The first year Christian Albright spent in Southeast Texas was enough to convince him to spend the rest of his collegiate career here. All he was waiting for was a scholarship offer.
Albright on Wednesday signed a letter of intent with Lamar University for his last two seasons of college basketball, shortly after completing a championship season at Lamar State College Port Arthur. He and Seahawks teammate Freddie Williams, who officially committed to St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, took part in a signing ceremony at the LSCPA Student Union on the first day of the spring signing period.
“Very excited because, living in this area this year, I developed a new home in Southeast Texas,” said Albright, who began his college career at Abilene Christian before transferring to LSCPA. “I’m just glad to continue in Southeast Texas and my basketball career as well.”
Lamar landed a second junior-college player Wednesday in Hill Junior College guard Joey Frenchwood, who hails from Newark, California.
Former Abilene Christian assistant coach Brian Burton, who finished his second season on Tic Price’s staff at Lamar, is credited with the recruitment of both Atwood and Frenchwood.
Albright’s commitment to Lamar gives the Cardinals a much-needed addition to the low blocks with the graduation of LeMon Gregory. He averaged only 7.6 points and 5.3 points per game, but has the ability to shoot from outside the three-point arc as well.
“Christian was a very good rebounder and very good passer,” LSCPA coach Lance Madison said. “In the high post, he could step out and shoot it.”
Albright also became the second Seahawk to join the Cardinals’ signing class of 2016. NJCAA All-America forward Colton Weisbrod committed in November, and he said he didn’t have to do much convincing Albright that Lamar would be the place for him.
“We’ve been kind of looking at it throughout the year,” Weisbrod said. “I told him to keep working. In the offseason, keep grinding it out. If offers come your way, it’s going to happen. When it did, there wasn’t much convincing. He wanted to be there. He wanted to play there, so it worked out well.”
Price said Albright was a great compliment to Weisbrod.
“He is a hard-working player who is not afraid to do the dirty work,” Price said. “He is a post player with a good inside/outside game, and is an excellent passer.”
Williams, like Weisbrod, was a big scoring threat for the Seahawks. His 15 points and 6.3 rebounds per game helped them win the South Zone championship in Region XIV and make the semifinal round of the regional tournament.
“I actually enjoyed this year because I had a bond with the team, and it changed me,” Williams said. “It helped me develop better as a player. I’m like going to miss these guys and the ones who didn’t get to play this year. Personally, to me, my experience was great. We all just clicked together and I can’t wait to move on and better myself.”
Madison said Williams played with “a lot of energy” and made plays to get the crowd involved.
St. Mary’s competes in the Division II Heartland Conference.
Frenchwood, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound guard, is considered a “pass first” guard who brings Division I experience to Lamar — as former New Orleans player Weisbrod and Albright do — with 10 starts at Montana State. He averaged 12 points and six assists for Hill, which finished 22-9 this season. He also shot 45 percent from three-point range.
Albright and Frenchwood became the fourth and fifth new Cardinals for the 2016-17 season, following Weisbrod, Central swingman T.J. Atwood and Carrollton Newman Smith guard Cameron McGee.