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.

Lesley Varner II
UBSC Graz
PositionSmall forward
LeagueAustrian Basketball Superliga
Personal information
Born (1998-04-29) April 29, 1998 (age 26)
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolCedar Hill
(Cedar Hill, Texas)
CollegeUT Rio Grande Valley (2016–2020)
NBA draft2020: undrafted
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–presentUBSC Graz
Career highlights and awards
  • First-team All-WAC (2020)

Early life

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Varner 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

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After 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

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Varner signed his first professional contract with UBSC Graz of the Austrian Basketball Superliga on August 26, 2021.[7]

Career statistics

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Legend
  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

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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

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  1. ^ Luca, Greg (May 6, 2016). "UTRGV makes late surge to land three freshmen". The Monitor. Retrieved September 3, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Varner earns WAC player of the week honors". The Monitor. January 24, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Stayman, Richard (June 2, 2020). "Mavs Donuts: 10 Hidden Gems in This NBA Draft". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  4. ^ "Season Preview: Men's Basketball". Texas–Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros. October 30, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  5. ^ "UTRGV survives Sam Houston St. 90–86 in double overtime". ESPN. Associated Press. December 3, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  6. ^ "Varner to Play Professionally in Austria". Texas–Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros. August 26, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  7. ^ Heinrich, Stefan (August 26, 2021). "Varner Jr starts his pro career at UBSC Graz". Eurobasket. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
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