Following a strong freshman season at Napa Valley College, AJ Loustau will continue his basketball career at the highest level at Sam Houston State

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By Kyle Foster 

kfost91197@gmail.com

Twitter/X: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews

It takes a player with some special skill and ability to play at the highest level of college basketball. To make this jump after a year is even more impressive.

This is what AJ Loustau will do as he will move on to play at the next level after committing to play at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. 

“I’m super excited to continue my basketball career period,” Loustau explained. “But for it to be at an even higher level is an incredible blessing.”

The thing is, early on this was always the goal to use his one year of junior college ball to make it to the next level. 

“Early on in the recruiting process with AJ, I emphasized that we wanted him to use us as a vessel to get to a university,” Napa Valley College head coach Steve Ball pointed out. “Our goal for him was to become debt-free with a degree. That is the interesting thing about this level: as a coach, you have to be somewhat altruistic. I really enjoyed coaching AJ, but I am excited to see what his future holds! Transferring after a single season with the Storm, after helping lead us to a playoff spot, is what is best for him and his development.”

Last season as a freshman for Napa Valley College, he was able to score in a variety of ways. He averaged 12.6 points per game, 7.1 rebounds per game, and 2.1 assists per game. He shot 45.3% from the field and 66.3% from the free-throw line. 

“Coach Ball put me in great positions to average a double-double, along with my teammates trusting me to do my part and own my matchup and the glass,” Loustau said of nearly averaging a double-double. “I pride myself on my competitiveness, toughness, and high-effort play, which is what contributed to my personal success. In terms of scoring, I try to be as complete a player as I can be, and that’s still developing now. So I would shoot shots I worked relentlessly on and just allowed the rest to fall into place.” 

Loustau was extremely effective in the post. His 6-foot-8 frame made it easy to score around the rim and collect 42 offensive rebounds during the season. 

“AJ scored at a high clip mostly due to his well-rounded skill set,” Ball explained. “At 6-foot-8 and the ability to handle the basketball like a guard, he was a very difficult matchup for many community college basketball players. He recognized when he was being guarded by a big and could drive by them to the basket. He also recognized if he had a smaller player on them, he could back them down and turn it into a post-up. Combine that with his ability to see the floor and willingness to distribute the basketball, and you have a very tough matchup. 

“I thoroughly enjoyed coaching AJ for the year that I had him,” Ball continued. “He will always be a part of the Storm Family and his legacy as another one-and-done D1 guy and a playoff leader will be revered for years to come.”

On top of all of this, he also had never been a main player on offense. That changed last season. 

“Prior to Napa Valley College, AJ had never really been a featured player,” Ball said. “We made him a focal point of our offense and defense this year. The biggest was his ability to develop into a primary ball-handler. I feel like he really excelled in this role and it highlighted his strengths. He spent many hours in his own and with our staff developing a smooth jump shot and handle.”  

This all led him to be named a member of the first-team Bay Valley Conference last season. 

“Being BVC first team in my first year in college was very validating because I think of more as a team award,” Loustau added. “There’s no way I could have had that success if it wasn’t for Kieran (Mannion), EJ (Rogers), or any of the guys.”

In one year with the Storm, he also made a massive impact. He joins a list of one-and-done talents to come through the school. 

Before coming to NVC, he spent a season playing at Golden State Prep. This helped him grow his game before playing college basketball. 

“GSP was an incredible step in my journey,” Loustau pointed out. “It was the first time I got to play with talent from all over the world and helped me gain perspective on what the basketball world looked like outside of the Bay Area. Coach Paul Murray and Humphrey Jackson were instrumental in my development and saw through the entire learning curve I’ve been on. That team is truly a family to me; I love all those guys even two years later. GSP helped me go from a promising high school player to a real collegiate athlete.”

The year with GSP also had him coming in as a more mature player who was ready for the college game. 

“AJ’s year at GSP allowed him to come to the realization that he can compete at a very high level,” Ball added. “Both with high-level teammates and against high-level opponents. Golden State Prep is a great place for young men who have realistically high aspirations, and we will continue to offer opportunities to the quality individuals that come out of their program.”

When Loustau gets to Sam Houston St, he’ll be heading to a program that is fresh off of some recent success. Last year, the Bearkats went 22-12 with a 13-7 mark in Conference USA, where they finished second. They were very close to an NCAA tournament bid but instead played in the National Invitational Tournament, otherwise known as the NIT.

The NCAA tournament is set to expand in 2027 to 76 teams. This means there are more opportunities for the mid-major type of schools like Sam Houston.

“Making the NCAA tournament is a team goal that we are constantly reminded of in practice at Sam Houston,” Loustau said of the expanded March Madness. “The expansion only makes that goal more feasible, and I really believe that if we commit to each other and commit to winning, you’ll see the Bearkats on your bracket this year.”

He also plans to major in Business Administration. The reason he’s choosing to major in this is that he wants to become a Chief Marketing Officer like his mom. 

“I’m studying marketing and entrepreneurship at the SHSU College of Business Administration,” Loustau added. “Similar to my mom’s career as a Chief Marketing Officer, this major study is something I’ve always been passionate about; using the leadership skills I’ve learned through basketball, and pushing myself to be creative.”