Lesley Varner II (born April 29, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for UBSC Graz of the Austrian Basketball Superliga. He played college basketball for the Texas–Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros.
| UBSC Graz | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward |
| League | Austrian Basketball Superliga |
| Personal information | |
| Born | April 29, 1998 |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Cedar Hill (Cedar Hill, Texas) |
| College | UT Rio Grande Valley (2016–2020) |
| NBA draft | 2020: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2021–present |
| Career history | |
| 2021–present | UBSC Graz |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life and high school career
editVarner attended Cedar Hill High School. During his senior season, he guided the team to a 25–7 record and 11th ranking in Texas. Varner committed to play college basketball at Texas–Rio Grande Valley, turning down offers from Arkansas–Pine Bluff, UC Riverside, and Milwaukee. He stated that he knew Texas–Rio Grande Valley was a good fit after his visit, and he connected with coach Lew Hill.[1]
College career
editAfter posting his first double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds in an 85–77 win against Chicago State, Varner was named WAC player of the week on January 24, 2017.[2] Varner averaged 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game as a junior.[3][4] On December 3, 2019, he scored 33 points and had 13 rebounds, both career-highs, while tying his career-high with five steals in a 90–86 overtime win against Sam Houston State.[5] As a senior, Varner averaged 15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game, while shooting 43.3 percent from the field. He was named to the First Team All-WAC. Varner finished his career with 1,182 points, 16th highest in school history.[6]
Professional career
editVarner signed his first professional contract with UBSC Graz of the Austrian Basketball Superliga on August 26, 2021.[7]
Career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | Texas–Rio Grande Valley | 32 | 3 | 14.8 | .357 | .276 | .647 | 2.3 | .9 | .8 | .2 | 4.1 |
| 2017–18 | Texas–Rio Grande Valley | 33 | 5 | 16.9 | .374 | .269 | .714 | 3.2 | .6 | 1.0 | .3 | 5.1 |
| 2018–19 | Texas–Rio Grande Valley | 37 | 37 | 26.1 | .469 | .290 | .633 | 5.4 | 1.1 | 1.4 | .4 | 11.2 |
| 2019–20 | Texas–Rio Grande Valley | 30 | 30 | 28.0 | .433 | .406 | .871 | 6.0 | 1.7 | 1.5 | .3 | 15.6 |
| Career | 132 | 75 | 21.5 | .426 | .322 | .736 | 4.2 | 1.1 | 1.2 | .3 | 8.9 | |
References
edit- ^ Luca, Greg (May 6, 2016). "UTRGV makes late surge to land three freshmen". The Monitor. Retrieved September 3, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Varner earns WAC player of the week honors". The Monitor. January 24, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Stayman, Richard (June 2, 2020). "Mavs Donuts: 10 Hidden Gems in This NBA Draft". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ "Season Preview: Men's Basketball". Texas–Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros. October 30, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ "UTRGV survives Sam Houston St. 90–86 in double overtime". ESPN. Associated Press. December 3, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ "Varner to Play Professionally in Austria". Texas–Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros. August 26, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ Heinrich, Stefan (August 26, 2021). "Varner Jr starts his pro career at UBSC Graz". Eurobasket. Retrieved September 3, 2021.