Trailblazer Victor Lado commits to play at Colorado State-Pueblo

VINCENNES, Ind. – Vincennes University men's basketball sophomore Victor Lado (Louisville, Ky.) announced over the weekend that he plans to continue his athletic and academic career next season at NCAA Division II Colorado State University-Pueblo.

"From the day that CSU-P first reached out, the love I got from them felt different and genuine," Lado said. "They weren't just only caught up on basketball, they were interested in me as a person. That caught my eye almost immediately. Not only Head Coach Matt Hammer, but all the way down to the assistants as well."

"They also have some of the best facilities and living conditions in the country in addition to being one of the best environments to play across the whole RMAC conference," Lado added. "In the classroom is no different. As 14 of 15 players finished their year with a 3.0 GPA or higher, which speaks great volumes. I am excited to be a ThunderWolf and can't wait to get on campus."

Lado closed out his Trailblazers career this past season by averaging 5.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game for the Blue and Gold.

Lado played in 30 games this past season, including seven starts, including one game where he scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds in a VU win over Wabash Valley College.

Lado was a key reserve for most of the past season as the Blazers finished the season with a 30-4 record, winning the NJCAA Division I Central District Regular Season and Tournament Championships and advancing to the NJCAA Division I National Championships for the 11th time in the past 12 seasons.

Lado was also a member of the 2022-23 Trailblazers team, playing in 22 games for a VU squad that finished with a 30-6 record and advanced to the Elite Eight at the National Tournament.

"I have several favorite memories at Vincennes University," Lado said. "But if I had to narrow it down to one, it would have to be winning the Region Championship against Wabash Valley this past season. It hurt me as a freshman to see us come up short in the Region Championship, but it only added fuel to the returning players and finally taking home first place was nothing short of a great feeling."

Lado joins a ThunderWolves program, more commonly known as 'The Pack', which finished last season with a record of 14-15 and a 10-12 record in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play under Head Coach Matt Hammer.

Lado joins 2024 NJCAA All-American Michael Osei-Bonsu (Bolingbrook, Ill.) as the first two Trailblazer sophomores to announce their plans to continue playing next season.

Osei-Bonsu announced earlier in May that he will play next season at Missouri State University.

"My time at Vincennes University has definitely prepared me athletically and academically to move on to a four-year school," Lado added. "Athletically, you are pushed to be the best player and person that you are capable of. Mentally is where the emphasis is as you learn to be comfortable while being uncomfortable. You are held to a high standard on and off the court so you don't have much margin for error and mistakes, which reflects on you as well as the Men's Basketball program as a whole."

"Academically, I was pushed and challenged and there are very valuable life skills that I will take with me," Lado said. "Such as, the importance of time management and responsibility. Due to this, I feel ready for anything thrown at me athletically or academically at CSU-P."

The Vincennes University Athletic Department would like to congratulate Victor Lado on his commitment to continuing his education at Colorado State University-Pueblo and wishes him good luck as he continues his basketball career next season.