College Commitments: Loggers Land Leaders
Head coach Aubrey Shelton and his staff had a solid first season at Puget Sound in 2018-19 and they are looking to keep building with their incoming 2019 recruiting class. The Loggers recently stayed in-state to add a couple of impact freshmen both on and off the court for next season with the commitments of Kobe Elsner from Lynden High School and Grant Erickson from Capital High School in Olympia.
Elsner will come to Puget Sound as a decorated winner having been a part of Lynden’s back-to-back 2A Washington state title teams the past two years. The 6-foot, 160-pound guard is a flat out leader and will be bringing his winning mentality to the table each and every night. Elsner chose Puget Sound over George Fox, Pacific Lutheran, and Multnomah.
“The education was a better fit for me as well as the basketball program,” Elsner said. “I really liked the vibe around the campus and one thing I noticed is that everyone wears their Loggers gear – I really like how everyone is into school spirit. I like their play style as they run up and down the court and I really like the coaches – they’re really good guys and they’re really turning the program around and they have a good vision where they want to go.”
Erickson will also provide a winning mentality as he helped Capital High School reach the state tournament and win a game for the first time in 25 years. Also a leader – the 6-foot-6 post was not only co-captain for the Cougars but also the starting quarterback on the football team – he has versatile skills on the basketball floor and will immediately provide Puget Sound with size. Erickson picked the Loggers over Pacific Lutheran and Cal Lutheran.
“When I went on my overnight visit there it felt like home,” Erickson said. “The campus is beautiful and there wasn’t one specific thing that told me that this was the place to be but it was the overall feeling I got from the school. Right now they only have one big so I’ll have the opportunity to play. I love Coach (Aubrey) Shelton, I love Coach (Andy) Nelson, and I love the players and I’m just excited to get going.”