Recruiting Updates: 6/26/2014
By Lance Westberg (Triple Threat 17U Head Coach)
00 Jarred Merchant (6’3 PF Kimball High School)
Jarred has been having a great offseason working with Triple
Threat. As a 3-year Triple Threat player, he has committed to invest in
developing his game as his role in Kimball’s offense will only continue to
increase. In 2013-2014, Jarred scored his 1000th career points as he
led Kimball as Co-Captain. This summer, Jarred has been one of the most consistent
players on the team averaging 7 points and 5 rebounds on a balanced team. As an
undersized big man, Jarred uses his great strength and polished footwork to
score against bigger defenders on the low block. This summer he has made great
strides in his mid range jump shot and has proven the ability to step out to
the perimeter and hit an open 3-pointer. Jarred has drawn interest from
UM-Morris, Bethany Lutheran, and Northland College this spring. Jarred holds a
3.3 GPA and is waiting to hear back on his June ACT score. He is poised for a
big season of football and will face numerous double teams next season at
Kimball.
01 Ryne Alger (5’10 PG Watertown-Mayer High School)
Ryne is in his first year with Triple Threat and has done a
great job learning to play with new guys and leading from the point guard
position through his constant effort on both ends of the court. At
Watertown-Mayer, Ryne was the starting point guard as a junior and was second
on the team with 9.5 points per game. Though he is a smaller point guard, Ryne
does a fantastic job getting his body into the paint, scoring over longer
defenders, and making plays for his teammates. Ryne is a pure effort guy on
defense using his low base to make things difficult for opponents. He has made
great progress on making his release quicker on his perimeter shot. With a slightly
more consistent outside shot, Ryne will be a great asset to any team he chooses
to join. So far, Ryne has received interest from Bethel and Bethany Lutheran
with more UMAC attention to come. For Triple Threat, Ryne is a threat to score
double figures one game, and drop 6-8 assists in the next. Ryne currently has a
3.1 GPA and is waiting on his June ACT score. He will see an increased scoring
role at Watertown-Mayer next year with the departure of leading scorer Luke
Sandquist.
03 Tommy Sletten (6’4 SF Mounds View)
\
Tommy is in his first year wearing a Triple Threat jersey
after playing with the MN Glory last year. Last year at Mounds View, Tommy
played on the JV squad before suffering a back injury that ended his season. He
has worked his way into a nice role as a perimeter jump shooter by making many
timely shots. Tommy also is a go-to guy defensively as he often guards the
other team’s best players on the wing. Tommy is a very positive teammate that
is vocal on the floor and the bench. He is a long armed prospect with nice
athleticism. He was a sectional finalist in the high jump for Mounds View.
Tommy is continuing to work hard and develop his strength and basket attacking
abilities. He has made great progress this spring and increased his role
progressively this season. Next year Tommy will look to see good minutes for a
talented Mounds View team. So far Macalester College, Northland, Bethany
Lutheran, and Northwestern have shown interest in Tommy. He holds a 3.3 GPA and
an impressive 30 ACT score. He has his sights set on a high academic school
where he can find an opportunity to play as well. Tommy has been a quality
asset to this year’s Triple Threat team.
11 David Stokman (6’1 PG Maple Lake)
David is in his 4th year with Triple Threat and
has made a great impact on the program over the years. David brings the highest
character and work ethic every time he steps on the court. David has grown
about 3 inches in the last year and has really developed his basket attacking
skills. Though he is a skinny guard, he plays tougher than players that are 30
pounds heavier than him. He fills his tank on the defensive end with great ball
pressure. Offensively, David is very well rounded. He has a quick release on
his jump shot and can pull up on a dime. Players love to play with him because
he gets the offense moving very well. David is a high IQ player that makes his
teammates better. David is the leader of Triple Threat with his actions and his
words. He is as serious as they come about playing at the next level. He needs
to get stronger, but will be a great player for whichever college team can land
him on campus. So far, David has gathered interest from UW-River Falls,
Northwestern, Bethany Lutheran, St. Thomas, St. Olaf, Gustavus, Carleton, Briar
Cliff, Valley City State, and Northland College. He is a top-notch student with a 4.0 GPA and
28 ACT score. He will look to go somewhere with strong academics and a positive
culture.
20 Mitchell Weege (6’1 SG Elk River)
Mitchell is in his first year with Triple Threat after
playing a few years with the Minnesota Heat. Mitchell is another very high
character player who will do anything a coach would ask. He plays a smart,
controlled game. His strength comes from his perimeter shooting and offensive
movement. He performs exceptionally in a motion offense and makes players
around him better. Defensively, he plays great position defense and knows how
to rotate well. For Elk River, Mitchell averaged 10 points per game as the
second scoring option to Bemidji bound senior Clay Elrod. He will see an
increased scoring role in his senior year. Mitchell has been contacted by
Northwestern, Bethany Lutheran, Viterbo, and Bethel and will likely look to
attend a Christian based school. Former teammate and good friend Porter Morell
(Elk River) currently attends Northwestern, so they may be the leader at this
point. Mitchell holds a 3.77 GPA and a 25 ACT, so he will have plenty of
options academically for college. He needs to add strength and explosiveness to
attack the rim stronger, but will be a solid player at the next level. He is a
great teammate that will boost any program he lands in.
23 Michael Veldman (6’3 SG Becker)
Michael is in his 4th year with Triple Threat and
has seen great progress in his game since joining the program. Michael has
experienced a 3-4 inch growth spurt over the past year, and doesn’t look to be
finished growing. He comes from a 6’6 father and has a 6’7 brother Matt Veldman
who is a great athlete (Detroit Lions TE). Since Michael was smaller as a kid,
he developed great ball handling skills and shooting ability. For Becker, he
was the leading scorer as junior putting in 15 points per night. Michael
thrives off the corner 3 pointer and has made a great transition to the wing.
On any given night, he can blow up for 25-30 points if he is not attended to.
Mike is also a talented quarterback for Becker and may have some college
opportunities in Football as well. For hoops, the colleges that have shown
interest are UW-River Falls, St. John’s, Northwestern, and Bethany Lutheran. He
is an intriguing prospect because he could be a tough, 6’6 wing when he
finished growing. D2’s are keeping an eye out, though none have stepped up to
pursue him yet. Michael has a 3.7 GPA and is waiting on his ACT score from
June. He could be a very good MIAC/WIAC player if he does not get an offer in
the NSIC.
30 Tyler Frie (6’1 SG Monticello)
Tyler is in his 4th year with Triple Threat and
has brought a great commitment and toughness over the years. He is a guy that
is at every practice and will work his way to the next level. For Monticello,
Tyler has had to play out of position for a smaller team. Often he has had the
responsibility of guarding players 3-6 inches taller than him. He makes up for
his size with relentless effort and physicality on defense. Offensively, he
runs the floor very well and can finish at the rim with great body control. His
perimeter shot has seen great strides this offseason as his release has gotten
quicker. He plays too unselfishly at times. As an off guard at the next level,
he will be a bit undersized, but will do a fine job of using his body and
working to get himself quicker. With a quicker trigger and increased
assertiveness for Monticello this year, Tyler could be a nice D3 player. So
far, he has received interest from St. Johns, Northwestern, and Bethany Lutheran.
Tyler holds a 3.5 PGA and is also waiting for his results from the June ACT.
33 Jared Streit (6’5 PF Eden Valley-Watkins)
Jared is in his 3rd year with Triple Threat and
is the first player people notice when they see the team play. He is a farm kid
with incredible muscle definition and explosiveness. He brings a great power
game and explosiveness in his slashing abilities. Jared has also made great
strides in his mid range and perimeter jump shooting this offseason. Jared looks
like a prototypical D1 football player and has received interest accordingly.
He has attended football camps at NDSU and SDSU as he waits for a scholarship
offer. Jared is also a very talented basketball player who over powers players.
When he is not soaring over defenders to finish at the rim, he is moving well
within the offense and scoring off cuts and positioning. He is developing
confidence in his left hand and is finishing more and more plays through
contact. For Eden Valley-Watkins, Jared became the school’s all-time leading
rebounder as a junior. He averaged a double-double and will look to build on
those numbers in his senior year. He needs to continue to work on his defensive
positioning, but is still an enticing prospect. Right now, he has received basketball
interest from UM-Duluth, St. Johns, St. Olaf, Gustavus, UW-River Falls,
Augsburg, and Valley City State to name a few. His passion is basketball, but
he may take a football scholarship if there are some on the table. His
recruitment will be very exciting as he enters his senior year. Jared has a 3.7
GPA and is awaiting his ACT score.
34 Cole Peters (6’7 PF Waconia)
Cole is a first year Triple Threat player who brings great
length and athleticism to the team. He has a raw set of offensive skills, but
can be dangerous if he has space around the basket. His ability to soar above
the rim for mind-boggling dunks often brings a crowd to warm-ups. He has a knack
for blocking shots defensively and is continuing to get stronger in his post
defense. Cole is a guy whose best
basketball is still ahead of him. For Waconia, he played a small offensive roll
on a talented team with a crowded front court. He has received interest from
Bethany Lutheran, Central Lakes CC, and Northland College. As he gets stronger
and polishes his offensive game, he could be a great upside player at the next
level.
44 Brady Bellefeuille (6’6 PF Frazee)
Brady is in his second year with Triple Threat and has made
great progress since being a 16U player. He has a relentless work ethic and has
committed his summer to becoming a college basketball player. Brady brings a
nice touch from 10-18 feet and has increased his ability to score off the
dribble as well. Defensively he is a worker that fights for position and attacks
rebounds. For Frazee he is a consistent double-double guy who thrives in games
where he matched up against big name players in the HOL conference. Brady is
continuing to get stronger and his frame suggests he can hold another 30-40
pounds of muscle while maintaining his athleticism. He currently holds a 3.3
GPA and has received recruiting interest from Northwestern, St. Scholastica, Crown,
UM-Morris, Bethany Lutheran, and Northland College. He plans to major in either
Accounting or Math Education. This year, Brady will have a big role in Frazee
as they look to build off last season’s growth in a competitive HOL conference.
