Former Wasilla basketball standout transferring to UAA

WASILLA — April 4, Connor Devine will be in Indianapolis, Indiana, to watch his younger sister Alysha compete for an NCAA Division II national title with the UAA Seawolves women’s basketball team.

Next fall, Devine won’t be just a UAA fan. The 2012 graduate of Wasilla High School will be a Seawolf.

Devine, a redshirt junior at Division I South Dakota State University, is transferring to UAA, and will play for the Seawolves men’s basketball team.

“I am very excited to come home. I’m looking forward to it,” Devine said by cellphone from South Dakota Thursday afternoon.

Devine, a 6-foot-10 forward, made his verbal commitment last weekend.

Devine’s call to leave South Dakota State and return home to Southcentral Alaska was a family decision, he said. Devine married his wife, Kalli, in August of 2014, and the couple have a 4-month-old son Danny, who was born Nov. 23, 2015.

“It’s something my wife and I have been discussing for a little bit,” Devine said. “It’s definitely a tough decision. I love South Dakota State. We’ve had a great four years.”

Devine graduates this spring with a degree in business economics, and will purse a Master’s in business administration at UAA.

“We wanted to be closer to family,” Devine said.

Connor and Kalli both graduated from Wasilla High School, and both have family in the area.

Devine said he’s also excited to play for the same school as Alysha, who will also be a senior next year.

“I think it will be a really cool experience,” Devine said.

Devine had the opportunity to see Alysha, a starting forward at UAA, play recently, and watch the Seawolves advance to the national title game with wins in the Elite Eight and Final Four.

“It was the first time I got to see her play in four years. I’m looking forward to being able to watch her play a lot more often,” Devine said.

Devine is also making the drive from Brookings, South Dakota, to Indianapolis to see Alysha and the Seawolves take on Lubbock Christian in the Division II final.

“It’s a once in a lifetime thing. I’m happy for her and her team,” Devine said.

Devine said he’s also looking forward to the chance to play in front of friends and family more often. Devine’s parents, Mike and Aime, routinely made trips from Alaska to South Dakota to see Connor play with the Jackrabbits.

“They were definitely racking up the frequent flyer miles,” Devine said.

Devine praised his time at South Dakota State and with the men’s basketball program.

“It’s a great program. I’ve been able to play on some big stages. There’s a great coaching staff, a great fan base and all of that,” Devine said.

Devine was part of two Summit League championship teams. The first title came when Devine was a redshirt freshman during the 2012-2013 season. As a junior, Devine had a chance to celebrate a league championship as a uniformed player, and part of the Jackrabbits rotation.

“Just being a redshirt, and not playing that year, I kind of took it for granted. Last year we lost (in the championship game) on a last-second shot. We’ve been working so hard all year to get back and win the Summit League. It’s a really good feeling to get back there, with all the hard work paying off,” Devine said.

With the Summit League title, South Dakota State earned a spot in the NCAA Division I men’s national tournament. Devine made his NCAA tourney debut March 18, and collected two points, two rebounds and a block during a 79-74 loss to fifth-seeded Maryland in the first round.

In addition to establishing a role in a program in which he appeared in 77 career games, Devine was also adjusting to new roles as husband and father.

“It’s been fun, being a dad. I’m starting to get the hang of it,” Devine said.

Devine had to take a break from a basketball road trip in November, to get back to see the birth of his son.

“On an 11-day road trip I got the call the wife was going into labor. I quickly got on a plane to get home,” Devine said.

Devine said he’s enjoyed the transition in his personal life.

“It’s definitely been an adjustment to figure out how to balance basketball, school, being with family. It’s been fun. It’s really nice to come home to family after practice,” Devine said.

Devine joins a UAA men’s team that finished 21-11 overall and 14-6 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play during the 2015-16 season. The team graduates only two players. At this point, Devine, at 6-10, would be the tallest player on the UAA roster.

Devine was a highly regarded talent coming out of high school. Devine was named the Gatorade Player of the Year following his senior year. He averaged 20.1 points, 14.6 rebounds and eight blocks per game as a senior. Devine was also named the Northern Lights Conference Player of the Year twice, and was a three-time first-team all-conference selection.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.