AOTW: Ketchikan grad makes noise for Nanooks in junior-season homecoming

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - In January 2020, Ketchikan High School senior Chris Lee scored 47 points against Monroe Catholic High School and their then-head coach Frank Ostanik.

“We had played them in their tournament the week before, and he did the same thing,” Ostanik recalled. “I think there was this belief of, ‘Oh, he’ll never do that again, there will be a plan.’

“There was a plan, but it didn’t matter, he was that good of a player.”

About four years later, when Ostanik was named the head coach of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, he knew exactly who to turn to to help elevate the program.

“When I got the job, that was the first phone call I made to a player,” Ostanik said. “I couldn’t wait to talk to Chris, for obvious reasons; he’s a dude and he’s an Alaskan, and we want those guys to represent our state and our program.”

After two successful seasons at Edmonds College — including earning the Northwest Athletic Conference 2023-24 North Region Player of the Year — the 6-foot-1 guard was ready to return to his home state.

”It’s been great, it was a great decision for me,” Lee said. “No regrets coming here, I am super happy with my decision coming back, it’s like a full-circle moment being back here.”

And Lee made noise in his homecoming season. He averaged 14.8 points per game, single-handedly winning multiple games for the Nanooks with seven 20-point performances.

While his scoring ability cannot be ignored, he helped UAF see its best conference record in nearly a decade in more ways than one.

“We all knew that Chris could score when he came in,” UAF assistant coach and 2017-18 Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year Tobin Karlberg said. “He’s been great, he’s really accepted the challenge in growing defensively and rebounding it really well too, just affecting the game in more ways than just scoring. It’s cool to watch him as he becomes a more complete player too.”

Lee added 98 total rebounds, 93 assists, and 26 steals to his tally on the season in addition to 400 points on 52 made 3-pointers.

The success continued his legacy as Ketchikan’s all-time leading scorer, while others from the rich basketball community joined him for the ride, including current UAF Nanook Griffin Effenberger and incoming Nanook Marcus Stockhausen.

”It’s super fun playing with Griffin, we were best friends in middle school and things like that,” Lee said. “Seeing Marcus sign here, his dad being my coach, one of my favorite coaches, I am super proud of him too.”

With another season of eligibility, Lee will keep his talent as one of Alaska’s most prolific scorers within the state.

”Seeing how much love I get from the state, it’s hard to say no."

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