He left his mid-major school for Indiana. Then he donated six digits

When Lamar Wilkerson started to receive seven digits of offers in the spring to switch from Sam Houston to a school with a high major, he called his coach with an unusual offer.

Wherever he landed, Wilkerson wanted to donate part of his name, image and parable income back to Sam Houston to help him achieve this place in his career.

“Coach, this is something I want to do,” Sam Houston coach Chris Mudge reminded himself that Wilkerson said.

“Dude, you don’t have to.”

“No. I want.”

As soon as Wilkerson arrived in Indiana this summer, he made up for his promise and donated an amount of six digits to his former school. Mudge says it is one of the biggest donations ever to the basketball program in Sam Houston, a conference USA school in Huntsville, Texas. It is perhaps also the first of its kind, a new turn in an era in which schools can pay players directly by sharing income.

“I have never heard that that is happening,” said Mudge, quickly catching, “or not at all.”

NBA players have given back to their Alma Maters, but a donation still had to be made by a current university player who was made public, probably because it had not happened. Wilkerson never intends to make his donation public, but this week it received attention when the field of 68 Podcaster Jeff Goodman heard about the donation and Wilkerson asked about it during a show on the IU campus.

ICYMI: @Indianambb’s Lamar Wilkerson made a six -digit donation to Sam Houston State:

“I did it out of love, man. I was 3 years old. It was at home. I want to see them bloom”

Full interview ⬇️https://t.co/ZLTMFSLWWH pic.twitter.com/td7wzjwnj0

– The field of 68 (@Thefieldof68) September 11, 2025

Wilkerson, who has not announced the exact numbers of his donation or zero income, did it because of his love for Mudge and the program, he said.

“We were a small school, so we didn’t have many resources,” he said Athletics On Friday. “We didn’t have much in the collective. With what Indiana gave me and could give me back, I had enough to do both. It just felt good. It felt like something I wanted to do. I want them to get better and better. I know they should try a man like me again. So without money in today’s basketball, it’s hard today.”

Wilkerson was already a rarity in this era of the transfer portal and zero. In 2023-24 he was the most important scorer for the Bellkats in a team that won the regular seasonal title of the conference. He made the first team All-Conference, which is often a ticket for a larger program. The transfer portal is filled every low season with players of all conference from the Middle Major level. Wilkerson had overtures of high major schools that were interested in transferring him, but never went to the portal. He could have made at least six digits last season if he had decided to leave.

And by staying, he lost the opportunity to make considerable money at the university. Wilkerson, who played Basketball for a year from Junior College before switching to Sam Houston, was a real senior last season. At the time, the ruling of the NCAA was that players who had visited Junior College did not yet decide an extra year of suitability.

Wilkerson remained because he wanted to bring the Bearkats to a NCAA tournament to be upset in the semi-finals of the conference in 2024 and in a one-bid competition were omitted from the late season.

“He is the loyal child who cares about people and felt that this was at home and wanted to do something special here,” said Mudge. “He didn’t just want to be another man. He wanted to be someone who made an inheritance who was remembered because he did something that other people had not done here at Sam Houston, and that was his ultimate driver.”

Wilkerson had a special season individually, 20.5 points on average and shot 44.5 percent from 3, but everything else fell apart around him. Injuries derailed Sam Houston’s season and the Bearkats won only 13 games.

As soon as the NCAA announced the distance declaration of the Junior College, it became clear that the 2024-25 Wilkerson season would be in Sam Houston. He became a hot name early in the season after the scoring of 19 points and making five 3-Pointers against Baylor. He immediately told Mudge that he did not want to deal with thinking about what the next one would be.

Let’s just try to do our best with this team.

“That was impressive to see how he could do that,” said Mudge. “Because I know how much I was flooded about him. And I can only imagine how it was for him specifically. He would call me text, whatever, and it was crazy.”

Wilkerson credits Mudge and Sam Houston for that maturity level. His journey is also a point of pride. He grew up in Ashdown, a small town in southern Arkansas with a population of 4,088, according to the last census. He was recruited from high school and signed to play at Division II Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. When the coach of the Northeastern State left for Arkansas Tech, reopened Wilkerson his recruitment and he received no phone calls. Eventually he worked in a factory in Husqvarna Outdoor Products that made commercial power equipment, chainsaws and lawn mowers while waiting for a chance.

A friend who went to three Rivers (MO.) Community College, connected him with the coach and he left for the Poplar Bluff Factory, a small town in the southeast of Missouri. Wilkerson spent a season in Three Rivers and was eventually discovered by former Sam Houston assistant Justin Bailey in a Junior College showcase.

Wilkerson said he arrived undisciplined in Sam Houston. He grew up quickly and took on a regimated schedule with better food, sleeping and training habits.

“He took such a big leap because he is one of the most difficult employees you can imagine,” said Mudge. “His talent level and his work ethics and his care factor just brought him to a different level. He only changed himself into an NBA player through his work.”

Wilkerson said Mudge played a major role and gave him faith after his first season when he only had 7.4 points per game. That was out of season Mudge head coach after Jason Hooten had left for the state of New Mexico, and Mudge encouraged Wilkerson to stay and help him build something special.

“He kept me grounded,” said Wilkerson. “He showed me how to deal with my company from the field, but also leaves my feelings and things at the door and also treat that company on the field.”

Wilkerson is grateful for where he comes from. In addition to Sam Houston’s donation, he also held a free basketball camp near his hometown this summer. Cody Hopkins, the agent of Wilkerson, said his agency would help him set up the camp, the first was he asked in the recruitment process.

“He didn’t grow up on the basic circuit where he was published for many years,” said Hopkins. “He gets this, and the first thing he thinks is how he got there.”

Regarding his donation to Sam Houston, it went to the basketball budget and is used in several ways.

Mudge and Wilkerson keep talking almost weekly. Wilkerson is invested in how the Bearkats will perform this season and in the coming years. He is also not ready with returning. He hopes to be in the NBA in a year and said he intends to keep donating to Sam Houston.

“I am blessed to be able,” he said. “It’s at home, and to see that they get better every year, would be fantastic.”

(Top photo: Justin K. Alles / Getty images)