Prospect Spotlight: Blake Thune (2023 Mountainside)
It’s going to be next man up at Mountainside next season and Blake Thune Blake Thune 6'3" | CG Mountainside | 2023 State OR is ready. The sharp-shooting 6-3, 165-pound guard is amped up to get in a good club…
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Continue ReadingIt’s going to be next man up at Mountainside next season and Blake Thune Blake Thune 6'3" | CG Mountainside | 2023 State OR is ready. The sharp-shooting 6-3, 165-pound guard is amped up to get in a good club season with OBC this spring and summer and pick up some college interest, but he’s also preparing himself for next year. He remembers how it felt for the Mavericks to make it to the Chiles Center for the first time in school history and is aiming to get them back there once again.
“That was one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had,” Thune said of last season. “All the guys on the team – we were one of the tightest groups where we all wanted each other to do well and one through thirteen, we were super cohesive and that was the main reason we had so much success.”
Thune’s role in some aspects was as the designated shooter off the bench but as the year went on, he developed defensively where he started to come into games for that purpose. But shooting is what Thune does best and it was a couple of big threes from him in the second half against Central Catholic that propelled Mountainside to the 6A state tournament.
“That was the role the team needed from me,” Thune said. “Obviously, I was playing behind Dimitri (Cohen), Dez (Baker) and all those guys and they were All-Metro so my goal was to thrive in my role. Come in, hit a couple of threes, and cheer the guys on.”
With seniors like Cohen and Baker graduating, Thune will have a much bigger role his senior season next year. Playing with OBC, his goals are to continue doing what he does best but also expand his game as well.
“Obviously, I want to get buckets,” Thune said. “I’m super excited to play with these guys as we’ve got a lot of great guys on this team. I want to create for myself but also create for others – I don’t want to have a role where I’m just shooting. I want to be a creator, a point guard that gets people open and gets them shots.”
Naturally, Thune is also hopeful to pick up some college recruiting interest as he competes. He notes that he’s been in touch with Pacific assistant coach Brant Minor but other than that, he’s keeping things wide open. “My goal is just to go someplace where it’s fun to play,” Thune said. “D-I, D-II, D-III, JUCO I don’t care – I just want to go to a place that wants me there and I want to play and get after it.”
Overall, Thune is excited about the months ahead and feels he and his squad will sneak up on some people this spring and summer. “A lot of people don’t consider OBC as one of the top programs like the Oregon Prospects or the Rose City Rebels,” Thune said. “But honestly I think we can compete with them. I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people.”
Thune currently ranks as the #45 player in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2023 rankings.