Butler basketball star Stainton Forbes chooses to continue career at Slippery Rock
Stainton Forbes and Andrew Gettinger were the engine of Butler’s boys basketball team over the past two seasons. With the former landing on Slippery Rock University as his collegiate hoops destination, the two Golden Tornado standouts will collide next fall in PSAC West action.
“It will definitely be different because we’ve obviously been playing together for most of our lives,” Forbes said of Gettinger, who’s going to play at Edinboro. “But I think it’ll definitely be exciting. It’ll be a different challenge guarding him. Always playing against him at the Y and Cubs, it’s always fun.”
Forbes, a 2026 Butler Eagle boys basketball all-star, was between The Rock and Division III Franciscan “for a long time,” he said. His father, Wayne Forbes, is a biology professor at SRU, which helps the younger Forbes with the tuition aspect. Forbes is planning on studying safety management.
“Just with Coach (Matt) Clement and everybody and some of the different guys there, I’ve been able to build a good relationship with the coaching staff there,” Forbes said. “Some of the players there, like Braylon (Littlejohn), I know some of the guys there, like Brady Mayo. ... From the different times I’ve been there, I like the feel of the campus.
“It just felt like the right spot for me.”
Forbes posted 15.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game last season.
He previously played one season of varsity basketball with Littlejohn, a fellow former Butler star and once a Butler Eagle Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Forbes also competed against Mayo, a Beaver product, in a fall league and watched him work with Gettinger on the AAU scene.
“It’s honestly pretty big with him being there,” Forbes said. “I’ve already been asking him different questions about what I need to know, what I should be ready for. He’s been great in terms of always being there to help me out. ... He’s definitely someone I’ll be able to rely on when I’m there.”
Forbes is aware he’ll have to earn playing time at the next level, but watched Littlejohn, Mayo and R.J. Sledge — an Imani Christian graduate — make starts as freshmen last season.
Asked if he’ll be visiting his dad during his office hours, Forbes laughed.
“Yeah, occasionally,” Forbes said. “He said I have to check in with him every once in a while. I’ll definitely be seeing him, saying ‘What’s up?’ to him every now and then.”
