UAF men's hoops team lands junior college transfer returning to home state

The University of Alaska Fairbanks men's basketball program added a fifth known newcomer to its 2025-26 team upon announcing the signing of Xzavier Baker on Thursday.

Baker profiles as a long-term addition given that he comes to Fairbanks as a redshirt sophomore with three years of eligibility remaining.

The former Dimond High School graduate carved out a role for an Eastern Arizona College squad that finished 29-4 last season, averaging 4.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 62.4% from the floor.

"Xzavier is a huge piece of the puzzle for us," UAF head coach Frank Ostanik announced via release.

"Xzavier brings great athleticism and physicality to our team.

He is an exceptional young man who wants to compete and win.

I expect him to compete for a starting spot and bring great depth to our program, something we lacked last year." Baker joins upperclassman guard Tyriq Luke, who returns to UAF after a year away, and incoming freshmen Jett McCullough (who's redshirting), Finn Gregg and Marcus Stockhausen as additions to the Nanooks' 2025-26 roster.

Ostanik has placed a premium on recruiting Alaskan players and has recently emphasized the roster getting younger as well.

In 2024-25, UAF didn't have any underclassmen on its team.

Now, it will have at least four.

"I am especially excited Xzavier will be a sophomore and has three years of eligibility," Ostanik said.

"We pride ourselves as a coaching staff on player development and are excited to help Xzavier reach his full potential.

Adding another quality human being, who is also a talented basketball player from Alaska, is a great victory for our program." The 6-foot-5 Baker was the 2023 Cook Inlet Conference Player of the Year as a senior after averaging 15 points and 11 rebounds per game for Dimond.

In contrast to UAF's 2024-25 playing style , Baker was not a threat as a 3-point shooter for Eastern Arizona College, where just two of his 85 field goal attempts were from beyond the arc..

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