Vivian Gray’s time at Fort Lewis College is over.
The former five-star women’s basketball recruit out of Argyle, Texas, spent one season on the Fort Lewis College women’s basketball team after she stunned the nation by signing with the small Division II school in Durango and turned down offers from some of the biggest Division I programs in the country, including Oklahoma State University.
After a strong freshman campaign, Gray announced Friday she would leave the Skyhawks’ program and transfer to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Conference.
“It’s an opportunity she surpassed coming out of high school, and she just wants that opportunity,” FLC head coach Jason Flores said. “They have unlimited resources we just cannot compete with. It’s good for her, and I’m happy for her.
“She didn’t want to leave, but I was truthful with her and let her know this was the best opportunity for her.”
Thank you to everyone at Fort Lewis that has made this past year so memorable but I am excited to announce that we will be transferring to Oklahoma State University #gopokes pic.twitter.com/MNRac7ystD
— Vivian Gray (@vivian_gray_30) April 6, 2018
Gray, a 6-foot-1 forward, averaged a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference-best 18.5 points to go with 7.8 rebounds, 2.95 assists and a little more than two blocked shots in 22 games with FLC. She shot a strong 46.9 percent from the field and 82.1 percent from the free-throw line to rank in the top four in the conference in both categories.
“Thank you to everyone at Fort Lewis that has made this past year so memorable but I am excited to announce that we will be transferring to Oklahoma State University. #gopokes,” Gray said in a post to Twitter.
She had career-highs with 33 points and 15 rebounds in a win Jan. 20 against Chadron State. She was named to the All-South Central Region Second Team and won a fan vote as the HERO SPORTS Newcomer of the Year in Division II. She was named the RMAC Freshman of the Year and earned a spot on the All-RMAC First Team in a vote by the conference’s coaches, and she had numbers that were better than RMAC Player of the Year Molly Rohrer of CSU-Pueblo. She won seven RMAC player of the week awards – three for her offensive numbers and four for defense.
Gray missed seven of the team’s games for various injuries, including an undisclosed injury down the stretch when the team struggled to the finish before being bounced in the opening round of the RMAC tournament at Black Hills State.
“She is going to have success at that next level, no question,” Flores said. “Teams won’t be able to key in on her as much, and I think she will do really well.”
Gray will be joined at Oklahoma State by her older sister, Olivia, who also will transfer away from Fort Lewis College. OSU head coach Jim Littell also gave Olivia a scholarship, as the two have been a package deal since coming out of high school.
In 27 games in a Skyhawks uniform, Olivia Gray averaged 1.6 points and 2.8 rebounds. The 5-foot-8 guard shot 29 percent from the field and was 1-for-4 from the free-throw line. She came off the bench in all 27 games she played.
Just want to say a quick thank you to everyone who has made our time at Fort Lewis so special and to @Coach_Littell and the rest of the OSU coaching staff for this amazing opportunity! #gopokes pic.twitter.com/0L1cVlw6BD
— •Liv• (@olivia34gray) April 6, 2018
Oklahoma State went 21-11 last year to finish third in the Big 12 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Littell will now coach a player he coveted out of high school, when Vivian Gray was the No. 45 overall recruit in the country and the seventh-ranked forward.
While FLC will lose a talented player, the team has plenty of talent returning next year, and several players who had breakout seasons two years ago will be able to settle back into leading roles. Flores is also working to land a strong recruiting class, including current Division I players.
Last year, FLC went 20-9 overall. The year prior, the team went 21-7 and also lost in the opening round of the RMAC tournament. The team last played for the RMAC tournament championship in 2016.
“We’re going to continue to do the best we possibly can with as limited amount of resources, that’s who we are,” Flores said. “Vivian took a chance knowing we had 100 times less than what she gave up. She did it for a year, and now she has the opportunity again to go somewhere with those unlimited resources, and I wish her the best. She deserves it.
“We have great kids and great players here. We’re going to be just fine.”
Littell and Olivia and Vivian Gray could not be reached for comment.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
