Alaska Sports Hall of Fame

For years, the Alaska Class 4A Player of the Year never seemed to end up in a Seawolf uniform.

But that trend appears to be changing.

Anchorage’s Colton Lauwers, the 2009 Mr. Basketball, said he will transfer to the University of Alaska Anchorage from Adams State College in Colorado. He hasn’t signed a letter of intent for head coach Rusty Osborne but plans to do so soon.

“The most appealing aspect about playing at home was getting a chance to play collegiate basketball in front of close friends and family,” Lauwers told me. “Growing up I always … loved going to (UAA) games.”

Lauwers, of Dimond High fame, is just the fourth 4A Player of the Year in 30 years to suit up for the Seawolves, joining Mike Childs (1985), Eli Wilson (1997) and Travis Thompson (2010).

“I think being from Anchorage I’ll take a lot of pride in playing for UAA,” Lauwers said.

With the Seawolves, Lauwers teams up with former Dimond running mates Thompson and Chris Plooy, who is another transfer who came back home.

As a freshman at Adams State, the 6-foot-3 guard started 15 of 26 games and averaged modest numbers (3.3 ppg, 1.5 apg, 1.3 rpg) in 16 minutes. His season high was 11 points.

“The first year of college ball was exciting,” he said. “I got the chance to earn the starting spot on a young team. I think I learned a lot about the college game even being hurt this year. I still got to be a part of a team that made the tournament and had success.”

Lauwers sat out as a redshirt with a knee injury.

Now he’s healthy, though, looking to put in work as a combo guard for his hometown team.

“I bring to the table a good outside threat and can also handle the ball,” he said.