Nasir Whitlock leaves legacy at Lehigh after March Madness berth

Before every Lehigh men’s basketball game, junior guard and captain Nasir Whitlock pulls out a marker and writes three characters, 4GS, on the tape wrapped around his wrist.

He’s done this since high school, when it was just 4G – for God, his grandmother, grandfather, great-grandmother and the people he has lost. Then, after losing a close friend in high school, Whitlock added the “S.”

Before every tipoff at Stabler Arena, when the national anthem plays and the crowd rises to their feet, Whitlock closes his eyes and prays. 

“I just ask God to let His will be done,” he said. “I want to go out there, play free, be fearless and give everything I have.”

Whitlock’s mindset carried him through the biggest moment of his career, helping cement his role as one of the defining players of the program’s historic season.

Lehigh was tied with the College of the Holy Cross on March 5 in the Patriot League quarterfinals when junior guard Josh Ingram inbounded the ball to Whitlock from the opposite end of the court. As the game clock dwindled toward zero, he released the ball from half-court.

Supporters of both teams held their breath as the ball traveled through the air and the buzzer sounded, outlining the backboard in red lighting as the clock struck zero.

Then it dropped through the net.

The arena erupted with Lehigh students pouring over the railings and onto the court. Teammates sprinted toward Whitlock, and a celebration mob grew as Holy Cross’s players hung their heads.

In the middle of it all stood the team captain from Minnesota, jumping amidst the chaos, living the kind of moment he had imagined since he was a kid watching Lehigh beat Duke University in 2012.

Days later, Lehigh would go on to defeat Boston University, 74-60, in the Patriot League Championship, punching its ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012.

The team was selected to compete in a 16-seed “First Four” play-in game, where it met Prairie View A&M, which would go on to face the defending champion and No. 1 seed University of Florida after a 67-55 win in Dayton, Ohio.

As Lehigh’s leading scorer, Whitlock averaged 20.5 points per game, while also contributing 122 rebounds and forcing 36 steals. He hit 1,000 career points scored on Feb. 11, and finished the 2025-26 season winning the Patriot League’s scoring title.

But before Whitlock became the center of Lehigh basketball, he had to overcome an obstacle from his youth: the living room mini hoop.

Whitlock grew up in Minnesota as the middle of three brothers, and he was obsessed with basketball. His father played at St. Cloud State University, and the driveway became an arena, rain or shine.

The Land of 10,000 Lakes wasn’t a powerhouse basketball state, but Whitlock said it made him a better player. When Lehigh came recruiting, Whitlock saw a chance to play and coaches who were honest with him about the opportunity.

“I went on a visit, and it was like, ‘You let me know what you think we need,’” Whitlock said. “He just had told me the way (Lehigh) plays, through its guards, so that was music to my ears.”

However, his first year proved to be difficult. Whitlock averaged just 13.3 minutes off the bench, learning that the college game moved faster and hit harder than anything he had faced before.

“It was tough,” Whitlock said. “It was my first time really coming off the bench.”

He worked throughout his sophomore year to improve his skills, and averaged 10.5 points per game. After multiple key players for the men’s basketball team transferred or graduated, Whitlock stepped up for the team and was selected as the lone captain during his junior season.

Sophomore forward Edouard Benoit described Whitlock as a leader who doesn’t command a room with his words, but rather with his effort.

“He’s not going to give us a huge speech, like a pep talk,” Benoit said. “That’s not his type of leadership. He shows by example. Once we’re on the court, there’s never an ounce of doubt in his eyes.”

Sophomore guard Peter Kramer said Whitlock acts differently off the court than he does on the court. 

“On the court, he’s very serious and very locked in, which is funny, because off the court, you can kind of mess around with him,” Kramer said. “But on the court, he just wants to win. I think that’s the main thing. And you can kind of see that through everything he does and how hard he works.”

The mentality of playing every possession with intensity helped the Mountain Hawks survive a series of close contests throughout the season.

Lehigh totaled seven games that went into overtime, winning three and losing four. Whitlock recorded a career-high 33 points against American on Feb. 11 resulting in a 90-82 win.

By the time March arrived, Benoit said the men’s basketball team felt prepared and Lehigh entered the Patriot League Tournament as a No. 2 seed.

Kramer said Whitlock maintained humility no matter what the stat sheet read.

“He’s so humble, and he’s always thanking God before anything, whatever he’s talking about,” Kramer said. “He leads by example and works super hard.”

Following the championship season, Whitlock decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal and posted an announcement on Instagram on April 2. On April 21, Whitlock revealed his commitment to Georgia Institute of Technology.

Whitlock said it was a tough decision to leave Lehigh, but he wanted to see what other opportunities were out there.

He ended his season leading the Patriot League in points scored, ranked top 25 in the nation in points averaged and totaled 718 points in his third year. Whitlock and sophomore forward Hank Alvey also both received invitations to attend Team USA’s 3×3 basketball development camp.

As Whitlock’s career at Lehigh comes to a close, he said he doesn’t want to just be remembered for the numbers on the score sheet, but rather the impact he left on the floor.

“I just want people to say I gave it my all,” he said.