News On The Horizon 11/5/2025

The Oldest Players In College Basketball 2025–26--Basket Under Review

Oldest DI College Basketball Players 25–26

Ramel Bethea, Green Bay

Born: July 27, 1996
First Year in College: 2024–25
Number of Schools: 2 (MiraCosta College, Green Bay)
2024–25 Stats (MiraCosta): 12.7 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 0.8 APG, 4.6 BPG

Even by this list’s unique standards, Ramel Bethea’s college basketball journey is quite extraordinary. Bethea graduated from high school in 2014, but instead of heading to college, the Maryland native worked at a grocery store stocking produce.

After four years as a stocker, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He stayed in the military for the next half-decade, working in the engine room on airships while reaching the rank of Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class.

The sailor grew five inches after high school, reaching 6–9. At the urging of friends, Bethea gave basketball a shot. While Bethea did not play basketball in high school, his length and athleticism earned him a spot on the Naval team at the 2022 U.S. Armed Forces Basketball Championships in San Diego. His performances at the tournament drew attention from local junior colleges.

The father of a young son, Bethea enrolled at nearby MiraCosta College in Oceanside, CA, and immediately flourished on the court. With his seven-foot wingspan, he led the Spartans in scoring while blocking an astounding 4.6 shots per game. 

His performances helped him earn First Team All-Conference honors in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference and garnered Division I interest from St. Bonaventure, Texas A&M, Louisiana Tech, and others.

Despite eligibility concerns, Bethea signed with Green Bay, where UWGB head coach Doug Gottlieb believes the big man could have a huge impact this year.

“His ceiling is Obi Toppin,” Gottlieb said. “He has that rare combination — a unique story, a unique physical build, and the discipline of having served in the Navy. And he’s just a great human being. His whole personality and presence are infectious.” Gottlieb adds: “You can’t teach a 7’4” wingspan — and he’s got timing.”

Bethea appreciated the program’s confidence in him and noted that Coach Gottlieb’s attention to detail was a key factor in the recruitment process. “At the end of the day,” Bethea said, “[Gottlieb] preached it to me and his coaching staff preached it to me, they are going to take care of me. They understand that you are an older guy who needs experience and teach the right way to play basketball. They did all that. They checked all the boxes.”

Brett White II, Oakland

Born: February 17, 1998
First Year in College: 2020–21
Number of Schools: 3 (Kellogg Community College, Rochester Christian University, Oakland)
2024–25 Stats (Rochester Christian): 21.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.7 APG, 38.6 3P%

Did Oakland find its next Jack Gohlke? Brett White II is a 40.5% three-point shooter on a high volume across four seasons of JuCo and NAIA ball. In three of those years, he averaged better than 20 PPG.

But White’s transfer to Oakland in the spring attracted no fanfare. He did not even grab minor headlines like 29-year-old Ramel Bethea joining Green Bay or 26-year-old Canadian guard Nginyu Ngala signing with the Kansas Jayhawks.

For White, his newsworthy moments came nearly a decade ago, when he was a DI prospect at Battle Creek Central High School in Michigan. The guard was an all-conference player with interest from Michigan State and Illinois before things went south.

“My senior year, I was going through some personal stuff,” White said. “Lost myself a little bit, lost the love of basketball a lot, and I didn’t know where I wanted to go from there. I dropped out of school at one point, got back in, but by then, I had lost my scholarship chances. Once I lost those scholarships, I was depressed and just found myself in a hole.”

White still had a DII scholarship offer from Grand Valley State. But his mindset was DI or nothing. 

Following high school, he started working in construction. His hoop dreams were a distant memory. Then came an epiphany. “I was working and I liked the money, but I was sitting there one day and said to myself, ‘What am I doing?’,” White said. “Basketball was the love of my life, and I didn’t know why I wasn’t playing.”

He returned to the game at age 23, reaching out to Gary Sprague, head coach of the local Kellogg Community College men’s basketball program in Battle Creek. White averaged better than 20 PPG in his two seasons at KCC while earning NJCAA All-Region recognition.

White continued his college career at the NAIA school Rochester Christian, where he maintained his elite offensive production. Last year, he was a WHAC First Team All-Conference selection, averaging 21 PPG while shooting an efficient 46.3% from the field. 

It was at Rochester Christian that White first gained the attention of Oakland head coach Greg Kampe. Kampe’s Golden Grizzlies faced White and Rochester in an October 2024 exhibition game. White led all scorers with 31 points, nailing five of nine three-point attempts in a respectable 87–74 loss for the non-DI program.

At the end of the season, Kampe received a phone call from Rochester head coach Klint Pleasant, who said he had a player with one year of eligibility left and DI dreams to fulfill. Once Kampe realized the player was White — the guy who dropped 30-plus points on Oakland in the exhibition game — he was immediately interested.

“We did some research into him,” Kampe said, “he is an older kid who’s mature, he’s been there. Klint told me he’s a great teammate. So those were the first things we looked at, and we really liked. He can really shoot it. He’s really good at coming off screens and scoring the basketball.” 

Kampe signed the 27-year-old for his scoring ability and veteran demeanor, but the Oakland coach has already been impressed by other areas of the transfer’s game.

“What I didn’t know,” Kampe said, “is how long and athletic he is. He’s a guy who really fits well into our zone. He can get steals and cause havoc through his length. But my favorite part about Brett is the way he rebounds the ball.”

“I’m really excited about him; he’s got one year left in his career, he’s got a chance to make a real impact for us, and everybody who loves Oakland basketball knows how much I love shooters.”

Phoenix Power Past Pointers--HoriZone Roundtable

IU Indianapolis introduces new basketball head coach--Campus Citizen
MEN'S BASKETBALL TO HOST NEC PRESEASON FAVORITE LIU ON THURSDAY--iuindyjags.com

Golden Grizzlies edge out scrappy duel vs. Rochester Christian--The Oakland Post

Robert Morris takes lumps in opener at Iowa--TribLIVE
Robert Morris Falls to Alvaro Folgueiras, Iowa in Season Opener--Robert Morris Sports Now
RMU Men’s Basketball Falls in Season Opener to Iowa--rmucolonials.com

Men's Basketball set for Thursday West Coast action--wsuraiders.com