Kodiaks men’s basketball latest recruit returns home

The Lethbridge Polytechnic Kodiaks men’s basketball team is adding experience to its roster with latest recruit signing, Ryan Degner. An incoming fourth year transfer from the University of Alberta – Augustana (UAA) Vikings, Degner is bringing his talents back to his hometown of Lethbridge

Degner played high school basketball for Immanuel Christian Secondary and has been on the Kodiaks radar for a number of years. Kodiaks head coach Ryan Heggie says he has been able to see Degner develop and improve during his time in the ACAC.

“Ryan seemed to impact the game in multiple ways every time we played against him at UAA,” says Heggie. “He was scoring, defending and making plays, and playing with the grit and desire that leads to success.” 

Degner reached out to the Kodiaks after graduating from UAA. “Coach Heggie always has competitive teams where his players buy in to a team-first mentality and play to their role,” he says. “The opportunity to compete at a high level while joining a tight-knit locker room was the ultimate reason I chose the Kodiaks.”

Degner is coming off his best season in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC), where he averaged 13.8 points per game with a field goal average of 41.7 per cent and three-point of 32.1 per cent. He was also named to the ACAC’s men’s All-Conference North Second Team.

Degner will be looked to by coaches and younger players to take a leadership role by mentoring incoming players and complimenting the older players in the program, Heggie says. “Ryan has had a stellar career up north, and we welcome him to our program,” he adds. “I’m excited, as I believe he will appreciate and thrive in the culture we have established here.”

Degner says he is looking forward to the fall where he will start in the Open Studies program and get to play in front of his hometown crowd.

Kodiaks coaches actively recruit high school athletes around Alberta and neighbouring provinces. If one of the Kodiaks coaches hasn’t spoken to you yet, don’t worry. Simply fill out the recruitment form (gokodiaks.ca/recruitment), and they would be pleased to learn more about you.