Lamonte Bearden

Since taking the Western Kentucky job, Rick Stansbury has shown his fondness for the grad transfer rule, which allows players who’ve graduated and have eligibility remaining to transfer and be able to play right away.

Stansbury used that rule this spring to bring former Providence guard Junior Lomomba and former Washington State guard Que Johnson into the Hilltopper program. Both will be eligible to play in 2016-17.

Now Stansbury has reportedly gone to the more traditional transfer route for his latest new addition.

CBS Sports reported Tuesday afternoon that former Buffalo guard Lamonte Bearden is transferring to WKU.

Bearden, who played two seasons with the Bulls, will have two seasons of eligibility left. He’ll sit out the 2016-17 season before playing the following two years, CBS Sports reported.

Bearden averaged 13.7 points, 4.2 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals against 2.3 turnovers per game in 2015-16 as a sophomore at Buffalo. He played 29.9 minutes per game and shot 42.3 percent from the field, 25 percent from the 3-point line and 76.7 percent from the free throw line.

Bearden’s scoring, assists, steals and free throw percentage totals led his team.

Bearden also averaged 8.3 ppg, 4.4 apg and 2.8 rpg as a freshman in 2014-15. He’s a 6-foot-3, 160-pound native of Milwaukee.

Bearden was the starting point guard for Bulls teams that have made back-to-back NCAA tournaments. He scored 19 points in a 79-72 NCAA first-round loss to Miami in March.

Bearden was granted a release to transfer last month by Buffalo. He joins five-star Louisiana center Mitchell Robinson as newcomers that’ll take the floor for WKU in 2017-18.

Bearden current backcourt mates that season would be Class of 2016 guard signees Tobias “T.J.” Howard, Marty Leahy and Damari Parris.

Stansbury looked earlier this summer at another point guard transfer, former Mississippi State player and five-star recruit Malik Newman. But after a recruiting process that included a visit to WKU, Newman chose Kansas, where he’ll have three years of eligibility left.

— Follow Daily News sports reporter Brad Stephens on Twiter @BradBGDN or visit bgdailynews.com.