SARNIA – Hard work undoubtedly pays off, and that statement rings true for the newest member of the Lions community.
Guard Blake Redfern has officially committed to Head Coach James Grant and the Lambton Men’s Basketball Program for the 2025-26 season, and beyond.
Redfern is the first commitment in the 2025 recruiting class for Coach Grant and his coaching staff.
“Blake is a nice fit for our program, both from a culture and playing standpoint,” said Grant. “I’m looking forward to seeing him put everything he has into the game at Lambton College.”
“He has the ability to shoot the ball well, which is something our young team has struggled with at times. Blake’s shown that he has a strong work ethic and has a real will to succeed on the court and in the classroom.”
Redfern, a six-foot-three guard, comes to Lambton College from Mitchell District High School (MDHS) in his hometown of Mitchell. After being cut from his Grade Seven boys basketball team, Redfern used that as motivation to push himself even harder. The next year, he won the Mitchell Basketball Player of the Year in 2020, and he quickly set his sights on playing collegiate basketball.
While he faced his share of doubters along the way, that only fueled his motivation further. In front of more than a dozen family, friends, coaches, and loved ones inside the MDHS Gymnasium, Redfern made his college commitment official.
“This is something that I’ve been looking forward to for a long time,” said Redfern after making his commitment official. “This is something that I’ve always thought was possible, and it took a lot of hard work along the way, but I’m thrilled to be here.”
“Basketball has become my life, and Lambton College just seemed like the right place for me. Coach Grant and I have had a lot of great conversations along the way. After coming to some practices and some games (in Sarnia), it became very clear to me that I wanted to be here.”
Academically, Redfern will be enrolled in the Business Administration program at Lambton College.
While his time with the Blue Devils has yet to come to an end, Redfern has already put together quite the resume at the high school level while playing for Head Coach AJ Moses.
Last season, Redfern and the Blue Devils ended a 40-year title drought when they won the Western Ontario Secondary Schools Athletic Association (WOSSAA) Championship with an 86-52 win over London Christian High. From there, Redfern and company would go on to place fifth at the 2024 OFSAA ‘A’ Championships in Welland.
Redfern was teammates with current Lions Kale Murray and Luke Murray. The Murray brothers committed to Lambton College last February for Men’s Baseball, and they helped the Lions win an OCAA Silver Medal this past season at the OCAA Championships in Sarnia.
Fast forward to this season, and Redfern has added another standout accolade to his growing list of achievements. Recently, Redfern eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau in a Blue Devils uniform, showcasing his shooting ability and his knack for putting up points on a consistent basis.
When asked to describe himself as a player, Redfern was quick to point out the shooting ability that Coach Grant spoke highly of.
“I’m a shooter, I shoot threes,” said Redfern with a smile. “I’m a catch-and-shoot, three-and-d type of player, and that’s what I’ve done throughout my journey so far.”
“In high school, I do a little more point guard work. But, in college, I’m looking forward to specializing in being that reliable catch-and-shoot option.”
Before he gets to Lambton College, Redfern and the Blue Devils have one more invitational tournament at the end of January before a hopeful berth into the WOSSAA Championship in February where they will look to defend their gold medal from a season ago.
Welcome to The Den, Blake!
For more information, or for any media inquiries within Lambton College Athletics, please contact:
Tyler Bennett
Lambton College Sports Information & Marketing Coordinator
tyler.bennett@lambtoncollege.ca