfer intends to be a pilot once he graduates college, and plans to major in business management and minor in real estate.