FAIRBANKS, Alaska – On Friday, Alaska Nanooks men's basketball head coach Mick Durham announced his sixth recruit to the 2016 spring signing class, as San Francisco City College's LaDonavan Wilder has signed on to play for the Nooks starting in the 2016-17 season. The Oakland, California native will have two years of eligibility with Alaska.
"LaDonavan is a very versatile, long athlete that can play multiple positions," Durham said of Wilder. "He will give us a lot of optimism on the perimeter."
Wilder, a 6-7, 200 lbs. guard/forward, helped the San Francisco City College Rams to a 34-1 overall record, concluding their season on a 23-game winning streak and claiming the 2015-16 California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Championship title. Wilder played in 29 of SFCC's 35 game schedule last season, averaging 5.2 points per game and 2.7 rebounds per game. Wilder's best night came on Mar. 2 against Santa Rosa Community College, tallying 15 points on the night.
In the Coast Conference, Wilder played in 12 games collecting 41 rebounds (averaging 3.4 per game), dished nine assists and averaged 4.4 points per game.
Wilder's former coach at SFCC added, "Donnie can do it all, he was a game-changer for us. A nightmare match-up for everyone we played and a pleasure to coach for the last three years. We have a big void to fill and Fairbanks gets another great kid from San Francisco City College."
Wilder follows in the footsteps of former Nanooks Joe Slocum and Travante Williams, who also transferred to Alaska after playing with the San Francisco City College Rams.
"LaDonavan was a key member of the San Francisco Community College's 34-1 team this past season and is very determined to reach his potential as a basketball player with us next season," Durham concluded. "With the addition of LaDonavan, we're very excited about our recruiting class for next year."
Wilder becomes the sixth player to sign with the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team during the 2016 spring signing period, following Scottsdale Community College's Trent Molesworth, NCAA Division I transfer Nahjee Matlock (Montana State), Diablo Valley's Spencer Clark, Fairbanks' own Daniel Hornbuckle (West Valley High School) and Kansas City Kansas Community College's Joe Lendway.
The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team is coming off of an outstanding 22-8 season that saw the program reach its first Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship game, while also setting a program record for the most GNAC wins in a single season (15). At the conclusion of the season, the Nooks were selected as HERO Sports' NCAA Division II Breakout Team of the Year.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team, follow @NanooksMBB on Twitter.
