Former West Valley basketball standout transfers home
May 24, 2013
Chris Brooks
907-474-6805
Head coach Mick Durham announced today that the Alaska men's basketball program has added depth at the forward position as John Renfro (Fairbanks, Alaska), formerly of West Valley High School, has transferred to play for the Nanooks following two years at Division I Southern Utah.
Renfro, a 6-foot-7 power forward, only played in one of his two seasons as a walk-on for the Thunderbirds and will enter this coming season as a redshirt sophomore.
“We're excited to have John back in Fairbanks after two years at Southern Utah,” Durham said. “John will have three years of eligibility left, which will allow him to continue to grow and mature as a player. His two years competing in a Division I program has been an invaluable experience and one we hope to benefit from.”
“It's a blessing to come back home,” Renfro said. “I have family and a lot of friends here. I left for two years for a different experience and now I am coming back here and it's a great feeling. Mick's a great coach and has already helped me out a lot just the few months I've known him. He was there after things didn't work out at SUU when I made the decision to transfer.”
After redshirting his true rookie season, Renfro appeared in six games off the bench for SUU in 2012-13. Prior to his collegiate career, he played for the Wolfpack at WVHS in Fairbanks. As a senior, he averaged 18.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Renfro also helped West Valley to the region title his sophomore year. A dual-sport athlete, he was also a swimmer on WVHS's regional championship swim team as a junior.
“John's grown some and is a lot stronger than when he was at West Valley and we are looking forward to working with him on a daily basis,” Durham said. “We'll play him at the power forward spot, which will be very competitive next season.”
“Playing D1, I matured a lot in those two years,” Renfro said. “I gained weight, got quicker, got faster and playing against those guys everyday improves your skills.”
Renfro is the third men's basketball player to sign a National Letter of Intent, as he joins an incoming class consisting of 6-foot-1 guards Rashaad Allen (Fairfield, Calif./College of Marin) and Damon Cikanek (Anchorage, Alaska/Dimond).
For more information, contact Chris Brooks , media relations assistant, at cpbrooks@alaska.edu.