NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Alaska of last decade

3. Damen Bell-Holter – Oklahoma

Basketball took Bell-Holter from the small town of Hydaburg to a prep school in New Hampshire before landing at Oral Roberts. A highly-touted recruit, Bell-Holter joined the Golden Eagles in 2009, spending his entire four-year collegiate career in Oklahoma.

Bell-Holter mainly came off the bench his freshman season, but became a significant contributor at Oral Roberts his final three seasons. His sophomore season was especially successful, starting all but one game and averaging 13.3 points per game.  Despite dealing with a back injury, the highlight of his junior year was hitting a half-court buzzer beater to knock off Little Rock. He then ended his career in style during his senior year, averaging 15.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per game in Oral Roberts’ first year in the Southland Conference. Among his personal highlights was a 25-point, 20-rebound performance against Northwestern State.

That final season saw Bell-Holter lead the Southland in both offensive and defensive rebounds as well as free throws, while also ranking in the Top 5 in points and blocks. He remains among the all-time leaders in Oral Roberts history in rebounds and blocks, and helped the program to an impressive 27-7 record during his junior year. A brief professional playing career followed, including a stint in the G-League, though Bell-Holter now mentors youth back in Alaska.