The basketball recruiting season picked up last week as three of the area’s top players made their collegiate commitments.
Standout forward Jamison White of East St. Louis committed to Penn State University. Point guard Ian Thomas of DeSmet committed to Indiana State, while shooting guard Semaj Stampley of Alton gave a pledge to South Dakota State.
All three of the talented players are related to former star players from the St. Louis metro area. Jamison White is the son of Jahidi White, a former Cardinal Ritter College Prep and Georgetown standout who also played nine years in the National Basketball Association.
Ian Thomas is the nephew of former Sumner High great Albert Thomas, who led the St. Louis area in scoring twice during his high school career in the late 1980s. He played college basketball at TCU. Semaj Stampley is the nephew of former Alton High star Leroy Stampley, who was a standout collegiate player at Loyola of Chicago and who was drafted by the Phoenix Suns. He is a member of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
White is a 6’8” forward who played his first three years at Chaminade before transferring to East St. Louis for his senior year. As a junior, White averaged 14.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in leading the Red Devils to a berth in the Missouri Class 6 state championship game. He was a member of the St. Louis American “Fab Five” First Team All-Stars in 2025.
Thomas is a 6’3” point guard who is one of the best in the state at his position. As a junior, he averaged 8.4 points, four rebounds and four assists while shooting 59 percent from the field. As a sophomore, he averaged nine points, three rebounds and three assists in helping the Spartans to the Class 5 state championship.
The 6’2” Stampley is one of the best perimeter shooters in the St. Louis area. In the past two seasons, he has made a total of 196 3-pointers. As a junior, he averaged 18.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 steals in leading the Redbirds to a 26-7 record.
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