ANCHORAGE (Sept. 6) – Another former Division I player will bolster the Alaska Anchorage basketball roster this season as head coach Rusty Osborne announced Wednesday that Abebe Demissie has transferred to UAA.
The 6-6, 215-pound forward comes to the Seawolves after playing most recently at North Idaho College in 2010-11. At NIC, he averaged 6.8 points and 4.3 rebounds, shooting 49 percent overall and 43 percent on three-pointers for a 23-9 team.
Demissie spent his first two collegiate seasons at D-I Eastern Washington, redshirting in 2008-09 and averaging 5.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists as a freshman in 2009-10.
“We are extremely excited to have a player like Abebe join our program,” said Osborne, who loses three starters from his 2010-11 team that went 24-10 and reached the NCAA second round. “He can pass and is a skilled ball-handler, which is important in our system at the power forward position. He can also guard in the post or on the perimeter. Abebe has played at the highest level in high school, and his experience at the college level will give us another veteran leader on the court.”
As a prep, Demissie played for Washington 3A powerhouse Rainier Beach High School in Seattle, where he captained the 2007-08 team that went 29-1 and won the state title. He averaged 7.1 points per game as a senior that year, teaming with five future D-I players.
Demissie becomes the fourth member of UAA’s 2011-12 recruiting class, joining fellow transfers Marcus Jackson (PG, 6-2, 185, Sacramento, Calif./Sheldon HS/Arizona State) and Colton Lauwers (G, 6-3, 235, Anchorage/Dimond HS/Adams [Colo.] State), and true freshman Christian Leckband (F, 6-5, 185, Nome).
--GoSeawolves.com--
Nate Sagan
Sports Information Director
University of Alaska Anchorage
3211 Providence Dr. / Anchorage, AK 99508
(907) 786-1295 / Fax: (907) 563-4565
GoSeawolves.com
