Bahamian set to play NCAA Division I basketball for the first time
Simba FrenchSend an emailMay 27, 2022 60 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email
After the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II basketball season ended, Bahamian collegiate basketball player Lathaniel ‘Tanny’ Bastian took a gamble, entering his name in the NCAA transfer portal. That gamble paid off as the NCAA Division II player came out of the portal by committing to play for the Cal State at Fullerton Titans in NCAA Division I basketball.
The move to division one basketball shows that hard work pays off. Bastian went from Doris Johnson Senior High School to play in the junior college ranks for Trinity Valley Community College before heading to play for the Angelo State University Rams in NCAA DII last season.
A hyped Bastian posted on Instagram about the upward movement of his basketball career.
“I am excited to continue my basketball career at the division one level. With that being said, I am proud to announce my commitment to Cal State Fullerton for the rest of my college career. Go Titans,” Bastian posted.
Bastian had several options to choose from such as Glenville State, Benedict College and the University of Charleston.
He joins a Titans basketball program headed by Dedrique Taylor who has been at the helm for nine seasons. They finished with a 21-11 win/loss record overall and 11-4 in the Big West Conference. They are the reigning champions in the conference after narrowly defeating Long Beach State, 72-71, in the championship game. After receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, they played and lost 78-61 against Duke University in the first round.
The 6’8” 220-pound forward finished his only season for the Rams averaging 11.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots per game. His rebounds and blocks were the highest on his team. Bastian shot a blistering 61 percent from the field. Those numbers earned him Lone Star Conference (LSC) All-Conference Honorable Mention.
The Rams finished with a 20-10 win/loss overall record, 9-6 in the LSC.
Bastian’s highest single-game point total of the season of 23 points was in a 79-74 loss for his team to Western New Mexico. He shot 8-for-12 from the field in 26 minutes of play. Bastian missed a double-double in that game by just one rebound. He also finished with three blocks in that game and shot 7-for-12 from the charity stripe.
Bastian grabbed a season-high 16 boards against West Texas A&M on March 3. His season high of four blocks was in November against Northwest Nazarene.