Kristian Sjolund

Kristian Sjolund, 6'9, Tompkins High School, Norway/USA, 1999

Outlook: Sjolund sat out much of the camp with a foot injury. When he did step on the court, he showed much of the talent we were able to see at the BWB Europe, which is already earning him significant recruiting attention from a few top-flight NCAA programs. Sjolund continues to grow and is now 6'8 without shoes with a 6'10 wingspan, giving him ample size to play the 4 in college if that's what's asked of him.

His skill-set is that of a 3, though, as he has a very smooth shooting stroke both with his feet set and off the dribble that continues to improve. He's also a very fluid athlete with impressive explosiveness. He makes the extra pass and has a solid feel for the game, even if his ball-handling skills remain a work in progress.

Sjolund's body remains weak at just 182 pounds, but he has a frame that suggests he will fill out in time. He is a tough and competitive kid despite his lack of strength and somewhat shy demeanor, and it remains bewildering that he's considered such a lowly regarded recruit by most scouting services here in the US. That will likely change at some point, as soon as he gets a little more exposure. His bloodlines are good and he looks to be making solid progress with his game based on the little we could see when he stepped on the court despite his injury (he couldn't help himself he said).

Interview

-Another dual citizen playing high school basketball in the US is Norwegian born forward Kristian Sjolund from Texas. Sjolund is still very much flying under the radar of American scouting services, but proved to be an extremely intriguing long-term prospect at the Basketball Without Borders Europe camp in Helsinki in September. Possessing great size for the small forward position (and tall enough to play some small-ball 4), with outstanding athleticism, Sjolund is a competitive player who shows enough budding skill enough in a variety of areas to lead you to believe he can develop his polish in time. Sjolund won't be a secret much longer at the conclusion of this camp, even if he's already being recruited by a handful of elite-level colleges.

Strengths
-Has excellent size for a wing player at 6'8 to go along with solid length
-Skinny frame, but looks like he can continue to add bulk to it in the coming years.
-Outstanding athlete. Highly explosive. Gets up around the rim impressively. Tries to dunk everything. Highlight reel in the open court
-Shows good potential as a shooter. High release point. Makes open shots regularly
-Plays with a great motor. Very active on the glass. Shows good toughness despite how underdeveloped physically he is
-Gets quite a few blocks, steals and rebounds indicating solid instincts in addition to his size and athleticism
-Handles the ball in the open court. Tries to make the extra pass. Fairly unselfish

Weaknesses
-Frame has a ways to go. Lack of strength affects him significantly on both ends of the floor currently.
-Very unpolished in virtually every facet, both skill-wise and in terms of experience. Doesn't have one consistent means of scoring at the moment
-Not consistent with his jumper at the moment. Doesn't shoot it the same way every time. Looks very off-balance at times. Gets streaky results
-Below average ball-handler in the half-court. Ball slows him down. Doesn't change speeds or directions. Not clueless with the ball, but will take him some time to develop his shot-creation ability at his size
-Doesn't want to use his left hand handling or finishing

Outlook: Talented wing player with great physical tools and a budding skill-level. Still at an early stage of his development relative to his peers, but has a very high ceiling to continue to improve. Born in Norway but has moved back and forth to the US due to his father's work. Currently going to high school in Houston. Drawing interest from the likes of Michigan and Virginia and definitely has the talent to play at that level. Was clearly one of the best long-term prospects at the camp. Not getting any real buzz nationally at the moment, but that will definitely change once he becomes more well known.

Interview: