Eastern Illinois University men’s basketball coach Marty Simmons has announced a significant addition to the Panthers’ roster for the upcoming season with the transfer of guard Artese Stapleton. Standing at 6’3″ and weighing 170 pounds, Stapleton joins the team following a promising stint at Kansas City and brings a wealth of experience from various levels of collegiate basketball.
During his previous season at Kansas City, Stapleton showcased his skills in ten games, making five starts before a season-ending injury just before the winter break curtailed his campaign. Despite the setback, Stapleton demonstrated his potential, averaging 4.1 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. His standout performance came against Middle Tennessee, where he scored a season-high 14 points and added four assists. Notably, Stapleton also recorded a four-assist game against Baylor and earned his first start for the Roos at Colorado State.
A native of Chicago, Stapleton’s basketball journey began at Kenwood Academy, where he played a pivotal role in leading his high school team to a regional championship. He then embarked on his collegiate career at Lewis University, where he enjoyed a successful two-year stint. As a freshman, Stapleton earned GLVC All-Freshman team honors, averaging 10.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. His impressive performance included scoring in double figures 15 times during the season. His sophomore year was equally noteworthy as he was named the GLVC Tournament MVP, guiding his team to the conference championship while averaging 10.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. In the GLVC Championship game, Stapleton delivered a standout performance with 15 points and seven assists.
Following his time at Lewis, Stapleton transferred to Radford University for his junior season, where he continued to make an impact. At Radford, he averaged 7.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game, finishing second on the team in both assists and steals. He demonstrated his scoring ability by reaching double figures in six games and started ten of the 27 games he appeared in.
In his senior year, Stapleton played at Lincoln University, where he earned D2 HBCU All-America honors. His exceptional performance saw him average 17.3 points per game and rank among the top ten in the MIAA in scoring, assists, steals, and field goal percentage. Stapleton’s consistent scoring ability was evident as he reached double figures in 25 games during the season.
Coach Marty Simmons expressed enthusiasm about Stapleton’s potential impact on the team. “Artese is a playmaker at the guard position,” Simmons said. “We are looking forward to him stepping in and competing at the point guard position, but he has the versatility to slide over and play any of the other guard spots. We believe he will provide the same kind of lift to the team on the floor as Yak (Yakeema Rose) and Tiger (Tiger Booker) did over the last two seasons. We are excited to welcome him to our EIU Basketball family.”
Stapleton will join a growing roster of new faces at Eastern Illinois, including Zion Fruster, a 6’2″ guard from the University of Virginia Wise; Terry McMorris, a 6’7″ forward from Link Year Prep; Obadiah Curtis, a 6’5″ guard from Arkansas State; Sekou Kalle, a 6’10” forward from Evansville; and Blake Goodman, a 6’7″ forward from Fisk University. With these additions, the Panthers are poised for a dynamic and competitive season ahead.
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