Former Iowa High School Basketball Prep Takes Advantage Of New NCAA Rule

Cameron Fens was a standout at Dubuque Hempstead and will now play for North Carolina this season.

UIC's Cameron Fens (54) tries to stop Bradley's Christian Davis in the second half of their Missouri Valley Conference basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024 at Carver Arena in Peoria. The Braves defeated the Flames 85-73. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

A former Iowa high school boys basketball standout is one of the latest to take advantage of the new NCAA age-based eligibility model, keeping his collegiate career alive.

Cameron Fens, a star at Dubuque Hempstead High School, has committed to the University of North Carolina. Fens most recently played at the University of South Dakota.

While the NCAA has adopted the new model that would allow for student-athletes to have five years of eligibility starting with the 2027 recruiting class, several have filed lawsuits to allow it to impact their own standing in the college game.

Cameron Fens Looking To Help Build North Carolina Quickly

Fens is one of those.

At Dubuque Hempstead, the 7-foot Fens averaged a double-double during his senior season, scoring 18.7 points while grabbing over 11 rebounds per game. He would break the school record for rebounds during his senior season, grabbing 272.

With Fens patrolling the paint, Dubuque Hempstead reached the substate round of the Iowa High School Athletic Association boys state basketball postseason tournament in Class 4A.

He tallied just under 10 points and six rebounds per game as a junior, shooting 63 percent from the field his final two seasons with 83 total blocked shots.

Randy Fens, his father, played at Northern Illinois University, as the younger Fens was part of the Martin Brothers AAU program coming up.

Former Iowa High School Boys Basketball Standout Had Breakout Season With South Dakota

Fens started his college career with the University of Illinois-Chicago, making 12 starts as a true freshman and 15 during his 53 games with the program. He scored 126 points and recorded 119 rebounds during his two-year stint.

From there, Fens headed to South Dakota, where he played in 19 games and had 16 starts before an injury ended his season. He was averaging 8.6 points, five rebounds and a block per game.

This past winter, Fens was named to the all-Summit League first team and all-defensive squad, starting all 32 games for the Coyotes. He averaged a double-double in conference games, finishing the season at 14.4 points and nearly nine rebounds per game - which ranked 46th in the country.

Fens Joins Michael Malone In Chapel Hill

Former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone was hired in the offseason to lead the Tar Heels. Malone, a native of New York, played his college basketball at Loyola (Maryland) after starting his high school career in Rhode Island.

After Brendan Malone, his father, was hired by the New York Knicks, Malone transferred to Seton Hall Prep School, attending Worcester Academy for one season.