ALTON – It’s been official since before the 2025-26 basketball season started, but Semaj Stampley is a future South Dakota State University Jackrabbit.
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The decision was finalized back in early November on National Signing Day, just a couple of weeks before he began his senior season representing the Alton Redbirds.
“I think it naturally has to be, [a relief]. I was just so impressed by the way he handled the whole thing,” Stampley’s current head coach, Dylan Dudley, said. “Because I’ve been the college coach who recruited those guys, and I’ve seen it go to their heads, it’s a real thing.”
Stampley is the Auto Butler Male Athlete of the Month for the Redbirds.
Stampley has been building relationships with the coaching staff for some time now and just felt like it was the right place to go.
“During the summer, different assistant coaches reached out, like coach Cole [Christian] and then head coach [Bryan] Peterson reached out, and we just built a great connection from there,” Stampley said.
SDSU plays NCAA Division I in the Summit League against the likes of North Dakota State University, the University of South Dakota, and Denver University, to name a few.
But for Stampley, the college experience is a whole lot more than just hoops.
“I’m real big on school, ever since I was very young,” he said. “And just getting a different experience. I’ve been living in the 618 my whole life, just being able to enjoy life, go somewhere far, and strive.”
“I think they just told him the truth,” Dudley said. “Semaj is wise beyond his years. If they made it all about basketball, he wouldn’t have been there. They made it about life, and how he can take care of people, and how he’s going to grow and be challenged. That’s really what turned him onto it.”
“It was something that my family and I felt like we could be a part of, and it all came together,” Stampley said.
He wasn’t locked in on a major yet, but will probably study Business Economics.
Last season, Stampley scored a team-high 622 points, averaging 18.8 points per game. He also brought down 119 rebounds, which was second on the team.
He began his high school career at CBC, a private school in St. Louis. As a freshman, he appeared in 26 games and scored 152 points.
Stampley is one of six rostered seniors for the 2025-26 season and is already showing signs of being a great senior leader.
“I tell people this story all the time,” Dudley said. “When those college coaches would come watch him practice and work out and gain a relationship, the first thing he’d tell me is ‘Coach, make sure all the guys go talk to the coach.’”
“He would walk by his coach and all the other coaches who came, making sure all his teammates went and talked to that person. It just says a lot about him, and it says a lot about what his teammates feel about him. He’s earned that respect.”
“It’s definitely different, playing a different role,” Stampley said. “I definitely still have to get myself involved, but also getting them involved, making sure they grow confidence, learn to play hard, and keep their head.”
“I have trust in all of them,” Stampley continued. “Everyone is growing each week. I feel like we can do something special here.”
“We’re going to enjoy it as long as we can with him,” Dudley said. “I know that for a fact.
