Today@Sam Article

Bearkat Spotlight: Lamar Wilkerson

Nov. 7, 2024
SHSU Media Contact: Campbell Atkins

Lamar Wilkerson’s path to Sam Houston State University and national notoriety navigated several highs and lows. As the senior Bearkat seeks to lead the basketball program to its ultimate goal of an NCAA Tournament appearance, he knows his time at rock bottom taught him more than any mountaintop could.

“I have people behind me chasing this goal, as well. It’s not going to be easy, because life is hard,” Wilkerson said. “Every day, you are going to face adversity and tough challenges. Those are easier to get through with this group of guys we have. Everyone has one agenda, and that is to win.”

Wilkerson and the Bearkats won often during the 2023-24 season, including a 13-3 mark and a regular season championship in their first year competing in Conference USA (CUSA). Individually, the 6’5 guard was named first-team All-CUSA and led the team with 13.8 points per game. He also hit 52 three-point field goals.

“Each year I’ve been here, I’ve made a jump,” said Wilkerson, who transferred to SHSU from Three Rivers Community College in Missouri in 2022. “I just want to keep making that jump. This offseason, I was really focused on ball handling and making the right reads. I also emphasized getting bigger and stronger, more athletic and explosive.”

Following last year’s historic season, which ended in the semifinals of the CUSA Tournament and just two wins short of the NCAA Tournament, Wilkerson had an opportunity to make the move to a larger university for his final season of eligibility. After briefly entering the transfer portal, he decided to remain at Sam Houston State in the hopes of finishing what he started with the Bearkats.

“If we can conquer this challenge here together, it is going to feel different and it is going to feel better than it would anywhere else,” he said. “I’m a winner, and I want us to win here.”

Coming from a small town in southwest Arkansas, Wilkerson learned early how it feels to win with a group of teammates and coaches he considers family. During his junior season at Ashdown High School in 2019, he led the Panthers to a 28-2 record and Arkansas’s 3A State Championship.

“We had been playing together since we were young,” said Wilkerson, who earned the state title’s most valuable player distinction. “We always knew we would be a top contender once we got to varsity. Going out every day with guys you know, and know how they play, makes the game fun.”

Ashdown, immersed in nature with a population under 5,000, isn’t exactly the center of the basketball world. In fact, prior to himself, Wilkerson could recall just one player from his hometown who played Division 1 basketball: Patrick Hunter, who spent two seasons with the Baylor Bears in the 1990s.

“(Hunter) showed me the game at a young age,” Wilkerson said. “He brought me around it and nurtured that competitor in me.”

It was another Ashdown mentor, Chris Threadgill, who would help Wilkerson realize his true potential on and off the court. Wilkerson credits Threadgill for not only seeing something special in him from an early age, but also taking him in as family and serving as a father figure when he needed it most.

“It was a rough time when we met, but he opened up his family to me,” Wilkerson said. “He taught me the game of basketball and made me love it, which served as an outlet. At first, it was fun and games and a way to get away from everything. Then Chris came along and showed me I could actually do something with this.”

Wilkerson took it seriously. While he also played football and baseball at the time, he began to primarily focus on basketball. If you ever saw him during his high school years, it was probably on a court or in a classroom.

“Basketball grabbed me early and I’ve basically been addicted to it since,” he said. "I had to sacrifice some things. I was in the gym at 6 a.m. before class every morning.”

While his hard work paid off greatly for the Ashdown Panthers and helped solidify him as a hometown hero, Wilkerson soon found himself at a crossroads with his athletic future hanging in the balance.

“When I graduated, I didn’t have any D-1 offers,” said Wilkerson, who ultimately decided to attend Three Rivers and compete in the junior college ranks.

While he played at a high level to start his first stint in college, he sustained a serious knee injury after just eight games at Three Rivers. He had seemingly found a path to success, but reality came crashing back down on the young guard.

“I was right back at rock bottom,” he said. “I had to go seven months without any basketball. This was eye-opening, because it made me realize I didn’t have a plan B. I want to hoop, I have a goal, let’s make it happen.”

The long and arduous road to rehabilitation stopped at a junior college basketball showcase in Atlanta the following offseason, where Bearkat personnel would learn his name for the first time.

“It was my first time playing basketball since the knee injury, I hadn’t picked up a ball in months,” he said. “If I’m not mistaken, that’s where Justin Bailey and the Bearkats discovered me.”

Bailey, SHSU’s associate head coach, built a relationship with Wilkerson during the exhibition, and made sure to reconnect with him at the next showcase in Dallas. He is also from a small-town in Arkansas and saw Wilkerson’s all-conference potential, along with former head coach Jason Hooten and current head coach Chris Mudge.

“Ever since first contact, they showed me that they wanted me,” said Wilkerson, who put up impressive numbers in his second and final season at Three Rivers and was fielding numerous D-1 offers. “They showed love, constantly reaching out and asking how I was. They would even text my mom to ask about the family. It all made me feel welcome, like they had my back. The decision was a no-brainer.”

Wilkerson chose Sam Houston over Florida International, University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Louisiana Monroe. The transfer made an immediate impact, scoring 17 points off the bench in his Bearkat debut, including a game-winning three-pointer against Oklahoma. The exciting first season featured 26 total wins for Sam Houston and a trip to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT).

“I was here with some guys who taught me the ins and outs and how to be an everyday guy,” he said. “They taught me not just how to get through the day, but how to conquer it. Now, we’re trying to teach these guys the same thing. We got a couple older guys on this team, but we’ve also got some younger Kats who are looking to uphold the future here at Sam Houston.”

As the Bearkats begin a new season and try to build on last year’s success, Wilkerson is leaning into his critical role as a team leader. The senior strives to personify the high-energy, winning culture of excellence established by Mudge and Bearkat personnel.

“It’s like coach preaches a lot, if the team wins, we all win,” he said. “He knows my background and where I come from. I’ve had a lot of dark days, so every day I try to bring joy to practice. I know my energy is contagious and helps everybody lock in.”

Beyond this season, Wilkerson aspires to continue his basketball career, knowing the journey before him is even more daunting than the one in his rearview.

“I understand that the orange ball is going to stop rolling eventually and I will have to do something else with my life,” he said. “But God forbid that it’s sooner than later. For now, I just want to keep doing what I love to do.”

The Bearkats opened their 2024-25 campaign in Nevada on Nov. 4 and will compete at Tarleton State University Nov. 9 and at no. 8 Baylor on Nov. 12. They will host Trinity at the Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum Nov. 21 in their first home matchup.

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