Eastern Kentucky’s basketball program just added a major piece to its 2025-26 puzzle. Austin Ball, a 6-foot-7, 205-pound forward who spent the last two seasons at George Mason, is transferring to EKU, bringing his sharpshooting and versatility to Richmond.
Ball, a former four-star prospect ranked as high as No. 86 in the 2023 class by Rivals, was a standout at The Miller School in Virginia, where he earned top-40 national status among small forwards. A two-time all-state and all-conference selection, he averaged 12.5 points in just 16 minutes per game as a high school junior in 2021-22, leading his team with 38 triples. As a sophomore at Man High School in his native West Virginia, Ball powered his squad to its first-ever Class A state title, averaging 21 points and 7.9 rebounds while earning all-state honors.
At George Mason, Ball saw action in 23 games as a freshman in 2023-24, averaging 2.5 points and 1.0 rebound while shooting 42% from the field and 32% from deep. He redshirted the 2024-25 season, preserving eligibility and setting the stage for a breakout with the Colonels.
“We’re so excited about Austin joining our program,” EKU head coach A.W. Hamilton said. “His energy and passion on the floor is infectious—and fits us perfectly. Austin is an elite shot-maker with deep range and will flourish in our program.”
Ball joins a loaded EKU recruiting class headlined by four-star guard Tyler Jackson, All-SWAC guard Amarr Knox, 2023 Sunshine State Conference Defensive Player of the Year Jalen Cooper, 2025 Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year Juan Cranford Jr., and 2025 North Carolina Mr. Basketball finalist MJ Williams. That’s a haul that screams potential.
Under Hamilton, EKU has been a force, winning the 2024 Atlantic Sun Conference title and staying in the hunt for another in 2025. The Colonels are the only ASUN team with six or more league wins in each of the last two seasons, and their eight-game ASUN win streak in 2024-25 was the program’s longest since a 12-game run across 1964-66. With Hamilton’s 103 program records shattered and Ball’s addition, EKU’s got big plans for 2025-26. Watch out, ASUN.
