Recruiting Report: Parker Bjorklund (2018)
Parker Bjorklund was a complementary player for a Chaska team that went to the state tournament last season. He’s expecting to play a much bigger role for the Hawks in his senior season.
Bjorklund, a 6-foot-3 swingman, spent the spring and summer playing grassroots with TMBA Whittus, working on his game and helping his team remain competitive.
“It went pretty good,” Bjorklund said of the season. “We played a lot of good teams. That is good for all of us. It was a fun year.”
Bjorklund plays the ‘glue guy’ role well as he excels as a slasher, contributes on the glass, wins 50/50 balls and defends hard. He’s a solid secondary playmaker in the flow of an offense and does a good job putting pressure on secondary defenders.
He played that role well for Chaska a year ago. He’s excited to take on a bigger role in his senior season.
“During the high school season, I was more of a sixth or seventh man and my role wasn’t to score,” said Bjorklund. “We had guys who could score. I’ve prepared to take on a bigger role this year and I’m excited for that challenge. I thought I played a lot better [this year] than I had in some of the previous years. I think I’ve gotten a lot better.”
It’s easy to see how Bjorklund’s game translates to the next level as he’s got a good combination of length and athleticism to go along with not only a low-maintenance game now, but skills that could allow his game to grow even further. He’s drawn his share of college interest to this point.
“South Dakota School of Mines, I’ve talked to them quite a bit,” said Bjorklund. “They’ve come to see me play a few times. Gustavus, Bethel and Hamline have been talking to me a lot too. I haven’t done any visits yet but I’d like to soon.”