ETSU 7-foot center cleared to begin play this Saturday at Illinois

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Dec. 15, 2018)– ETSU men’s basketball player Lucas N’Guessan (De Lier, Netherlands)has received NCAA approval, waiving his year of residency and will be eligible immediately to play for the Buccaneers.

N’Guessan, a 7-foot center, transferred to ETSU this summer after playing two years at Oklahoma State. The Buccaneer post player will have the rest of this season and the entire 2019-20 season of eligibility remaining with the Blue and Gold.

“We are excited to receive the news on Lucas. We are thankful the NCAA took the time to review our case and granted him eligibility this season. We would also like to thank the Oklahoma State Athletics Department,” said head coach Steve Forbes. “Kay Lennon is the best compliance officer in the country. She did a fabulous job with his waiver and appeal. This was Luke’s decision to play, and he will provide us with more size and depth.”

In his two years with the Cowboys, N’Guessan started 17 games and made a total of 54 appearances, leading the team in shooting percentage as a freshman (67.4 percent). Prior to his time at Oklahoma State, N’Guessan played three seasons at the Canarias Basketball Academy in Spain and represented his home country the Netherlands by playing in the 2015 U18 FIBA Championships, averaging 3.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

N’Guessan is thankful for this opportunity and is looking forward to being with his team in game action.

“I am thankful that I have been given this opportunity,” said N’Guessan. “I want to thank the NCAA and Kay Lennon for working on this case and helping me out. I am excited to go out on the court and be with my brothers.”

The Bucs return to action this Saturday when ETSU plays at Illinois. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. ET inside the State Farm Center.

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For more information on Buccaneer men’s basketball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men’s basketball link.