The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE latest on the list of prep to collegiate basketball stars to go from the Bahamas to Sunrise Christian Academy to an NCAA Division I programme looks to have an immediate impact on his team this fall.

Recently concluding his high school career in Witchita, Kansas, Nathan Bain discussed his decision to withdraw from a previous commitment to Colorado State, return to Sunrise for a prep season, and eventually signing with the Stephen F Austin University Jacks programme for the Fall 2015 semester.

Bain, a 6’5” wing player and Grand Bahama native, is a three-star recruit, according to rivals.com.

“I was signed with Colorado State but I took an extra prep year so I got the chance to sign again. My coaches and my dad thought it would be best if I didn’t sign and waited to see what would happen with my recruitment the next year. I only took two visits prior to signing with SFA – at San Diego and Colorado State,” Bain said in an interview with sawmillsports.com. “I love the programme and since my recruitment wasn’t very hard, I was glad to get a chance to go to such a good programme. I’m really happy with my decision. My family and my coaches are too.”

Bain has posted a 69-9 record through three years with the Buffaloes.

“I’m going to bring as much energy as I can every time I’m on the floor, whether it’s in practice or in a game,” Bain said. “I play hard on both ends of the floor. I get what I can on offence but I have a really aggressive mindset. If I have the ball in my hands I will try to get to the basket. I can also shoot the three pretty well, but this was an off year for me at my prep school, so I’ve been working on it to get it back. I feel that I also really standout on defence though.”

Jacks head coach Brad Underwood highlighted what he thought Bain would bring to the programme.

“Nathan is a young man that I’ve seen for quite some time in the Sunrise Academy in Wichita, Kansas. He was playing a great deal of his AAU ball with Kansas City and Wichita area teams back when I was at Kansas State, so I’m very familiar with him. He’s been extremely well coached. He’s extremely high-motored and an elite athlete at 6-6,” he said.

“He scores the ball a variety of ways, but his energy and his motor are second to none. I think it is very hard to find a player like him today that plays with his energy level and passion. He is very dedicated to the game and a very mature young man when it comes to knowing what he wants out of basketball and what he wants out of school.

“He is also a young man that, in my opinion, can be an impact guy as a freshman. I’m very excited to get and to have him in this programme, because he is a multi-talented, multi-position guy. He can literally play anywhere on the court and, more importantly, he can guard anywhere on the court. He fits our system, and I’m very excited about him and his upside.”

Nathan is the son of Norris Bain, nationally renowned head coach and administrator for the Tabernacle Baptist Falcons.

The versatile Bain is a high-flying wing player whose jumping skills once netted a silver medal in the high jump at the 2011 CARIFTA Track and Field Championships before he chose to continue his high school education at Sunrise.

The Lumberjacks finished last season with an impressive 29-5 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament where they lost in the opening round to the Utah Utes.

Bain will be a part of a class for the Jacks that look to replace one of the most successful graduating classes in programme history. They captured their third-straight regular season Southland Conference title and back-to-back SLC tournament titles.

The Lumberjacks rank seventh nationally for wins since 2012-13 with 88 and is one of 10 teams to record at least 25 wins in each of the last three years.