The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men's basketball team has its second high school recruit for the 2019-20 Canada West season.

The Pack and head coach Scott Clark have gone to the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia for 6'5" forward Elan Kimpton-Cuellar of Roberts Creek. Kimpton-Cuellar will graduate this June from Elipinstone Secondary School.

"He is quite an athletic guy," says Clark. "He has very good shooting mechanics. Good set of shoulders. He is strong. A good athlete and has the makings of being a good basketball player."

"I wanted to play at TRU because I like their basketball program as well as their educational programs, says Kimpton-Cuellar (pronounced   E-lawn Kimp-ton Cue-LAR).   I love the campus and the facilities are amazing."   He will be taking courses aimed at earning a General Science degree with a long term goal of going into the Bachelor of Nursing degree program.

Clark was contacted by  Kimpton-Cuellar's other high school coach Shane Huering last season (2017-18). "I went to see him and was intrigued. In my recruiting of him, I ran into his AAU coach who told me he was coming to school here because his older brother was already attending Thompson Rivers."

Kimpton-Cuellar's other high school coach is Bob Hoy who has coached him off and on over the last six years.  The Eliphinstone school was 37-7 this season finishing tenth at the BC "AA" championships after winning the Howe Sound "AA" playoff tournament.    " Elan is the most naturally athletic kid I have ever seen," he says.  " He can jump through the gym and yet he has a great shooting touch from outside of the arc. Once his defenders played off him, he would make them pay with his soft jumper. Defensively, he loved a challenge and would look to take on the most skilled opponent we wound face."

Hoy adds, " I introduced Elan to the game of basketball in grade six. Throughout the skills and drills sessions, he grew to love the game and put in the work over the years to take his natural abilities to the next level. What you can't teach is hard work and passion, Elan has both."

"He was one of our key team leaders," Hoy continues. " He led us not only on the scoreboard on many nights but also in practice with his hard work and willingness to push himself and his teammates.  Elan was a regular game star and all-star in tournaments we played in.  He would change the game with a thunderous dunk, a monster rebound or a huge block."

Kimpton-Cuellar missed his grade 11 year due to injury but came back strong as he was a member of the Van City Elite club team which played in AAU tournaments throughout Canada and the United States.

"It's hard to say where he will fit into our program," Clark states. "We don't want to put all kinds of pressure on anyone coming out of high school. First year players come in here and not only are they trying to get a sense of where they fit in on the basketball team but also how life in university works. There are many factors they are trying to get used to. Any contribution you can get from a high school guy in his first year is a bonus.  He has the ingredients to be a good basketball player. We will see how he picks up on training, team concepts and all the different aspects of being a student/athlete."

"I would like to make my shot more of a threat and work on my defensive communication and overall communication on the court," Kimpton-Cuellar states.
Clark feels that being from a smaller community doesn't necessarily mean a player has a disadvantage in the area of playing top caliber opposition.  "The basketball world is getting smaller and smaller. There are a number of AAU tournaments during the summer that players can take advantage of.  Because of that, the elevation of individual play in our country and others around the world is rising."

Kimpton-Cuellar becomes the third confirmed recruit by the WolfPack for next season.  The others are: Rojhae Colbert (6'7", guard/forward, Phoenix, AZ -Pinnacle/Hillcrest Academy/St. Martins (NCAA Div II) and Samuel Jean (6'3",guard, Kamloops, BC-South Kamloops Secondary).
 
DOUBLE DRIBBLES:   Hoy on Kimpton-Cuellar's future with Thompson Rivers: "He is looking forward to living with his brother (20 year old Jalin) in Kamloops. Elan has seemingly endless potential that no doubt Coach Clark and his staff will enjoy working on.  TRU and its fans are in for a treat with Elan!"
When Kimpton-Cuellar and his mother came on their school visit, the start of the journey had an unusual start. The ferry they were to ride on hit the dock so the two had to be 'water taxied' to the mainland.  They had to borrow a friend's vehicle to get to Kamloops.