The Valpo Family continued to grow over the past week as the Valparaiso University men’s basketball program revealed three members of its incoming signing class.

Zane Doughty (Avon, Ind. / Ben Davis), Jahari Williamson (Pickering, Ontario, Canada / Royal Crown Academy) and Yanis Bamba (Laval, Quebec, Canada / Jean-de-Brebeuf) have signed their National Letters of Intent to join head coach Matt Lottich’s program beginning with the 2023-2024 season.

A 6-foot-9 forward, Doughty averaged 11.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game last season at Ben Davis, earning a spot on the Indiana Junior All-Stars. He posted a field-goal percentage of 58.7 and made a quick rise after starting his competitive basketball career in middle school. He was a First Team All-Marion County honoree in addition to garnering all-conference recognition last season.

“When I went on my unofficial visit to Valpo, it really felt like home,” Doughty said. “I immediately got along with the players and coaches. They made me feel like they wanted me and they wanted to see me grow as a player. They want to see me succeed in the future. They were excited about me, and that really made a big difference. This means everything to me. I couldn’t have done it without my family and coaches, and I’m so thankful to Valpo for giving me the opportunity.”

Doughty, a varsity starter since his sophomore year, also led the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference (MIC) in rebounding, blocks, double-doubles and charges drawn.

“We saw him at a high school showcase, and what we really liked was his motor as a big man,” Lottich said. “There’s one thing that we don’t want to have to coach, and that’s effort. When you recruit big men, they are typically coming into their own and then have vast improvements when they get to college. In Zane’s case, one thing that really stood out to us was just how tenacious he was on both ends of the floor. He was rebounding out of his area and loves contact. We followed him throughout the summer and got to watch him play in a few high-level games. We love his toughness, and he really fits Valpo. He saw the family atmosphere at Valpo, and that resonated with him. His family is really important to him.”

Doughty, who has nine siblings, has a passion for Pokémon. He estimates that he’s spent hundreds, if not thousands, of hours playing video games over the years. Doughty plans to pursue an engineering degree at Valpo. On the court, he lists his strengths as playing hard defensively, rebounding and post scoring. One of the highlights of his prep career was a game against Center Grove during his junior season.

“We were down one with two seconds left in a conference game,” Doughty said. “I was at the free-throw line and had to shoot two. I wasn’t known for being the best free-throw shooter, but I knocked them both down to win the game.”

Williamson, a 6-foot-1 point guard, averaged 15 points and five assists per game last season at Royal Crown Academy. Last summer, he was named to Team Ontario for the u18 2022 Canada Games, where he posted 16 points in the championship game to help his team top British Columbia 81-70.

“We saw Jahari in Milwaukee for the first time,” Lottich said. “The Canadian pipeline that we’ve had has been really good to us. He’s cerebral, and he shoots it really well. Recruiting internationally can be tougher because you don’t get your eyes on the players as much, but we were able to see Jahari play in some Canadian games where he was in high-level environments. This was similar to how we recruited Ben Krikke. Right now, Jahari is one of the five best players in Canada. His ability to stretch the defense and play with pick-and-rolls with the ball in his hands is going to be big for us.”

Williamson said the Canadian pipeline was a factor in his decision to attend Valpo.

“Their acceptance of Canadian players and that Tevonn Walker went there played a role in my decision,” Williamson said. “Canada basketball is on the rise, so the fact that Valpo has past Canadians who have found success is very important. When I decided to sign, everyone treated me like family. I felt a connection with the coaches when they came to watch me practice. Coach Lottich likes the style of guard that I am and he knows I can come in and play a big role to help the team excel. Coach Lottich and I connected on another level. I feel like I can grow with Valpo.”

Williamson lists leadership, play-making ability, defense and shooting as strengths in his game. Those strengths were on display as he helped his team win the Canada Games.

“The Canada Games felt like the Olympics,” Williamson said. “It felt amazing – the crowd, the team and the experience. It was great to learn new things about different sets and plays while getting to work with new coaches and players.”

Williamson, who plans to major in business, owns numerous gold medals, won two championships last year and beat several high-level teams at state. Signing with a Division-I institution marks a monumental day in his basketball journey.

“This means a lot because growing up, nobody really believed in me,” he said. “As a freshman in high school, I didn’t make varsity or even the junior varsity team. That whole year, I had to grind and push myself to another level. I’m thankful to my coaches that I was able to do that. Through COVID, I turned into a different beast. I started working out hard. This means so much because I couldn’t see myself in this position without hard work. I’m happy that I’ve proved that I can play at the next level.”

A 6-foot-6 combo guard, Bamba has played for Brookwood Elite AAU, the same program that once boasted current Valpo graduate assistant and former standout player Tevonn Walker and another former member of the program, Max Joseph.      

“Yanis is a little bit of a late bloomer,” Lottich said. “He’s from a very similar area to where Max and Tevonn are from. He’s a native French speaker. He’s a big-body guard, about 6-6, 200. He’s very athletic and a very good passer. He was excited about the opportunity to come to Valpo, where he’s seen the improvement that players make here. I think he will come in and be able to compete right away because of his athleticism, size and physicality. He’s just scratching the surface of who he is as a basketball player.” 

Bamba prides himself on being a two-way player who can excel on both ends of the court, playing strong defense in addition to scoring.

“This past summer was my first on the top circuit, and that gave me the opportunity to play against a lot of taller, bigger players,” Bamba said. “That experience will be helpful in transitioning to the collegiate game, where I expect people to play more physically. I know it will take a moment to get used to college basketball, but I know once I do I will bring a lot to the team.”

When asked about factors that went into his college decision, Bamba immediately pointed toward Valpo’s tradition of successful Canadian-born players. Darius DeAveiro and Ben Krikke from the current roster call Canada home, while Bamba and Williamson from next year’s signing class both hail from north of the border. Bamba specifically mentioned his familiarity with Tevonn Walker and the successful career he enjoyed at Valpo.

“It means a lot because I’m trying to keep the tradition going,” Bamba said. “I want to be the next Canadian player to come to Valpo and have a successful career. Signing to go Division-I is the biggest accomplishment of my life. It’s been a goal since I was a kid, and the fact that I made it possible and it actually did happen means a lot to me.”

Away from the court, Bamba enjoys watching Anime and Netflix movies. He plans to major in business.

Another key factor in his decision was the opportunity to play for a coach who has professional playing experience. Lottich was a four-time all-star during his eight-year pro career in Japan and also played professionally in Germany and New Zealand.

“The fact that he is a coach who played professionally means that he can relate well to his players,” Bamba said. “He told me about his professional playing experience. We also talked about what my role will be at Valpo. I really enjoyed our discussions, and I can’t wait to get started.”