ALLENDALE, Mich. – Two former standouts with the Grand Valley State men's basketball team, Jake Van Tubbergen and Christian Negron, have earned opportunities to continue their basketball careers as professionals this summer. Van Tubbergen signed with Vitória SC in Portugal while Negron signed with Leones de Ponce in Puerto Rico.
 
A Holland, Michigan native, Van Tubbergen played five seasons with the Lakers, rising to NABC All-America status in 2019-20, becoming the first Laker to do so in over a decade. He helped lead the Lakers to a GLIAC Tournament championship in 2019 and berth in the NCAA Tournament, was a five-time All-GLIAC selection and earned GLIAC Freshman of the Year in 2017. He played 130 games in a Laker uniform, averaging 27.4 minutes, 15.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while shooting .534 for his career.
 
Negron has appeared in 18 pro games for the Leones in his first pro season, averaging 2.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game with a .613 field goal percentage. He's also averaging nearly half a block per game in 8.5 average minutes; continuing the shot-blocking prowess that led the GLIAC in each of his final two seasons at GVSU.
 
Follow updates on the newest pro Laker with updates on @GVSUBasketball social media and gvsulakers.com.