College basketball player from Alabama found dead in Albany

ALBANY — Tragedy struck during day two of Albany State’s Rams Rising men’s basketball causing the event to be called off less than an hour before tip-off.

Albert Luke, a sophomore forward for the University of Montevallo (Ala.) was found deceased in his hotel room Saturday morning. Dougherty County coroner Michael Fowler said the 19-year-old appeared to have died from natural causes.

“He was found at the hotel unresponsive. Other basketball players woke up that morning and found him in the room unresponsive,” Fowler said. “He went to bed last night not complaining of anything.”

Luke and the Falcons had just defeated Columbus State 73-62 Friday night. Luke had eight points and four rebounds in the contest.

“The entire faculty, staff and students of Albany State University are deeply saddened by the sudden death of University of Montevallo student athlete A.J. Luke, on November 18. We extend our deepest sympathy to the Luke family and the University of Montevallo at this time of enormous loss,” ASU President Art Dunning said in a statement released Saturday by the university.

Fowler said an autopsy would be conducted Monday, but the initial cause is believed to be an undisclosed condition Luke was diagnosed with during childhood.

“He had some medical conditions going on, but we’ve got to get all of that documented,” he said. “Right now we’re looking at more of a natural disease, so we just have to get the autopsy done Monday to confirm that.”

Fowler said some alcohol was found at the room, but said, “I don’t think that it was a contributing factor.”

During his freshman season, Luke appeared in 11 games, starting in five of them. He recorded a season-high 13 points in his first collegiate appearance against Carver College.

Luke was a Birmingham, Ala., native and a graduate of Ramsay High School, where he earned Most Valuable Player honors at the Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 5A Northwest Region Tournament after averaging 18 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Luke was a third team All-State selection after leading his team to the Final Four of the Class 5A State Tournament.