April 13, 2005

The University of Texas - Pan American announced that Southeastern Community College transfer Colin Lien (Waterloo, IA/Southeastern Community College) has signed a National Letter of Intent to join the men's basketball program in the fall.

"Colin brings a great deal of experience coming from one of the top junior college programs in the country," said head coach Robert Davenport. "With his size and ability, we believe that Colin can fill the void left in the middle from our departing class. He's a great kid and a tremendous student, and we are excited about Colin joining our program."

"This is probably the most exciting thing that I've ever done. I have been waiting two years for this moment, and I am extremely appreciative of the coaching staff for the opportunity that they have given me. When I visited the campus, I really liked the coaching staff and all of the players, and I believe this is a great fit for me," added Lien.

The Blackhawks' man in the middle finished the 2004-05 campaign, averaging 3.2 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in 31 appearances. Southeastern Community College concluded the season with a 19-11 overall and 4-2 conference record en route to tying for the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference Division I standings championship.

Lien was a member of a Blackhawks' squad that captured the NJCCAA Division I National Championship during the 2003-04 season, finishing with a 32-4 record. That national title was the second consecutive for Southeastern Community College, which established itself as one of the top NJCAA programs in the country.

During his two-year tenure at Southeastern Community College, Lien was a two-time Region XI All-Academic selection and also garnered the Southeastern Academic Award. He was the recipient of both the Loren Walker and Duttweiler Scholarship honors.

A product of Waterloo Columbus High School, Lien was a first team all-conference, all-district and all-metro selection during his senior year. He averaged 14.0 point, 10.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots per game that season en route to leading the Sailors to a district championship. In that contest, he scored a career-high 32 points.

Lien chose UTPA over Loyola, Toledo, Stony Brook and University of Hawaii. He is the son of Mike and Marie Lien.

The University of Texas - Pan American is a NCAA Division I school that competes as an Independent institution.

UTPA Sports Information