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.”
